© www.appliedradiology.com January 2017 Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is a condition in which there is diminished space available for the neural and vascular elements in the lumbar spine secondary to degenerative changes in the spinal canal.1 Classically, patients with spinal stenosis complain of lower-extremity pain exacerbated by walking and relieved by bending forward or sitting. Given that spinal stenosis is the most common reason for lumbar spine surgery in patients over 65 years,2 and that many patients with anatomic narrowing are asymptomatic,3 there is a recognized need for standardizing descriptive radiologic terms for spinal stenosis. The variability in description and reporting of spinal stenosis among radiologists and other physicians is well-documented.4 This variability and lack of standardization may contribute to increased heterogeneity of the patient population undergoing surgery for spinal stenosis, rendering any analysis of surgical outcomes difficult at best. In response, a combined task force of radiologists and orthopedic surgeons endorsed a set of radiologic criteria for spinal stenosis in hope of improving communication among healthcare providers. Their recommendations for lumbar disc nomenclature were released in 2001 and revised in 2014.5,6 The diagnosis of spinal stenosis relies primarily on imaging to provide objective evidence of neurovascular compromise. The imaging features may be roughly classified into two categories; qualitative and quantitative findings. In 2011, Steurer and associates conducted a review of quantitative radiologic criteria published in the literature, and compiled a list of descriptive terms for lumbar spinal stenosis.7 In 2012, Mamisch and associates surveyed an expert panel to learn which imaging criteria were considered most important for the diagnosis of spinal stenosis, and to assess the strength of agreement among experts. At the end of their survey, Mamisch et al concluded that while some qualitative criteria were considered important by imaging experts, there were no widely accepted quantitative criteria for the diagnosis of spinal stenosis.8 In this article, we will discuss pertinent anatomy, updated nomenclature, indications for imaging, and qualitative and quantitative criteria, illustrating our discussion of stenonis with examples for clarity where appropriate. Imaging spinal stenosis


An analytical study has been carried out to investigate the effects of the check valve installation on the volumetric and adiabatic efficiencies in a scroll compressor. Both the valve displacement limit and the valve stiffness affected the valve motion, the pressure upstream of the valve, and the pattern of the mass flow through the valve to the discharge plenum. Nonetheless, the presence of the check valve did not cause any noticeable change in the volumetric efficiency. Only a slight increase in the compression work was needed to overcome the pressure increase in front of the valve. The pressure build-up upstream of the valve can be alleviated with the larger limit of the valve lift and a smaller valve stiffness.


Nonmalignant ulcerous diseases of the mouth often require repeated histological and clinical observations for several weeks to establish a diagnosis. One patient with Wegener's disease, one with a necrotizing sialometaplasia, and a case of Sutton-type aphthosis outline these difficulties. In all three cases, only a synopsis of histology, laboratory findings, and clinical appearance led to the respective diagnosis.


SIR,-Though I accept Dr. R. Pearson's criticism (11 September, p. 639) that the evidence in my letter (28 August, p. 530) is not proof that pimozide caused the side effects mentioned, there are two aspects of this subject on which I would like to comment. First, it is common experience with high doses of the phenothiazine and butyrophenone groups of drugs that blurring of vision along with other side effects occurs, and that pupillary dilation and sluggish light reactions are observed concomitantly. Administration of antiparkinsonian agents often alleviates the condition, though the dose of antipsychotic drug usually has to be reduced before this side effect is removed. There is often a wide gap between the theoretical effects predicted by known pharmacology of drugs (often inferred only from animal experiments), and what is clinically observed. I would put forward the proposiion that while one would expect anticholinergic agents such as benztropine and orphenadrine to cause pupillary dilation, the clinical observation remains that blurring of vision is diminished by these drugs in the complicated iatrogenic state of affairs introduced by the administration of antipsychotic agents. My second point is that pimozide is suggested by the manufacturers (Janssen Pharmaceuticals) to have a very low incidence of side effects-and yet the case under discussion showed all the usual complications.-I am, etc., R. J. M. CRAWFORD


Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of positive plasma drug screening for cocaine or amphetamine in adult emergency department seizure patients. Methods: This prospective study evaluated consecutive eligible seizure patients who had a plasma sample collected as part of their clinical evaluation. Plasma was tested for amphetamine and the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine using enzyme-mediated immunoassay methodology. Plasma samples with benzoylecgonine greater than 150 ng/mL or an amphetamine greater than 500 ng/mL were defined as positive. Patient demographics, history of underlying drug or alcohol-related seizure disorder, estimated time from seizure to sample collection, history or suspicion of cocaine or amphetamine abuse, results of clinical urine testing for drugs of abuse, and assay results were recorded without patient identifiers. Results: Fourteen of 248 (5.6%, 95% CI 2.7%–8.5%) plasma samples were positive by immunoassay testing for benzoylecgonine and no samples (0%, 95% CI0–1.2%) were positive for amphetamine. Positive test results were more common in patient visits where there was a history or suspicion of cocaine or amphetamine abuse (p < 0.0005). Conclusions: During this study period, routine plasma screening for cocaine and amphetamines in adult seizure patients had a low yield. As a result, routine plasma screening would yield few cases of stimulant drug in which there was neither a history nor suspicion of drug abuse in this population.


This paper investigates diversity for dual-antenna systems operating in indoor environments. First, an approximated equation of the diversity gain is derived for different combining techniques. These theoretical results show that the two-term approximation, as generally used in the literature , is too rough an estimate. Consequently, a new six-term approximation is derived. Next, it is demonstrated by a comparison of theoretical and experimental diversity gain values that, due to mutual coupling between the two antennas in practice, the diversity gain will not approach 0 dB if the distance between the two antennas approaches zero. Finally, it is concluded from measurements at 900 MHz that antenna-pattern diversity is a better choice than space diversity for use at handhelds.


1. Lethal limits of concentration are determined for lead, zinc and copper for the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.). 2. The addition of calcium salts to solutions of lead nitrate or zinc sulphate reduces the toxicity of these salts to Gasterosteus. 50 mg. per l. of calcium (as nitrate or chloride) is sufficient to annul the toxicity of a 1 x 10-6 g. per c.c. solution of lead or a 2 x 10-6 g. per c.c. solution of zinc. 3. The reactions of the fish in the solutions with and without calcium are compared, and the respiratory symptoms are described with the aid of graphs illustrating the variation in respiration rate during the survival time. 4. It is shown that a running supply of "hard" tap water containing approximately 50 mg. per l. of calcium as calcium bicarbonate is harmless to the minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus (L.) and to the stickleback, when there is added to it the maximum amount of lead that it can hold in solution (7 x 10-7g. per c.c.). This concentration of lead in soft water is fatal to Gasterosteus in 38½ hr. 5. The same amount of calcium renders a 10 x 10-6g. per c.c. solution of lead harmless to the goldfish, Carassius auratus (L.). 6. It is concluded that, in the presence of sufficient calcium, the interaction between the lead, or zinc, and the mucus secreted by the fish does not take place. This conclusion was endorsed by experiments in vitro on the slime secreted by the eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.). 7. The application of these results to the pollution of natural waters by effluents from lead and zinc workings is briefly discussed.


Teen courts are a multidisciplinary intervention used to divert youth with minor offenses from the juvenile justice system. Observations were conducted at 13 hearings in an urban jurisdiction, with information gathered about the youth respondent, peer jurors, and adult volunteers. Peer jurors engaged in the majority of communication with the respondent during hearings. Adult volunteers, often members of the legal or judicial community, fulfilled supporting functions. Findings suggest that a youth-oriented process with support from adult volunteers can result in active participation from youth, and that teen courts provide opportunities for community involvement.


During the past two decades, advances in computer science and operations research have resulted in many new optimization methods for tackling complex decision-making problems. One such method, tabu search, forms the basis of this thesis. Tabu search is a very versatile optimization heuristic that can be used for solving many different types of optimization problems. Another research area, real options, has also gained considerable momentum during the last two decades. Real options analysis is emerging as a robust and powerful method for tackling decision-making problems under uncertainty. Although the theoretical foundations of real options are well-established and significant progress has been made in the theory side, applications are lagging behind. A strong emphasis on practical applications and a multidisciplinary approach form the basic rationale of this thesis. The fundamental concepts and ideas behind tabu search and real options are investigated in order to provide a concise overview of the theory supporting both of these two fields. This theoretical overview feeds into the design and development of algorithms that are used to solve three different problems. The first problem examined is a deterministic one: finding the optimal servicing tours that minimize energy and/or duration of missions for servicing satellites around Earth's orbit. Due to the nature of the space environment, this problem is modeled as a time-dependent, moving-target optimization problem. Two solution methods are developed: an exhaustive method for smaller problem instances, and a method based on tabu search for larger ones. The second and third problems are related to decision-making under uncertainty. In the second problem, tabu search and real options are investigated together within the context of a stochastic optimization problem: option valuation. By merging tabu search and Monte Carlo simulation, a new method for studying options, Tabu Search Monte Carlo (TSMC) method, is developed. The theoretical underpinnings of the TSMC method and the flow of the algorithm are explained. Its performance is compared to other existing methods for financial option valuation. In the third, and final, problem, TSMC method is used to determine the conditions of feasibility for hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. There are many uncertainties related to the technologies and markets associated with new generation passenger vehicles. These uncertainties are analyzed in order to determine the conditions in which new generation vehicles can compete with established technologies


Atmospheric glow discharge (AGD) was developed with industrial plasma sources using high voltage radio frequency (RF) excitation at kHz frequency ranges. It is possible to produce a steady-state uniform glow discharge at atmospheric pressure with various gases, thus eliminating the requirement of a vacuum system to expose the materials to plasma. The RF frequency should be set in the limited range to produce AGD: if it is too low, the discharge will not initiate and if it is too high, the plasma will either form a filamentary discharge between the electrode plates or it will be transformed to arc discharge. The advantage of AGD is to modify or coat the materials with good uniformity and making use of the AGD surface modification process, a strong interfacial adhesion can be formed between the constituents and the matrix material. Hence, AGD polymerization may be used to modify the surface properties of Lyocell fabric (acetate taffeta) and polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. In the AGD process, helium is used as a carrier gas and a monomer (acrylic acid) is used to modify the fibre surface properties by plasma polymerization. The reactor is operated at room temperature while the surface is modified at atmospheric pressure. Peel and tensile strength tests and characterizations by SEM were carried out for Lyocell fabric/PLA. Compared to raw fabric, plasma and silane treatments have improved the tensile strength by a maximum of 30.4 and 27.4%, respectively.


