Food borne infections arise from either a host of bacteria, viruses and parasites originating in food or pathogens introduced through cross contamination. This study assessed the potential microbiological cross contamination risk posed by South Sudanese Pounds in circulation at University of Juba food restaurants by examining the level of microorganisms on banknotes. Bacterial contamination on the South Sudanese Pounds in circulation at University of Juba were determined using currencies collected from five different food serving points coded A,B,C, D and E respectively. From each food serving points, five samples of banknotes 5, 10and 25 South Sudanese Pounds denominations were randomly selected and their surface bacterial content enumerated. High and varying proportions of Total Coli forms (TC), Escherichia coli ( E. Coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) were detected. Findings revealed a significant correlation between microbial levels and the denominations of the bank notes, with the smallest having the highest levels of microorganisms per square centimeter. However, there was no specific pattern in contamination levels between banknotes obtained from the different food points. Another factor that influenced the level of contamination was period the banknotes took in circulation with the older notes having higher levels of microorganisms. High levels of microorganisms on banknotes coupled with unhygienic food handling practices predisposes consumers to health risks. Strategies to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens from the South Sudanese Pounds with specific emphasis on awareness programs and improvement in food hygiene & handling practices through physical contact between food and money in restaurants at University of Juba were mentioned in order to reduce risk of food borne illness or otherwise potentially lethal outbreak of food borne diseases.


Nowadays, people need more actual and complete information. To get that information, there are several ways. Newspaper is one way to get information. In reading the newspaper, it is important to get what the newspaper intends to say. Therefore, newspaper should present information clearly. However, sentences sometimes produce more than one meaning that may cause ambiguity. The ambiguity can be because of structure. This structural ambiguity can later on confuse the readers. Therefore, the writer wants to conduct a study about structural ambiguity. In addition, Your Letters is a column in The Jakarta Post newspaper where readers can send their letters in which, based on the writer?s observation, structural ambiguity can occur. Thus, it leads the writer to choose Your Letters of The Jakarta Post newspaper as his source of data. From this study, the writer wants to know how the sentences are structurally ambiguous and what types of grammar points and elements of Phrase Structure Rules that can cause structural ambiguity. Finally, this study also intends to reveal what grammar points and elements of Phrase Structure Rules that mostly cause potential structural ambiguity. This study takes 19 letters from Your Letters of The Jakarta Post newspaper. The writer collected the data within a week time. Moreover, he uses the theory of Marianne Celce-Murcia and Diane Larsen-Freeman to do the analysis. Through the findings, he found 20 potentially ambiguous sentences. From those sentences, he found two most predominant grammar points that could cause structural ambiguity: conjoined constituents and prepositions. He found 14 ambiguous sentences in conjoined constituents and 6 ambiguous sentences in prepositions. From that number, the writer found 70% frequency of ambiguous sentences occurrence in conjoined constituents and 30% frequency of ambiguous sentences occurrence in prepositions. He also found two most predominant elements of Phrase Structure Rules: Noun Phrases and Prepositional Phrases (Ambiguity in Prepositional Phrase and Ambiguity of Noun Phrase in Prepositional Phrase). He found 9 ambiguous sentences in Noun Phrase and 11 ambiguous sentences in Prepositional Phrase (6 ambiguous sentences of Prepositional Phrase and 5 ambiguous sentences of Noun Phrase in Prepositional Phrase). From that number, the writer found 45% of the ambiguous sentences were about Noun Phrase and 55% of the ambiguous sentences were about Prepositional Phrase (30% ambiguous sentences of Prepositional Phrase and 25% ambiguous sentences of Noun Phrase in Prepositional Phrase). In terms of the connection between the grammar points and the Phrase Structure Rules, conjoined constituents deals with two of the Phrase Structure Rules that tend to cause structural ambiguity, namely NP a NP + conj + NP and PrepP a Prep + NP + conj + NP. Then, prepositions are about the Prepositional Phrase with the following pattern: PrepP a Prep + NP. To conclude, when the ambiguity is about conjoined constituents, it does not affect the meaning of the whole sentence, but the particular phrase containing the conjoined words only. However, when it concerns with prepositions, the ambiguity can affect the whole sentence meaning because a preposition can be as a verb modifier or a noun modifier in a sentence.


Most studies on the impact of playing violent video games on mental health have focused on aggression. Relatively few studies have examined the relationship between playing violent video games and depression, especially among preadolescent youth. In this study, we investigated whether daily violent video game playing over the past year is associated with a greater number of depressive symptoms among preadolescent youth, after controlling for several well-known correlates of depression among youth. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 5,147 fifth-grade students and their primary caregivers who participated in Wave I (2004-2006) of Healthy Passages, a community-based longitudinal study conducted in three U.S. cities. Linear regression was conducted to determine the association between violent video game exposure and number of depressive symptoms, while controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, peer victimization, witnessing violence, being threatened with violence, aggression, family structure, and household income level. We found that students who reported playing high-violence video games for ≥2 hours per day had significantly more depressive symptoms than those who reported playing low-violence video games for <2 hours per day (p<0.001). The magnitude of this association was small (Cohen's d=0.16), but this association was consistent across all racial/ethnic subgroups and among boys (Cohen's d values ranged from 0.12 to 0.25). Our findings indicate that there is an association between daily exposure to violent video games and number of depressive symptoms among preadolescent youth. More research is needed to examine this association and, if confirmed, to investigate its causality, persistence over time, underlying mechanisms, and clinical implications.


Background: Increasing numbers of UK women have overweight or obese BMIs when they become pregnant, or gain excessive weight in pregnancy, increasing their risk of adverse outcomes. Failure to manage postnatal weight is linked to smoking, non-healthy dietary choices, lack of regular exercise, and poorer longer-term health. Women living in areas of higher social deprivation are more likely to experience weight management problems postnatally. Objectives: To assess feasibility of conducting a definitive RCT to determine effectiveness of lifestyle information and access to a commercial weight management group focusing on self-monitoring, goal setting and motivation to achieve dietary change commencing 8 to 16 weeks postnatally to achieve and maintain weight management and positive lifestyle behaviours. Design: A randomised two arm feasibility trial, with a nested mixed-methods process evaluation. Setting: A single centre in an inner city setting in the south of England Participants: Women with BMIs>25kg/m2 at antenatal booking and women with normal BMIs (18.5kg/m2) at antenatal booking who developed excessive gestational weight gain as assessed at 36 weeks gestation. Feasibility objectives: Recruitment, retention, acceptability of study processes and identification of relevant economic data. The proposed primary outcome was difference between groups in weight 12 months postnatally, expressed as % weight change and weight loss from antenatal booking. Other proposed outcomes included assessment of diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, body image, maternal esteem, mental health, infant feeding and NHS costs. Results: Most objectives were achieved. 193 women were recruited, 98 allocated to the intervention and 95 to the control. High follow up rates (>80%) were achieved to 12 months. A possible 8.8% benefit in weight change at 12 months compared with booking BMI was found among intervention women, compared with control (4.2% compared to 13.0% p=0.062) , 47% of whom attended at least one weight management session, with low risk of contamination between groups. Greatest benefit was among women who attended 10+ sessions. Barriers to attending sessions included opportunity, capability and motivation issues. Data collection tools were appropriate to support economic evaluation in a definitive trial, and economic modelling is feasible to quantify resource impacts and outcomes not directly measurable within a trial. Limitations: The study only recruited from one site. It was not possible to recruit women with normal BMIs who developed excessive pregnancy weight gain. Conclusion: It was feasible to recruit and retain women with overweight or obese BMIs at pregnancy commencement to a trial of postnatal weight management plus standard care compared to standard care only, and collect relevant data to assess outcomes. Approaches to recruit women with normal BMIs who gain excessive gestational weight need to be considered. Commercial weight management groups could support women's weight management as assessed at 12 months postnatally, with likely greater benefit from attending 10+ sessions. Process evaluation findings highlighted importance of providing more information about the intervention on study allocation, extended duration of time to commence sessions following birth, and extended number of sessions offered to enhance uptake and retention. Future work: Results support the conduct of a future effectiveness RCT.


Author(s): Reagh, Zachariah Meadows | Advisor(s): Yassa, Michael A | Abstract: The medial temporal lobes (MTL) comprise a set of brain regions known to be critical for the formation of memories. Different regions of the MTL support distinct aspects of experience, with the perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortices comprising a "what" information pathway supporting local features (such as objects), and the parahippocampal and medial entorhinal cortices comprising a "where" pathway supporting configurational features (such as space or context). Importantly, both pathways converge on the hippocampus, where domain-general pattern separation has been hypothesized to occur.. These regions – chiefly perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortices – are known to be susceptible to the earliest stages of age-related neuropathology. An understanding the distinct contributions of the regions of the MTL will help to elucidate their function in the service of memory, as well as their roles in age-related cognitive decline. However, evidence for functional subdivisions of the human entorhinal cortex, their contributions to hippocampal computations such as pattern separation, and their roles in neurocognitive aging is severely lacking.In a series of behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experience, we sought to fill these gaps in knowledge. First, in a behavioral experiment, we developed a spatial mnemonic discrimination paradigm, modeled after work in rodents studying pattern separation. This complemented prior object discrimination paradigms studying human memory, and showed age-related deficits consistent with a decline in pattern separation ability. Next, in a high-resolution functional MRI study, we used an object vs. spatial mnemonic discrimination paradigm to show dissociable functional roles of lateral and medial entorhinal cortex in human subjects. We next used the object vs. spatial paradigm to investigate whether cognitively normal aging asymmetrically affected performance on the two tasks. We found that older adults are relatively more impaired at object than spatial discrimination, consistent with selective vulnerability of perirhinal and/or lateral entorhinal cortices. Finally, in a high-resolution functional MRI study, we replicated the aforementioned selective object discrimination deficits, and furthermore demonstrated associated hypoactivity in the lateral entorhinal cortex. We additionally replicated prior reports of hyperactivity in the dentate/CA3 subfields of the hippocampus, and furthermore found that the ratio of relative activity between dentate/CA3 and lateral entorhinal cortex predicted the extent of object discrimination impairment. In sum, the studies presented here provide novel evidence for dissociable functional roles of lateral and medial entorhinal cortex in humans, and suggest that the lateral entorhinal cortex-dentate/CA3 circuit is selectively disrupted in aging.


