Background Zoonoses are common causes of human and livestock illness in Tanzania. Previous studies have shown that brucellosis, leptospirosis, and Q fever account for a large proportion of human febrile illness in northern Tanzania, yet they are infrequently diagnosed. We conducted this study to assess awareness and knowledge regarding selected zoonoses among healthcare providers in Moshi, Tanzania; to determine what diagnostic and treatment protocols are utilized; and obtain insights into contextual factors contributing to the apparent under-diagnosis of zoonoses. Methodology/Results We conducted a questionnaire about zoonoses knowledge, case reporting, and testing with 52 human health practitioners and 10 livestock health providers. Immediately following questionnaire administration, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 of these respondents, using the findings of a previous fever etiology study to prompt conversation. Sixty respondents (97%) had heard of brucellosis, 26 (42%) leptospirosis, and 20 (32%) Q fever. Animal sector respondents reported seeing cases of animal brucellosis (4), rabies (4), and anthrax (3) in the previous 12 months. Human sector respondents reported cases of human brucellosis (15, 29%), rabies (9, 18%) and anthrax (6, 12%). None reported leptospirosis or Q fever cases. Nineteen respondents were aware of a local diagnostic test for human brucellosis. Reports of tests for human leptospirosis or Q fever, or for any of the study pathogens in animals, were rare. Many respondents expressed awareness of malaria over-diagnosis and zoonoses under-diagnosis, and many identified low knowledge and testing capacity as reasons for zoonoses under-diagnosis. Conclusions This study revealed differences in knowledge of different zoonoses and low case report frequencies of brucellosis, leptospirosis, and Q fever. There was a lack of known diagnostic services for leptospirosis and Q fever. These findings emphasize a need for improved diagnostic capacity alongside healthcare provider education and improved clinical guidelines for syndrome-based disease management to provoke diagnostic consideration of locally relevant zoonoses in the absence of laboratory confirmation.


Abstract Biostratigraphically significant finds of two important species of Nemagraptus in the Middle and Upper Ordovician carbonate sections of Baltoscandia are reviewed. Nemagraptus subtilis is found in the lower part of the Uhaku Regional Stage, which is correlated with the Hustedograptus teretiusculus graptolite zone. Nemagraptus gracilis is restricted to the upper part of the Kukruse Stage in the Central and South Estonian and western Latvian sections. This level correlates with the Nemagraptus gracilis graptolite Zone. The vertical distribution of these taxa is similar to, although less complete than, their ranges in the classic black shale succession in Scania, southern Sweden. The first three-dimensionally preserved specimens of N. subtilis are illustrated and described. Nemagraptus subtilis can be differentiated from N. gracilis by its lack of cladial branches, more slender stipes, shorter sicula, and upward orientation of the first two thecae.


In manufacturing industry, the wear of cutting tools play a major role especially in surface roughness and finish quality of final products. In this study, hardened tool steel DIN 115CrV3 with superior mechanical properties was used as cutting tools. A physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique was performed for coating TiN and CrN on steels heat treated at 780°C. The adhesive wear experiments were performed at progressive and constant loads and then they were quantified and compared to hardened steel. Results of adhesive wear under progressive load showed lower friction of coefficient and friction force compared to ceramic coatings. The internal stress of hardened steel was found higher relative to TiNand CrNcoated tools. The measurement of critical load of adhesion and delamination failure showed that CrN coating had better resistance than TiN coating. The hardened steel tools performed the worst adhesive wear at constant load compared to ceramic coatings. TiN-coated tools had better coefficient of friction values and adhesive wear properties at constant load than the others. Microstructure analysis of worn samples were used for characterization of wear properties of the samples. KeywordsAdhesive Wear, Physical Vapor Deposition, Coating, Delamination.


The work reports an experimental study of the effect of swirl on the structure of a liquid spray, i.e., on the behavior of drops and their interaction with the gaseous phase, and on the velocity and turbulence fields of the spray in the swirling flow. Three vane-type swirlers having low, medium, and high swirl numbers were used in the tests. The swirlers were placed on the liquid supply tube of a pressure atomizer and tested in the wind tunnel under specified conditions. Properties of the dispersed phase such as velocity and size distributions, particle number density, and volume flux were measured at several locations within the swirling flow field. In addition, mean velocity and turbulence properties were obtained for the gas phase. The results show that flow reversal of the drops is present at the high swirl number within the recirculation region. The spatial distribution of drops reveals a widening of the spray with increasing swirl strength while the concentration of large drops is shown to increase near the core of the swirling field with increasing swirl number. Plots of the turbulence kinetic energy, normal Reynolds stresses, and Reynolds shear stresses show double-peak radial distributions, which indicate regions in the flow where high energy content, mean velocity gradients, and large shear forces are present. The decay of turbulence velocities in the axial direction was observed to be very fast, an indication of high diffusion and dissipation rates of the kinetic energy of turbulence. The significance of the turbulence measurements is that these double-peak profiles indicate a deviation of the swirling spray from isotropy. This information should be relevant to researchers modeling these complex flows.


Plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin and met-enkephalin were measured, with appropriate radioimmunoassays, in cows during gestation and at parturition and in newborn calves. During pregnancy beta-endorphin immunoreactivity (IR) concentration increased, but values during the last month of gestation were not different from those at parturition. Highest met-enkephalin IR levels were obtained in cows during calving. A term Caesarean section caused an increase in plasma beta-endorphin and met-enkephalin IR concentrations, but no such increase occurred in cases of a preterm Caesarean section. In calves beta-endorphin IR values were lower before umbilical cord rupture than immediately after birth. Values decreased continuously thereafter. This was also the case for met-enkephalin IR concentrations in calves born at term. In preterm calves met-enkephalin IR values were low immediately after delivery and increased during the first hour of life. A significant correlation existed between the degree of acidosis and plasma levels of both opioid peptides in the calves. We conclude that a direct stimulation of peripheral beta-endorphin release by the pain or stress associated with calving does not seem to exist in cattle, whereas met-enkephalin seems to be more directly related to parturition. In calves the change to the extrauterine environment causes an immediate, increased release of both opioids.


ABSTRACT To investigate the allelopathic influence of soil incorporated plant residues of alligatorweed on emergence and seedling growth of maize (Zea mays), an experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions in the 2014-15 period. The effect of soil amended with whole plant residues of alligatorweed at different concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% on w/w basis) was compared with residue free soil (control). Emergence traits, such as emergence percentage, time to 50% emergence, mean emergence time and emergence index were negatively influenced by weed residue incorporation as compared with weed residue free soil. Alligatorweed residues also exerted a pronounced negative influence on root and shoot lengths, root and shoot dry weights and seedling vigor index of the maize crop. The results revealed that the inhibitory effect was directly proportional to the increasing concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) of the weed residues as compared to control treatment. It was observed that soil infested with 4% and 5% residues of alligatorweed caused a maximum reduction in emergence (76-87%), root and shoot lengths (58-73% and 4261%), root and shoot dry weights (49-58% and 40-48%) and seedling vigor index (8795%) of the maize crop. Chloro-genic acid, ferulic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, trans-4-hydroxy 3-methoxy cinnamic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, querceitin and syringic acid were identified as water soluble phenolics in alligatorweed residue soil saturated solution. This study indicates that the allelopathic potential of alligatorweed may play an important role in suppressing maize seedling growth.


A passive embeddable coupled coil sensor for remote bioprocess pH monitoring is described. The sensor is sterilizable, able to operate in a fluid medium, and small enough to fit inside a small bioreactor or test tube. It consists of a planar spiral inductor connected parallel to a varactor forming an LC resonant circuit. A pH combination electrode made of an iridium/iridium oxide sensing electrode and a silver/silver chloride reference electrode is connected parallel to the varactor. A potential difference change across the electrodes due to pH variation of the medium changes the voltage-dependent capacitance and shifts the resonant frequency of the sensor. An interrogator coil is inductively coupled to the sensor coil and remotely tracks the resonant frequency of the sensor. For in-fluid monitoring, the sensor is encapsulated in a manner that reduces the influence of the permittivity and conductivity of the medium. The sensor, calibrated over 2-12 pH range, exhibits a rapid response with 2.477-MHz/pH sensitivity. The sensor was used for remote pH monitoring of Yarrowia lipolytica and Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation in a shake flask over 63 and 25 h, respectively. The experiments demonstrate that the medium pH can be monitored repeatedly with an accuracy of 0.08 pH.


The diverse types of abnormal endometrial tissue growth have received different forms of treatment, with a particular emphasis on the use of hormonal agents. Hyperplastic endometria have benefited from progesterone or progestin therapies, with good results. Endometrial cancer is a disease with a major indication for surgical treatment. However, advanced clinical stages have been shown to improve as a result of different medical treatments. This presentation reviews the literature on this subject, includes some considerations on the role of some antiestrogens as endometrial tumor promoters in certain patients undergoing adjuvant therapy, and discusses the possibilities of Gn-RH analogs, one of the recent proposals in the treatment of adenocarcinomas and endometrial hyperplasia, including morphological observations of an investigation currently in progress in our department.