Realistic solar magneto-convection simulations including the photospheric layers are used to study the polarization of the Fe I Zeeman-sensitive spectral lines at 6301.5, 6302.5, 15 648 and 15 652 A. The Stokes spectra are synthesized in a series of snapshots with a mixed-polarity magnetic field whose average unsigned strength varies from = 10 to 140 G. The effects of spatial resolution and of the amount of magnetic flux in the simulation box on the profiles shapes, amplitudes and shifts are discussed. The synthetic spectra show many properties in common with those observed in quiet solar regions. In particular, the simulations reproduce the width and depth of spatially averaged Stokes I profiles, the basic classes of the Stokes V profiles and their amplitude and area asymmetries, as well as the abundance of the irregular-shaped Stokes V profiles. It is demonstrated that the amplitudes of the 1.56μm lines observed in the inter-network are consistent with a "true" average unsigned magnetic field strength of 20 G. We show that observations using these and visible lines, carried out under different seeing conditions (e.g., simultaneous observations at different telescopes), may result in different asymmetries and even opposite polarities of the profiles in the two spectral regions observed at the same spatial point.


We address the claim that an increase in the flux of neutrons detected by the Neutron Spectrometer (NS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft in orbit about Mercury at 15:45 UTC on 4 June 2011 was generated by the impact of energetic ions onto spacecraft. We find this claim to be unwarranted. The claim is grounded on the erroneous assumption that the NS singles count rate is triggered only by energetic ions. Rather, because any mix of energetic ions, electrons, photons, and neutrons can trigger NS singles, these data do not provide a reliable constraint on the presence of energetic ions. The absence of an enhancement in the count rate of 1635‐keV gamma rays, as monitored by the MESSENGER Gamma‐Ray Spectrometer, provides independent evidence that a fluence of energetic protons sufficiently high to generate the neutron enhancement was not present during the neutron event. The interpretation that currently best matches the available data is that the neutron enhancement on 4 June 2011 was the result of solar neutrons.


Background A significant barrier to islet transplantation is the rapid loss of human islet function in vivo. The present study evaluates whether bone marrow (BM) could be used to support human islet survival and function in vivo. Methods We cocultured human islets and BM for 3 weeks before transplantation into the left subrenal capsule of diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice. Results The cocultured human islets before transplantation demonstrated improved viability, increased size, and migration capacity in vitro. After 4 months, animals transplanted with precultured BM/islets exhibited euglycemia and detectable human insulin levels (157 &mgr;U/mL), whereas no human insulin was detected in the islet-only transplantation group. Furthermore, the removal of the transplants on day 126 resulted in hyperglycemia, indicating that the reduction of blood glucose was dependent on the transplants. Diabetic mice transplanted with BM/islets demonstrated the longest survival period (130 vs. 40 days for those with islet-only transplants). The transplanted BM/islets showed signs of vascularization and migration from the renal capsule into medulla. Conclusions Our results suggest that BM precultured with human islets may enhance the survival and function of transplanted islets, thus significantly improving the therapeutic efficacy of islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes.


ABSTRACT The emergence of Covid-19 disrupted most aspects of life, creating a high degree of uncertainty and unpredictability about the future. Knowledge from a place of lived experience offers insights and strategies to better understand how to live, grow and thrive through the difficulties that people who experience mental health challenges, other disabling health conditions, people of color, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds have overcome. We report on a programmatic effort to investigate how lessons learned through lived experience could be useful to persons who are dealing with a destabilizing situation like this pandemic for the first time, especially mental health providers. Three listening sessions over Zoom were conducted to gather information, views and personal accounts related to the current pandemic. Twenty four people with experience of mental health challenges and people living with disabilities, of various ethnic and racial backgrounds, participated in the sessions. We suggest that the recovery framework can be helpful to address the current crisis; we challenge traditional notions of normality; and finally, we recommend that providers and systems of care adopt a framework that addresses health inequities and human rights.


The concept of Molecular Science of the Living Organism was described, where the living state is explained as the purposive flows of the quantum mechanically controlled chemical reaction systems which support the homeostasis of the living organism. In the 21st century, the post genomic sequence era, the concept may be a self-evident truth. Molecular Science of the Living Organism was presented in the case of G-proteins: i.e., the atomically controlled mechanism of 1. the carcinogenesis which originates from the point mutation of ras p21, 2. the activation of a receptor protein at the cell membrane, especially in the case of bacteriorhodopsin, 3. the activation of an inactive G-protein by the activated receptor protein.


The frequency-dependent site amplifications at 87 free-field strong- motion station sites in central Taiwan are evaluated from the velocity and density structures constructed from borehole data measured at shallow depths and the veloc- ity models inferred from earthquake data at great depths. Results based on the quarter- wavelength approximation method proposed by Boore and Joyner (1997) show that the site amplifications increase with frequency and are larger in the Western Plain with thick Holocene alluvium than in the Western Foothill with Pleistocene and Miocene formations. Considering wave attenuation, site amplification first increases and then decreases with increasing frequency. The turning frequency, ft, associated with the maximum amplification varies site by site.


Two-dimensional (2D) metal porphyrin frameworks (MPFs) with a π-conjugated skeleton, high surface area, and more accessible active sites have been applied as active materials for supercapacitors, but the poor electrical conductivity limits the enhancement of electrochemical performance. Moreover, MPF-based flexible supercapacitors have been rarely reported. Here, for the first time, we fabricated wrinkled 2D ultrathin 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxylphenyl)porphyrin copper(ii) (Cu-TCPP) nanosheets through the surfactant-assisted synthetic method. The as-obtained wrinkled Cu-TCPP nanosheets were further composited with conductive polypyrrole (PPy) to construct a flexible Cu-TCPP/PPy film through the combination of the electrophoretic deposition method and electrochemical polymerization technology. The wrinkled 2D ultrathin Cu-TCPP nanosheets not only offer macroporous channels for fast ion/electron transport, but also effectively reduce the transmission path of electrolyte ions. The PPy affords 3D conductive networks for rapid electron transport and enhances the electrochemical kinetics. The synergistic effect of Cu-TCPP and PPy leads to the enhanced supercapacitive performance of Cu-TCPP/PPy in comparison with the individual components. As a result, the freestanding Cu-TCPP/PPy electrode shows a capacitance of 340.6 mF cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2, 71.14 F cm-3 at 0.1 A cm-3, and 163.34 F g-1 at 0.2 A g-1, more than 45% greater than that of the pristine PPy film of 224.6 mF cm-2, 48.15 F cm-3 and 92.2 F g-1 at the corresponding current densities. Moreover, the fabricated binder-free symmetric supercapacitor possesses a maximum energy density of 2.27 μW h cm-2 at the highest power density of 50 μW cm-2. This work provides a new strategy to design 2D metal-organic framework-based flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors with high energy storage performances.


Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is caused by consumption of a wide variety of shellfish which accumulated saxitoxins (STXs) from marine dinoflagellates (Alexandrium minutum, A. tamarense, Gymnodinium catenatum, Pyrodinium bahamense) and affect a wide variety of shellfish. There are about 20 saxitoxin analogs with closely related structures. A regulatory level of 0.8 mg/kg shellfish meat as STX equivalents has existed in North America and Europe for many years. The methods of determination of saxitoxins are reviewed: biological assays in vivo and in vitro, biochemical and chemical assays. The mouse bioassay protocol has been widely used and has protected public health for over 50 years using an action level of 0.8 mg/kg STX.2HCL equiv. It is a routine method, and in EU it is the reference method if the results are challenged (Commission Regulation 2005/274/CE). However ethical issues, relating to the use of live animals, affect the acceptance and use of mouse bioassay in some countries. A precolumn-derivatization liquid chromatography method (Lawrence method) is approved as European Norm by CEN and by AOAC as official method of analysis. Others techniques such as receptor binding assay (in vitro bioassay), immunoassay (commercial test kits) and postcolumn-derivatization liquid chromatography can be used as alternative method for routine monitoring. Capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography with mass spectroscopic detection are studied in research laboratories. SEAFOODplus – Traceability – Valid – Saxitoxin analysis in bivalve molluscs Monique Etienne, Ifremer, Nantes, France Nov. 2006


In this study we report full‐depth water column profiles for nitrogen and oxygen isotopic composition (δ15N and δ18O) of nitrate (NO3−) during the GEOTRACES GA01 cruise (2014). This transect intersects the double gyre system of the subtropical and subpolar regions of the North Atlantic separated by a strong transition zone, the North Atlantic Current. The distribution of NO3− δ15N and δ18O shows that assimilation by phytoplankton is the main process controlling the NO3− isotopic composition in the upper 150 m, with values increasing in a NO3− δ18O versus δ15N space along a line with a slope of one toward the surface. In the subpolar gyre, a single relationship between the degree of NO3− consumption and residual NO3− δ15N supports the view that NO3− is supplied via Ekman upwelling and deep winter convection, and progressively consumed during the Ekman transport of surface water southward. The co‐occurrence of partial NO3− assimilation and nitrification in the deep mixed layer of the subpolar gyre elevates subsurface NO3− δ18O in comparison to deep oceanic values. This signal propagates through isopycnal exchanges to greater depths at lower latitudes. With recirculation in the subtropical gyre, cycles of quantitative consumption‐nitrification progressively decrease subsurface NO3− δ18O toward the δ18O of regenerated NO3−. The low NO3− δ15N observed south of the Subarctic Front is mostly explained by N2 fixation, although a contribution from the Mediterranean outflow is required to explain the lower NO3− δ15N signal observed between 600 and 1500 m depth close to the Iberian margin.