The optimal method for human milk (HM) fortification has not yet been determined. This study assessed whether fortification relying on measured HM macronutrient content (Miris AB analyzer, Upsala, Sweden) composition is superior to fortification based on assumed HM macronutrient content, to optimize the nutrition support, growth, and body composition in infants born at <33 weeks' gestation. In a mixed-cohort study, 57 infants fed fortified HM based on its measured content were compared with 58 infants fed fortified HM based on its assumed content, for a median of 28 and 23 exposure days, respectively. The ESPGHAN 2010 guidelines for preterm enteral nutrition were followed. Growth assessment was based on body weight, length, and head circumference Δ z-scores, and the respective growth velocities until discharge. Body composition was assessed using air displacement plethysmography. Fortification based on measured HM content provided significantly higher energy, fat, and carbohydrate intakes, although with a lower protein intake in infants weighing ≥ 1 kg and lower protein-to-energy ratio in infants weighing < 1 kg. Infants fed fortified HM based on its measured content were discharged with significantly better weight gain, length, and head growth. These infants had significantly lower adiposity and greater lean mass near term-equivalent age, despite receiving higher in-hospital energy and fat intakes, with a mean fat intake higher than the maximum recommended and a median protein-to-energy ratio intake (in infants weighing < 1 kg) lower than the minimum recommended.


The ability to rapidly learn from high-dimensional data to make reliable bets about the future outcomes is crucial in many contexts. This could be a fly avoiding predators, or the retina processing gigabytes of data almost instantaneously to guide complex human actions. In this work we draw parallels between such tasks, and the efficient sampling of complex biomolecules with hundreds of thousands of atoms. For this we use the Predictive Information Bottleneck (PIB) framework developed and used for the first two classes of problems, and re-formulate it for the sampling of biomolecular structure and dynamics, especially when plagued with rare events. Our method considers a given biomolecular trajectory expressed in terms of order parameters or basis functions, and uses a deep neural network to learn the minimally complex yet most predictive aspects of this trajectory, viz the PIB. This information is used to perform iterative rounds of biased simulations that enhance the sampling along the PIB to gradually improve its accuracy, directly obtaining associated thermodynamic and kinetic information. We demonstrate the method on two test-pieces, including benzene dissociation from the protein lysozyme, where we calculate the dissociation pathway and timescales slower than milliseconds. Finally, by performing an analysis of residues contributing to the PIB, we predict the critical mutations in the system which would be most impactful on the stability of the crucial but ephemeral transition state. We believe this work marks a big step forward in the use of predictive artificial intelligence ideas for the sampling of biomolecules.


Common factors, factors that are common to all forms of psychotherapy, such as the relationship between patient and therapist (alliance), have been much discussed as potential mechanisms that explain how psychotherapy works. Fueled by the dodo bird verdict (the finding that many psychotherapies produce equivalent outcomes), this debate continues to date. Opponents of the common factor theory point to the correlational designs of common factor studies that do not allow causal inferences, whereas the proponents claim that the fact that most psychotherapies produce equivalent results shows that common factors must be responsible for the effects. In reality, there is little evidence that pleads for or against the common factor theory. Recent studies have begun to disentangle the temporal relation between therapeutic alliance and outcome (i.e., what changes first), but the findings are mixed. New lines of research are needed to resolve the debate. The question of which factors are responsible for the benefits of psychotherapy remains an empirical one.

Keywords:

experimental design;
psychopathology;
psychotherapies


The trend in academia to online learning has gained momentum in the past decade, due in part to the cost of higher education, a changing student profile, lack of traditional classroom space and the recognition that distance learning has created a new paradigm of instruction. Universities wishing to maintain or expand enrollments need to be able to respond effectively to the educational needs of working adults, students in the military and residents of rural communities as well as of other countries. Online (Internet-based) course offerings constitute a creative and increasingly popular response to these challenges. As more and more institutions of higher learning offer online courses, the question arises whether they are, or can be, as effective as courses offered in the traditional classroom format. Answering the question has been the focus of several studies. Our study compared students enrolled in both online and traditional classroom versions of one business law course where all elements were the same except for the instruction format. The study found no significant difference between the two formats with regard to student satisfaction and student learning. The findings support earlier comparisons of online and traditional instruction modes


The p16, p15 and p14 genes are widely known as tumor suppressor genes in human medicine. Although a large number of genetic and epigenetic aberrations in these genes have been reported in human malignancies, canine malignancies have not been well analyzed on the aberrations of these genes. In this study, the full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) of the canine p16 gene was cloned using the 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods. Based on the sequence data, primers specific for p16, p15 and p14 were designed. Using these primers, the expression of p16, p15 and p14 mRNAs could be individually evaluated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Genomic aberrations were also examined using genomic polymerase chain reaction. Two of the 6 canine lymphoid tumor cell lines did not express detectable levels of p16, p15 and p14 mRNAs, and wide-ranging deletions in the p15-p14-p16 genomic locus were suspected. Wide-ranging deletions were also speculated in 2 of 14 dogs with T-cell lymphoid tumors. On the other hand, similar failure of amplification suggesting wide-ranging deletions were not observed in any of the 14 dogs with B-cell lymphoma. Deletion of the p15-p14-p16 genomic locus could be one of the molecular aberrations in canine lymphoid tumor cells.


The call for this journal issue notes that "social justice in LIS/services involves achieving action-oriented socially relevant outcomes via information-related work." There is not a more fitting time and place for such action than in Spain, where the current economic crisis left more than 6 million (27 percent of the population) unemployed as of 2013. It is not just communities that are grappling with the pain of the economic downturn; libraries are also suffering from the crisis as a result of budget cuts due to reduced public funding. This article presents the case of Spanish academic and public libraries that have found solutions to keep themselves open, providing services vital to the economic and sociocultural needs of their communities. This case is an example of contributive justice, as evidenced in the actions taken by Spanish libraries and their communities as well as in the manner in which the research data were collected. Eight libraryrelated actions were found: professional, community, social, political, digital, cultural/heritage, economic, and ontological. Despite economic hardships all around, these Spanish examples reveal the impact of libraries as social justice institutions, the role of librarians as agents of change, and the value of contributive and grassroots efforts when governments fail to provide. Moreover, these contributions to social justice illustrate actions appropriate to a contributive justice framework for libraries, as proposed in this article.


The diagnosis of Ebstein's anomaly has traditionally been made by angiocardiography and confirmed by simultaneous intracardiac electrocardiographic and pressure recordings. These techniques may result in false positive or negative tests. A new method is proposed, whereby the right coronary artery is used an an angiographic marker for the tricuspid annulus and a pressure catheter simultaneously marks the position of the tricuspid valve. In the right anterior oblique position the tip of the pressure catheter should be just under the right coronary artery as the tricuspid leaflets close in systole, indicating the normal relationship of the tricuspid leaflets and annulus. In Ebstein's anomaly the tip of the catheter extends well past the coronary artery in systole, demonstrating the characteristic displacement of the attachments of the tricuspid valve downward toward the right ventricular apex.


Professor L.H. Dupriez (1901-1986), founder of the Economic and Social Research Institute (IRES) and of the Department of Economics at the Catholic University of Louvain, was a leading figure in both the theory and the application of economics in Belgium during the 20th century. His personal archive, the Fonds Dupriez held at the IRES, is a mine of information on the history of economics and economic policy. The inventory (which lists 22 000 documents in 700 files) can be accessed online at http://dupriez.ires.ucl.ac.be.


Silybin is a biologically active component extracted from the seeds of Silybum marianum, which has been shown to have inhibitory effects on prostate, skin, bladder, lung and colon cancer cells, in addition to its efficacy in the treatment of liver diseases, including hepatitis and cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether silybin suppresses the proliferation and induces apoptosis of multiple myeloma (MM) cells and to elucidate its molecular targets. The proliferative and apoptotic rates of the U266 MM cell line were assessed using MTT and flow‑cytometric assays, respectively. Western blot analysis was used to assess the protein levels of phosphoinositide‑3 kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated (p)‑Akt and p‑mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in U266 cells. In addition, PI3K inhibitor LY294002 or activator insulin‑like growth factor 1 were used to investigate the involvement of the PI3K/Akt‑mTOR signaling pathway in the effect of silybin on U266 cells. The results revealed that silybin restrained the proliferation and enhanced the apoptosis of U266 cells. Furthermore, silybin inhibited the protein expression of PI3K, p‑Akt and p‑mTOR in U266 cells. Of note, inhibition of PI3K facilitated silybin‑mediated reduction of mTOR activation, cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in U266 cells, while activation of PI3K attenuated the effects of silybin. In conclusion, silybin suppressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of U266 cells via PI3K/Akt-mTOR signaling pathways.