Abstract Background and aims Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is challenging to live with, often accompanied by pervasive fatigue and pain, accompanied by decreased quality of life (QoL) as well as anxiety and/or depression. Associations between higher pain, lower QoL and higher anxiety and depression have been shown in patients with various chronic pain disorders. Few studies have however examined such associations in a sample of patients with ME/CFS. The aims of the current study were to examine the impact of pain levels and compare levels of pain, health related QoL, anxiety and depression between patients with ME/CFS and healthy controls. In addition, the study aimed and to examine these relationships within the patient group only. Methods This is a cross-sectional questionnaire based study comparing 87 well-diagnosed patients with ME/CFS with 94 healthy controls. The De Paul Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ), the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Surveys (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to examine and compare pain, physical function, QoL, anxiety and depression in patients and healthy controls. Further the pain variables were divided into pain total, pain intensity and a pain frequency score for analyses of the above mentioned variables within the patient group only. Results Significantly higher levels of pain, anxiety and depression, and lower levels of QoL were found in the patient group compared with healthy controls. For the patient group alone, pain was significantly associated with lower QoL in terms of physical functioning, bodily pain, general health functioning, vitality and social functioning capacity. In this patient sample, only frequency of joint pain showed significant difference in psychological variables such as depression and anxiety – depression combined. Conclusions ME/CFS patients differ significantly from healthy controls in pain, health related QoL, anxiety and depression. Pain is significantly associated with reduced QoL and overall a lower level of functioning. The relation between pain and anxiety and depression appears less clear. Implications Pain is for many ME/CFS patients associated with reduced physical functioning and reduced QoL. A thorough pain assessment can therefore be essential for clinicians, and subsequent medical pain treatment combined with good pain coping skills may increase functioning level and QoL for these patients. The link between joint pain and psychological factors should also be focused in clinical practice in terms of mapping and counseling. Pain should be further examined to understand the importance it may have for functioning level as reduced function is a main criteria when diagnosing the patients.


Background: Bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital cardiac malformation that affects not only the valve and ascending aorta but also the abdominal aorta and large central arteries like carotid arteries by damaging the elasticity of the vessel resulting in increased stiffness and reduced distensibility. Deterioration of aortic compliance disturbs functions of the left ventricle and triggers atherosclerosis determined with carotid intima-media thickness. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the bicuspid aortic valve on the elastic properties of these parts of the arterial system in children. Methods: Thirty-four children with bicuspid aortic valves with normal valvular functions or mild valvular dysfunction and a control group of 34 individuals with tricuspid aortic valves were included in the study. Echocardiographic measurements of the left ventricle, ascending aorta, and ultrasonographic measurements of the abdominal aorta and carotid arteries were performed, and elasticity indexes were calculated. Results: The bicuspid aortic valve group had higher stiffness and lower distensibility in ascending aorta, abdominal aorta, and carotid arteries with higher carotid intimamedia thickness values than the tricuspid aortic valve group. Aortic valvular z scores and ascending aorta and abdominal aorta stiffness were higher in patients with bicuspid aortic valves irrespective of valvular functions than in controls. Valvular dysfunction affected stiffness in carotid arteries. Dilatation of ascending aorta increased stiffness in the abdominal aorta. Distensibility was lower in ascending aorta and left carotid artery, with increased carotid intima-media thickness independent from ascending aorta dilatation. Stiffness of abdominal aorta revealed a positive correlation with the stiffness of the ascending aorta and the carotid arteries (P < .05, for all). Conclusions: Elasticity indexes of children with bicuspid aortic valves were impaired in ascending aorta, abdominal aorta, and carotid arteries with an increase in carotid intima-media thickness.


Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic Abs (cANCAs) against conformational epitopes of proteinase 3 (PR3) are regarded as an important pathogenic marker in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). Although the three-dimensional structure of PR3 is known, binding sites of mAbs and cANCAs have not been mapped to date. Competitive binding and biosensor experiments suggested the existence of four nonoverlapping areas on the PR3 surface. In this paper, we present an approach to identify these discontinuous surface regions that cannot be mimicked by linear peptides. The very few surface substitutions found in closely related PR3 homologs from primates, which were further varied by the construction of functional human-gibbon hybrids, resulted in the differential loss of three Ab binding sites, two of which were mapped to the N-terminal β-barrel and one to the linker segment connecting the N- and C-terminal barrels of PR3. The sera from WG patients differed in their binding to gibbon PR3 and the gibbon-human PR3 hybrid, and could be divided into two groups with similar or significantly reduced binding to gibbon PR3. Binding of almost all sera to PR3–α1-protease inhibitor (α1–PI) complexes was even more reduced and often absent, indicating that major antigenic determinants overlap with the active site surface on PR3 that associates with α1-PI. Similarly, the mouse mAbs CLB12.8 and 6A6 also did not react with gibbon PR3 and PR3–α1-PI complexes. Our data strongly suggest that cANCAs from WG patients at least in part recognize similar surface structures as do mouse mAbs and compete with the binding of α1-PI to PR3.


Concerns about high rates of government corruption in resource rich countries have led transparency advocates to urge oil and gas firms to disclose payments to host governments for natural resources. Transparency, they argue, can increase government accountability and mitigate corruption. However, we find a low frequency of voluntary disclosures of payments by oil and gas firms, and negative stock price reactions for affected firms at the announcement of regulations mandating disclosure. This suggests that sample firm managers and their investors perceive that such disclosures generate private costs, despite any public benefits. We document that industry self-regulation has generated information to substitute for the gap in voluntary company disclosure and that such disclosures are accompanied by lower country corruption ratings. This suggests that collective action could be an effective way for companies to manage the private costs of disclosure and respond to public pressure for transparency that could provide public benefits.
 JEL Classification: M441; M48; H41; G38.


: It was shown that under the effect of Fe2+-initiated lipid peroxidation and ionizing radiation tryptophan fluorescence parameters (i.e. intensity and polarization) were subjected to similar changes. Shortly (15 min) after irradiation no changes were observed in the level of products reacting with thiobarbituric acid. It is concluded that the process and products of lipid peroxidation do not markedly contribute to the postirradiation alteration of tryptophan fluorescence. At the same time additional postirradiation damages to proteins can be attributed to activation of lipid peroxidation.


Teaching technical subjects on Architecture and Engineering has been developed traditionally using lecture and master class methodology. During them, the professor presented the content using the resolution of practical problems as a complement for theoretical reasoning. This sessions were generally support by an analogic resource: the blackboard. In recent years, despite the introduction of new technologies in the classroom, this methodology has become more static. In most cases, explanations have been supported only by slides created with the assistance of computer programs, making into minority the use of the blackboard. This has produced the generalization of "death by PowerPoint" phaenomenon. With regard to evaluation systems, there have been no substantial changes between these two different teaching methods despite the widespread implementation of competency-based learning system introduced by European Higher Education Area (EHEA) since 1999. Learning of students continues being verified by the realization of a final exam about the theoretical and practical contents of the subject. This paper presents a teaching methodology focused on encouraging active student participation both during the course of the class and outside. The application of learning for information and communications technology (ICT) makes its essential basis. Simultaneously, a continuous evaluation system capable of maintaining the attention on the subject has been implemented. The static attendance combined with traditional evaluation systems by a final exam produces an accumulation of information by the student revised and learned just to pass the final exam. This scheme has been changed getting a higher motivation of students to the continuous learning process. This system has been applied since the 2012/2013 academic year in technical subjects of Bachelor in Architecture in the Universities of Malaga and Seville through an Educational Innovation Project financed by University of Malaga. Results obtained by this experience show an increasing involvement of students during the course of the classes as well as a better engagement during the whole semester. In addition the using of this methodology has had a positive impact on the pass rate of subjects being involved usually lower than the average of Bachelor and University degree.


Different parts of Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L. Dunal)] were evaluated for their antioxidant against 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and anti-lipid peroxidation activity. Strong antioxidant scavenging activities were observed in mature root and young root bark portion. Anti-oxidative efficiency to inhibit anti-lipid peroxidation of these plant extracts in goat liver was investigated. Mature root bark of Ashwagandha showed higher class of antilipid peroxidation against thioburbituric acid but the stelar part of young root have low anti-lipid peroxidation activity. The correlation was also drawn with antioxidants, its attributes and soil nutrients profile. Pharmacognostic evaluation including examination of microscopical characters and determination of leaf constants (stomata frequency, stomatal index, palisade ratio, vein islets and vein termination number) were done for determining the authenticity of drug. The observations from this study suggest the ethno-medicinal use of Ashwagandha which could be commercially exploited by the pharmaceutical industry for natural antioxidant.


"Statistical Methods for the Physical Sciences" is an informal, relatively short, but systematic, guide to the more commonly used ideas and techniques in statistical analysis, as used in physical sciences, together with explanations of their origins. It steers a path between the extremes of a recipe of methods with a collection of useful formulas, and a full mathematical account of statistics, while at the same time developing the subject in a logical way. The book can be read in its entirety by anyone with a basic exposure to mathematics at the level of a first-year undergraduate student of physical science and should be useful for practising physical scientists, plus undergraduate and postgraduate students in these fields. It offers problems at the end of each chapter. It features worked examples across all of the chapters. It provides a collection of useful formulas in order to give a detailed account of mathematical statistics.