Objective Prostaglandins (PGs) use for cervical ripening with small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses is controversial since it remains uncertain if use increases the chance of cesarean delivery (CD). We aimed to assess the association between PG use for cervical ripening and mode of delivery between SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates. Study Design Secondary analysis of the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b), a prospective observational cohort study of 10,038 nulliparas. We included women undergoing induction with nonanomalous fetuses in the cephalic presentation. Women with > 2 cm cervical dilation or prior uterine scar were excluded. We assessed the association of PG use with CD among women with SGA and AGA neonates. SGA was de fi ned as birth weight < 10th percentile for gestational age and sex. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders and test for interaction. Secondary outcomes included adverse neonatal outcomes, indication for CD, maternal hemorrhage, and chorioamnionitis. Results Among 2,353 women eligible, PGs were used in 54.8%, SGA occurred in 15.1%, and 35.0% had CD. The association between PG use and CD differed signi fi cantly (interaction p ¼ 0.018) for SGA versus AGA neonates; CD occurred more often in SGA neonates exposed to PGs than not (35 vs. 22%, p ¼ 0.009). PG use was not associated with CD among AGA neonates (36 vs. 36%, p ¼ 0.8). This effect remained signi fi cant


This paper deals with the numerical solution of the nonlinear fractional Burgers' equation. The fractional derivatives are described based on the Caputo sense. We construct the solution using different approach, that is based on using collocation techniques. The solution is based on using the Sinc method, which builds an approximate  solution valid on the entire spatial domain, and  in the time domain, we use the  shifted Legendre polynomials to replace the time fractional derivatives. The error in the approximation  is shown to converge to the exact solution at an exponential rate. Illustrative examples are given with an applications from traffic flow,  and the numerical results are shown to demonstrate the efficiency of the newly proposed method.


Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogen receptor binding chemical, widely used in the plastics industry, and as such commonly encountered from plastic containers etc. Even at very low doses, BPA is believed to induce obesity and to have various endocrine disruptive effects. The purpose of this study was to determine possible gene expression changes in gonadal and inguinal adipose tissue from rats perinatally exposed to BPA. The method used was quantitative real-time PCR, and genes found to be up-regulated were PLZF, adiponectin, RXRa and Tcf21, while down-regulated genes were PPARγ, Tmem26, EsR1, Resistin, LPL, Chemerin, Serpina6, TFAM and Ahr. This is so far largely unsupported by other studies, and more research is needed.


Power and freshwater demand are increasing as populations around the world keep growing. Due to the environmental impact of using fossil fuels and limited resources, using solar thermal in desalination application is a valuable option. In this paper, an innovative new design of low temperature multi-effect desalination coupled with mechanical vapor compression (LT-MED-MVC) powered by supercritical organic Rankine cycle utilizing a low-grade solar heat source using evacuated tube collectors is analyzed. The proposed design has the potential to desalinate water of high salt concentrations or brine with high salinity more than 100,000 ppm or effluent streams from a power plant with low energy consumption and high efficiency when compared to the previously discussed systems. The performance of the LT-MED-MVC was found to be better than similar systems found in the literature. The specific power consumption for MVC is lower than 4 kWh/m3 for seawater feed salinity of 100,000 ppm, 14 forward feed effects, and a recovery rate of 50%. The overall system efficiency is about 14%. The impact of increasing the number of effects, motive steam temperature, pressure of supercritical-ORC and salt concentration on the specific power consumption, solar collector area, and the system efficiency are also analyzed.


Modern solid-propellant rocket motors (SRM) are laden with aluminum powder to increase the specific impulse. In SRM chamber, on the one hand, aluminum droplets evaporate and burn to form alumina smoke, on the other hand, the alumina smoke agglomerates to droplets as droplets collide with each other. The agglomeration model is employed to simulate the burning droplets. And breakup model also used. To avoid complex reaction theory, the article solves the mass, momentum and heat equations of disperse and continuity phases to simulate the chemic reaction. Results showed that burning efficiency and agglomeration of droplet varied by different initial diameters, and the temperature as well as smoke concentration also changed, especially in nozzle inlet.


[3-Volume Set--"Usability Evaluation and Interface Design" ] "Systems, Social, and Internationalization Design Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction" + "Universal Access in HCI"]


Background
Increasing numbers of patients are being diagnosed with bronchiectasis, yet much remains to be elucidated about this heterogeneous patient population. We sought to determine the relationship between nutrition and health outcomes in non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis, using data from the U.S. Bronchiectasis Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Research Registry (U.S. BRR).

Methods
This was a retrospective, observational, longitudinal study using 5-year follow-up data from the BRR. Bronchiectasis was confirmed on computed tomography (CT). We stratified patients into nutrition categories using body mass index (BMI), and correlated BMI to markers of disease severity.

Results
Overall, n = 496 patients (mean age 64.6- ± 13 years; 83.3% female) were included. At baseline 12.3% (n = 61) were underweight (BMI < 18.5kg/m2), 63.9% (n = 317) had normal weight (BMI ≥ 18.5kg/m2 and <25.0kg/m2), 17.3% (n = 86) were overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0kg/m2 and < 30.0kg/m2), and 6.5% (n= 32) were obese (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2). Men were overrepresented in the overweight and obese groups (25.6% and 43.8% respectively, p < 0.0001). Underweight patients had lower lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] % predicted) than the other weight groups (64.5 ± 22, versus 73.5 ± 21, 68.5 ± 20, and 76.5 ± 21 in normal, overweight, and obese groups respectively, p = 0.02). No significant differences were noted between BMI groups for other markers of disease severity at baseline, including exacerbation frequency or hospitalization rates. No significant differences were noted in BMI distribution between patients with and without Pseudomonas, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, or by cause of bronchiectasis. The majority of patients demonstrated stable BMI over 5 years.

Conclusions
Although underweight patients with bronchiectasis have lower lung function, lower BMI does not appear to relate to other markers of disease severity in this patient population.


The combination of bedding substrate and nesting material within the microenvironment of mice is an important consideration for animal care programs in regard to optimizing animal wellbeing. We used 3 general or breeding mouse colonies in our institution to evaluate the effects of bedding substrate on nest building, breeding performance, and recognition of animal health concerns. A scoring system was developed to assess the incorporation of bedding into the nest cup base and walls (nest base incorporation, NBI) in a controlled study with mice bedded on either compressed paper (CP) or corncob (CC)bedding. Compared with CC cages, CP cages had higher NBI scores. To determine the influence of bedding type on the recognitionof animal health concerns in an animal facility, cages bedded with CC followed by CP were evaluated for the overallfrequency of health-concern reports during a 2-mo time frame for each bedding type in a single-subject A-B study design.The frequency of animal health-concern reports was similar in cages using CC or CP bedding. The animal health condition,rather than bedding type, was associated with the severity of the health problem at the initial report. Breeding performancewas compared for 6 mo in matched CC and CP cages containing one of 13 genetically modified mouse lines. NBI scores werehigher for breeders housed on CP compared with CC bedding. Monogamous breeder pairs housed on CP had significantlyhigher indexes of breeding performance (measured as the number of pups per dam per week on study) than did CC cages. This report supports the use of CP bedding in the mouse microenvironment to improve general wellbeing by supporting nesting behavior and reproductive performance without hindering the detection of animal health concerns.


Purpose – This dissertation proposes there is a lack of literature identifying specific change management roles in actively influencing change. Change management initiatives are often set by executives in organisations and middle management bear the brunt in implementing them at team and employee level. While change has been researched thoroughly, there are gaps in the academic literature in identifying practices as to how active managers influence soft skills in behavioural changes. The objective of this dissertation is to 1) identify aspects of management which promote the speed of employee acceptance towards change 2) identify managements perceptions in dealing with change 3) identify a set of practices or tools used to overcome barriers in change management 4) provide a set of recommendations based on management practices to influence the soft aspects of change management.

Design/methodology/approach - This study used a phenomenological philosophy in its findings. A deductive approach was used to provide further academic literature in support of existing change management frameworks. The research performed a case study of middle management in an Irish organisation undergoing a major technical change which affected more than 2000 employees using a choice of mono method qualitative data collection. The researcher performed a thematic analysis of the data collected which focused on managements influence on employee and team acceptance to change in a business unit of that organisation. Given time constraints in the dissertation a cross sectional time horizon was used in this case study to collect data during the implementation of change project in the organisation.