Abstract Gordonaster brassfieldensis is a new genus and species of Asteroidea (Echinodermata) described from the Lower Silurian Brassfield Formation of east-central Kentucky. Tentatively assigned to the poorly understood Palaeasteridae, Gordonaster shares much with Ordovician asteroids, yet it also exhibits apparent homoplasies that presage the post-Paleozoic crown group. Available specimens also indicate that the ontogenetic pattern of ossicular addition seen in the crown group was established during the Paleozoic.


BACKGROUND Childhood cancer survivors are potentially at a higher risk of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The effects of all-oral direct-acting antiviral therapy (DAA) on both the HCV infection as well as the state of cancer remission have not been well investigated in this population. AIM To test the effects of dual sofosbuvir/daclatasvir (SOF/DCV) therapy in the treatment of chronic HCV in survivors of hematologic malignancy in pediatric age group. METHODS We conducted a prospective, uncontrolled, open-label multicenter study. A total of 20 eligible, chronic HCV, genotype-4, infected children who had been in continuous complete remission from hematologic cancer (leukemia/lymphoma) for at least one year were included in the study. All patients were treated with combined SOF/DCV for 12 wk. Patients were monitored throughout the study till 12 wk after end of treatment for safety and efficacy outcomes including the sustained virologic response 12 (SVR12) rate, hematological indices, liver and kidney functions. RESULTS The intent-to-treat SVR12 rate was 20 of 20 (100%; 95%CI: 84%-100%). All patients showed normalized liver enzymes from week-4. All hematological indices, liver and kidney functions were kept normal throughout the study. No fatalities or treatment-emergent serious or severe adverse events were reported throughout the study. CONCLUSION SOF/DCV combined therapy could be used safely and effectively in the treatment of chronic HCV genotype-4 infection in leukemia/lymphoma treated children. No relapses were detected during treatment and throughout the follow up period for either the original malignant disease or the HCV infection.


In this study, the concentrations of 15 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were analyzed in 30 water samples collected in Catalonia (Spain) at three stages of the drinking water treatment process in several water purification plants. In addition, the concentrations of 13 PFCs were determined in samples of fish and shellfish collected from coastal areas of Catalonia. The intake of PFCs through both pathways, drinking water intake and fish and shellfish consumption, was also estimated. In water samples, the highest mean concentrations corresponded to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) (1.81 and 2.40 ng/L, respectively), whereas perfluorodecanosulfonate (PFDS) and perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTDA) were under their respective limits of detection in all analyzed samples. The results show that although the current treatment processes caused slight reductions in PFC concentrations, these processes did not mean significant changes in the amounts of PFCs already contained in the raw water. Among the analyzed PFCs in fish and shellfish, only seven compounds could be detected in at least one composite sample. PFOS showed the highest mean concentration (2.70 ng/g fw), being detected in all species with the exception of mussels. With regard to PFOA (mean, 0.074 ng/g fw), the highest concentrations were detected in prawn and hake (0.098 and 0.091 ng/g fw, respectively). The current exposure to PFCs through consumption of fish and shellfish indicates that it should not be of concern for the consumers. The amounts ingested are well below the recommended tolerable daily intakes, at least for those PFCs for which information is available.


An enhanced model for an open-ended coaxial probe used for making permittivity measurements is presented. A permittivity measurement system consisting of the coaxial probe and a network analyzer is described including details of the error correction and curve fitting techniques. Determination of the percent dissolved solids in fructose solutions from permittivity measurements is presented as example of the usefulness of the coaxial probe/network analyzer measurement system.


Ecological Urban Architecture describes architectural and infrastructural design approaches to sustainable urban development. Focusing on qualitative aspects of the ecological, the book identifies fields in which architectural and urban designers can use their creative skills and methods to achieve sustainable results on the urban scale. Leading experts from around the world provide in-depth information on the complexity of ecological design in urban environments in response to four themes for creating qualitative outcomes: Materialize, Mobilize, Simulate, and Transform.


ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to identify sustainability factors in the healthcare sector, introduce a hierarchical framework for the sustainability factors, and prioritize the importance of the sustainability factors and sub-factors. Measuring sustainability in healthcare systems is a complex and unstructured issue that involves many criteria and sub-criteria, requiring the issue to be deconstructed into a set of components organized into a multi-level hierarchical form. Analytical hierarchical process (AHP) methodology is used to manage the complexity of multi-criteria decision-making processes. Data were collected from five large hospitals in Abu Dhabi, which is the largest Emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The AHP framework used in this study resulted in a ranking of 31 sustainability sub-factors based on evaluations by experienced healthcare professionals. This work contributes to continuing research on sustainability, giving practitioners and designers a practical means to measure and implement sustainability factors in health organizations. Through successive stages of data collection, measurement analysis, and refinement, the contribution of this research is a reliable and valid framework that can be used to conceptualize and prioritize sustainability strategies in healthcare management.


* Contributors * Preface * Introductory essay Development management and the aid chain: the case of NGO's Tina Wallace * What makes good development management? Alan Thomas * Tools for project development within a public action framework David Wield * Institutional sustainability as learning Hazel Johnson and Gordon Wilson Managing institutional change: the science and technology systems of Eastern Europe and East Africa Jo Chataway and Tom Hewitt * Inclusive planning and allocation for rural services Doug Porter and Martin Onyach-Olaa * Finding out rapidly: a soft systems approach to training needs analysis in Thailand Simon Bell * Matching services with local preferences: managing primary education services in a rural district of India Ramya Subrahmanian * The development management task and reform of 'public' social services Dorcas Robinson * An endogenous empowerment strategy: a case study of Nigerian women P.Kassey Garba * Fundraising in Brazil: the major implications for civil society organisations and international NGO's Michael Bailey * Routes of funding, roots of trust? Northern NGO's, Southern NGO's, donors, and the rise of direct funding David Lewis and Babar Sobhan * Relevance in the 21st century: the case for devolution and global association of international of NGO's Alan Fowler * Northern words, Southern readings Carmen Marcuello and Chaime Marcuello * Whose terms? Observations on 'development management' in an English city Richard Pinder * Information Technology and the management of corruption Richard Heeks * Petty corruption and development Stephen P. Riley * The need for reliable systems: genedered work in Oxfam's Uganda programme Lina Payne and Ines Smyth * Domestic violence, deportation, and women's resistance: notes on managing inter-sectionality Purna Sen * A day in the life of a development manager David Crawford, Michael Mambo, Zainab Mdimi, Harriet Mkilya, Anna Mwambuzi, Matthias Mwiko, and Sekiete Sekasua, with Dorcas Robinson * Funding preventive or curative care? The Assiut Burns Project Norma Burnett * Small enterprise opportunities in municiple solid waste management John P.Grierson and Ato Brown * An innovative community-based waste disposal scheme in Hyderbad Marielle Snel * Annotated Bibliography * Addresses of publishers and other organisations


Le Cam's method, Fano's inequality, and Assouad's lemma are three widely used techniques to prove lower bounds for statistical estimation tasks. We propose their analogues under central differential privacy. Our results are simple, easy to apply and we use them to establish sample complexity bounds in several estimation tasks. We establish the optimal sample complexity of discrete distribution estimation under total variation distance and $\ell_2$ distance. We also provide lower bounds for several other distribution classes, including product distributions and Gaussian mixtures that are tight up to logarithmic factors. The technical component of our paper relates coupling between distributions to the sample complexity of estimation under differential privacy.


With the advancements in ubiquitous computing, ubicomp technology has deeply spread into our daily lives, including office work, home and house-keeping, health management, transportation, or even urban living environments. Furthermore, beyond the initial metric of computing, such as "efficiency" and "productivity", the benefits that people (users) benefit on a well-being perspective based on such ubiquitous technology has been greatly paid attention in the recent years. In our second "WellComp" (Computing for Well-being) workshop, we intensively discuss about the contribution of ubiquitous computing towards users' well-being that covers physical, mental, and social wellness (and their combinations), from the viewpoints of various different layers of computing. Having strong international organization members in various ubicomp research domains, WellComp 2019 will bring together researchers and practitioners from the academia and industry to explore versatile topics related to wellbeing and ubiquitous computing.


Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental emergencies. A systematic review of the literature (PubMed/Scopus) searching for articles on COVID-19 and dental abscess and a retrospective cohort study with quantitative/qualitative data analysis of our hospital E.R. patients admitted for cervico-facial abscess of dental origin were performed. Thirteen studies could be included in the review, concerning characteristics/management of patients with dental emergencies in hospitals/private practices, generally with poor evidence. For the retrospective analysis, 232 consecutive patients were included (100 study vs. 132 control). The prevalence of dental emergencies (abscess) and relative complications (mediastinitis, exitus) increased. Dental care availability was limited, with strong heterogeneity amongst regions/nations. At-risk (aerosol-generating) procedures were generally avoided, and hospitalization length reduced. Comorbidity patients and males seem less likely to restore regular dentist attendance during the post-lockdown pandemic. Despite the poor scientific evidence, COVID-19 seems to have impacted dental emergencies through limited routine dental care availability and influence on physicians' and patients' behaviour.


