The Clinical Strategies Implementation scale (CSI) was originally designed to be used by external reviewers in order to measure the extent to which evidence-based strategies had been implemented in the treatment of persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders according to Resource-group Assertive Community Treatment (RACT). The present investigation had two aims: 1) to conduct a revision of CSI and to examine the revised instrument (CSI-R) in terms of interrater reliability (Study I); 2) to compare assessments of CSI-R made by experienced assessors with assessments made by students in case management (Study II) in order to determine whether the instrument has validity even when more inexperienced persons are using it. In Study I six raters, who took part in 12 to 15 cases from three outpatient community mental health teams, participated. Results indicated that internal consistency of the CSI-R was strong (alpha = 0.89) as well as correlations between individual raters' (r between 0.80-0.98). In Study II 91 newly trained RACT praxis trainees participated. Each of them followed one case for eighteen months, i.e., the client which they had been assigned during training (n = 91). The five external auditors in the education program then independently assessed the 91 cases with the CSI-R. Results showed significant correlations between experts and trainees (rho = 0.68, p


The thermoelectric, magnetic and transport measurements have been made on bulk perovskite manganites popularly known as CMR materials with a view to understanding the phase changes in these materials with different types of structural and compositional changes. The materials studied include; La1-xCaxMnO3+I´ (0.15≤ x≤ 0.50) La1-xCaxMnO1-y FeyO3, La0.49X0.01Ca0.50MnO3+I´ and Sm0.50Sr0.50MnO3 {undoped and (Sm,Nd)0.05Sr0.05MnO3 and Sm0.05 (Sr,Ca) 0.05MnO3}.

The thermopower for Lal-xCaxMnO3 (0.15≤ x≤ 0.50) has shown a strong temperature dependence and is found to be positive or negative depending on the doping level and temperature. In high temperature paramagnetic region TEP data for all the compositions indicate that transport mechanism is dominated by hopping of small polarons while in low temperature ferromagnetic regime the main contribution in thermopower is through the magnon drag. Further our results show that electronic changes accompanying the transformations due to thermal cycling in some metastable composition (La0.50Ca0.50MnO3+I´) are extended well into the region above the charge ordering temperature. This suggests that the micro-structural changes accompanying the thermal cycling leave their imprint in the paramagnetic insulating state as well.

The effect of a magnetic dopant such as Fe that tends to create short-range clusters and break the ferromagnetic ordering of the host system has been investigated in detail. For purely ferromagnetic parent system (La0.65Ca0.35MnO3), the ferromagnetic and metallic transition temperatures are lowered and the thermoelectric power (TEP) shows an increasingly positive trend with the addition of Fe. TEP data indicates the decrease in the density of active holes, i.e. holes that can participate in the hopping process, with increasing Fe content and suggests the role of magnetic scattering due to the clusters formed by the antiferromagnetically coupled Fe. For the parent composition lying just at AFM/FM boundary in the x-T phase diagram (i.e La0.85Ca0.15MnO3), the replacement of Mn ions with Fe results in a spin glass phase at lower temperature that tends to increase the magnetic scattering contribution to the TEP strongly.

The effect of disorder induced by smaller cations doping has been investigated In a system close to charge ordered insulator-ferromagnetic boundary (La0.50Ca0.50MnO3+I´). It is observed that close to the charge ordered insulator-ferromagnetic phase boundary, the effect of disorder is to weaken the charge ordering that is more sensitive to disorder, whereas it leaves the more robust Double Exchange unaffected. Thereby extending the region in phase space over which the ferromagnetic phase is stable.

Further effect of change of one electron bandwidth has been studied in systems such as (Sm0.50Sr0.50MnO3) that lie close to the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase boundary by doping with larger and smaller size cations. The ground state for Sm0.50Sr0.50MnO3 composition is a mixture of ferromagnetic and A-type antiferromagnetic phases. Substitution of larger size cation (Nd) in place of Sm raises the ferromagnetic transition temperature while at the same time stabilizing the AFM phase. This latter behaviour is explained in terms of decrease of size mismatch factor between cations. However substitution of smaller size cation (Ca) in place of Sr almost eliminates the ferromagnetic phase leaving the system in a charge ordered state, which is typically accompanied by the CE-type of orbital ordering exhibiting very large values of resistivity.