Findings – The findings revealed a set of practices management used to meet the objectives as outlined. These include a self-analysis towards implementing change, practices in dealing with resistance to change, empowering employee involvement in decision making, uncovering hidden agendas and black swan events. It proposes the use of a set of tools which complement change management frameworks.


High-charge and -energy (HZE) particles comprise space radiation and they pose a challenge to astronauts on deep space missions. While exposure to most HZE particles decreases neurogenesis in the hippocampus—a brain structure important in memory—prior work suggests that 12C does not. However, much about 12C's influence on neurogenesis remains unknown, including the time course of its impact on neurogenesis. To address this knowledge gap, male mice (9–11 weeks of age) were exposed to whole-body 12C irradiation 100 cGy (IRR; 1000 MeV/n; 8 kEV/µm) or Sham treatment. To birthdate dividing cells, mice received BrdU i.p. 22 h post-irradiation and brains were harvested 2 h (Short-Term) or three months (Long-Term) later for stereological analysis indices of dentate gyrus neurogenesis. For the Short-Term time point, IRR mice had fewer Ki67, BrdU, and doublecortin (DCX) immunoreactive (+) cells versus Sham mice, indicating decreased proliferation (Ki67, BrdU) and immature neurons (DCX). For the Long-Term time point, IRR and Sham mice had similar Ki67+ and DCX+ cell numbers, suggesting restoration of proliferation and immature neurons 3 months post-12C irradiation. IRR mice had fewer surviving BrdU+ cells versus Sham mice, suggesting decreased cell survival, but there was no difference in BrdU+ cell survival rate when compared within treatment and across time point. These data underscore the ability of neurogenesis in the mouse brain to recover from the detrimental effect of 12C exposure.


Abstract This paper reports on the task-based interaction of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in the 3D multiuser virtual environment (MUVE) Second Life. The discussion first explores research on the precursors of MUVEs, text-based 2D virtual worlds known as MOOs. This is followed by an examination of studies on the use of MUVEs in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). The discussion then focuses on an investigation of the Second Life-based text chat of learners located at a university in Japan. Data analysis reveals that the environment, and tasks, elicited types of collaborative interaction hypothesized as beneficial in the sociocultural account of language development. Collaborative interaction identified in the data involved peer-scaffolding focusing on lexis, and correction. The data further showed that the participants actively maintained a supportive atmosphere through the provision of utterances designed to signal interest, and the extensive use of positive politeness. These factors facilitated social cohesion, intersubjectivity, and the consistent production of coherent target language output focused on the tasks. Participant feedback was broadly positive, and indicates that specific features of Second Life such as individual avatars, coupled to the computer-based nature of the interaction, appeared to enhance discourse management, engagement, and participation. The findings suggest that Second Life provides an arena for learner centered social interaction that offers valuable opportunities for target language practice, and the development of autonomy. Areas of potential for future research are identified.


On June 21, 2003, Raincoast Books released the Canadian edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , the fifth installment of the extremely popular series of novels by J.K. Rowling. Raincoast was the only one of fifty-five publishers of Harry Potter worldwide to print the book on 100-percent post-consumer recycled, ancient-forest-friendly paper. Raincoast decided to publicize its commitment to printing on ancient-forest-friendly paper by launching a media campaign on the subject just a few weeks before the release of Harry Potter . Taking advantage of the popularity and media hype surrounding Harry Potter , Raincoast was able to garner attention—from both the media and individuals—for the company's pledge to become an environmentally responsible enterprise and for the issues that initially provoked its decision to make such a commitment. This report explores environmental issues concerning the current state of ancient forests worldwide; the impact of the book publishing industry on ancient forests; and Canadian consumers' opinions on environmentally responsible paper usage in book publishing. This report documents and examines the changes that have occurred in Canada since an environmental coalition, Markets Initiative, began its ancient-forest-friendly campaign with Canadian book publishers in 2001, and the ripples that are being felt—by publishers, printers, paper manufacturers and the public—since Raincoast's launch of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix .


One of the major advantages of whole brain fMRI is the detection of large scale cortical networks. Dependent Components Analysis (DCA) is a novel approach designed to extract both cortical networks and their dependency structure. DCA is fundamentally different from prevalent data driven approaches, i.e. spatial ICA, in that instead of maximizing the independence of components it optimizes their dependency (in a tree graph structure, tDCA) depicting cortical areas as part of multiple cortical networks. Here tDCA was shown to reliably detect large scale functional networks in single subjects and in group analysis, by clustering non-noisy components on one branch of the tree structure. We used tDCA in three fMRI experiments in which identical auditory and visual stimuli were presented, but novelty information and task relevance were modified. tDCA components tended to include two anticorrelated networks, which were detected in two separate ICA components, or belonged in one component in seed functional connectivity. Although sensory components remained the same across experiments, other components changed as a function of the experimental conditions. These changes were either within component, where it encompassed other cortical areas, or between components, where the pattern of anticorrelated networks and their statistical dependency changed. Thus tDCA may prove to be a useful, robust tool that provides a rich description of the statistical structure underlying brain activity and its relationships to changes in experimental conditions. This tool may prove effective in detection and description of mental states, neural disorders and their dynamics.


Liver transplantation is a life-prolonging procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD); however, post-transplant infections remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Infection risk varies over time with issues in the early post-transplant period most commonly being related to the transplant surgery and nosocomial infections. Opportunistic infections become more common between 1 and 12 months post-transplant, owing to the greater burden of immunosuppression. Beyond 12 months, the risk of opportunistic infections wanes as immunosuppression is reduced. Recipients continue to be at risk for community acquired infections and recurrent cholangitis may become a concern in those with chronic allograft dysfunction or recurrent cholestatic liver disease. In this article, we will review an approach to infectious complications in the early, intermediate, and late period following liver transplantation with a focus on the most common infections and those of emerging concern.


There has been a spurt of activity in the development of digital wireless transceivers especially those operating in the ISM (industry scientific medical) bands. This is attributed to the fact that wireless systems have become more reliable, compact and easy to develop than ever before, leading to a well-perceived ubiquity. Most manufacturers do not document the error related performance and characteristics of their devices, thus entailing a detailed analysis by the developer or the user. We highlight tests to measure the bit error related performance of these new generation transceivers, with special emphasis on the TRF 6900A transceiver from Texas Instruments, a popular binary FSK (frequency shift keying) device. The test bed consists of a wireless modem based on the transceiver, and a personal computer executing a 'C' language code for baseband control and data source-sink, in order to test the device in various configurations and conditions. Our test analyses bit error rate and tries to highlight its relationship to various parameters such as attenuation, interference, occlusions, and modulation index, which in turn helps to evaluate the performance of a wireless device. This method can be easily extended to evaluate various other similar wireless transceivers offered in the market.


Vibration and noise in metal cutting are ubiquitous problems in the workshop. The turning operation is one kind of metal cutting that exhibits vibration related problems. Today the industry aims at smaller tolerances in surface finish. Harder regulations in terms of the noise levels in the operator environment are also central. One step towards a solution to the noise and vibration problems is to investigate hat kind of vibrations that are present in a turning operation. The vibrations in a boring operation have been put under scrutiny in the first part of this thesis. Analytical models have been compared with experimental results and he vibration pattern has been determined. The second part of the thesis deals with active vibration control in external turning operations. By embedding a piezo-ceramic actuator and an accelerometer into a tool holder it was possible to obtain a solution that can be fitted in a standard lathe. The control system consists of the active tool holder, a control system based on the filtered-X LMS algorithm and an amplifier designed for capacitive loads. The vibration level using this technique can be reduced by as much as 40 dB during an external turning operation.


The main goal of this article is to identify and critically examine the foundations of the monetary theories to which Lowndes and Locke appealed during their debate around the Great Recoinage of 1696. In the course of the investigation I came by the critical commentaries of Sir James Steuart and Karl Marx on the views of Locke and Lowndes on monetary theory. As these highly valuable commentaries are nearly absent from the standard literature, I present and critically assess them in this essay.


The efficiency and adaptive plasticity of mitochondrial metabolism is one of the key factors shaping organismal tolerance towards environmental change.We thus investigated the adaptive capacities of mitochondrial metabolism in Antarctic & Austral notothenioids (Nothothenia rossii, N. coriiceps & N. angustata) and temperate Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) with respect to some important factors that will influence the survival of marine life in the near future: global warming (elevated sea temperatures), ocean acidification (elevated CO2 levels) and hypoxia tolerance.We namely analysed the function and contribution of the single respiratory complexes to total mitochondrial metabolism, as well as membrane potential and proton leak. In all experiments, mitochondrial measurements were made under acute thermal challenges, compairing liver and heart mitochondria from either differently acclimated individuals (thermal acclimation, CO2 acclimation the combination thereof) or from individuals selected for a specific phenotypic trait (hypoxia tolerance in D. labrax).The implications of mitochondrial plasticity for long-term adaptation in a changing marine environment will be discussed.