Caragana korshinskii, an important vegetation restoration species with economic and ecological benefits in the arid region of northwest China, is characterized by significant drought tolerance. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs confer this trait in C. korshinskii are unclear. Here, we investigate the effect of CkmiR2119 on drought tolerance and identified its target gene, CkBI-1. A negative correlation of CkmiR2119 and CkBI-1 in both stems and leaves in a drought gradient treatment followed by target gene validation suggest that CkmiR2119 might negatively regulate CkBI-1. Consistently, a decrease in the expression of the CkBI-1 gene was observed after both transient transformation and stable transformation of CkamiR2119 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Moreover, the physiological analysis of CkamiR2119 and CkBI-1 transgenic plants further indicate that CkmiR2119 can enhance the drought tolerance of C. korshinskii in two aspects: (i) downregulating CkBI-1 expression to accelerate vessel maturation in stems; (ii) contributing to a higher level of CkBI-1 in mesophyll cells to inhibit programmed cell death (PCD). This work reveals that CkmiR2119 can increase plants' drought tolerance by downregulating the expression of CkBI-1, providing a theoretical basis to improve plants' ability to withstand stress tolerance by manipulating miRNAs.


The current standard-of-care treatment regimens for cancer frequently have serious and irreversible adverse effects. Ideally, therapeutic modalities should help control symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life while causing minimal or no toxic effects. In this regard, it is worth examining cannabidiol (CBD) for its potential anticancer properties. CBD may possess antitumor activity through several mechanisms, including regulating reactive oxygen species, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, and immune modulation. In addition, pre-clinical studies indicate that CBD is a potential modulator of growth factors and induces apoptosis in tumor cells. This review summarizes the evidence regarding the effects of CBD as a non-toxic adjuvant in cancer care


Climate change is now recognised as being a serious threat to the current structures of
advanced human societies, however, technological innovations can help remove CO2 from
the atmosphere and one such innovation which shows promise is carbon capture and storage
(CCS). Metallurgical slag products have been shown to readily carbonate thereby creating an
uncharacterised carbon sink. This sink could help the UK attain its net CO2 targets and
reducing the net amount of carbon emitted by the industrial blast and basic-oxygen furnaces.
This thesis argues that metallurgical slag products provide an economic way of sequestering
significant amounts of CO2 and provides data to show that approximately 6,434 to 10,127
tonnes of CO2 was being passively sequestered at the Lafarge-Tarmac Redcar site by the
volume of slag products located there in 2015. This thesis also reports results of experimental
studies that aim to actively react metallurgical slag with CO2 under pressure conditions of 10
bar or 100 bar CO2 pressure, temperatures of 25 ˚C or 125 ˚C as well as under differing water
availabilities. Further experiments investigated the effect upon the material carbonation due
to the pre-treatment of samples with 1M HCl or 1M NaOH. A field trial investigating the
potential to carbonate metallurgical slag samples under environmental pressures and
temperatures using a gas line delivering 2 dm3 min-1 CO2 was also undertaken. This thesis also
shows the economics of combining the net-CO2 uptake with different energy sources used to
power and recommends that further reduction in net-CO2 emissions can be achieved by
switching to 'green' energy sources. Comparing the %-metal-cation content of each material,
conversion of 0.55% to 1.76% was achieved by steel slags and 0.3% to 4.89% for blast furnace
slags. Further work needs to focus on the mineralogy of the samples and the carbonate
mineral growth processes in order to create the optimum conditions needed to realise further
untapped carbonation potential.


— This study was conducted to generate empirical evidence on validity and reliability of the item of Competency Assessment Implementation (CAI) Instrument using Rasch Model for polythomous data aided by Winstep software version 3.68. The construct validity was examined by analyzing the point-measure correlation index (PTMEA), infit and outfit MNSQ values; meanwhile the reliability was examined by analyzing item reliability index. A survey technique was used as the major method with the CAI instrument on 156 teachers from vocational schools. The results have shown that the reliability of CAI Instrument items were between 0.80 and 0.98. PTMEA Correlation is in positive values, in which the item is able to distinguish between the ability of the respondent. Statistical data obtained show that out of 154 items, 12 items from the instrument suggested to be omitted. This study is hoped could bring a new direction to the process of data analysis in educational research.


Bengkulu city has potential in marine and fisheries sector which has not been managed with maximum.  The purpose of this research is to see how the prospects for the development of fishery business in Bengkulu city taking into account the revenue and feasibility of capture fisheries of small fishing boats and paying trawlers boats.  This research conducted in Pulau Baai and Pasar Baru.  Respondents were selected using census method as many as 24 small fishing boats and 10 payang trawlers boats.  Methods analysis using business analytics and business efficiency.  This results showed that the fishery business in Bengkulu city has an efficient and feasible to be developed with R/C ratio 2,37 and B/C ratio 1,37 for small fishing boats.  For paying trawlers boats obtained R/C ratio 1,52 and B/C ratio 0,52.


Purpose Adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis is a major cause of ocular morbidity and may lead to visual loss. Adenovirus types 8, 19, and 37 may cause epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. The main objective of this study was to determine the types of adenoviruses causing keratoconjunctivitis in Saudi Arabia. Methods We conducted a non-interventional observational clinical study. Seventy three eyes from 65 patients who presented to The Eye Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with clinical features of acute adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis were included. Each patient underwent complete clinical examination and features such as membranous reaction, conjunctival hemorrhage, subepithelial corneal infiltrates, and preauricular lymph node enlargement were recorded. Conjunctival swabs were obtained from patients with presumed acute viral conjunctivitis. Immunochromatography (IC) and restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RFLP) were performed on the conjunctival swabs obtained from each eye. Serotype identification was performed using direct sequencing technique. Results Forty-nine (67.1%) were adenovirus type 8, 8 (11.0%) were adenovirus type 3, 6 (8.2%) type 37, 5 (6.8%) were adenovirus type 4, and 2 (2.3%) type 19. The remaining 5 were types 14, 19, and 22. The prevalence of membranous conjunctivitis was highest (83%) among eyes with adenovirus type 37 while subepithelial corneal opacities were most commonly seen among eyes with adenovirus type 8 (47%). Immunochromatography tests were positive for adenovirus in 48 (65.7%) out of 73 eyes. Conclusions This study determined the types of adenoviruses causing keratoconjunctivitis at one center in Saudi Arabia. Direct sequencing techniques is an efficient, accurate, and rapid means of diagnosing adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis. The most common causes of adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis in Saudi Arabia were adenovirus types 8, 3, and 37. Membranous conjunctivitis and subepithelial opacities had the highest frequency of adenovirus types 37 and 8, respectively. Lymph nodes enlargement was least likely in adenovirus type 4.


The MilliNewton force sensor is sensitive to lateral forces, in the direction of the length of the beam. The degree of sensitivity of such sensors depends essentially on the size of the force centring ball and the length of the cantilever beam. On the other hand, the sensitivity to lateral forces which are perpendicular to the beam is very small.


Ambient light is starting to be commercially used to enhance the viewing experience for watching TV. We believe that ambient light can add value in meeting and control rooms that use large vertical interactive surfaces. Therefore, we equipped a large interactive whiteboard with a peripheral ambient light display and explored its utility for different scenarios by conducting two controlled experiments. In the first experiment, we investigated how ambient light can be used for peripheral notifications, and how perception is influenced by the user's position and the type of work they are engaged in. The second experiment investigated the utility of ambient light for off-screen visualization. We condense our findings into several design recommendations that we then applied to application scenarios to show the versatility and usefulness of ambient light for large surfaces.


Thermophilic and alkaliphilic lipases are meeting a growing global attention as their increased importance in several industrial fields. Over 23 bacterial strains, novel strain with high lipolytic activity was isolated from Southern Sinai, Egypt, and it was identified as Geobacillus thermoleovorans DA2 using 16S rRNA as well as morphological and biochemical features. The lipase was produced in presence of fatty restaurant wastes as an inducing substrate. The optimized conditions for lipase production were recorded to be temperature 60°C, pH 10, and incubation time for 48 hrs. Enzymatic production increased when the organism was grown in a medium containing galactose as carbon source and ammonium phosphate as nitrogen source at concentrations of 1 and 0.5% (w/v), respectively. Moreover, the optimum conditions for lipase production such as substrate concentration, inoculum size, and agitation rate were found to be 10% (w/v), 4% (v/v), and 120 rpm, respectively. The TA lipase with Triton X-100 had the best degreasing agent by lowering the total lipid content to 2.6% as compared to kerosene (7.5%) or the sole crude enzyme (8.9%). It can be concluded that the chemical leather process can be substituted with TA lipase for boosting the quality of leather and reducing the environmental hazards.


The paper describes the research developed in order to assemble shape memory alloys using welding technologies with the aim to reduce the heat affected zone. It is shown that ultrasonic welding can be solutions that could be considered for this purpose. Experiments on welding shape memory alloys have been performed on bulk and rapid solidified ribbons and the interface has been characterized using microstructural observations. The investigations show the difficulties in assembling microfabricated shape memory ribbons with conventional sonotrode/anvil solutions due to the limited thickness of the ribbons and the need to develop microstriations on the surface of the ultrasonic welding tools. It is however considered that ultrasonic welding can be a solution for joining shape memory alloys in similar or dissimilar architectures.