YUAN, S., et al.: Global Repolarization Sequence of the Ventricular Endocardium: Monophasic Action Potential Mapping in Swine and Humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the global sequence of repolarization over the ventricular endocardium. Disturbances in myocardial repolarization are associated with the genesis of arrhythmias. However, little is known about the global sequence of repolarization. Monophasic action potentials (MAPs) were recorded from 61 ± 18 LV and/or RV sites in ten healthy pigs and from 43 ± 15 LV or RV sites in eight patients using the CARTO system. Local activation time (AT), end‐of‐repolarization (EOR) time, and MAP duration were calculated and three‐dimensional global maps of AT, EOR, and MAP duration constructed. LV maps were obtained from all ten pigs and RV maps from three pigs. Five RV maps and five LV maps were obtained from the eight patients. (1) EOR sequence was recognizable in 12 of 13 pig maps and in all the patient maps. (2) EOR followed the sequence of activation in 12 of 13 pig maps and 8 of 10 patient maps. (3) The longest MAPs were recorded in or near the earliest activation area, and the shortest ones in or near the latest activation area in all the pig maps and in nine of ten and eight of ten patient maps, respectively. (4) In all maps, MAP duration and AT were negatively correlated, and EOR and AT positively correlated. In conclusion, repolarization gradients exist over the pig and the human ventricular endocardium. The activation sequence is a determinant for the repolarization sequence. The magnitude of the progressive MAP shortening with progressively later activation, relative to local AT, is a critical factor governing the direction and pattern of the EOR.


Southern Africa is now on the threshold of large‐scale discovery by the outside world. Despite its elaborate system of communications and its modern cities, Africa as a whole is still largely the Dark Continent. Here in Africa and, more particularly in Southern Africa, is to be found the last frontiers of undisturbed nature; and where the tide of civilisation has ventured into the fastness of this vast Continent paradox piles on paradox. Here is duplicated on smaller scale the skyscrapers of Manhattan; the English charm of secluded cities; the sophistication of European boulevards; the industrial versatility of Pennsylvania and Birmingham; the scrublands of Texas and the rolling pastures of Sussex; the flamboyance of Florida and the classic beauty of the Mediterranean. But it is the real Africa unchanged and unspoilt that makes the strongest call across the seas to restless, energetic America or sun‐starved Britain and the jaded millions of Western Europe.


We consider a phenotype-structured model of evolutionary dynamics in a population of cancer cells exposed to the action of a cytotoxic drug. The model consists of a nonlocal parabolic equation governing the evolution of the cell population density function. We develop a novel method for constructing exact solutions to the model equation, which allows for a systematic investigation of the way in which the size and the phenotypic composition of the cell population change in response to variations of the drug dose and other evolutionary parameters. Moreover, we address numerical optimal control for a calibrated version of the model based on biological data from the existing literature, in order to identify the drug delivery schedule that makes it possible to minimise either the population size at the end of the treatment or the average population size during the course of treatment. The results obtained challenge the notion that traditional high-dose therapy represents a "one-fits-all solution" in anticancer therapy by showing that the continuous administration of a relatively low dose of the cytotoxic drug performs more closely to i.e. the optimal dosing regimen to minimise the average size of the cancer cell population during the course of treatment.