SUMMARY The ionophores lasalocid and monensin have been used as food additives to improve body weight gain in beef cattle and milk production in dairy cows. The aims of this work were to detect the presence of these compounds in raw milk samples and their ruminal disappearance rate in dairy cows using HPLC techniques. Two Friesian herds were used. Cows from one herd were supplemented with lasalocid and the other with monensin during 18 and 21 days respectively, and according to the recommended dose (300 mg/d). Daily raw milk samples were obtained during the supplementing period and the presence of lasalocid and monensin was analysed using HPLC techniques (LOD 30 and 5 ppb respectively). In a parallel trial fluid ruminal samples obtained from fistulised cows up to 24 hours after a single intra ruminal administration with the ionophores were analysed using the same HPLC techniques. Both ionophores were not detected in any of the milk samples during all the experimental period. The low transference of these ionophores to the milk could be related to their expected low absorption rate related to their physical-chemical proprieties. Lasalocid was detected in the ruminal fluid up to 6 hours after administration and monensin up to 4 hours of administration. According to the results, lasalocid and monensin are not detected in raw milk samples from supplemented cows using techniques with detection limits of 30 and 5 ppb, respectively.


Orthopaedic surgeons have consistently shown interest in volunteering to aid needy populations throughout the world. Service missions, building surgical capacity, and disaster relief have benefited from the volunteer efforts of orthopaedic surgeons. The burden of musculoskeletal disease is high and will continue to increase as motorization and development reach more people. The increasing burden of musculoskeletal disease requires thoughtful, well-planned, and effectively executed interventions. A framework for action will help orthopaedic surgeons use the many avenues available for involvement in international volunteer work.


In this paper we describe an approach to graphically externalize the cloud potential of a company, considering its architectural description. For this purpose it is shown how current architectural description can be extended, in terms of knowledge and graphical representation. The goal is to focus on the most important features and aspects to consider during the evaluation of shifting into a cloud environment. Even if each company has different strategies and approaches to its business activities, there are some domains related to the shift in a cloud environment that should be considered in any case. This paper shows how these main areas can be taken into account in order to extend the architectural representation of a company and express its cloud readiness.


Smoking-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost were estimated using the formula adopted to estimate UK and US deaths caused by smoking. These estimates are based on sex-specific proportions by age of current and ex-smokers and rates of relative risk. For prevalence data we used data of 2010 STEPS survey in Georgia and Georgia Reproductive Health Survey 2005. Relative risks for potentially fatal diseases due to smoking are those that were used to estimate UK 1995 deaths. They were derived from years 1984-1988 of the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS II). Smoking attributable mortality was estimated for year 2008, period when registration of deaths was done by adopted methods and institutions. By the calculations according to mortality data of year 2008 number of active smoking attributable deaths were 4331. Smoking is related with 10,1% of all deaths. By causes of death smoking attributed is 30% of all deaths caused by cancers, 10% of cardiovascular diseases, 9% of respiratory and 7% of digestive diseases. About 72500 potential years of life is lost in Georgia during year 2008 due to active smoking. Great majority of this burden is related with cardio vascular diseases and cancers.


This paper outlines the creation of a unique integrated Authentic Leader Development framework (iALD), incorporating executive coaching and an approach to authentic leader development, underpinned by four stages which reflect a development process for leaders. The iALD framework was developed from qualitative research in response to the lack of innovative and impactful leader development theory. There is an absence of "any form of a comprehensive theory of leader development" (Day, Harrison and Halpin, 2008: xi) and Quick and Nelson (2008) call for a more integrative model of leader development, signalling a move away from the traditional focus on competencies and skills, to development which focuses more holistically on the whole person as a leader, in particular in developing self-awareness and self-regulation (e.g., Avolio, 2005; 2007).


OBJECTIVE
To study how social interactions influence physician adoption of an electronic health records (EHR) system.

DESIGN
A social network survey was used to delineate the structure of social interactions among 40 residents and 15 attending physicians in an ambulatory primary care practice. Social network analysis was then applied to relate the interaction structures to individual physicians' utilization rates of an EHR system.

MEASUREMENTS
The social network survey assessed three distinct types of interaction structures: professional network based on consultation on patient care-related matters; friendship network based on personal intimacy; and perceived influence network based on a person's perception of how other people have affected her intention to adopt the EHR system. EHR utilization rates were measured as the proportion of patient visits in which sentinel use events consisting of patient data documentation or retrieval activities were recorded. The usage data were collected over a time period of 14 months from computer-recorded audit trail logs.

RESULTS
Neither the professional nor the perceived influence network is correlated with EHR usage. The structure of the friendship network significantly influenced individual physicians' adoption of the EHR system. Residents who occupied similar social positions in the friendship network shared similar EHR utilization rates (p<0.05). In other words, residents who had personal friends in common tended to develop comparable levels of EHR adoption. This effect is particularly prominent when the mutual personal friends of these 'socially similar' residents were attending physicians (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Social influence affecting physician adoption of EHR seems to be predominantly conveyed through interactions with personal friends rather than interactions in professional settings.


Giant pandas are difficult to breed in captivity due to low oestrus and mating rate, high cub mortality and diseases. Thus, improving the mating success of giant pandas in captivity is an important conservation issue. After observations on eleven female and three male giant pandas from Beijing Zoo, Lanzhou Zoo, Chengdu Zoo and Giant Panda Breeding Center during their mating season in 2000 ∼ 2001, we found that mate choice plays an important role in mating success. Both male and female pandas actively chose their mates. Successful copulation only occurred in those males and females that both showed high frequencies of courting behaviour towards the opposite sex. Of those cases that only a male or female showed one-sided high or low frequency of courting behaviour in the keeper-arranged panda pairs in random order, no copulation was observed. Only three out of twenty-four paired pandas successfully copulated. All three impregnated female pandas in this study bore cubs. This indicated that mating choice was one of the important factors resulting in unsuccessful copulation and failure to reproduce. We recommend that attention be paid to the mate choice in giant panda when breeding pandas in pens are paired for reproduction in the future.


New York State has an estimated population of 249,702 resident Canada geese. Human-goose conflicts are increasing, including unacceptable accumulation of goose feces in public parks, overgrazing of landscaped lawns, noise, and aggressive behavior of individual geese. An integrated Canada goose management program was conducted and evaluated at 8 sites in Orange County, New York from 2004 to 2006. The program, conducted from March through November each year, consisted of egg oiling (300-470 eggs oiled a year), hazing to reduce local goose populations using multiple techniques, public outreach/education, and program monitoring. The monitoring component included goose movement and population surveys using neck-collared geese and standardized fecal counts, at both managed and unmanaged sites. We monitored 3 unmanaged ("control") sites to provide a comparison. We conducted fecal surveys, as an indirect method for potentially estimating site-specific goose populations and associated reduction in damage. The number of droppings counted, when standardized to droppings per foot per day, decreased at treated sites (2004, 0.16; 2005, 0.12; 2006, 0.05) but did not differ at unmanaged sites, indicating a sustained population reduction on site during the project. In addition, the mean number of geese observed at treated sites decreased each year (2004, 77; 2005, 19; 2006, 11) while the mean number at unmanaged sites did not differ. The alternate location of the majority of dispersed geese is unknown, although monitoring of marked birds indicates that many birds moved only short distances (<2 km). The implementation of an integrated non-lethal goose damage management program over 3 years reduced the number of Canada geese at specific locations and minimized local conflicts. The widespread adoption of this type of program could reduce human- Canada goose conflicts across a larger landscape but will require extensive coordination of local projects, a public involvement process, and an intensive, long-term commitment of resources.


The presence of omnivorous fish is known to affect aquatic ecosystems, including water quality. The effect, however, depends on the species in question, and our knowledge is limited on the effect of omnivorous crucian carp (Carassius auratus), a common and often the most numerous fish species in eutrophic shallow lakes in China. We conducted a 70-day outdoor experiment in mesocosms with and without crucian carp to examine whether this species adversely affects water quality by increasing the levels of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), thereby stimulating the biomass of phytoplankton and increasing water turbidity. Compared with carp-free controls, the presence of crucian carp resulted in higher TN and TP in the water column, greater phytoplankton biomass and lower periphyton biomass, measured as chlorophyll a. Total suspended solids (TSS) also increased in the presence of fish. We conclude that crucian carp can increase TN and TP, enhance phytoplankton biomass, and increase water turbidity, thereby contributing significantly to the deterioration of the water quality. In addition to controlling external nutrient loading, the removal of crucian carp may help to improve water quality in warm shallow eutrophic lakes.


Information Technology revolutionized era offer several tools for creating; organizing; storing and visualization of information in libraries in various perspectives. This paper highlights the application of Active Directory in library and information centers. In this context, Active Directory is an extensible directory service that enables managing and storing the detailed information about each network resources efficiently and also used to record the user access count as well as the duration of time spent by the user in the library. It is also used to maintain the institutional User restriction policies in the Server-Client architecture in libraries. This paper explains the steps to deploy the User access and reporting modules, credentials to the user by using the Windows Active Directory and also explores the technical aspect of working architecture, application and its limitation in the libraries.