While numerous studies have documented the benefits of conservation agriculture (CA) in South Asia, most focus on favorable environments where farmers have reliable access to energy supporting irrigation and inputs. The performance of CA in South Asia's under-developed coastal environments is comparatively understudied. In these environments, farmers are increasingly interested in growing a second crop to meet food security and income generation objectives in rotation following the predominant monsoon season rice crop, though labor, energy costs, and investment constraints limit their ability to do so. We hypothesized that rotating rice (Oryza sativa) with maize (Zea mays) using conservation agriculture, or CA (i.e., strip-tilled maize followed by unpuddled transplanted rice), or seasonally alternating tillage (SAT, i.e., strip-tilled maize followed by fully-tilled, puddled rice with residues retained across rotations) would reduce costs and energy use, increase energy-use efficiency, and reduce yield-scaled CO2-eq emissions (YSE) and total global warming potential (GWP), compared to farmers' own practices (FP) and conventional full-tillage (CT) under the same rotation in Bangladesh's coastal region. Starting with winter maize followed by summer rice, we evaluated four tillage and crop establishment treatments in farmer-managed experiments in partially irrigated and rainfed environments over three years in 35 farmer's fields across Bangladesh's coastal districts. Treatments included FP, CT, complete CA, and SAT under a rice-maize rotation. Across years, the full suite of CA practices and SAT were significantly more energy-efficient and energy-productive than FP or CT. The order of YSE in rice was CA< CT or FP < SAT while in maize, it was CA or SAT < FP < CT. Across environments, CA and SAT resulted in 15-18% higher yield at the cropping systems level (maize and rice yields combined) and 26-40% less manual labor than CT or FP. CA and SAT also reduced by 1-12% and 33-35% total production costs respective to CT and FP. This was associated with 13-17% greater grain energy output in CA and SAT, and 2-18% lower YSE, compared to CT or FP. While our data suggest that both CA and SAT can result in a range of positive agronomic, economic, and environmental outcomes compared to FP or CT, post-trial surveys and discussions with farmers revealed a strong practical aversion to use of the full suite of CA practices and preference for adapted practices due to logistical constraints in negotiating the hire of laborers for unpuddled manual transplanting.


The recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) has proven to be an efficient and attractive tool for targeted genome engineering. Here we present a novel method employing the Golden Gate cloning strategy for fast and efficient construction of rAAV-based gene knockout or single-nucleotide knockin vectors. Two vectors, pGolden-Neo and pGolden-Hyg, were generated as common assembling modules to confer antibiotic resistance to the targeting vector. To validate the method, we then generated two rAAV-based targeting vectors: pAAV-pTP53-KO and pAAV-hTau(P301L)-KI. Furthermore, we generated a pGolden-AAV plasmid that allows one-step generation of an rAAV-based targeting vector. Our new methodology for rAAV targeting vector assembly is efficient, accurate, time-saving, and cost-effective.


The q-exponential form eqx≡[1+(1−q)x]1/(1−q)(e1x=ex) is obtained by optimizing the nonadditive entropy Sq≡k1−∑ipiqq−1 (with S1=SBG≡−k∑ipilnpi, where BG stands for Boltzmann–Gibbs) under simple constraints, and emerges in wide classes of natural, artificial and social complex systems. However, in experiments, observations and numerical calculations, it rarely appears in its pure mathematical form. It appears instead exhibiting crossovers to, or mixed with, other similar forms. We first discuss departures from q-exponentials within crossover statistics, or by linearly combining them, or by linearly combining the corresponding q-entropies. Then, we discuss departures originated by double-index nonadditive entropies containing Sq as particular case.


We conducted the first pilot study to investigate the use of the attenuation coefficient from an optical coherence tomography (OCT) backscattered signal as a measure of surface roughness changes in eroded dentine at an early stage of the erosion process. Ten human premolar root samples were subjected to citric acid treatment before scanning by OCT. The extracted relative attenuation coefficient (μR) from backscattered OCT signals was shown to increase with the duration of acid challenge. Validated against roughness measurements (rSa) from scanning electron microscopy scans, μR is significantly correlated with rSa indicative of severity of erosion (p<0.01, r=0.9195). We conclude that the OCT attenuation coefficient of the immediate subsurface in eroded dentine is a potential surrogate measure for its surface roughness. However, further work should be performed to study how it relates to the surface and immediate subsurface changes effected by other mechanical wear before it could unequivocally be used as a surrogate measurement for surface roughness.


Recent studies have shown that using social media is a new way of promoting user participation and understanding potential user needs for a service firm. However, user participation via social media might produce synergistic and interactive effects, including issues of social interaction with members and technical interaction with social media. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of user participation via social media on continuance intention and customer engagement behavior from a sociotechnical theory perspective. In total, 381 respondents were selected in the context of the social network brand community. The hypothesized associations were examined by using partial least squares-structured equation modeling. This study found that interaction with social members (social issues) mediates the association from social media (technical issues) to continuance intention. Additionally, continuance intention is positively associated with customer engagement behavior. These findings not only complement the theoretical arguments of sociotechnical theory but also enrich the understanding of the existing literature on relational marketing.


The influence of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase c, on the secretion of parathyroid hormone from collagenase-dispersed bovine parathyroid cells was tested. The cells were incubated at low (0.5 mM) or high (2.0 mM) concentrations of calcium in the medium, and the hormone secreted into the medium was measured by a radioimmunoassay that recognizes both intact and C-terminal fragments of hormone. At low calcium, the secretory rate averaged 32 +/- 3.8 ng.h-1.(10(5) cells)-1. The addition of 1.6 microM PMA did not affect secretion. At high calcium there was a significant suppression of secretion by 38% to 19.8 +/- 3 ng.h-1.(10(5) cells)-1. The addition of 1.6 microM PMA significantly stimulated hormone secretion to 35.8 +/- 8 ng.h-1.(10(5) cells)-1, a rate indistinguishable from low calcium. This stimulatory effect of PMA at high calcium was seen at PMA concentrations as low as 1.6 nM, did not occur with a biologically inactive 4 alpha-isomer of phorbol ester, and was independent of changes in cellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels. Examination of 32P-labeled phosphoproteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed acidic proteins of approximately 20,000 and 100,000 Da that were phosphorylated at low and high calcium + 1.6 microM PMA but not at high calcium alone. The protein kinase c activity associated with the membrane fraction of parathyroid cells significantly decreased 40% when the cells were incubated at high vs. low calcium. The data suggest that calcium may regulate parathyroid hormone secretion through changes in protein kinase c activity of the membrane fraction of the cell and protein phosphorylation.


With the aim of screening proteolytic strains of lactic acid bacteria to evaluate their potential for the reduction of allergenicity of the major bovine milk proteins, we isolated a new proteolytic strain of Enterococcus faecalis (Ent. faecalis VB63F) from raw bovine milk. The proteases produced by this strain had strong activity against caseins (αS1-, αS2-, and β-casein), in both skim milk and sodium caseinate. However, only partial hydrolysis of whey proteins was observed. Proteolysis of Na-caseinate and whey proteins, observed after sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, was confirmed by analysis of peptide profiles by reversed-phase HPLC. Inhibition of proteolysis with EDTA indicated that the proteases produced by Ent. faecalis VB63F belonged to the group of metalloproteases. The optimal conditions for their activity were 42°C and pH 6.5. The majority of assessed virulence genes were absent in Ent. faecalis VB63F. The obtained results suggest that Ent. faecalis VB63F could be efficient in reducing the immunoreactivity of bovine milk proteins.


Sporting a mix of blue, yellow, white, green and black, the unmistakable Blue Tit reflects the colours of a planet affected by a burgeoning human population. Fortunately, Blue Tits are adapting well to modern humanity, taking advantage of our propensity to feed birds in our gardens and provide boxes for them to nest in. In turn, this feisty little species provides an excellent model for biological research. This book is the result of a personal quest by author Martyn Stenning to bring together a range of discoveries into one accessible volume.

The Blue Tit begins by inviting readers into the intimate lives of these birds as they attempt to reproduce, describing the many challenges they face when rearing their offspring. The story moves on to the fluid state of Blue Tit classification across the native Palearctic range, before progressing into population structure, lifetime ecology and an exploration of factors that determine breeding success. It culminates with an in-depth look at research over the years, followed by a selection of personal anecdotes and an overview of Blue Tit appearances in folklore and poetry.

This book provides a definitive record of the biology and ecology of one of our most popular, intelligent and charismatic birds.


Predictive geochemical modelling has been carried out for the Turquoise Ridge and Valmy pits, Getchell gold mine, Nevada (USA) as part of an updated evaluation of waste rock management. The purpose of the modelling exercise was to predict the concentrations of solutes that may emanate from the waste rock backfilled pits and to assess the impact of any seepage from the pits on underlying groundwater chemistry. The results of the geochemical modelling will be used to assess the level of cover required for the backfilled pits in order to ensure that no degradation of groundwater occurs. The assessment of geochemical reactivity was undertaken using laboratory column leaching utilizing alternating wet and dry cycles to simulate accelerated weathering in humidity cell tests (HCTs). The chemistry of the leaching solutions was used to develop source term solutions that were scaled from laboratory to field conditions and used as inputs for the geochemical models. Geochemical modelling was carried out using the USGS-developed software PHREEQC. Seepage water quality predictions were made based on the mass load mixing of waters contacting different lithologies in each of the backfilled pits. Water quality predictions were then made for a number of seepage scenarios, including 1%, 5%, 10%, 50% and 100% of mean annual precipitation that will infiltrate the backfill and report as seepage to groundwater. The results of the modelling exercise demonstrate that the impact of the pits on the underlying groundwater is largely dependent on the amount of seepage through the backfill. In general, significant changes in groundwater chemistry were noted when there was greater than 10% seepage from both the Turquoise Ridge and Valmy pits. Under the 100% seepage scenario, groundwater is likely to be characterised by elevated concentrations of arsenic, selenium, sulphate and manganese. However, the impact to groundwater will be negligible if less than 10% seepage occurs. This can be attained through placement of a thick alluvium cover on the backfill material and re-contouring of the area to natural topography.