The Marattiaceae are represented by a small family of four to six genera that bear esporogenous structures of two types: sorus with free eusporangia in Angiopteris and Archangiopteris, and indurated synangium in Christensenia, Danaea and Marattia. Marattia is a pantropical genus of about eight to ten species in the paleotropic and seven to eight species in the neotropic. In order to describe the spores and sinangia morphology, this study analyzed the shape of the receptacles, and the position of the synangia, and evaluated the spores with SEM, of seven neotropical species of the genus Marattia: M. alata, M. cicutifolia, M. excavata, M. interposita, M. laevis, M. laxa y M. weinmanniifolia from several collections. The receptacles were fully developed in M. cicutifolia and M. laevis, and scarcely overelevated in the rest of the species. The synangium was ellipsoidal and had intramarginal to supramedial position in the laminae. The spores of Marattia were elliptic. Among the taxa, only monolete spores were found, with no trilete, aborted or deformed spores. The laesura was linear and reached about two of the total length of the spore. The perispore appears as a continuous thin layer deposited on the exospore according to its ornamentation in M. cicutifolia and M. laevis. It is smooth in M. alata, rugate in M. excavata and pustulate-rugate in two species: M. interposita and M. laxa. The exospore is echinate in M. cicutifolia and M. laevis and pustulate in the other species. In M. weinmannifolia spores produced by the same sinangium may have different ornamentation types. We concluded that, while the presence of ellipsoidal and superficial synangia and monolete spores aperture were generic traits, the micro and macro-ornamentation types of the perispores and exospores vary at specific level. Besides, macro-ornamentation can be bulliform (pustulate), a combination of bulliform and muriform types (pustulate-rugate), muriform (rugate-retate) and stelliform (echinate); finally, granular micro-ornamentation can be seen frecuently in perispores.


Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex. Klotzsch 'Eckespoint C-1 Red' (C-1) a restricted-branching cultivar and 'CB' a free-branching vegetative or grafthybrid, were homo and heterografted. Length and number of axillary shoot nodes of C-1 receiver plants (plants which may receive the branching agent from the donor plants) were partially increased by CB donors with leaves removed and with apical and basal parts removed. Shading of CB donors partially increased the length of axillary shoots and the number of axillary shoot nodes of C-1 receivers above node 4. Production and movement of the branching agent may occur in and go from both stems and leaves of CB poinsettia donors to C-1 poinsettia receivers. Shading CB donor leaves and stems did not prevent the production and movement of the branching agent to C-1 receivers.


Criminal procedure experts often claim that poor people have no Sixth Amendment right to choose their criminal defense lawyers. These experts insist that the Supreme Court has reserved the Sixth Amendment right to choose for the small minority of defendants who can afford to hire counsel. This Article upends that conventional wisdom with new doctrinal, theoretical, and practical arguments supporting a Sixth Amendment right to choose for all defendants, including the overwhelming majority who are indigent. The Article's fresh case analysis shows the Supreme Court's "no-choice" statements are dicta, which the Court's own reasoning and rulings refute. The Article's new theoretical framework exposes the "no-choice" stance as an antidemocratic concentration of judicial power, which blocks pressure from poor people to strengthen the right to counsel. Finally, the Article addresses practical objections to an equal right of attorney choice with innovative strategies that promote meaningful choice for all defendants.


The Trio project at Stanford for managing data, uncertainty, and lineage is developed on top of a conventional DBMS. Uncertain data with lineage is encoded in relational tables, and Trio queries are translated to SQL queries on the encoding. Such a layered approach reaps significant benefits in terms of architectural simplicity, and the ability to use an off-the-shelf query processing engine. In this paper, we present special-purpose indexes and statistics that complement the layered approach to further enhance its performance. First, we identify a well-defined structure of Trio queries, relations, and their encoding that can be exploited by the underlying query optimizer to improve the performance using Trio's layered approach. We propose several mechanisms for indexing Trio's uncertain relations and study when these indexes are useful. We then present an interesting order, and an associated operator, which are especially useful to consider when composing query plans. The decision of which query plan to use for a Trio query is dictated by various statistical properties of the input data. We identify the statistical data that can guide the underlying optimizer, and design histograms that enable estimating the statistics accurately.


Christopher B Cooper Worawan Sirichana Eric V Neufeld 1 Michael Taylor Xiaoyan Wang Brett A Dolezal 1Exercise Physiology Research Laboratory, Departments of Medicine and Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 2Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; 3eResearch Technology Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA; 4Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Background: Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occur with increasing frequency as the disease progresses and account for poor health status, worse prognosis, and higher healthcare expenditure. Methods: We developed a networked system for remote physiological monitoring (RPM) at home and optimized it with statistical process control (SPC) with the goal of earlier detection of COPD exacerbations. We enrolled 17 patients with moderate to severe COPD with a mean (SD) age of 71.1 (7.2) years. We obtained daily symptom scores, treatment adherence and activity levels using a programmable device, and measured daily slow and forced spirometry (FEV1, FVC, PEF), inspiratory capacity (IC) and oxygenation (SpO2). To identify exacerbations, we developed rolling prediction intervals for FVC, FEV1, IC and SpO2 using SPC. Results: The time taken to perform daily monitoring was reduced from 12.7 (5.4) minutes to 6.5 (2.6) minutes through software refinements during the study. Adherence to forced and slow spirometry was 62.6% and 62.4%, respectively. The within-subject coefficients of variation for FEV1, PEF and IC were 12.2%, 16.2%, and 13.1%, respectively. Event rates per patient-year for exacerbations were: self-reported 0.42, 2/3 Anthonisen Criteria (AC) 0.42, modified AC 2.23, systemic corticosteroid use 0.56, and antibiotic use 0.56. Conclusion: We successfully implemented a networked system for RPM of symptoms, treatment adherence, and physiology at home in patients with COPD. We demonstrated that SPC improves the feasibility of RPM in COPD patients which may increase the likelihood of detecting COPD exacerbations.


Honey is not only used as nutrition but also used in wound healing and as an alternative treatment for clinical conditions ranging from gastrointestinal tract (GIT) problems to ophthalmic conditions. We did the literature search and found interesting facts about the nutritional and medicinal value of honey. No wonder, it is a good source of nutrition, the results of the studies prove that it also helps in wound healing. On burns, it has an initial soothing and later rapid healing effects. It has been used as wound barrier against tumour implantation in laparoscopic oncological surgery. No infection has been reported from the application of honey to open wounds. It has a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Based on these facts, the use of honey in the surgical wards is highly recommended and patients about to undergo surgery should ask their surgeons if they could apply honey to their wounds postoperation.


Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of improper social pressures on auditors' judgment in the setting of a high power distance and low individualism society. Auditors' judgment in this paper is related to the case of auditors' willingness to sign off on net equipment balance for assets in question. Second, the paper investigates the role of locus of control and the relationship of multidimensional professional commitment on auditors' judgment under conditions of social pressure. Design/methodology/approach - The experimental method is used in this research. The paper uses a case that was developed by Lord and DeZoort to manipulate the interest variable, social pressures. The paper also uses locus of control and multidimensional professional commitment as the explanatory variables. Findings - The research finds that social pressures affect auditors' judgment in a high power distance and low individualism society. Auditors who contend with improper social pressures make judgments that violate their integrity and professionalism. The paper also finds that locus of control and multidimensionality of professional commitment might potentially affect auditors' judgment. Originality/value - The research takes into account cultural influence on auditors' judgment. The paper uses subjects who are in a high power distance and low individualism society. As Public Accountant is a worldwide profession, it is important to understand the impact of cultural dimensions on the profession. Moreover, insights drawn from this paper may be of assistance to regulators and the public accountant profession in considering and developing a mechanism that can mitigate the impact of improper social pressures.


This vertebra was collected for the Woodwardian Museum of the University of Cambridge by Mr. Henry Keeping, and catalogued in my 'Index to the Aves, Ornithosauria, and Reptilia' (p. 81) as the axis of a Dinosaur. The specimen is perfect, and but very slightly crushed from side to side. It measures 3 1/2 inches in length, from the termination of the dentata to the posterior articular face of the centrum. The vertebra has a small neural arch, and measures 3 1/4 inches from the base of the centrum to the top of the neural spine. The centrum is depressed, and anteriorly measures 1 5/8 inch deep from the neural canal to the base, and is 2 1/2 inches wide over the articular surface. This surface, below the dentata, is nearly vertical (fig. 1, a), and forms more than a quarter of a circle (fig. 2, a). In the middle of the base of the centrum a wedge-bone ossification is anchylosed, as in birds (fig. 2, a), and projects forward for about a quarter of an inch. The vertical articular surface has its superior (or interior) outline nearly parallel to the circumference of the bone (fig. 2), and is rather more than 3/4 inch deep. Confluent with this area, and between it and the underside of the dentata, which it occupies for half an inch, is an articular band margined by a somewhat sinuous anterior border (fig. 1, b), which is 1/2 inch wide in the middle, but becomes narrower at its two extremities, which


The world economy has been shown to be a complex adaptive system with the consequence that companies within the global economy are constantly needing to react to influences from the activities of other companies with which they are interconnected and external influences. This paper uses a methodology developed for complex adaptive systems to analyse the characteristics of multiple credit default events in the United States, Europe and Asia over the period 1990–2010 to establish the significance of factors driving credit defaults. The analysis indicates that factors controllable by companies are more significant in the United States and Europe than uncontrollable events, but the reverse occurs in Asia.