Timing of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application can influence grass regrowth, so it is important to identify how tropical grasses respond to delays in applying fertilizer after defoliation. Our objective was to identify the effects of timing of N fertilizer application after harvest on the productive, morphogenic and structural characteristics of 3 tropical grasses: 'Xaraés' (Urochloa brizantha [Hochst. ex A. Rich.] Stapf cv. Xaraés), 'Marandu' (Urochloa brizantha [Hochst. ex A. Rich.] Stapf cv. Marandu) and 'Tanzânia' (Megathyrsus maximus [Jacq.] cv. Tanzânia). The experiments were performed in a greenhouse, in a completely randomized design, with 5 delays in applying N after harvesting (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days). Delaying fertilizer application did not affect the forage mass of Xaraés and Marandu palisade grass (7.4 and 7.8 g/pot, respectively). There was a linear decrease in number of leaves per tiller and leaf appearance rate, but tiller population density and phyllochron increased linearly as fertilizer application was delayed. Grass forage mass (12.2‒10.6 g/pot), number of leaves per tiller (3.1‒2.6 leaves/tiller) and forage accumulation rate (0.47 to 0.41 g DM/d) of Tanzânia guinea decreased linearly as N application was delayed, but tiller population density was unaffected (25 tillers/pot). Based on our results, N fertilizer should be applied to Tanzânia guinea grass pastures as soon as possible after harvest and certainly before 3 days, while there is not the same urgency with Xaraés and Marandu where fertilization could be delayed up to 12 days without significant detriment. These suggestions need to be tested in a field study before being recommended widely.


This survey-based paper aims at investigating driver attitude toward road safety issues at interurban roads. This research is placed within the overall framework of analyzing driver behavior toward road accidents at the interurban network of Greece. A series of important driver behavior characteristics are identified with the use of parametric statistical analysis methods (discriminant, cluster and factor analysis). The findings of this analysis suggest that young male drivers and high vehicle occupancy are factors associated with speed excess, whereas drivers with lower yearly mileage are more inclined to drinking and driving, independently of their age. Finally, despite the almost unanimous belief that enforcement could be an important contributor to road safety improvement, enforcement at the interurban road network is considered far from efficient.


An Intramuscular injection into a relaxed muscle is believed to result in less discomfort than an injection into a contracted muscle. When the femur is internally rotated, the gluteus maximus muscle is relaxed. The hypothesis that a dorsogluteal injection with the femur internally rotated will cause less discomfort than when the femur is externally rotated was tested in 44 surgical patients who received two injections of preoperative medication. Each patient received an injection of a narcotic medication and one of diazepam. All possible combinations of the factors—position (internal and external rotation), order of injection (first or second injection), and medication (narcotic or diazepam)—were determined, and patients were randomly assigned to one of these conditions. Patients rated their perceived discomfort after each injection on a five-point scale. The hypothesis was supported by discomfort ratings from injections of both types of medications, although diazepam injections caused significantly more discomfort than injections of narcotics. Older patients tended to report less discomfort from diazepam injections than younger patients. Sex, order of injection, and nurse administering the injection did not significantly influence discomfort ratings.


The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating effects of employee emotional exhaustion (EE) on workplace ostracism (WO) and job insecurity (JI) using the theory of resource conservation. In this research, structural equality modeling was conducted through 211 questionnaires, working in Hotels in Northern Cyprus. For data analysis used Microsoft Excel and Statistical Software Programs including SPSS and AMOS. The study results show that the gradual convergence of emotional exhaustion due to incapacity can lead to an increase in negative effects on job insecurity or ostracism in the workplace which gradually increases over time, impacting negatively on and ultimately increasing workplace ostracism. Although, the studies on exhaustion and insecurity in the workplace increase, "the individual perceives that they are ignored or excluded by others", furthermore, there has not been sufficient attention on the effects of emotional exhaustion workplace ostracism and group unemployment. Therefore, this study will lead to future studies.


Objective: To determine the possible risk factors for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among amphetamine users in Indonesia.  Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 152 male amphetamine users, aged 18-45 years, who were undergoing rehabilitation. Data were obtained from medical records, questionnaires, and clinical examinations. Data obtained from medical records included age, gender, duration of amphetamine use, duration of rehabilitation, and psychiatric status. Collected data were analyzed using the Chi-square and logistic regression tests to identify correlations between TMD and bruxism, oral habits, tooth wear, duration of amphetamine abused, and duration of rehabilitation. Results: TMD was found in 84.2% of amphetamine users, with clicking being the most frequently reported sign (72.4%). Tooth wear (72.4%), oral habits (60.5%), and bruxism (56.6%) were also frequently found. Statistically, a significant association was found between TMD and bruxism (p<0.001), tooth wear (p<0.001), and oral habits (p<0.001). However, there was no association observed between TMD and duration of amphetamine abused (p=0.526), and duration of rehabilitation (p=0.679). Odds ratios produced by logistic regression for tooth wear, oral habits, and bruxism were 6.657, 6.2, and 1.659, respectively.  Conclusion: Tooth wear, oral habits, and bruxism were identified as risk factors for TMD among amphetamine users in Indonesia.