Developing countries have a recognized increasing need for reliable flood risk assessment and demand novel approaches due to the complex and evolving nature of hydrological and socioeconomic conditions, limited availability of data, and, in some cases, lack of permanent inter-institutional collaborative arrangements for the assessment of flood risk. In the framework of the Probabilistic Risk Assessment Program at The World Bank, advances have been made in the development of methodologies that allow the estimation of flood risk considering these challenges. The application of one of these methodologies was carried out in the City of Boquete in Panama, where complex orographic, geological, hydrologic and hydrodynamic conditions dominate. In particular, the Caldera River, which crosses Boquete, causes frequent flooding in the urban area of the city. At the same time, the Caldera River Basin is one of the most important economic areas of the region because of its high natural, agricultural and touristic value. The results of the analysis show the need to continue investing in simplified approaches to meet data availability and computer capabilities conditions as well as the value of considering uncertainty into flood risk assessment. The analysis also acknowledges the need to further examine a balanced approach that also integrates additional robust and advanced tools to appropriately take into account the complexity of flood hazard assessment. The Boquete project had the involvement and participation of national and local government agencies in charge of water resources management and engineering, including potential users of the results generated. Therefore, this experience also sought to identify and define collaborative approaches that would lead to the adequate application and communication of risk information and the sustainability of flood risk assessments in Panama.


Background Clinical prediction models are increasingly used to predict outcomes such as survival in cancer patients. The aim of this study was threefold. First, to perform a systematic review to identify available clinical prediction models for patients with esophageal and/or gastric cancer. Second, to evaluate sources of bias in the included studies. Third, to investigate the predictive performance of the prediction models using meta-analysis. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library were searched for publications from the year 2000 onwards. Studies describing models predicting survival, adverse events and/or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for esophageal or gastric cancer patients were included. Potential sources of bias were assessed and a meta-analysis, pooled per prediction model, was performed on the discriminative abilities (c-indices). Results A total of 61 studies were included (45 development and 16 validation studies), describing 47 prediction models. Most models predicted survival after a curative resection. Nearly 75% of the studies exhibited bias in at least 3 areas and model calibration was rarely reported. The meta-analysis showed that the averaged c-index of the models is fair (0.75) and ranges from 0.65 to 0.85. Conclusion Most available prediction models only focus on survival after a curative resection, which is only relevant to a limited patient population. Few models predicted adverse events after resection, and none focused on patient's HRQoL, despite its relevance. Generally, the quality of reporting is poor and external model validation is limited. We conclude that there is a need for prediction models that better meet patients' information needs, and provide information on both the benefits and harms of the various treatment options in terms of survival, adverse events and HRQoL.


The asynchronous hidden Markov model (AHMM) models the joint likelihood of two observation sequences, even if the streams are not synchronised. We explain this concept and how the model is trained by the EM algorithm. We then show how the AHMM can be applied to the analysis of group action events in meetings from both clear and disturbed data. The AHMM outperforms an early fusion HMM by 5.7% recognition rate (a rel. error reduction of 38.5%) for clear data. For occluded data, the improvement is in average 6.5% recognition rate (rel. error red. 40%). Thus asynchronity is a dominant factor in meeting analysis, even if the data is disturbed. The AHMM exploits this and is therefore much more robust against disturbances.


Background Due to the high toxicity of anticancer drugs and their low therapeutic index, any errors in anticancer drug treatment can cause serious injury, even at approved doses. For this reason it is necessary have some national guidance to prevent errors during anticancer treatment. Purpose To prevent errors in anticancer drug treatment, the Ministry of Health has developed a specific Recommendation addressed to healthcare workers (physicians, pharmacists and nurses). Materials and Methods A working group consisting of pharmacists, oncologists, nurses, psychologists and patients representatives was set up. The same format of Recommendations made by MoH for Patient Safety was followed. Results The Recommendation is addressed to Regions, Health facilities, clinical risk managers, healthcare workers; it finds application inside the Medical Oncology and Haematology Units of private and public hospitals, inside hospital pharmacies and at the patient's home. The Recommendation is to protect patients needing anticancer drug treatments. Highlight: the hospital should provide working instruments and develop a procedure including all instructions for proper anticancer drug management. They also have to: draw up a Patient Safety Training Plan, promote communication and integration among health professionals, provide accurate and complete information to patients and their families, consider the psychological and emotional state of patients and give detailed indications for the delivery of drugs at discharge. Conclusions The Recommendation is a reference for health professionals involved in handling anticancer drugs, providing information about the patient's objectives and expected benefits from treatment. The document provides guidance aimed at preventing errors that can occur during anticancer drug treatment and includes recommendations encouraging the promotion of clinical governance. A verification of this Recommendation is expected soon. Many experts gave their suggestions to facilitate its implementation. No conflict of interest.


The self-assembling properties of thermally-sensitive amphiphilic elastin-like multiblock recombinamers have been combined with the capacities of calcium phosphate binding of the SNA15 epitope inspired by the salivary protein statherin. In this regard, the interaction between calcium and phosphate ions was examined in the presence of two hybrid recombinamers. The first recombinamer comprised a simple amphiphilic diblock in which the SNA15 epitopes were combined, at the gene level, to the hydrophilic end. This recombinamer can self-assemble into nanoparticles that can control the transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) into a fibre-like hydroxyapatite structure. In the other recombinamer, the SNA15 domains are distributed along the monomer chain, with the hydrophilic blocks being distributed amongst the hydrophobic ones. In this case, the resulting nanohybrid ACP/recombinamer organises into neuron-like structures. Thus, combining the amphiphilic elastin-like recombinamers to the SNA15 functionality is a powerful mean to tune the formation of different complex calcium phosphate nanostructures.


The Upper Pliocene Irrawaddy sediments in the Gwebin area of central Myanmar recently yielded a rodent assemblage that contains nine species belonging to four families: four species of Muridae, three of Hystricidae, one of Spalacidae, and one of Sciuridae. The murids consist of Hapalomys cf. longicaudatus, Maxomys pliosurifer sp. nov., Rattus jaegeri and cf. Rattus sp. indet., which include both extinct and extant forms. Maxomys pliosurifer is relatively similar to Maxomys surifer that lives in South-East Asia in terms of tooth morphology but retains plesiomorphic features shared with the ancestral rat, Karnimata, and possible sister genera of Maxomys, such as Ratchaburimys and Millardia. The three hystricids belong to the genus Hystrix and consist of two extinct brachydont species (Hystrix paukensis and Hystrix sp. indet.) and one hypsodont species similar to living form (Hystrix cf. brachyura). This finding indicates that primitive brachydont species and derived hypsodont species of Hystrix had likely coexisted in the locality, but the brachydont species are significantly more common amongst specimens collected from the Gwebin area. The spalacid species is Cannomys cf. badius and the sciurid species is Menetes sp. indet. These two rodents are similar to living species in continental South-East Asia although they show minor differences in tooth characteristics compared to the living forms. Some species and genera of the fossil rodent assemblage from the Gwebin area also occur in Upper Pliocene localities of Thailand, suggesting chronological correlation between these two faunas. Moreover, these fossil rodent assemblages are composed primarily of the species distributed endemically in continental South-East Asia. Late Pliocene rodents of continental South-East Asia were affected by river barriers that formed during the Mio-Pliocene, and they were probably not able to disperse from South-East Asia into South and East Asia. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub: 0171B3BE-02D4-433C-A5CE-4729C537FAF8


The energy provider in South Africa, Eskom, faces an increasing electricity demand. The need to ensure sufficient supply gave rise to Demand Side Management (DSM) projects scheme. The DSM focus has shifted to the mining sector in South Africa. The large electricity use of the mining sector ensured the need for Energy Services Companies (ESCo's). The ESCo is contracted to ensure energy savings of DSM projects implemented within the multiple sectors such as mining industry.
The mining sector business model has the constant pressure to increase gold production. This pressure to expand has led to rapid expansion plans to increase the gold output for the relevant company. The expansion process and production increase in turn increases the electricity consumption. Compressed air use is a large contributing factor to the monthly electricity use as it is widely used within the mine sector. The implementation of a DSM project on the compressed air ring of an expanding gold mine was the focus of the study.
This case study focused on an expanding gold mine within South Africa. The DSM lifecycle was followed to initially determine the DSM saving potential. The possible control strategies were investigated with simulation models and savings calculations. The viable option was to be implemented with a preliminary control philosophy. Results were in turn compared with the initial investigations and control philosophy. The deviations as experienced with implementation were addressed and a potential sustainable control philosophy for an expanding gold mine was constructed.
The results indicated, verified Eskom peak clip electricity savings of 2.165 MW of the 2.4 MW target. The energy efficiency component for these performance assessment months was 1.944 MW of the targeted 1.5 MW. The sustainability of the system was proven with production increase on an expanding gold mine.


An ultra high performance liquid chromatographic method was established for the separation and determination of 14 restricted substances in flavor and fragrant samples. The sample was extracted by 10% (v/v) methanol aqueous solution containing 1% (v/v) ammonia. The 14 analytes were separated in 12 min on a Waters BEH C18 column (50 mm x 2.1 mm, 1.7 microm) using acetonitrile and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution (containing 0.1% (v/v) acetic acid) as mobile phases with gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min and 35 degrees C, and detected by a diode array detector scanned from 200 nm to 500 nm. The regression equations revealed acceptable linearity (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.995 0 to 0.999 9) in the range of 0.10 - 50 mg/L for the 14 analytes. The limits of detection (LODs) were from 0.32 mg/kg to 2.51 mg/kg. The recoveries of the 14 analytes spiked in real samples at 5, 10 and 20 mg/L were 93.0% - 121% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.51% - 4.50%. With the advantages of accessibility, high sensitivity and good reproducibility, this simple method can be used in the simultaneous determination of the restricted substances in flavor and fragrant samples.