Abstract:  The cestode Hymenolepis diminuta (Cyclophyllidea) uses a variety of insects as its intermediate host, where ingestion of eggs results in development in the hemocoel of a cysticercoid that is infective to a rat definitive host. Species in 2 genera, Tenebrio and Tribolium (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) have been used extensively as laboratory intermediate hosts. This review examines experimental studies on ecological aspects of the relationship between H. diminuta and tenebrionid beetles, including the acquisition and establishment of the parasite, host effects on the parasite, and parasite effects on the host. A meta-analysis of infection results from the literature revealed strong relationships across host species and strains between (1) prevalence and intensity of infection, (2) efficiency of cysticercoid production and exposure conditions, and (3) variance in abundance or intensity of infection relative to their respective means. The underlying mechanisms producing these patterns remain elusive. Comparative studies are infrequent, and the use of divergent methodologies hampers comparisons among studies. In spite of these problems, there is much to recommend this as a terrestrial host–parasite model system. It represents those relationships in which mostly minor, but occasionally major, responses to parasitic infection occur, and in which host genetics and environmental conditions can serve as modifying factors. Moreover, this is a tractable experimental system, and is backed by an extensive literature on host biology.


ABSTRACT Regulation of chromatin in eukaryotic transcription requires histone-modifying enzymes, nucleosome remodeling complexes, and histone chaperones. Specific regulation of histone incorporation/eviction by histone chaperones on the promoter (e.g., region specific) is still poorly understood. In the present study, we show that direct and functional interaction of histone chaperone and DNA-binding transcription factor leads to promoter region-specific histone incorporation and inhibition of histone acetylation. We report here that the DNA-binding transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) interacts with the novel histone chaperone acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32B (ANP32B), leading to transcriptional repression of a KLF5-downstream gene. We further show that recruitment of ANP32B onto the promoter region requires KLF5 and results in promoter region-specific histone incorporation and inhibition of histone acetylation by ANP32B. Extracellular stimulus (e.g., phorbol ester) regulates this mechanism in the cell. Collectively, we have identified a novel histone chaperone, ANP32B, and through analysis of the actions of this factor show a new mechanism of promoter region-specific transcriptional regulation at the chromatin level as mediated by the functional interaction between histone chaperone and DNA-binding transcription factor.


For change-point analysis of high dimensional time series, we consider a semiparametric model with dynamic structural break factors. The observations are described by a few low dimensional factors with time-invariate loading functions of covariates. The unknown structural break in time models the regime switching e ects introduced by exogenous shocks. In particular, the factors are assumed to be nonstationary and follow a Vector Autoregression (VAR) process with a structural break. In addition, to account for the known spatial discrepancies, we introduce discrete loading functions. We study the theoretical properties of the estimates of the loading functions and the factors. Moreover, we provide both the consistency and the asymptotic convergence results for making inference on the common breakpoint in time. The estimation precision is evaluated via a simulation study. Finally we present two empirical illustrations on modeling the dynamics of the minimum wage policy in China and analyzing a limit order book dataset.


Background There is only a small body of literature regarding injuries in male youth amateur soccer players. Yet such information is fundamental for effective prevention. Objective Analysis of injury patterns among 17–19 year old male amateur soccer players and comparison with adult male amateur and professional players. Design Questionnaire-based retrospective observational cohort study from August 30, 2014 to January 04, 2016. Players were instructed to fill out one general questionnaire and, in case of at least one injury during the relevant period of time, one additional questionnaire per injury. Setting Regional youth amateur soccer level. Participants were recruited from 20 clubs of four regional soccer leagues, representing the fifth and sixth highest level of performance for this age group. Participants 301 players who competed in one of these leagues during the season 2015/16 were included. Main Outcome Measurements Exposure, injured body parts, incidence and time loss. Results 205 players sustained 253 injuries. The incidence was 12.9 injuries per 1,000 h of competition exposure and 1.1 injuries per 1,000 h of practice and friendly games. 82.9% of injuries were located at the lower extremity. Ligaments were injured most frequently (23.3%). 32.0% of all injuries could be graded as severe, 45.1% as moderate, followed by 15.4% mild and 4.7% minimal injuries as defined by Fuller et al. (2006). Physical contact caused injuries most frequently (30.4%), followed by landings (12.9%). Conclusions Injury incidences in male youth amateur soccer were lower, while the portion of severe and moderate injuries was higher than in studies researching professional soccer. The allocation of injuries was almost similar to findings in professional and adult amateur soccer. Although physical contact is cross-study the most important cause of soccer injuries, existing prevention programs almost entirely focus on non-contact injuries. Therefore interventions preventing injuries through physical contact should be developed and validated.


Introduction One of the initial steps in the development of cardiovascular diseases involves endothelial dysfunction (ED), wherein the regulatory functions of the vascular endothelium are disrupted. ED can be caused by chemically-modified plasma proteins that are present in vivo whose levels are elevated by metabolites and drugs found in the bloodstream. Under conditions such as prolonged hyperglycemia in diabetes, there are elevated plasma levels of glucose-modified or 'glycated' proteins, also known as advanced glycation end-products or AGEs. The interaction of these AGEs with their receptor RAGE has been implicated in different complications and could also be a major contributory factor towards the development of ED leading to cardiovascular disease and clinical complications. Since cardiovascular disease is a major pathological outcome in patients that exhibit diabetes, there is importance in understanding the mechanism underlying of how AGEs cause ED. In our study, we have profiled the proteome of endothelial cells stimulated with glycated serum albumin to provide a molecular basis for the development of ED in diabetes. Methodology Human serum albumin was chemically modified in vitro with glucose and used to stimulate human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in culture to check the effect on their viability and function. Differential total cell proteomics of control and stimulated endothelial cells was performed using mass spectrometry. Results and conclusion Total cell proteomic analysis shows differential expression of numerous proteins regulating endothelial function including those affecting barrier function, inflammation and angiogenesis. This shows that AGEs can elicit ED, thus predisposing diabetic patients to increased risk of cardiovascular complications.


Halfway between a reflex and an expressive movement yawning is a very commonplace phenomenon. Perhaps this is the reason why one searches in vain for a paper on this subject in text-books of contemporary physiology or psychology and that one must be content with the brief definition in the dictionary that " yawning is a deep inspiration made voluntarily with a wide open mouth ". Many authors since Hippocrates, who seems himself to have been interested in the question, have studied either certain aspects or the whole problem. An excellent historical survey of the past knowledge about yawning may be found in the thesis of Trautmann (1901), where are reported the opinions of Galen, Oribase, Sanctorius, Fernel (1610), Kruger (1627), Sennert (1666), Boerhave (1680), Gartner (1736), Albertini (1737), Gunz (1738), Czerniewski (1749), Buchner (1758), Roederer (1759) Haller (1766), Walther (1775) Double (1817), Adelon (1821), Rothmund (1824), Richerand (1825), Muller (1851), Monneret (1861), Longet (1868), and Dechambre and Charcot. In the twentieth century more papers have been written, among others by Hauptmann (1920), Dumpert (1921), Mayer (1921), Insabato (1928), Peiper (1932), Moore (1942), and Salmon (1948). Two good critical reviews are those by Heusner (1946) and Boudouresques (1950). The zoologists have not remained indifferent, and they teach us that yawning may be observed in the primates and the carnivores. It is often accompanied by stretching. It is not observed in herbivores. It is difficult to specify its significance, and the connexion between yawning and the movement of opening the mouth that may be observed in fishes, reptiles, and amphibians. The same may be said of the movements made by the bird's beak accompanied by flapping of the wings. Therefore our study shall remain limited to man.