We compare the angular momentum extracted by a wind from a pre-main-sequence star to the torques arising from the interaction between the star and its Keplerian accretion disk. We find that the wind alone can counteract the spin-up torque from mass accretion, solving the mystery of why accreting pre-main-sequence stars are observed to spin at less than 10% of breakup speed, provided that the mass outflow rate in the stellar winds is ~10% of the accretion rate. We suggest that such massive winds will be driven by some fraction ϵ of the accretion power. For observationally constrained typical parameters of classical T Tauri stars, ϵ needs to be between a few and a few tens of percent. In this scenario, efficient braking of the star will terminate simultaneously with accretion, as is usually assumed to explain the rotation velocities of stars in young clusters.


The first volume of 'Cosmos', his five-volume survey of the universe, appeared in 1845, though Humboldt had labored on the entire work for nearly half a century. He scrupulously sent sections of the work to other experts for suggestions and corrections. The last volume, put together from his notes after his death, appeared in 1861. The volumes were translated almost as rapidly as they appeared. This paperback edition reprints the Harper & Brothers edition, published in New York in 1858-59.


Consumption of polyphenols is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases, possibly via a variety of bio-mechanisms, including antioxidation and anti-inflammation. Purple sweet potato leaves (PSPL) commonly consumed in Asia possess polyphenols. In this study, we aim to investigate antioxidant effect of 200 g/d PSPL containing 902 mg polyphenols in a clinical trial. This randomized, crossover clinical study included 16 healthy adults (7 M, 9 F; aged 20-22 y). After a 1-wk run period, subjects were assigned randomly to receive either PSPL or low polyphenol diet (LPD) for 2 wks, followed by a 2-wk washout period before crossing over to the alternate diet. Fasting blood and 24-h urine samples were collected from each subject at day 0, 7 and 14 of each phase. Our data showed PSPL consumption enhanced urinary total phenol excretion by 24.5% at day 14 as compared to day 0, while the LPD decreased total phenol content in plasma and urine by 3.3 and 16.3%, respectively (p< or =0.05). Low-density lipoprotein lag time and glutathione concentration in erythrocytes at day 14 was significantly enhanced by 15.0 and 33.3% by PSPL as compared to day 0, respectively, while their values were not altered by the LPD. Urinary 8-hydoxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) excretion decreased significantly by PSPL consumptoin by 36.7% at day 7 as compared to day 0, yet unchanged by the LPD (p< or =0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that polyphenols in 200 g PSPL were bioavailable and could enhance antioxidant defense and decrease oxidative stress in young healthy people.


Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are essential components of the cellular signaling apparatus and are often mutated or otherwise deregulated in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These receptors are not solely expressed by cancer cells but also by multiple other cell types, including stromal cells that, in turn, may modulate cancer cell functions by various direct and indirect interactions. Recently, clinical studies have successfully evaluated the inhibition of RTKs by specific RTK-targeting agents, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Although the response was impressive in some studies, only a limited proportion of patients benefit from these new drugs. Therefore, an intensive search for markers has started to determine which patients and tumor types are most likely to respond favorably to this new kind of treatment. Considerable attention has been focused onto molecular changes in cancer cells such as receptor expression, gene amplification, changes in intracellular signaling and receptor mutations. In this article, we explore the current data regarding molecular alterations as surrogate markers of response to specific RTK-targeting agents in NSCLC. Defined alterations may serve as key markers helping to preselect NSCLC patients for an individualized therapeutic approach in the future. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


The N- and ring-hydroxylation of 2-acetamidofluorene were studied with a reconstituted cytochrome P-450 enzyme from microsomal fractions of liver from both control and 3-methylcholanthrene-pretreated rats. Proteinase treatment and Triton X-100 solubilization were two important steps for partial purification of the cytochrome P-450 fraction. Both cytochrome P-450 and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase fractions were required for optimum N- and ring-hydroxylation activity. Hydroxylation activity was determined by the source of cytochrome P-450 fraction; cytochrome P-450 fraction from pretreated animals was severalfold more active than the fraction from controls. Formation of N-hydroxylated metabolites with reconstituted systems from both control and pretreated animals was greater than that with their respective whole microsomal fractions.