Background: Kidney diseases pose a significant global health burden, there is an urgent need to deepen our understanding of their underlying mechanisms.
Summary: This review focuses on new innovative approaches that merge Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and single-cell omics (including transcriptomics) in kidney disease research. We begin by detailing how GWAS have identified numerous genetic risk factors, offering valuable insight into disease susceptibility. Then, we explore the application of scRNA-seq, highlighting its ability to unravel how genetic variants influence cellular phenotypes. Through a synthesis of recent studies, we illuminate the synergy between these two powerful methodologies, demonstrating their potential in elucidating the complex etiology of kidney diseases. Moreover, we discuss how this integrative approach could pave the way for precise diagnostics and personalized treatments.
Key Message: This review underscores the transformative potential of combining GWAS and scRNA-seq in the journey towards a deeper understanding of kidney diseases.


What is China's place in the global food system? This thesis provides an analytical lens to explain the factors behind the structure of China's national seed industry and recent global agribusiness expansion. Scholars of Global Political Economy and critical food studies have begun to assess the (re)emergence of actors from China in global markets replete with powerful agribusiness from the global North. However, these scholars have thus far paid less attention to the domestic, normative origins and dynamics that explain China's place in the global food system. For example, though the global grain seed industry is highly concentrated, China's domestic grain seed market does not share the same characteristics. To explain this discrepancy and shed light on the place of China in the global food system, I develop the concept of securitized foodways. Securitized foodways is built on a power framework that incorporates both positive and negative forms of power. Three dimensions of power (ideational, material, and autonomy) correspond to three factors that have shaped China's grain seed industry, its place in the global food system, and its broader economy. The first factor is the Party-state's ideational priority of self-reliance, particularly in the context of grain security. In contrast to other large Southern countries (e.g., India and the Philippines), the historical priority for China to be self-reliant has led to a distinct conception of national food security focused on national ownership over each segment of the grain supply chain and particularly seed resources. The second factor is the Party-state's control over its domestic agrifood system through law and regulation limiting the participation of foreign seed companies. More recently, the Party-state's power over its domestic grain seed markets has shifted into nascent material power in the global food system. This expansion of Chinese agribusiness in the name of national food security occurs through a combination of overseas seed extension projects as well as through the acquisition of foreign agribusinesses including Syngenta, Noble, and Nidera. The third factor is China's historical autonomy from the U.S. food regime (1950s to 1970s). China remained independent of the agrifood networks developed under the U.S.-led green revolution and food aid architecture, instead establishing its own domestic research networks and extension system. This autonomy provided the Party-state with the power necessary to retain domestic policy space, develop a home-grown seed industry, and challenge the dominance of Northern agribusiness firms in the global food system. Combined, the three factors explain China's domestic grain seed market structure (ideational priority of self-reliant national food security, material power over the domestic food system, and historical autonomy from the U.S. food regime). Further, these factors serve to explain and interpret the recently expanded presence of actors from the PRC in global grain and grain seed markets. Despite pressure from MNCs and other states, national agribusinesses continue to hold market share in China's domestic grain seed market demonstrating both the continued normative commitment of Party-state actors to support national industry and the material power to maintain control over national markets in the context of economic globalization. These national Chinese agribusinesses (with the help of financial actors) have also rapidly increased their presence abroad to compete in both domestic and global markets. However, despite the exercise of material power in the global food system, actors from China have not yet displaced the incumbent agribusiness power of MNCs headquartered in the global North. Further, there are challenges and impacts related to the pursuit of national food security through domestically owned industrial agriculture. Given MNC ownership of patents, the potential introduction of genetically modified (GM) grain seeds in the domestic Chinese market presents a challenge to the Party-state's continued control over the PRC's seed industry. Further, the growing commercial seed system and discourse of national food security has placed pressure on, but also provided limited space for, alternative food movements within China. These food movements share similar ideational concerns to the Party-state vis-àvis global agribusiness concentration, but promote a path to food security rooted in local food systems. As agribusinesses from China, with strong connections to the Party-state, expand their global grain and seed networks, both GM seeds and food alternatives are domestic sources of contention for the Party-state's emerging agrifood power.


In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph. "Somehow, when you observe people all your life, it becomes a sort of art. Each individual is distinctly different, a mystery within itself. What intrigues me though is looking for their story: where are they going, who are they looking for, what troubles them--the list is endless. If I possessed the ability to look into each person's mind I would block it out. For the whole purpose of observing others is to use your imagination, make up a story, add other characters--there are countless possibilities. Jason, a close friend of mine, is an excellent player. His mind is in constant overdrive. He has the ability to recite people's lives as if they personally handed him the script." Cover Page Footnote Appeared in the issue: 1990. This prose is available in The Angle: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/angle/vol1990/iss1/20


Mechanical post treatments for welded structures have been applied in various industrial fields and, in most cases, have been found to cause substantial increase in their fatigue strength. These methods, generally, consist of the modification of weld toe geometry and the introduction of compressive residual stresses. In hammer peening, the weld profile is modified due to removal or reduction of minute crack-like flaws; compressive residual stresses are also induced by repeated hammering of the weld toe region with blunt-nosed chisel. In this study, a hammer peening procedure, using commercial pneumatic chipping hammer, was developed; a quantitative measure of fatigue strength improvement was performed. The fatigue life of hammer-peened specimen was prolonged by approximately 10 times in S=240MPa, and was doubled for the as-welded specimen.


The capacity of the epiphyseal growth cartilage from the dog fibula to retain its growth potential after heterotopic transfer to a distal radial defect was investigated and compared to orthotopically transferred controls. Autoradiographs of the physes cultured in 3H-thymidine indicated continued proliferation of the growth cartilage in all revascularized transfers at the time of death, six weeks postoperatively. However, the nonvascular orthotopic controls did not incorporate the radioactive label. Fluorescent bone labels were incorporated in parallel bands in the metaphyseal bone, demonstrating linear bone growth in the revascularized transfers. Additional evidence for the viability of the transferred growth cartilage was obtained with histologic sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin and safranin-O. Roentgenograms and volume measurements showed a tendency toward hypertrophy of the heterotopic transfers.


Generating expressive and contextually appropriate prosody remains a challenge for modern text-to-speech (TTS) systems. This is particularly evident for long, multi-sentence inputs. In this paper, we examine simple extensions to a Transformer-based FastSpeech-like system, with the goal of improving prosody for multi-sentence TTS. We find that long context, powerful text features, and training on multi-speaker data all improve prosody. More interestingly, they result in synergies. Long context disambiguates prosody, improves coherence, and plays to the strengths of Transformers. Fine-tuning word-level features from a powerful language model, such as BERT, appears to profit from more training data, readily available in a multi-speaker setting. We look into objective metrics on pausing and pacing and perform thorough subjective evaluations for speech naturalness. Our main system, which incorporates all the extensions, achieves consistently strong results, including statistically significant improvements in speech naturalness over all its competitors.


The short duration of effective analgesia produced by intrathecal fentanyl (ITF) at doses ranging from 5 to 25 micrograms limits the drug's use for the management of labor pain. The understanding of the potential of ITF related to duration of analgesia in the labor patient is derived from studies of and clinical experience with ITF at doses not exceeding 25 micrograms and less. We hypothesized that by increasing the dose beyond 25 micrograms, a prolonged duration of analgesia could be achieved. The purpose of the present study was to compare the difference in duration of effective analgesia and adverse effects produced by 25, 37.5, and 50 micrograms of ITF. A sample population of 60 term parturient women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies who were in active labor and requesting pain control were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: group 1, 25 micrograms (n = 20); group 2, 37.5 micrograms (n = 20); and group 3, 50 micrograms (n = 20). The ITF was then administered by an anesthesia provider blinded to the dose via a combined spinal epidural technique. The time from injection to the time of request for subsequent pain control (considered the duration of effective analgesia), maternal and fetal vital signs, and adverse effects were recorded at specific intervals until the patient requested activation of the epidural catheter or delivery occurred, ending participation in the study. Statistical analysis using a 1-way analysis of variance and considering a P value of < .05 to be significant revealed no difference in duration of effective analgesia between the groups. Statistical differences in the incidence of adverse effects, particularly uterine hyperstimulation, hypotension, pruritus, nausea, and fetal heart rate decelerations were not evident using the Fisher Irwin test and a significance of P < .05. The findings of the present study demonstrate that there is no real advantage of using doses of ITF greater than 25 micrograms in quality and duration of effective labor analgesia.


The objective of this study was to improve the preservation of fresh oyster mushrooms by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and chemical treatments. The MAP effects and treatments on organoleptic quality, weight loss, cell permeability, texture changes and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity were studied. In addition, three packaging materials were used for MAP mushroom storage. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) proved to be a more suitable material than polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and LDPE-PVC as MAP materials. On the other hand, for mushrooms storage, MAP in combination with chemical treatments (sorbitol 0.05 g/100 g, CaCl 2 1.0 g/100 g and citric acid 3.0 g/100 g) showed inhibitory effects on weight loss and mushrooms cell permeability. Furthermore, the results of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, texture and organoleptic analysis also showed that active MAP, composed of 1.5% O 2 and 20% CO 2 and combined with chemical treatments, was found to be beneficial in maintaining oyster mushrooms quality and shelf-life. Key words : Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), oyster mushroom, shelf-life, preservation, chemical treatments.


Temporal imaging is one of the important research issues using time-lens. The theory of temporal imaging using time lens is discussed briefly. The experiment to perform optical pulses compression is demonstrated and the problem is further discussed by numerical simulation in this article.