Motivation:
Atmospheric turbulence is a major issue in achieving high angular resolutions for
optical and infrared astronomical observations. Such turbulences induce phase fluctuations
on the incoming stellar wavefronts. With the recent advances in Adaptive Optics,
we can overcome this effect and remove most of the aberrations on the stellar wavefront.
However, the global phase shift (piston) which is not corrected by the adaptive optics
system, plays a significant role in optical and infrared interferometry. The piston or
Optical Path Difference (OPD) fluctuations induced by atmospheric turbulence and
instrumental vibrations at an interferometer affects the position of the fringes on the
detector and thus influencing the visibility measurements. Thus, a dedicated fringe
tracker is required in addition to the adaptive optics system in an optical or infrared
interferometer.
The fringes can be tracked in two ways, namely group delay tracking and phase delay
tracking. Phase delay tracking involves in tracking each individual fringe phases and
group delay tracking involves in tracking the fringe envelope. Currently the Very Large
Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) houses GRAVITY fringe tracker, FINITO and PRIMA
FSU which tracks group and phase delays in H and K bands. However, targets such as
Young Stellar Objects (YSO), dusty torus around Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), etc. are
brighter at longer wavelengths due to the presence of dust around them. Hence in this
work, I explore the possibility of on-source fringe tracking in the L band alongside K
band. Fringe tracking in L band is advantageous due to its longer atmospheric coherence
time and larger Fried parameter as compared to that of shorter wavelengths. I also
extend my work in performing feed-forward group delay estimation at mid-infrared
wavelengths using inter-band dispersion between K and L bands.
The main goal of the work is to analyze the performance of a simultaneous K and L
band group delay tracker which keeps the fringe frames of the science channel within
coherence length. The sensitivity of the science channel can then be increased by stacking
each frame by its power spectrum.
Method:
To analyze the performance of a fringe tracker at K and L bands, I have developed a
atmospheric turbulence simulator (GDsim) which includes atmospheric water vapor
dispersion and instrumental vibrations at the VLTI. The simulated OPD fluctuations
are then injected into simulated noisy K and L band fringes over different lengths integration times. Group delay is then estimated from the resulting fringes through
spectrally dispersed ABCD encoding technique, least squares estimation and the double
Fourier technique. The performance and sensitivity of each of the group delay estimation
algorithm is then estimated by comparing the simulated input group delay and the
measured group delay.
Result:
The loss in fringe contrast over integration time follows a random walk behavior
due to the temporal decorrelation of the phase fluctuations at each telescope over
long integration times (Tint > 1.79�0). Thus the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) on the
correlated flux is unreliable in estimating the sensitivity of a group delay tracker at
such integration times. Alternatively, by analyzing the Root Mean Squared (RMS) on the
residual group delay for each group delay estimation algorithm, we can estimate the
sensitivity and performance of the group delay tracker simultaneously. However, the
threshold on the RMS of the residual group delay (input group delay - measured group
delay) depends on the spectral resolution of the science channel for incoherent stacking
of fringe frames. For astronomical observations in the L band with MATISSE at low
spectral resolution (R=30) with an acceptable maximum loss in fringe contrast of 10%,
we can perform coherencing with a K and L band sensitivities in the range of 13.36 -
14.67 magnitudes and 6.64 - 10.02 magnitudes respectively for the different group delay
estimation algorithms.
Feed forward group delay tracking performance and sensitivity at mid-infrared
wavelengths (M & N bands) can be estimated by comparing the individual group delay
estimation errors in K and L bands. The sensitivity to perform feed forward group delay
tracking using only K and L band group delay information for science in the N band
with MATISSE at low spectral resolution (R=30) is 9.0 magnitude in the K band and 8.3
magnitude in the L band. Also, only the spectrally dispersed ABCD encoding algorithm
in K and L bands can coherence the N band fringes with a maximum loss in fringe
contrast of 10%. However, this sensitivity applies only for instantaneous estimation of
water vapor dispersion.The feed forward sensitivity can be enhanced by averaging the
water vapor content over multiple duty cycles of K and L band group delay estimation.
The L band group delay estimation sensitivity can also be enhanced by coherencing the
L band fringe tracking channel using K band group delay information at a faster duty
cycle.


In England, since 2000, teachers of children aged three to five (the Foundation Stage) have been bound by the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage produced by central government. Initially, we were interested to learn of the responses of early years teachers to that document. We found that teachers welcomed the Curriculum Guidance, not least because it recognized that there exists a valuable and separate stage in children's education. However, in relation to ensuring that quality learning experiences were provided, teachers identified two issues of concern to them—professional training of early childhood teachers, and the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage. Concerns also remained that not all stakeholders were yet aware of the needs of young children and of the staff training resources necessary to meet these needs. Upon our return to the respondents three years later, we found that, despite the incorporation of the Curriculum Guidance, some practitioners continued to feel that both colleagues and managers sometimes had limited understanding of the unique nature of the early childhood curriculum. Concerns about resources and an appropriate learning environment also continued to be evident.


Worst of all, they are sent off into this world with the whole baby-boomer theology ringing in their ears. If you sample some of the commencement addresses being broadcast on C-Span these days, you see that many graduates are told to: Follow your passion, chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself. This is the litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominant note in American culture.


Recently several different deep learning architectures have been proposed that take a string of characters as the raw input signal and automatically derive features for text classification. Few studies are available that compare the effectiveness of these approaches for character based text classification with each other. In this paper we perform such an empirical comparison for the important cybersecurity problem of DGA detection: classifying domain names as either benign vs. produced by malware (i.e., by a Domain Generation Algorithm). Training and evaluating on a dataset with 2M domain names shows that there is surprisingly little difference between various convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) based architectures in terms of accuracy, prompting a preference for the simpler architectures, since they are faster to train and less prone to overfitting.


Glomeridesmus spelaeus n. sp., the first Glomeridesmida described from Brazil and only the second known troglobiontof the order, is described from iron caves of the Amazonian. This description is the first in the order Glomeridesmida since1975, and also the first utilizing modern techniques like SEM. Numerous taxonomic characters, some employed in recentstudies of other millipedes, are described, illustrated, and compared for the first time in the Glomeridesmida, building afoundation for future phylogenetic studies, as well as future descriptions of new members of this basal, enigmatic, and stilllittle-known millipede order. The first photographs of a living Glomeridesmida, as well as anecdotal live observations, arepresented. The description of G. spelaeus is also important from a conservation point of view, since the cave system it inhabits is under anthropogenic pressure due to planned mining activities.


This paper deals with the power allocation problem in a wireless relay network employing differential modulation technique and Alamouti distributed space-time code, where signals from both the direct and relay paths are taken into account in the detection process. We propose a sub-optimal power allocation scheme based on the maximization of an approximate receive covariance expression. The proposed scheme jointly allocates the transmit power of both the source and relay nodes under a total transmit power and per-node transmit power constraints. We can increase the effectiveness of the proposed power allocation algorithm by grouping the relays with respect to their individual covariances. Numerical experiments show that the proposed covariance maximization algorithm combined with the relay grouping algorithm offers a respectable BER performance improvement, compared to the conventional schemes. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed scheme requires only a small number of iterations to achieve convergence, making it attractive to practical systems.


The thermal spray coatings of stainless steel with nano-sized particles as reinforcement have been studied. Stainless steel powder mixed with 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 wt% WC-12wt%Co nano-sized powder was flame sprayed. The presence of WC-12wt%Co nano-particles in mixed powders as feedstock was confirmed. The microstructure of the coatings has been investigated using a wide range of characterization techniques: optical microscopy with image analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to understand the microstructure evolution. Chemical composition and microstructure of the coatings showed that the coatings contained stainless steel, WC, Co, and oxide layers. The addition of WC-12wt%Co increased cross-sectional hardness, reduced porosity and friction coefficient. The improved wear properties demonstrate a high potential for industrial applications of stainless steel/WC-12wt%Co coatings.


In this article the concept of future is used to create meaning about school transitions. Since education often focuses on what will be, it is important to understand the everyday use of future in educational settings. The use of future in the transition from preschool class to first grade was studied using ethnographic methods. The results demonstrate how children and teachers use future in everyday life, and how this usage can be seen as priming events in the construction of transition. Furthermore, the results show how orientation towards the future contributes to the construction of not only children as becoming, but also children as becoming in particular ways when the future interacts with other temporal aspects in the transition process.


Concerns about global biodiversity are rising dramatically, yet we are lagging behind in the most basic prerequisite for its understanding and conservation: the inventory. Insect species may make up five or ten times the number of all other plant and animal species combined, and as such they represent one of the major challenges in biosystematic science. World Catalogue of Insects is an initiative aiming at compiling worldscale, authoritative catalogues of monophyletic insect taxa. We are therefore proud to launch this major series. Volumes will as a minimum contain standard nomenclatoral information on all names pertaining to the taxon treated, including type locality and distribution to the extent this is relevant. Additional information is optional, e. g., location, status and condition of types; biology; bibliographical information; pest status; vector status; etc. This volume four focuses on Pterophoroidea & Alucitoidea (Lepidoptera). (Series: World Catalogue of Insects)


Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) have been introduced and legitimised as a market access instrument in the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA). TRQs combine both restriction of imports, and safeguard of current or preferential agricultural trade flows. By restricting the market access through high level tariff beyond the quota, one can imagine that exporters enjoying low level tariff would take share of quota rent. Do developing exporting countries benefit from EU TRQs? Do they enjoy quota rents or guaranteed market access? What should be their interest to defend about TRQs at WTO agricultural negotiations? This article aims to present an analysis of the 87 EU's agricultural TRQs implementation from 1997 to 2002, in order to bring to the fore the effects of such an import instrument for exporting countries in competition on the import market. Some theoretical elements of the economy of TRQs are first presented in order to introduce the empirical work. The database built is then used to interpret EU agricultural TRQs implementation during the period 1997-2002, and the global results in terms of potential total rent that one can theoretically expect from TRQs is detailed by products grouping and export country grouping. A first examination of the database shows that while preference margin is potentially high for TRQs as a whole, potential rent is not so high. Moreover, this potential rent seems to be concentrated on only bananas and sugar, because TRQs are actually binding for those two commodities. A focus on those products indicates that only few exporting countries are susceptible to enjoy this potential rent: Latin American for bananas and ACP for sugar. However that does not signify that TRQs may be eliminated without big losses for exporters: they actually procure guaranteed EU's market shares protected from foreign competition.


This paper presents an evolution of a simulation environment where situations in which a DDB should maintain data integrity are modeled and implemented. These situations include failures taking place during transactions, and the focus is mainly on the utilization and later comparison of different atomic commit protocols (ACP). The implementation was made on Java due to different aspects such as ease of work, portability, etc. The environment is mainly based on failure recovery of transactions in a distributed data environment, and it allows to choose for the simulation development between two-phase, three-phase, optimistic and pessimistic protocols. The task scheduler defined and implemented to carry out each simulation, based on an execution design establishing each specific problem to be solved, is also specified.