Recent data indicate an important contribution of coagulation factor (F)XII to in vivo thrombus formation. Because fibrin structure plays a key role in clot stability and thrombosis, we hypothesized that FXII(a) interacts with fibrin(ogen) and thereby regulates clot structure and function. In plasma and purified system, we observed a dose-dependent increase in fibrin fiber density and decrease in turbidity, reflecting a denser structure, and a nonlinear increase in clot stiffness with FXIIa. In plasma, this increase was partly independent of thrombin generation, as shown in clots made in prothrombin-deficient plasma initiated with snake venom enzyme and in clots made from plasma deficient in FXII and prothrombin. Purified FXII and α-FXIIa, but not β-FXIIa, bound to purified fibrinogen and fibrin with nanomolar affinity. Immunostaining of human carotid artery thrombi showed that FXII colocalized with areas of dense fibrin deposition, providing evidence for the in vivo modulation of fibrin structure by FXIIa. These data demonstrate that FXIIa modulates fibrin clot structure independently of thrombin generation through direct binding of the N-terminus of FXIIa to fibrin(ogen). Modification of fibrin structure by FXIIa represents a novel physiologic role for the contact pathway that may contribute to the pathophysiology of thrombosis.


There is a very close relationship between tourism growth, government policy support, and environmental preservation obligations. In the context of strategic management, this research focuses on government policy, and tourism resource such as environmental, socioeconomic and cultural factors for increasing tourism business competitiveness and its implication on the performance of tourism business using explanatory survey with unit analysis countries listed in both Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR, 2011) of World Economic Forum and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2011). This study used Partial Least Square (PLS) for statistical analysis. Data collections are conducted through latest secondary data from TTCR and WTTC, which include data and findings regarding government policy, tourism resource, tourism business competitiveness, and the performance of tourism business players. The research findings show that government policy has correlation with tourism resource and government policy and tourism resource simultaneously influence tourism business competitiveness. Partially, tourism resource dominantly influences business competitiveness if compared to government policy, tourism business competitiveness influences the performance of tourism businesses, and government policy and tourism resource directly influence the performance of tourism business. Partially, government policy dominantly influences the performance of tourism business if compared to tourism resource. Government policy and tourism resource influence the performance of tourism business through business competitiveness.


Social shopping as a result of the advancement of social media applications is increasing considerably in e-commerce. As a consequence of the multi-faceted phenomenon of social shopping, website managers encounter a lot of challenges in providing their quality website experience to satisfy their customers' needs and in developing relationships among participants, and community. In short, providing excellent quality website experience is crucial to support online customers. Therefore, it is necessary to offer further theoretical conceptualizations as well as detailed empirical evidence for such phenomena in which social shopping are supported and enabled. Thus, this paper attempts to investigate the factors affecting purchase intention of social shopping including two constructs: website quality (i.e., system, information, and service quality) and relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, and trust). Additionally we aim to identify the mediating roles of commitment and trust. The empirical results show that the perceived system and service quality are important antecedents of customer satisfaction, but not for the effect of perceived information quality on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, it shows that customer satisfaction significantly influences commitment, trust, and purchase intention, and trust in turn significantly affect commitment. Our empirical results confirm that commitment and trust partially mediate the relationship between satisfaction and purchase intention in social shopping context.