There are an increasing number of biological and bioengineering contexts in which cavitation is either utilized to create some desired effect or occurs as a byproduct of some other process. In this review an attempt will be made to describe a cross-section of these cavitation phenomena. In the byproduct category we describe some of the cavitation generated by head injuries and in artifical heart valves. In the utilization category we review the cavitation produced during lithotripsy and phacoemulsification. As an additional example we describe the nucleation suppression phenomena encountered in supersaturated oxygen solution injection. Virtually all of these cavitation and nucleation phenomena are critically dependent on the existence of nucleation sites. In most conventional engineering contexts, the prediction and control of nucleation sites is very uncertain even when dealing with a simple liquid like water. In complex biological fluids, there is a much greater dearth of information. Moreover, all these biological contexts seem to involve transient, unsteady cavitation. Consequently they involve the difficult issue of the statistical coincidence of nucleation sites and transient low pressures. The unsteady, transient nature of the phenomena means that one must be aware of the role of system dynamics in vivo and in vitro. For example, the artificial heart valve problem clearly demonstrates the importance of structural flexibility in determining cavitation occurrence and cavitation damage. Other system issues are very important in the design of in vitro system for the study of cavitation consequences. Another common feature of these phenomena is that often the cavitation occurs in the form of a cloud of bubbles and thus involves bubble interactions and bubble cloud phenomena. In this review we summarize these issues and some of the other characteristics of biological cavitation phenomena.


Milagrito, a detector sensitive to γ-rays at TeV energies, monitored the northern sky during the period February 1997 through May 1998. With a large field of view and high duty cycle, this instrument was used to perform a search for TeV counterparts to γ-rays bursts. Within the Milagrito field of view 54 γ-ray bursts at keV energies were observed by the Burst And Transient Satellite Experiment (BATSE) aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. This paper describes the results of a preliminary analysis to search for TeV emission correlated with BATSE detected bursts. Milagrito detected an excess of events coincident both spatially and temporally with GRB 970417a, with chance probability 2.8×10−5 within the BATSE error radius. No other significant correlations were detected. Since 54 bursts were examined the chance probability of observing an excess with this significance in any of these bursts is 1.5×10−3. The statistical aspects and physical implications of this result are discussed.


Received: 05.05.2017 Accepted: 12.08.2017 Quadrotors are utilized in several military and civil applications. To improve the performance characteristics, their weight is desired to be kept at minimum. However, the battery which constitutes one of the major components of a quadrotor weighs more if its range is extended. When a moving destination point is considered as well, the power requirement becomes larger. Thus, a proper motion planning comes into the picture as a necessity for the quadrotor to reduce the total operation time and hence to lower the power consumption. In this study, a novel guidance-based motion planning scheme is proposed regarding two different guidance laws towards a moving land platform. Moreover, an effective two-stage control system is designed in a way compatible with the suggested guidance laws. The success of the constructed guidance and control algorithm is demonstrated by means of suitable computer simulations. Eventually, it is concluded that the linear homing guidance law leads to more satisfactory results than the other guidance approach utilized in this study, i.e. body pursuit guidance law.


Research in the prenatal human experience has very clearly shown that whatever mother experiences all her life until conception and even more impact fully during conception and pregnancy passes down to the child she is pregnant with. Modern Biology has shown that environmental information and the perception that governs this environment gets encoded in the cell consciousness.
A simple thought or act can upset or stabilize the whole planet or... fetal existence. Subtle differences in the motivation of our choices may have the power to bring about radically different conditions in the process of events. A simple thought of fear can lead to a trauma, a disease, a holocaust while a simple thought of compassion can take humanity out of the platonic cave into the healing light of creation. Is there anything we can do? Can we learn from what we already know about prenatal dynamics and move on to design and implement salutogenic processes for the benefit of all involved?
The paper will attempt to show the most important findings about prenatal dynamics and fetal existence and how they are connected with our postnatal health and wellbeing from the times of Freud and especially his students who took psychoanalysis from the childhood to birth experience and then to pregnancy and conception and beyond.


From the Publisher:
IBM's vision of the future of computing and how its evolving technologies, product lines, and services fit into that future are the subject of this broad overview of the world's largest computer company. It provides full coverage of IBM's e-business strategy to leverage Internet technology and of its new emphasis on IBM Global Services, its fast-growing consulting business. Profiles of IBM's personal computer, RS/6000, AS/400, and S/390 families, developed through brief case studies, show how each fits in a contemporary business context. New terms are defined as they are introduced, and a companion Web site accessible only to buyers of this book provides the latest news and additional resources related to IBM technology and product lines.


Power Series Solution Method has been traditionally used to solve Ordinary and Partial Linear Differential Equations. However, despite their usefulness the application of this method has been limited to this particular kind of equations. In this work we use the method of power series to solve nonlinear partial differential equations. The method is applied to solve three versions of nonlinear time-dependent Burgers-Type differential equations in order to demonstrate its scope and applicability.


: Four cases of acute viral myocarditis were diagnosed within three weeks. The clinical features, electrocardiography, cardiac enzymes and other laboratory investigations are described.


These days it has become fashionable to talk about whether the incentive system for the governance of American corporations optimally encourages long-term investment, sustainable policies, and therefore creates the most long-term economic and social benefit for American workers and investors. Many have come to the conclusion that the answer to that question is no. As these commentators note, the investment horizon of the ultimate source of most equity capital — human beings who must give their money to institutional investors to save for retirement and college for their kids — is long. That horizon is much more aligned with what it takes to run a real business than that of the direct stockholders, who are money managers and are under strong pressure to deliver immediate returns at all times. Americans want corporations that are focused on sustainable wealth and job creation. But, there is too little talk accompanied by a specific policy agenda to address that incentive system. This paper proposes a genuine, realistic agenda that would better promote a sustainable, long-term commitment to economic growth in the United States. This agenda should not divide Americans along party lines. Indeed, most of the elements have substantial bipartisan support. Nor does this agenda involve freeing corporate managers from accountability to investors for delivering profitable returns. Rather, it makes all those who represent human investors more accountable, but for delivering on what most counts for ordinary investors, which is the creation of durable wealth by socially responsible means. The fundamental elements of this strategy to promote long-term American competitiveness include: (i) tax policy that discourages counterproductive behavior and encourages investment and work; (ii) investment policies to revitalize our infrastructure, address climate change, create jobs, and close our deficit; (iii) reforming the incentives of and enhancing the fiduciary accountability of institutional investors; (iv) reducing the focus on quarterly earnings estimates and improving the quality of information provided to investors; and (v) an American commitment to an international level playing field to reduce incentives to offshore jobs, erode the social safety net, and pollute the planet.


This note further investigates the locally and globally adaptive synchronization of an uncertain complex dynamical network. Several network synchronization criteria are deduced. Especially, our hypotheses and designed adaptive controllers for network synchronization are rather simple in form. It is very useful for future practical engineering design. Moreover, numerical simulations are also given to show the effectiveness of our synchronization approaches.


The aim of this article is to develop a better understanding of the educational pathways experienced by Haitian youth in Montreal when it comes to their post-secondary studies. The qualitative analysis of their life stories within the educational and learning pathways framework (Doray, 2011) reveals an assortment of pathways. Many are characterized by various sources of constraint (financial, institutional, social) and negative experiences with guidance counsellors during the transition to post-secondary studies. Perceiveddiscrimination and racism also emerge as significant themes in the students' discourses. In conclusion, future research and intervention strategies are suggested.