The aim of the article is to propose an account of the motivated nature of the sign, with special attention devoted to motivation in language. The starting point for the discussion is a cursory critique of the classic Saussurean model of arbitrariness and motivation. The account proposed in this article is in the spirit of broadly understood cognitive linguistics and Peircean semiotics. The model of motivation is comprehensive and specific. It is comprehensive in the sense that it provides a general definition of the term "motivation," which attempts to cover all instances of its use discussed in modern semiotics. The model is specific in the sense that it proposes parameters of motivation, which allow for investigating different facets of the phenomenon. The article includes case studies which illustrate how the approach can used in actual analysis of semiotic data.


Residual flows are of major importance in coastal areas, driving environmental processes such as sediment transport or nutrient dispersion. Consequently, in those areas where a large tidal stream energy resource is available, prior to the installation of a tidal farm, it is imperative to assess how energy extraction affects the residual flows and, in particular, upwelling events. In this paper, the potential effects of different configurations of tidal stream farms on the residual circulation and its seasonality are analysed by means of a case study: Ria de Ortigueira, the westernmost of the Galician Rias Altas (NW Spain). For this purpose, a 3D numerical model was implemented and validated against field measurements. Next, a total of eight case studies, including the operation of bottom-fixed and floating converters under typical summer and winter scenarios, considering upwelling favourable winds, were studied. Overall, when a tidal farm operates, regardless of its configuration and the forcings considered, the resulting general residual flow pattern does not experience significant modifications. This pattern is characterized by a 2D circulation in the inner ria and a positive estuarine circulation in the middle and outer ria. The largest modifications of the residual flow are apparent in the vicinities of the plant, with maximum values of about 0.05 ms−1. Outside this area, the alteration is lower than 0.01 ms−1 and virtually negligible at some distance from the farm where upwelling events develop.


This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of olive leaf (OL) on immune response and some blood metabolites of broiler chickens. A total of 400 one-day-old broiler chicks (male and female) were randomly assigned to 5 experimental treatments with 4 replicates of 20 birds each. Birds of different treatments were given diets containing 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1% OL powder from 14 to 42 d of age. At 21 and 42 d of the experiment, blood samples were taken from two birds of each pen (8 birds/treatment) to evaluate different blood metabolites. Moreover, in order to determine immunity status, at the end of the experiment, antibodies titer against SRBC and weight of bursa of Fabricious were determined. The results indicated that significant difference was not observed for total Ig and IgM, while IgY was higher in birds fed with 0.75% OL compared to the control group. The heaviest bursa of Fabricious observed in birds fed with 0.25% OL. Feeding with OL resulted in significant reductions in blood levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, glucose, LDL, VLDL, HDL and liver enzymes. In conclusion, the findings show that dietary supplementation with OL had positive effects on blood lipids profile, liver enzymes and immunity of broiler chickens.


Evolution has optimized the activities and selectivities of proteins at the cost of stability. Certain organisms, known as extremophiles, contain specially adapted proteins that thrive in extreme conditions such as high temperature or high salt; however, the majority of proteins are only able to survive in moderate environments. Thus, protein engineers have long been interested in modifying proteins to increase their stabilities in non-native environments. One method of protein modification is attaching synthetic polymers to the protein surface. There are two main approaches to create these protein-polymer conjugates. Pre-synthesized polymers can be grafted to the protein surface or polymers can be grown from a protein macro-initiator monomer by monomer to a desired length using a controlled radical polymerization technique. Covalently attaching polymers to a protein alters the protein's physicochemical properties (size, bioactivity, stability, solubility), but not always in a predictable way. The key to rationally designing protein-polymer conjugates that display a desired property is to understand the underlying protein-polymer interfacial interactions that drive changes in protein function. In this work, the structure-function-dynamics relationships of grafted from protein-polymer conjugates were investigated using experimental and computational methods in order to improve their activities, stabilities, and solubilities in non-native environments. In Chapter 2, various charged polymers of varying lengths were grown from α-chymotrypsin. Different polymer types altered enzyme bioactivity by changing substrate affinity. Additionally, a mechanism was developed to explain how polymers stabilized proteins at low pH. Zwitterionic and positively charged polymers prevented protein unfolding and assisted in protein refolding to increase stability at pH 1. In Chapter 3, the effect of atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator structure on protein and protein-polymer conjugates was determined. Positively charged ATRP initiators restored the native surface charge of proteins, when targeting surface accessible amino groups, which increased the protein-initiator and subsequent protein-polymer conjugate activities and stabilities at low pH and high temperature. In Chapter 4, the solubility of lysozyme was predictably tuned by polymer conjugation. Zwitterionic polymers increased lysozyme solubility and prevented precipitation in fully saturated ammonium sulfate salt with maintained bioactivity while amphiphilic polymers decreased solubility. Zwitterionic polymers displayed an anti-polyelectrolyte effect in increasing salt which increased the number of hydration layers around the conjugate to increase solubility. Amphiphilic polymers collapsed around the protein surface in increasing salt concentrations and decreased in hydration which promoted precipitation. The differences in solubilities were utilized to purify mixtures of native protein and protein-polymer conjugates into homogeneous components. In all of these Chapters, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were employed to enhance the mechanistic understanding of protein-polymer conjugate structure-function-dynamics relationships. The knowledge gained through these combined studies helps to demystify how covalently attached polymers impact protein function which can lead to new applications of protein-polymer conjugates in therapeutic and biotechnological industries.


Intracellular delivery of genetic material is a potentially powerful therapeutic approach for the treatment of genetic diseases. However, the scarcity of biocompatible delivery systems is a tremendous barrier for the application of nucleic acid therapy in the clinic. Herein, we successfully created biocompatible nucleic acid delivery systems based on cationic lipids consisting of alternatively linked ornithine residues in the head group (denoted DoGo lipids). Transfection of the pcDNA3-eGFP plasmid into cells using DoGo lipids resulted in significant transfection efficiency without showing any apparent cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, DoGo lipids efficiently delivered siRNA to cancer cell lines and induced profound RNAi activity at a siRNA concentration as low as 5 nM. DoGo lipid driven delivery of a siRNA against polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) in cancer cells induced significant morphological changes in the cell and the nucleus due to cell cycle arrest and inhibition of cell proliferation, a phenotype resulting from the decreased Plk1 protein level. Our findings demonstrate that DoGo lipids have great potential in clinical application for gene based therapy.


Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a type of diabetes that does not entirely fit the usually encountered type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It is a monogenic, familial and non-autoimmune diabetes among children and young adults resulting from autosomal dominant gene mutations. MODY diagnosis is confirmed by molecular genetic testing, which is costly. Therefore, it is rarely done. Nearly 1%–6% of diabetes has a monogenic cause but this is frequently misclassified as type 1 diabetes mellitus due to the lack of genetic testing. Therefore, a correct diagnosis of MODY is crucial for determining the plan of management. Furthermore, having a patient with MODY in a family indicates screening other family members. In this case report, we highlight that paediatric diabetes cases are not always type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus since two siblings incidentally presented with hyperglycaemia and a confirmed diagnosis of MODY type 10 was ultimately made. Moreover, their mother who was previously labelled as a case of type 1 diabetes mellitus was diagnosed later as MODY after genetic testing.


Impacted canines pose a functional as well as an esthetic concern in the patients as they provide a major support for the cheek. Surgical exposure of an impacted tooth is necessary to allow the orthodontist access to the unerupted tooth, in order to bring it into the dental arch and into alignment. This case reports the surgical exposure of the soft tissue covering the maxillary impacted canine with diode laser.

Keywords: Soft tissue exposure, Diode laser, Maxillary canine, Submerged


We present several new results on the classic problem of estimating Gaussian profile parameters from a set of noisy data, showing that an exact solution of the maximum likelihood equations exists for additive Gaussian-distributed noise. Using the exact solution makes it possible to obtain analytic formulas for the variances of the estimated parameters. Finally, we show that the classic formulation of the problem is actually biased, but that the bias can be eliminated by a straightforward algorithm.


Bergmann's rule (BR) is a classical eco-geographic rule that relates body size of homoiothermal animals with environmental temperature (or latitude). Contemporary data indicate that latitudinal clines in body size, predicted by BR, also exist in ectothermic organisms and in some groups appear to be fairly common. Despite plenty of data from literature, it is still impossible to estimate the frequency of Bergmann's clines occurrence in ectotherms as thoroughly as it is done for homoiotherms. Within large taxa of ectotherms (Arthropoda, Mollusca, Pisces), Bergmann's clines occur alongside with anti-Bergmann's and U-shaped ones. Since classic explanation of BR, which is based on thermoregulation principles, is not applicable to most ectotherms, quite a few hypotheses have been proposed that appeal to other foundations in search of such an explanation. One part of them suggests a direct modifying influence of temperature, though most authors look for adaptive sense in increase of ectotherms size at high latitudes and/or low temperatures. It appears that a single universal explanation of all the cases of Bergmann's variability in ectotherms can not be formulated. Observed clines, as it seems, arise as a result of synergetic interactions between several factors that are covaried with latitude (or altitude above sea level). It is not always possible to estimate the exact contribution of each one of them.