ABSTRACT
Chronic pain is associated with mental and physical health difficulties and is prevalent among veterans. Cannabis has been put forth as a treatment for chronic pain, and changes in laws, attitudes, and use patterns have occurred over the last two decades. Differences in prevalence of non-medical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) were examined across two groups: veterans/non-veterans and those reporting/not reporting recent pain. Data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (2012-2013; n=36,309) were analyzed using logistic regression. Prevalence Differences (PD) for three cannabis outcomes: (1) past-year non-medical cannabis use, (2) frequent (≥3 times a week) non-medical use, and (3) DSM-5 CUD were estimated for those reporting recent moderate-severe pain (veterans/non-veterans), and veterans reporting/not reporting recent pain. Difference in differences were calculated to investigate prevalence differences on outcomes associated with residence in a state with medical cannabis laws (MCLs). Associations between physical and mental health and cannabis variables were tested. Results indicated that the prevalence of recent pain was greater among veterans (PD=7.25%, 95% CI [4.90, 9.60]). Among veterans, the prevalence of frequent cannabis use was greater among those with pain (PD=1.92%, 98% CI [0.21, 3.63]), and, among veterans residing in a state with MCLs, the prevalence of CUD was greater among those reporting recent pain (PD=3.88%, 98% CI [0.36, 7.39]). Findings failed to support the hypothesis that cannabis use improves mental or physical health for veterans with pain. Providers treating veterans with pain in MCL states should monitor such patients closely for CUD.


Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had consequences on the pregnant population, as disease severity is associated with the quality of maternal health and pregnancy complications, increasing maternal and neonatal morbidity. Worldwide descriptive data help describe risk factors that could predict symptomatic and severe COVID-19 in pregnancy. Objectives: To describe demographic features and risk factors of pregnant women with COVID-19 in Qatar and compare symptomatic versus asymptomatic disease. Study design and methodology: Clinical characteristics and risk factors of pregnant women with COVID-19 in Qatar from March 2020 to March 2021 was retrospectively reviewed, comparing the cohort with the general pregnant population. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were computed, comparing symptomatic versus asymptomatic infection. Results: Of the 500 women, 347 reported at least one symptom at diagnosis (347/500; 69.4%). The majority fell in the 30–39 years age group (241/500; 48%), with more than half in the obese body mass index (BMI) category. The cohort was 66% (332/500) Qatari women, compared with the 26% expected in the population (26.4% vs 66.4% p < 0.001). Compared with the 2019 national statistics, the number of women was higher in the >40 years age group (5% vs 7.6%, p = 0.027) and grand multiparous group (5.4% vs 13.6%, p < 0.001). The symptom most commonly reported by the symptomatic group was cough (276/500; 55%), followed by fever, fatigue, and myalgia. In the adjusted analysis, the symptomatic group had 2.7 times higher odds of being asthmatic (OR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.1–6.7, p = 0.037). Women aged >40 years had 6.6 times higher odds of symptomatic disease (aOR = 6.6, 95% CI 1.08–39.73, p = 0.041). A history of contact with a patient with symptomatic COVID and earlier gestational age at diagnosis increased the odds (aOR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.2–3.54, p = 0.009; aOR = 0.73 95% CI 0.57–0.96; p = 0.017). Conclusions: This study cohort included significantly more Qatari women, older women, grand multiparous women, a higher proportion with pre-existing and gestational diabetes, and higher BMI than national data. In addition, contact to a patient with symptomatic disease, history of asthma, older age, and earlier gestational age at diagnosis were significantly associated with symptomatic disease.


Nowadays, wearing proper makeup is proved to be a powerful tool which can help women get benefit in their workplace. However, many employee women face a problem about making everything perfect done in the rush morning time, especially wearing makeup, which can result in a lot of negative effects not only in personal health but also in the family relationship. Suffering from poor morning experience might mass their beginning of the day and consequently ruing the whole day. Due to the boring and complex cosmetics organizers, the problem came to be more severe for them and make the makeup process neither effective nor enjoyable. This project aiming at optimizing their morning experience and offering a positive psychological suggestion when using the interactive cosmetics organizer. The organizer is designed to bring these women easier, more effective and delighter makeup experience which helps them to come over the stressed morning and to be well-prepared for a new day. The paper firstly evaluates that how the products affect the makeup process in the morning as well as analyzing users emotion activities throughout the whole process. And then it demonstrates the design process by figuring out how to create a comfortable environment and interaction between the product and users. The paper also addresses how emotional design and experience design works in this project which aimed at upgrading women workers' makeup process and their morning experience and finally benefits their life.


UNSTRUCTURED
 The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, spread worldwide after its emergence in China. Whether rich or poor, all nations are struggling to cope with this new global health crisis. The speed of the threat's emergence and the quick response required from public health authorities and the public itself makes evident the need for a major reform in pandemic surveillance and notification systems. The development and implementation of a graded, individual-level pandemic notification system could be an effective tool to combat future threats of epidemics. This paper describes a prototype model of such a notification system and its potential advantages and challenges for implementation. Similar to other emergency alerts, this system would include a number of threat levels (level 1-5) with a higher level indicating increasing severity and intensity of safety measures (eg, level 1: general hygiene, level 2: enhanced hygiene, level 3: physical distancing, level 4: shelter in place, and level 5: lockdown). The notifications would be transmitted to cellular devices via text message (for lower threat levels) or push notification (for higher threat levels). The notification system would allow the public to be informed about the threat level in real time and act accordingly in an organized manner. New Zealand and the United Kingdom have recently launched similar alert systems designed to coordinate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response more efficiently. Implementing such a system, however, faces multiple challenges. Extensive preparation and coordination among all levels of government and relevant sectors are required. Additionally, such systems may be effective primarily in countries where there exists at least moderate trust in government. Advance and ongoing public education about the nature of the system and its steps would be an essential part of the system, such that all members of the public understand the meaning of each step in advance, similar to what has been established in systems for other emergency responses. This educational component is of utmost importance to minimize adverse public reaction and unintended consequences. The use of mass media and local communities could be considered where mobile phone penetration is low. The implementation of such a notification system would be more challenging in developing countries for several reasons, including inadequate technology, limited use of data plans, high population density, poverty, mistrust in government, and tendency to ignore or failure to understand the warning messages. Despite the challenges, an individual-level pandemic notification system could provide added benefits by giving an additional route for notification that would be complementary to existing platforms.


The new technique of fetoscopy is an important advance in the antenatal intrauterine diagnosis of some fetal disorders. Because it enables fetal blood to be collected, fetoscopy has a major place in the intrauterine diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies, particularly fetal thalassemia major at 16-20 weeks' gestation in women at risk of bearing such a child.


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with few avenues for treatment. Many proteins implicated in ALS associate with stress granules, which are examples of liquid-like compartments formed by phase separation. Aberrant phase transition of stress granules has been implicated in disease, suggesting that modulation of phase transitions could be a possible therapeutic route. Here, we combine cell-based and protein-based screens to show that lipoamide, and its related compound lipoic acid, reduce the propensity of stress granule proteins to aggregate in vitro. More significantly, they also prevented aggregation of proteins over the life time of Caenorhabditis elegans. Observations that they prevent dieback of ALS patient-derived (FUS mutant) motor neuron axons in culture and recover motor defects in Drosophila melanogaster expressing FUS mutants suggest plausibility as effective therapeutics. Our results suggest that altering phase behaviour of stress granule proteins in the cytoplasm could be a novel route to treat ALS.


Author(s): ISIKMAN, SERHAN OMER | Advisor(s): OZCAN, AYDOGAN | Abstract: Light microscopes provide us with the key to observe objects that are orders of magnitude smaller than what the unaided eye can see. Therefore, microscopy has been the cornerstone of science and medicine for centuries. Recently, optical microscopy has seen a growing interest in developing three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques that enable sectional imaging of biological specimen. These imaging techniques, however, are generally quite complex, bulky and expensive in addition to having a limited field-of-view due to the need for lens-based optical magnification.In this thesis, I demonstrate lensfree optical tomography (LOT) as a new 3D imaging modality that offers high-throughput imaging in a compact and simple architecture. This technique is fundamentally based on lensfree on-chip microscopy, where computation is used to replace bulky components of traditional imaging devices to reduce size, cost and complexity while at the same time significantly enlarging the imaging field-of-view. In LOT, in-line holograms of objects at different illumination angles are recorded using a digital sensor-array, which enables computing pixel super-resolved tomographic images of the specimen. LOT offers l350nm lateral resolution and ~2 μm axial resolution over large imaging volumes of e.g., 15-100 mm3, and can be assembled in lightweight and compact architectures. The imaging performance of LOT is quantified using spherical microparticles as well as using biological specimen such as C. elegans worms and H. Nana eggs.To demonstrate that LOT could be useful for imaging applications in resource-limited settings, I also devised a field-portable, USB-powered compact and lightweight tomographic microscope that only weighs ~110 grams. This portable device can fit in a volume of 96 mm x 89 mm x 40 mm. In addition, to demonstrate the integration of LOT in microfluidic platforms and lab-on-a-chip systems, I also introduce an optofluidic tomography platform. In this system, the sample is delivered to the tomographic imager through a microfluidic chamber, which is mounted on the sensor chip. Tomographic data acquisition is performed while the objects are electrokinetically driven through the chamber.Probing a large volume at micrometer-scale 3D spatial resolution, LOT could provide a powerful imaging tool for high-throughput imaging applications in e.g., cell and developmental biology, as well as for future lab-on-chip platforms.