Sudan is the worldwide country in Africa with a diverse flora. Most of the Sudanese people, rural areas, rely on traditional medicine for the treatment of many infection diseases. It has been determined that various natural substances are effective to act as antibacterial agents. Secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids have been seen to have antimicrobial activities. Punica granatum L., (pomegranate) belongs to the family punicaceae which include only one genus and two species. The pomegranate is one of the oldest known edible fruits. It is history dates to very ancient times. This fruit tree is one of the species mentioned in the Bible and Quran and it's often associated to fertility. It is native to Iran and northeast turkey and has been cultivated through the Middle East, Southern Asia and Mediterranean region for several millennia. It is known that plants synthesize a vast range of organic compounds that are traditionally classified as primary and secondary metabolites. Primary metabolites are the compounds that have vital roles linked to photosynthesis, respiration, and growth and development. Although ignored for long, their function in plants is now attracting attention as some appear to have a key role in protecting plants from herbivores and microbial infection, as attractants for pollinators and seed-dispersing animals, as allopathic agents, UV protectants and signal molecules in the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules in legumes. Alkaloids are the substances which are produced by microbes such as bacteria, fungi and also by plants and animals. They are well known for their pharmacological effects and therefore are used as medicines as recreational drugs. Saponins are bioactive compounds produced mainly by plants, but also by some marine organisms and insects. Chemically, they generally occur as glycosides of steroids or poly cyclic tri terpenes. Saponins have various benefits as they can be used as anti- tumor, anti-insect, anti-inflammatory effects. Tannins, mostly used in Asia, have natural healing aspects. They are mostly used as astringents for treating diarrhoea. The present study was designed to characterize the phytochemical and antibacterial activity of punica granatum peel extracts (Aqueous-Ethanol and Acetone) against standard bacteria strains Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa using disc diffusion method. However, the objectives of this research involved are investigation of phytochemical characteristics of Punica granatum peel extracts, preparation of aqueous, acetone extracts and study of antimicrobial activity of the peel extracts against some gram positive and gram negative microbes. Glycosides are the compounds which may be a terpene, a flavonoid, a coumarineor or any other natural agent. Coumarins are the natural products which act as antioxidants enzyme inhibitors and precursors of toxic substances. They also work as plant growth regulators, control respiration, photosynthesis as well as act as anti-infection agents. They possess the properties of being anti-cancer, anti-HIV and antioxidants. There were three kinds of standard bacteria species used in this experiment. Staphylococcus aureus are gram positive bacteria with diameters of 0.5 -1.5 micrometres and characterized by individual cocci which divided in more than one plane to form grape-like clusters to date there are 32 species and eight subspecies in the genus staphylococcus. Pseudomonas is a bacteria which is omni present. It can be easily found in soil, water and in moist environment. Most of the species are resistant to many of the antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also known as a plant pathogen. Escherichia coli are generally good and present in human body. However, as a pathogenic agent it can also cause diarrhoea and cause infection in animals and humans. The material for the research, specifically the sample of Punica granatum peels which was semi dried was collected from the local market of Khartoum. The methodology involved various steps – Phytochemical screening which concluded test for alkaloids, identification of Tannins, test for Saponins, test for cumarins, test for glycoside, followed by checking biological activity which involved preparation of crude ethanol, acetone, aqueous fractions for biological study. The process was continued by preparation of the test organisms which concluded the preparation of bacterial suspensions, testing of antibacterial susceptibility by disc diffusion method. The results of phytochemical screening show that all extracts contain alkaloids, tannins, saponins and glycosides whereas coumarins are absent. Therefore, for all the present day medical complications these metabolites can act as an alternative source. The result of antimicrobial activity potency indicates that all extracts exhibit moderate activity against Standard bacterial strains. The good antibacterial potential of Punica granatum peels with the aqueous extract can be concluded. The research can be further continued. The future aspects of this research involve that the bioactive constituents of target species may be isolated and identified and then evaluated for antimicrobial activity. The crude extracts could be evaluated for other biological activities like anticancer- anti malarial can be accessed.


The study was conducted to empirically investigate determinants of market  orientation among cassava producers in Abia State, Nigeria. Structured  questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents. A multi-stage  randomized sampling procedure was used to select 96 respondents for the study. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and ordinary least square (OLS) multiple regression model. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that majority of the respondents were married with mean household of 6 persons. Dominance of male (54%) as against 45% female, suggests that cassava production is gender sensitive and requires innate physical exertion of carefully selected force, they are also educated. The result of the  study further indicated that out of the 10 variables fitted in the model, eight (8) were significant. The significant variables included age, level of education, household size, farming experience,  income, cooperative membership, market information and available market as major determinants of market orientation among cassava household producers. The Ordinary Least Square parameter estimates of the Exponential functional form of the multiple regression model as the lead equation shows that the coefficient of multiple determination (R2) was 0.9961, was high significant at 1% probability level, indicating that 99.6% of the variation in cassava market orientation among  producers were significantly explained by the variables investigated in the study. F-ratio value of 1785.82 is statistically significant at 1%. This implies goodness of fit in the model. The study indicates that market   orientation among cassava  producers was beneficial to the respondents as it enhanced their income. Hence, more income could be obtained if processing machines are provided at a reduced cost to farmers as well as farm inputs like hiring of farm machinery, provision of  fertilizers and chemicals to farmers at a subsidized rate. Keywords : Market Orientation, Cassava producers and Abia State


Comparisons of model simulations with data on the state of the ocean in the past are frequently used to study climate processes under different boundary conditions and to understand climate and ocean change in Earth history. Such approaches can be used to benchmark climate models and model ensembles (Hargreaves et al. 2011). They hold considerable promise in demonstrating the ability of climate models to simulate the response to changes in forcing factors (Braconnot et al. 2012) and to help constrain critical parameters, such as climate sensitivity (Schmittner et al. 2011). The Phase 3 of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparision Project (http:// pmip3.lsce.ipsl.fr), which is the paleo-component of the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (http:// cmip-pcmdi.llnl.gov/cmip5), is currently being completed with a number of new model run results. For the first time, the paleoclimate simulations use the same model setups as those used for projecting future climate. One of the goals of PMIP3 is to examine climate predictability and to determine why similarly forced climate models produce a range of climate responses. To this end, the PMIP3 model runs have to be confronted with paleodata for the time intervals that have been modeled. Among these are the last glacial maximum (LGM), but also the last interglacial, the early Holocene, and the last deglaciation. For this comparison, marine sedimentary data will play a crucial role, because of their precise and consistent dating, and the fact that they record regionally representative patterns in key modeled variables, which can be reconstructed quantitatively (e.g. Lynch-Stieglitz et al. 2007; MARGO 2009). Considering the wealth of existing proxy data on the state of the past oceans and the imminent release of the new PMIP3 paleoclimate simulations, the scientific community became convinced that the upcoming data-model comparisons would benefit from the joint expertise of modelers and paleoceanographers. Joint initiatives potentially include working towards innovative statistical methods, quantifying uncertainty, and making the most of proxies for parameters besides sea surface temperature. With this in mind, the COMPARE 2012 meeting was conceived as a joint initiative of PMIP3, PAGES and MARUM. Over 40 scientists from nine countries assembled in Bremen to work towards establishing the union between paleo-ocean data and model simulations. The first half of the workshop was dedicated to presenting the latest model results of the status of paleo-ocean data and emerging new approaches for combining the two, including inverse methods (Fig. 1) and forward modeling of proxies. The workshop culminated in splinter meetings of three task groups that brainstormed the main issues that arose from the initial discussions: how to best deal with data uncertainty, how to quantify model data misfit and model error, and what the potential benefits and challenges are to working with non-traditional variables, time slices and transients. A number of individual projects, including an ocean data synthesis for the 6 ka time slice, were set up. Besides this, the workshop delivered important takehome messages: A thorough consideration of uncertainty is essential for a meaningful data-model comparison; a dialogue between data and modeling communities is important in finding most useful ways of evaluating model results; multi-proxy information adds complexity to data but helps reveal uncertainties that would otherwise have gone unnoticed; and future datamodel comparisons need to be quantitative and "intelligent" (diagnostic, process-oriented). The complexity of handling multiple sources of uncertainty in proxy data (proxy attribution, age model) calls for the development of a data portal or interface allowing an interactive access to large datasets, their on-line handling and visualization.


Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain has been used to investigate a wide range of neurological disorders, but data acquisition can be expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient. Multi-site studies present a valuable opportunity to advance research by pooling data in order to increase sensitivity and statistical power. However images derived from MRI are susceptible to both obvious and non-obvious differences between sites which can introduce bias and subject variance, and so reduce statistical power. To rectify these differences, we propose a data driven approach using a deep learning architecture known as generative adversarial networks (GANs). GANs learn to estimate two distributions, and can then be used to transform examples from one distribution into the other distribution. Here we transform T1-weighted brain images collected from two different sites into MR images from the same site. We evaluate whether our model can reduce site-specific differences without loss of information related to gender (male, female) or clinical diagnosis (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, healthy). When trained appropriately, our model is able to normalise imaging sets to a common scanner set with less information loss compared to current approaches. An important advantage is our method can be treated as a black box that does not require any knowledge of the sources of bias but only needs at least two distinct imaging sets.


Background. Occupational support workers in the mental healthcare sector are exposed to considerable occupational stress and have little access to stress management facilities. Aims. This article describes the process behind creating a web-based stress management intervention (SMI) for occupational support workers in the mental healthcare sector. Method. Mixed methods were used to inform the content of the web-based SMI, following MRC strategy for designing interventions and PRIMA-EF guidelines for best practice in SMI design. We conducted a literature review to ascertain the content of interventions that had been shown to be successful in reducing stress in mental healthcare populations. In addition, we conducted focus groups in order to assess specific stressors that individuals in the occupational support sector deemed to be important. Results. The literature review showed that a variety of methods had been successful for reducing occupational stress in the mental healthcare sector including: Relaxation and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques, and skills training in; time management, problem-solving and communication. Individuals in the focus groups identified both personal and organisational stressors to be addressed in the intervention. Conclusions. This intervention was developed with reference to a design strategy, using input from the target population.


Abstract. Saharjo BH, Hadiwijoyo E. 2019. Short Communication: Land cover changes from 2005 to 2015 in Mantangai area of Dayak Ngaju, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 2596-2602. Forest and land fires in Indonesia are well recognized, directly or indirectly, as the main contributors to deforestation and greenhouse gas emission related to the global climate change. Usually, local peoples are blamed for those fires especially when negative impact occurred. Fortunately, not all of the local peoples do the same thing as it is shown by Dayak Ngaju in Block A of ex-Mega Rice Project (Ex-MRP) Project area located in Mantangai sub-district Kapuas district, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, where this research was conducted. The objective of this study was to know land the cover changes related to the use of fire for land preparation, and how the Dayak Ngaju people implement their knowledge and experience in the field. This objective was achieved by analyzing satellite images of Landsat 7 and 8 for a period of time starting from 2005 to 2015. Results of the research showed that the local people started clearing the land with fire at the end of September (dry season) or early October (the rainy season) yearly, as it could be seen from the changes of the land cover from secondary swamp forest into swamp shrub and from secondary swamp forest into fields. Meanwhile, at the protected area where peat was dominant, land cover change occurred due to land rights conflicts, and not to the use of fire for land preparation using fire by Dayak Ngaju communities, because they found that the results were not good and the planted rice would die three months after planting..