In this article, we propose the use of tax payments accruing from the commercialization of research findings as a measure of research benefits complementing the existing range of evaluation tools. We place this novel approach to assess the economic returns to publicly funded research in the context of previous studies and highlight its advantages. The application of our method over a long period is demonstrated with the example of saccharin, which was discovered in the context of a curiosity-driven fundamental research project. In our study, we focused on Monsanto's commercial saccharin production finding notable returns.


Background and aims Psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), but not all clients with MDD can receive psychotherapy. Using the Internet to provide psychodynamic treatments is one way of improving access to psychological treatments for MDD. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to investigate the efficacy of an Internet-based psychodynamic guided self-help treatment for MDD. Methods Ninety-two participants who were diagnosed with MDD according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview were randomised to treatment or an active control. The treatment consisted of nine treatment modules based on psychodynamic principles with online therapist contact. The active control condition was a structured support intervention and contained psychoeducation and scheduled weekly contacts online. Both interventions lasted for 10 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Results Mixed-effects model analyses of all randomised participants showed that participants receiving Internet-based PDT made large and superior improvements compared with the active control group on the BDI-II (between-group Cohen's d = 1.11). Treatment effects were maintained at a 10-month follow-up. Conclusions Internet-based psychodynamic guided self-help is an efficacious treatment for MDD that has the potential to increase accessibility and availability of PDT for MDD. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01324050


During World War II, some 50,000 Finnish children were evacuated to Sweden and placed in foster families. The evacuation scheme limited sharply the scope for selection into foster care based on background characteristics. A first-come first-served policy was applied where the children were assigned a running number and processed anonymously. Using register and survey data, I examine the extent to which the foster environment affected later life outcomes of the Finnish child evacuees. The results show that nurture, the socioeconomic environment at early stages of life, has important effects on schooling. (JEL I21, J13, J24, N34, N44)


Category: Midfoot/Forefoot Introduction/Purpose: To determine the reliability of Delta PP (difference in medial and lateral proximal phalanx wall length) compared to HIA (hallux interphalangeal angle) in the assessment of HVI (hallux valgus interphalangeus) in both pre and postoperative radiographs. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 186 feet with hallux valgus. The number of cases required to adequately power the study was 128. Preoperative and postoperative hallux alignment were evaluated by two different radiological parameters, Delta PP and HIA. Inter-observer variability was assessed independently by two authors and compared using a intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: The intra-class correlation coefficient was more than 0.8 for all parameters, thus both HIA and Delta PP measurement provide reliable and reproducible data. Mean HIA significantly increased following surgical correction of hallux valgus. In comparison, the mean Delta PP decreased after correction. This postoperative increase in HIA indicates that pre-operative HIA underestimates the magnitude of HVI and therefore is an inaccurate tool for measuring HVI's contribution to the TVDH (total valgus deformity of the hallux) and to preoperative planning. However, the Delta PP was a greater determinant of the phalanx deformity's contribution to the TVDH. Conclusion: The outcome of our study shows that both HIA and Delta PP are reproducible when assessing the hallux valgus interphalangeus deformity, however, Delta PP quantifies the amount of correction obtained more precisely. The additional benefit of measuring the Delta PP is that it allows for accurate planning in determining the dimensions of the medial based wedge of the Akin osteotomy that needs to be resected.


Low-income mothers face a number of challenges that evolve around poverty, isolation, powerlessness, and vulnerability. The main objective of this study was to examine the contributions of nigiina associations, which are informal gift giving associations, to the welfare of women and their households in an urban neighbourhood. Data was collected through use of unstructured interviews, in-depth interviews, survey questionnaires and observation guides. Findings reveal that nigiina associations, which operate in a rotational basis and give equal opportunities to every member of receiving a gift, such as in the form of household items, cash, advice, training, wide friendship networks and loan opportunities, are used as coping mechanisms by low-income mothers living in the surrounds of Kampala city.


This article considers racial disparities that occur nationally in the bail determination process, due in large part to the lack of uniformity, resources, and information provided to officials in bail proceedings. It argues that the almost unbridled decision making power afforded to bail officials is often influenced by improper considerations such as the defendant's financial resources or the race of the defendant. As a result of these failures, the bail determination process has resulted not only in racial inequalities in bail and pretrial detention decisions, but also in the over-incarceration of pretrial defendants and the overcrowding of jails nationwide. The article looks to the example of the ongoing work of criminal justice officials in Saint Louis County, Minnesota to address racial disparities in bail determinations in their county. In Saint Louis County, representatives from law enforcement, the court, and the community have taken a holistic approach to addressing the problems of the bail process including training, education, and continuing data collection. The experience of Saint Louis County provides a model for policy reform to reduce racial disparities not only in bail determinations, but the criminal adjudication process more generally.


Granzymes are a family of granule serine proteases found specifically in the cytotoxic granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Granzymes have features that are strongly conserved including: consensus sequences at their N-termini and around the three catalytic residues, activation from zymogemc forms, and conserved disuiphide bridges. However, there is good genetic evidence to suggest that three distinct subfamilies of granzymes have coevolved. These subfamilies are most strikingly depicted by their distinct chromosomal loci and gene organization, dividing the granzyme family into subfamilies ofthe following: tryptases (human chromosome 5); chymotrypsinlike proteases (human chromosome 14); and a Metase amongst a cluster of elastase-like proteases (human chromosome 19). Modeling and mutational analysis has revealed that each subfamily of granzymes displays special sequence and structural features and a proteolytic specificity determined by subtle modifications to substrate binding pocket residues. It now remains of great interest to determine whether these subfamilies also possess distinct biological functions. Granzyme B has been shown to play an important role in lymphocyte-mediated target cell apoptosis and the tryptase, granzyme A, has been demonstrated to regulate the clearance of some pox virus infections. The future creation of other granzyme gene knockout mice should elucidate whether other chymotrypsin-like granzymes (C-H) also contribute to target cell apoptosis and whether the third subfamily member, natural killer cell-specific Metase, has a distinct biological function. J. Leukoc. Biol. 60: 555-562; 1996.


Formation conditions of the condensed phases (Si3N4 and Si) in CVD process of SiCl4-NH3-H2 precursors have been investigated in detail with thermodynamic analyses by using the FactSage code and its embedded database (44 species being involved). The productions have been examined at different SiCl4/(SiCl4+NH3) ratios, H2/(SiCl4+NH3) ratios, temperatures and pressures. The results showed that the condensed phase composition was quite sensitive to the ratios and temperature whereas it was insensitive to pressure. The ideal conditions for the deposition of Si3N4 were listed as followed: the ratio of SiCl4/(SiCl4+NH3) and H2/(SiCl4+NH3) was 0.44 and in the scope of 100.6-105.2, respectively. Temperature ranged from 1200 to 1300 K with lower pressure. Si was formed in the H2/(SiCl4+NH3) ratio of 103~105 and SiCl4/(SiCl4+NH3) ratio of 0.44-1.0. The formation of single-phase Si3N4 or Si would be easily controlled by changing the ratios of SiCl4/(SiCl4+NH3) and H2/(ZrCl4+BCl3). SiHCl3, SiCl3 and SiH2Cl2 should be the crucial intermediates in the process of CVD Si3N4 and could participate in the competition in deposition process. The results in this work were instructive for further investigation on the experiments under different conditions.


This paper describes recent work on the theoretical and algorithmic enhancements of the MIT method for power system steady-state voltage monitoring and control. Under the conditions that no dynamic voltage problems are present, the method is intended primarily: to monitor steady-state voltage and reactive power conditions; to identify potential problem situations; and to make decisions regarding their severity. The developed method utilizes various reactive power resources on the power system to remedy voltage violations. The corrective actions suggested are either in the order assigned by the operator or according to efficiency criteria, determined by this algorithm. The corrective actions ensure minimum possible voltage deviations from a given desired voltage profile. Corrective actions are considered to be optimal in this sense. The method has the unique feature of identifying minimum number of most effective corrective actions so that voltages are maintained within the given limits. The method does not solve the exact load flow equations, and therefore it avoids inversion of a full system size matrix. Reactive power scheduling is computed so that the resulting load voltages, are within pre-specified target values. The computational time does not increase significantly with increase of power system size, since no inversion of a system size matrix is needed. Numerical tests on a small and large scale electric power system (IEEE 39 and New England 1726) are presented and analyzed.