We propose inference systems for dealing with transitive relations in the context of resolution-type theorem proving. These inference mechanisms are based on standard techniques from term rewriting and represent a refinement of chaining methods. We establish their refutational completeness and also prove their compatibility with the usual simplification techniques used in rewrite-based theorem provers. A key to the practicality of chaining techniques is the extent to which so-called variable chainings can be restricted. We demonstrate that rewrite techniques considerably restrict variable chaining, though we also show that they cannot be completely avoided for transitive relations in general. If the given relation satisfies additional properties, such as symmetry, further restrictions are possible. In particular, we discuss (partial) equivalence relations and congruence relations.


Inhibin is a secreted tumor suppressor, and inhibin alpha null mice develop gonadal sex cord-stromal tumors with 100% penetrance at an early age. Inhibin-deficient mice die of a severe wasting syndrome due to increased activin signaling through activin receptor type II. The current study was designed to assess the in vivo effects of an activin antagonist, a chimeric activin receptor type II fused to the Fc region of a murine IgG2a (ActRII-mFc), administered transiently to the inhibin-deficient mice. Results showed that the severe weight loss was prevented in the ActRII-mFc-treated mice, FSH levels were reduced, and an extended life span was observed for these mice compared with phosphate-buffered saline-treated controls. Although ActRII-mFc treatment did not seem to prevent the formation of gonadal tumors, tumors were smaller in the majority of experimentally treated mice and were characterized by the presence of variable numbers and sizes of cysts in contrast to the solid hemorrhagic tumors that typically developed in the controls. Moreover, the ActRII-mFc-treated mice were less anemic, and their livers and stomachs were histologically normal. In summary, this study demonstrated that in vivo administration of the activin antagonist, ActRII-mFc, not only prevents the cachexia-like symptoms in the inhibin-deficient mouse model, but also reduces tumor progression. These results support an essential role of activins in the cachexia-like syndrome development and implicate activins as growth-promoting factors in gonadal tumor progression. The current findings have potential implications in the design of new drugs or strategies for the treatment of ovarian and testicular tumors and other conditions where ligands signal through ActRII.


PURPOSE
To study the burden and outcome of lung cancer in the elderly, particularly for patients aged 80 years and older.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was analyzed for lung cancer outcomes during the period 1988 to 2003. A comparison was carried out between patients with lung cancer 80 years and older, 70 to 79 years, and younger than 70 years for demographics; stage distribution; 5-year relative survival; and survival based on histology, sex, race, stage, and treatment. The temporal trends in survival during the years 1988 to 1997 and 1998 to 2003 were also analyzed.

RESULTS
Of 316,682 patients eligible for the analysis, 45,912 (14%) were 80 years or older (ie, very elderly); 103,963 (33%) were 70 to 79 years; and 166,807 (53%) were younger than 70 years. The distribution by stage and histology was comparable for all the three groups. Overall survival rate at 5 years was lower in the very elderly (7.4% v 12.3% v 15.5%; P < .0001) across sex, histologic subtypes, stages, and racial categories. Patients aged 80 years or older were less likely to receive local therapy (no surgery or radiation) than younger patients (47% v 28% and 19% for the age subgroups >/= 80 years, 70 to 79 years, and < 70 years, respectively). Overall outcomes for patients who underwent surgical therapy or radiation were comparable across the three age groups. In general, survival outcomes for the subgroup aged 70 to 79 years were similar to those of the subgroup aged 80 years and older who received single modality local therapy.

CONCLUSION
Patients 80 years or older account for 14% (70 years or older accounted for 47%) of all lung cancers, are less likely to be subjected to surgery or radiation, and have inferior outcomes when compared with younger patients.


. – OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 on T lymphocytes in Kawasaki disease and to further investigate its molecular mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 30 child patients was diagnosed as Kawasaki disease, 60 child patients were diagnosed as infectious fever, and 60 normal children, were selected. 4 mL peripheral blood was collected before treat -ment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and separated using the Facollin meth-od and cultured. Flow cytometry was used to identify T cells. The cell sections were prepared for immunohistochemical staining. After T cells in each group were treated with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 , the proteins were extracted for Western blotting. RESULTS: Peripheral blood T cells were suc cessfully isolated and cultured, and the maximal atoxic concentration of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 on T cells was 10-3 μmol/L. In T cells of child patients with Kawasaki disease, signal transducer and activa tor of transcription 3 (STAT3) were continuously activated, P53 apoptosis genes were inactivat -ed, and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) P65 pathway and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway were activated. After the intervention with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 in vitro , STAT3 and NF-κB P65 had no significant changes, the activation of ERK1/2 signaling pathway was inhibited and the P53 protein was activated. CONCLUSIONS: Apoptotic T cells in peripheral blood in KD cannot initiate the normal apoptosis program, so they continue to proliferate and differentiate, eventually leading to the increase and abnormal activation of T cells and the immune imbalance in the body. 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 can in- hibit the excess hyperplasia of T cells through adjusting partial signal transduction pathway.