Prepared for the Rosenfeld Library Secondary Research Consultation Meeting for FEMBA GAP Summer 2018 Team #31 - Saturday, 14 July 2018, 10:00 - 11:00 AM (Remote)


In Part 1 of this series it was observed that one of the eucalypti (EGC 39) was more reactive than the other two in kraft and soda-AQ (SAQ) cooking. However, the lignin in EGC 39 contained equal or less syringyl (S) units than the other two eucalypti. In the present research an attempt was made to compare the guaiacyl (G) fraction of the three lignins. The approach was to use SAQ treatment to cleave β-O-4 bonds in dimeric units containing uncondensed guaiacyl A-rings (those rearranging to quinone methides). The coniferyl alcohol, vinylguaiacol and isoeugenol generated from β-O-4 cleavage are then trapped as dimers by ethylguaiacol that is included in the SAQ liquor. Research with sugar maple (Acer saccharum) showed that the estimate of these structures (uncondensed G-β-O-4) by this approach was in close agreement with traditional but more tedious methods such as permanganate oxidation and 31P NMR. It was also shown that the lignin in the EGC 39 hybrid contained a higher concentration of uncondensed G-β-O-4 structures than the other two eucalypti lignins.


Congestion control limits the quantity of information input at a rate less important than that of the transmission one to ensure good performance as well as protect against overload and blocking of the network. Researchers have done a great deal of work on improving congestion control protocols, especially on high speed networks. In this paper, we will be studying the congestion control alongside low and high speed congestion control protocols. We will be also simulating, evaluating, and comparing eight of high speed congestion control protocols : Bic TCP, Cubic TCP, Hamilton TCP, HighSpeed TCP, Illinois TCP, Scalable TCP, Compound TCP and YeAH TCP, with multiple flows.


A method of calculating dispersion curves for guided waves in slight, azimuthally anisotropic formations is developed with perturbation theory. The fluid is assumed to be inviscid, the formation perfectly elastic and homogeneous, and the ·borehole wall cylindrical. The first step is calculating the elastic moduli for a transversely isotropic formation whose moduli are close to those for the azimuthally anisotropic formation. The perturbative method then uses the particle displacements for a guided wave in the transversely isotropic formation and the difference between the elastic moduli in the two formations to determine a first order correction to the wavenumber. These corrections are used to calculate the perturbation in the phase velocity. To test the method, the elastic moduli of an isotropic formation were pe~turbed to make it transversely isotropic. The exact dispersion curves and those estimated by the perturbative method are very close. The perturbative method was used to calculate dispersion curves for guided waves in two different geologic settings a formation with aligned, vertical cracks and another with a tilted bed. In both examples the dispersion curves for the guided waves appear similar to typical dispersion curves for either isotropic or transversely isotropic formations. At low frequencies, the phase velocities of the tube waves closely match the velocities predicted by Rice's formula.


Direct Current (DC) line balanced SpaceWire is attractive for a number of reasons. Firstly, a DC line balanced interface provides the ability to isolate the physical layer with either a transformer or capacitor to achieve higher common mode voltage rejection and/or the complete galvanic isolation in the case of a transformer. Secondly, it provides the possibility to reduce the number of conductors and transceivers in the classical SpaceWire interface by half by eliminating the Strobe line. Depending on the modulator scheme - the clock data recovery frequency requirements may be only twice that of the transmit clock, or even match the transmit clock: depending on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) decoder design. In this paper, several different implementation scenarios will be discussed. Two of these scenarios are backward compatible with the existing SpaceWire hardware standards except for changes at the character level. Three other scenarios, while decreasing by half the standard SpaceWire hardware components, will require changes at both the character and signal levels and work with fixed rates. Other scenarios with variable data rates will require an additional SpaceWire interface handshake initialization sequence.


Summary

1
The assessment of the environmental hazards posed by chemical pollutants typically results from single-species tests that are extrapolated to ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to compare this type of extrapolation for a herbicide with the chronic effects that may be observed at a community level and to evaluate currently applied risk assessment strategies for their ability to predict chemical effects on complex communities.

2
Freshwater periphyton communities, grown in indoor aquaria, were exposed to the pollutant diuron for 3 months. Acute toxic effects of diuron were detected as photosynthesis inhibition using quenching analysis of chla-fluorescence. Chronic effects of the herbicide were observed in terms of changes in biomass and algal class composition as well as pollution-induced community tolerance (PICT). The PICT concept is based on a chemical exerting selection pressure on a community and therefore eliminating sensitive species. As a result, the measured community tolerance increases.

3
Short-term effects of diuron arise from 4–9 µg L−1 as half-maximal effect concentration (EC50). It is further shown that diuron concentrations down to 0·08 µg L−1 caused chronic effects in two independent microcosm studies. The observed threshold concentration of 0·08 µg L−1 still caused changes in biomass and class composition as well as an increased community tolerance. The determined EC50 values increased by a factor of 2–3 in diuron-exposed periphyton communities. This threshold value could not be predicted by advanced extrapolation methods such as species sensitivity distribution or acute-to-chronic effect ratios.

4
 Synthesis and applications. The chronic community-level effects of the pollutant diuron were not predictable from single-species tests. However, regulations such as the EC Water Framework Directive or the EC-REACH process (Registrations, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) rely on this type of information. The management of chemicals in the environment should be based upon higher-tier assessment tools. Species interaction, detectable and quantifiable by the PICT methodology, may serve as a prognostic tool in chemical hazard assessment when extrapolating effects from single-species tests to community level.


From 1989 to May 1999 selective proximal vagotomy (SPV) was performed in 400 patients with duodenal ulcer, 190 (47.5%) of them had pyloric stenosis. Various drainage operations were performed in 180 patients with stenosis, in 10 patients compensated pyloric stenosis was eliminated by excision of the scars around the ulcer. Out of 210 patients without pyloric stenosis drainage operations were performed in 23 (11.0%) patients with large penetrating duodenal ulcers, which at healing could cause stenosis. The best results were received after SPV in combination with drainage operations, which save the pyloric mechanism of gastric evacuation--transverse duodenojejunostomy (5) and duodenoplasty (15); the results after them do not differ from results after SPV without drainage operations.


Electronic Government (e-Government) systems constantly provide greater services to people, businesses, organisations, and societies by offering more information, opportunities, and platforms with the support of advances in information and communications technologies. This usually results in increased system complexity and sensitivity, necessitating stricter security and privacy-protection measures. The majority of the existing e-Government systems are centralised, making them vulnerable to privacy and security threats, in addition to suffering from a single point of failure. This study proposes a decentralised e-Government framework with integrated threat detection features to address the aforementioned challenges. In particular, the privacy and security of the proposed e-Government system are realised by the encryption, validation, and immutable mechanisms provided by Blockchain. The insider and external threats associated with blockchain transactions are minimised by the employment of an artificial immune system, which effectively protects the integrity of the Blockchain. The proposed e-Government system was validated and evaluated by using the framework of Ethereum Visualisations of Interactive, Blockchain, Extended Simulations (i.e. eVIBES simulator) with two publicly available datasets. The experimental results show the efficacy of the proposed framework in that it can mitigate insider and external threats in e-Government systems whilst simultaneously preserving the privacy of information.


Augmentation therapy with a plasma derived α1-Proteinase Inhibitor (α1-PI) has been demonstrated to be effective in restoring serum Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT)* levels in individuals with AAT Deficiency (note: α1 PI and AAT are synonymous). The objective of this study was to demonstrate that the steady-state trough serum α1-PI levels, achieved by a new plasma derived α1-PI (Zemaira, study drug, ZLB Behring LLC, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA), were bioequivalent to those achieved by the currently available α1-PI therapy, Prolastin (control drug, Bayer Corporation, Berkeley, California, USA), and maintained weekly trough serum antigenic α1-PI levels above the protective threshold of 11 μ M. This multi-center, controlled study randomized a total of 44 subjects to receive either study or control drug for a 10-week double-blind phase. The control group was then crossed over to receive the study drug for the remainder of the study (14 weeks). The difference in mean trough serum antigenic α1-PI level between the treatment groups was 1.45 μ M (90% CI-2.77, −0.13), signifying bioequivalence. The mean trough serum antigenic α1-PI level in the study drug group was greater than the therapeutic threshold of 11 μ M, achieving a level of 17.7 μ M during the steady-state period. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were seen in 7% and 21% of study and control drug treated subjects, respectively. No documented viral transmission occurred. These results demonstrate that the new plasma derived α1-PI (Zemaira) is bioequivalent to the currently available product Prolastin, is well tolerated, and safe with respect to the risk of viral transmission.


By the emergence of modern immunotherapies with active agents like PD-1 (nivolumab, pembrolizumab) and PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockers (atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab), new therapeutic options have become available for the treatment of patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma. According to the recent publications, they have been effective in case of progression after platinum therapy, in or after second-line and in firstline therapies for cisplatin ineligible patients, respectively. Patient survival and tumor response data are very promising; in particular stages, they seem to be more effective than the previously administered chemotherapies. Their toxicity profiles also appear to be more favorable. Immunological side effects are rare; their identification and management require preparedness and multidisciplinary thinking. Current and ongoing trials are investigating the combinations of new remedies with other immunotherapeutic agents (e.g., CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab, tremelimumab) or chemotherapies as well as trying to identify biomarkers in order to further increase effectiveness. In our review, we summarize the recently published data about urothelial carcinoma therapy and give a brief overview of the ongoing clinical trials.