Urinary stress incontinence is far more frequent than has been realized, and as a result it has not received the attention it deserves. Even in mild cases stress incontinence is a social handicap. It is offensive to a fastidious woman and makes her constantly apprehensive, and so she is grateful for relief from the ever-present insecurity. Happily, normal function can be restored by means of present-day surgical techniques, and women do not have to go through life coping with this affliction. The prevalence of stress incontinence was illustrated by a study made by Nemir and Middleton in 1954. They submitted a questionnaire to 1327 freshman women in the University of Utah, of whom 95% admitted having some stress incontinence. Of these only 5% experienced frequent loss, and none manifested any neurological or anatomical disturbance which would affect urinary control. In our own series of 2063 gynecological cases covering 12 years,


cardiac lesions really sound like, appear to have been subverted. Overall, however, the book succeeds in its aims and there is little to challenge it in its field. Perhaps McLeod and Munro's Clinical Examination, another excellent book, scores occasional points for its more down-to-earth clinical descriptions but the range ofcoverage, detail and astonishing value for money (over 600 pages) will mean that 'Hutchinson' remains the standard for all concerned with diagnosis in medicine. I would happily commend it to students and junior doctors training with me. I. Cobden Preston Hospital, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE29 OLR


The thermal performance of two V-type rib configurations is measured in a rotating, two-pass cooling channel. The coolant travels radially outward in the rectangular first pass (aspect ratio (AR—channel width:height) = 4:1) and radially inward in the second pass (AR = 2:1). Both the passages are oriented 90 deg to the direction of rotation. The leading surface (LS) and trailing surface (TS) of the channel are roughened with V-type ribs. The first V-shaped configuration has a narrow gap at the apex of the V. The configuration is modified by off-setting one leg of the V to create a staggered discrete, V-shaped configuration. The ribs are oriented 45 deg relative to the streamwise coolant direction. The heat transfer enhancement and frictional losses are measured with varying Reynolds and rotation numbers. The Reynolds number varies from 10,000 to 45,000 in the AR = 4:1 first pass; this corresponds to 16,000 to 73,500 in the AR = 2:1 second pass. The maximum rotation numbers are 0.39 and 0.16 in the first and second passes, respectively. The heat transfer enhancement on both the leading and trailing surfaces of the first pass of the 45 deg V-shaped channel is slightly reduced with rotation. In the second pass, the heat transfer increases on the leading surface, while it decreases on the trailing surface. The 45 deg staggered, discrete V-shaped ribs provide increased heat transfer and thermal performance compared to the traditional V-shaped and standard, 45 deg angled rib turbulators.


A natural question in general relativity is whether there exist singularities, like the Big Bang andblack holes, in the universe. Albert Einstein did not in the beginning believe that singularitiesin general relativity are generic ([2], [3]). He claimed that the existence of singularities is dueto symmetry assumptions. The symmetry assumptions are usually spatial isotropy and spatialhomogeneity. Spatial isotropy means intuitively that, for a xed time, universe looks the same atall points and in all spatial directions.In the present paper, we will show the following: If we solve Einstein's vacuum equations with acertain type of initial data, called the Bianchi type I, the resulting space-time will either be theMinkowski space or an anisotropic space-time equipped with a so called Kasner metric. We showthat, in the anisotropic case, the space-time will contain a certain singularity: the Big Bang.We distinguish between two dierent classes of a Kasner metrics; the Flat Kasner metric andthe Non-at Kasner metric. In the case of a Flat Kasner metric, we show that it is possible toisometrically embed the entire space-time into Minkowski space. In the case of the Non-at Kasnermetric, the space-time is not extendible and the gravity goes to innity approaching the time ofthe Big Bang.In addition we show, using any Kasner metric, that the universe expands proportional to thetime passed since the Big Bang. This happens even though some directions will shrink or notchange.The conclusion is: We have found two natural classes of anisotropic space-times, that includea Big Bang and expand. These results supports the idea that singularities are generic, i.e. are notdue to the assumptions of symmetry of the universe.1


Kenya has experienced a decline in banana (Musa spp.) production during the last two decades. This can be attributed mainly to an increase in the prevalence of pests and diseases due to the limited practice of effective control. The main pests and diseases of concern are Fusarium wilt (caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense), black leaf streak and Sigatoka leaf spot (caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis and Mycosphaerella musicola, respectively), banana Xanthomonas wilt (Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum), the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus, and the burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis). Since neither a formal system nor standards exist to regulate planting material quality, farmers frequently plant untreated, thus potentially infested sword suckers, aggravating the problem. There is a need to develop standards and codes of practice that will ensure access to certified healthy planting materials of improved banana germplasm. Micro-propagation (tissue culture) has gained popularity for rapid production of clean banana planting material. However, updated standards and codes of practice are needed to guide the application of this method to ensure good quality. Similarly, the capacity to use tissue culture to generate clean planting material must be developed in tandem with a virus indexing mechanisms for such material, as well as imported material, to monitor and restrict the movement of viruses. Rapid detection of pests and diseases during import inspections and certification of nursery-propagated materials is essential for the prevention of the introduction, and spread of pests and diseases of quarantine importance. The development of rapid and inexpensive diagnostic kits will facilitate quick decision-making. In this regard, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), the regulatory agency responsible for seed and plant material quality and plant quarantine, continues to be a key partner in initiatives to multiply, exchange, distribute, import and export banana propagation material. This paper provides an overview of the regulatory measures necessary for sustainable development of the banana subsector of horticulture in Kenya.


We live in a world where accountability (and thus the measurement of inputs and outputs) has become an institution due to the increasing demands of stakeholders, and where what gets measured gets valued. The purpose of the hereby paper is to address change and the impact of change upon society. Whether the change is caused by social innovation, social entrepreneurial organizations or social responsibility actions, it translates into a modification in the status quo of the society. Thus, the discourse of our paper revolves around social value, social problem, social entrepreneurship and it connects them to the social impact they generate by presenting the methods used to measure this impact and their basic assumptions, who applies the methods and what are their effects. The methods for measuring the social impact found in the literature lean on quantifying everything in money and they also tend to overlook the importance of the psychological impact a company might have over its target clients. Furthermore, social impact is measured from the perspective of the companies and of the investors, neglecting the customers who are the target of the impact. Also findings reveal that there is no proper legislation to regulate this field and no specialized control bodies to oversee the activity of the third sector regarding social impact. We propose three principles underpinning our own social impact measurement model (sustainability, added value and scalability (spillovers).


Summary Neural models for computing the resonant frequency of electrically thin and thick circular microstrip antennas, based on the multilayered perceptrons and the radial basis function networks, are presented. Five learning algorithms, delta-bar-delta, extended delta-bar-delta, quick-propagation, directed random search and genetic algorithms, are used to train the multilayered perceptrons. The radial basis function network is trained according to its learning strategy. The resonant frequency results of neural models are in very good agreement with the experimental results available in the literature. In this paper, the characteristic impedance and the effective permittivity of the asymmetric coplanar waveguide backed with a conductor are also computed by using only one neural model trained by the backpropagation with momentum and the extended delta-bar-delta algorithms. When the performances of neural models are compared with each other, the best results for test are obtained from the multilayered perceptrons trained by the extended delta-bar-delta algorithm.


A survey of all optometrists in HEW Region X was implemented to assess a number of practice characteristics . Relationships between practice characteristics and productivity were demonstrated and changing trends in these characteristics were determined. Age, years in practice, utilization of supplementary personnel, and practice mode were found to bear a direct relationship to productivity. It was shown that manpower projections must take current trends in these characteristics into account in order to be valid.


Many studies have reported that a certain preference is obeyed by perchlorate-degrading bacteria to utilize different electron acceptors. This conclusion was stated considering only the removal rate of different electron acceptors, indicating a lack of adequate proof. This study investigated the selective utilization of different electron acceptors by a perchlorate-degrading bacterium. The results showed that the mixed population of microorganisms (containing perchlorate-degrading bacteria) obeyed a certain sequence to utilize different electron acceptors, which was oxygen > nitrate > perchlorate > sulfate. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the mixed population of microorganisms contained anaerobic bacteria, facultative anaerobic bacteria, and aerobic bacteria. The microbial community structure actually had been changed by adding another electron acceptor to the perchlorate-medium and the microbial genera were distinguished in terms of utilizing the specific electron acceptor (e.g., oxygen, nitrate, sulfate). The result of canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that the abundance of microorganisms appeared as a good positive correlation with the corresponding electron acceptor. Therefore, a new viewpoint was inferred that there are two main reasons at least that make the mixed microorganisms obey a certain sequence to utilize different electron acceptors. One reason is that the perchlorate-degrading bacteria in the mixed microorganisms change their own respiratory metabolism pathway. The other reason is that the mixed microorganisms actually change their microbial community structure.


We present H- and K-band spectra for late-type Kepler Objects of Interest (the "Cool KOIs"): low-mass stars with transiting-planet candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler Mission that are listed on the NASA Exoplanet Archive. We acquired spectra of 103 Cool KOIs and used the indices and calibrations of Rojas-Ayala et al. to determine their spectral types, stellar effective temperatures, and metallicities, significantly augmenting previously published values. We interpolate our measured effective temperatures and metallicities onto evolutionary isochrones to determine stellar masses, radii, luminosities, and distances, assuming the stars have settled onto the main sequence. As a choice of isochrones, we use a new suite of Dartmouth predictions that reliably include mid-to-late M dwarf stars. We identify five M4V stars: KOI-961 (confirmed as Kepler 42), KOI-2704, KOI-2842, KOI-4290, and the secondary component to visual binary KOI-1725, which we call KOI-1725 B. We also identify a peculiar star, KOI-3497, which has Na and Ca lines consistent with a dwarf star but CO lines consistent with a giant. Visible-wavelength adaptive optics imaging reveals two objects within a 1 arcsec diameter; however, the objects' colors are peculiar. The spectra and properties presented in this paper serve as a resource for prioritizing follow-up observations and planet validation efforts for the Cool KOIs and are all available for download online using the "data behind the figure" feature.