Cancer is largely a disease of the genome. Cancer development is thought to involve the gradual acquisition of mutations that can activate oncogenes and/or inactivate tumor suppressor genes, resulting in a series of genetic changes that stimulate growth, attenuate cell death, destroy checkpoint controls, promote further genetic instability, and enable metastasis.

In the first part of my thesis, I focused on deciphering how activation of oncogenes by structural copy number alterations (SCNAs) that relocate enhancers in close proximity to oncogenes can be achieved, rather than activation by mutation or amplification. This mechanism was recently described as enhancer hijacking (EHJ). I contributed to the understanding of the EHJ mechanism at two genomic loci, IGF2, a known oncogenic locus in colorectal cancer and IRS4, a gene identified as a top pan-cancer EHJ candidate. To achieve this, I recapitulated the rearrangements associated with EHJ in colorectal and lung cell lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 genomic engineering system and tested for IGF2 and IRS4 overexpression, respectively. The rearrangements were successfully reconstructed; however an increase in gene expression was not achieved, suggesting a more complex mechanism of activation or context-dependency than initially anticipated. Investigation of the tumor promoting role of IRS4 was supported using mouse xenografts, where constitutive overexpression of IRS4 leads to formation of larger tumors in comparison
to control tumors.

In the second part of this thesis I emphasized on the identification of genes, which, when disrupted, lead to sustained cell growth and can be potential tumor suppressors. To achieve this, I employed systematic screens on cells with different genetic backgrounds using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9-based whole genome knockout libraries and the powerful anchorage independent growth assay. I was able to verify known tumor suppressor genes, which include components of the Hippo and mTOR pathways, as well as to identify novel candidates including FRYL and AHR. Furthermore, a growth screen under non-selecting conditions was performed and identified numerous candidates found in the initial anchorage independent growth screen, which further supports the growth promoting roles of the candidate genes. In conclusion, in my study I identified potential tumor suppressors that lead untransformed cells to enhanced as well as anchorage independent growth.


We study a generalization of Wyner's Common Information toWatanabe's Total Correlation. The first minimizes the description size required for a variable that can make two other random variables conditionally independent. If independence is unattainable, Watanabe's total (conditional) correlation is measure to check just how independent they have become. Following up on earlier work for scalar Gaussians, we discuss the minimization of total correlation for Gaussian vector sources. Using Gaussian auxiliaries, we show one should transform two vectors of length d into d independent pairs, after which a reverse water filling procedure distributes the minimization over all these pairs. Lastly, we show how this minimization of total conditional correlation fits a lossy coding problem by using the Gray-Wyner network as a model for a caching problem.


The electronic voting system of Brazil is understood to be widely trusted by the citizens of the country and international observers. More precisely, it is seen as a trustworthy mechanism of producing election results that accurately represent the choices of the electorate. In this article, we discuss briefly the concepts of trust and trustworthiness, and focus to examine the formation of beliefs regarding the latter. We argue that the belief of trustworthiness is only partly attributable to the perception of the merits of the technical system and its enactment procedures. In our case study we found that the institutional actors responsible for the elections—the Superior and the Regional Electoral Courts—have played a key role in the formation of the belief that the electronic elections are trustworthy. We therefore conclude that, unlike common assumptions about the potential of e-government in developing countries to restore trust in government institutions that are considered untrustworthy, the production of trust in government services mediated by information and communication technology relies on citizens' perceptions of their trustworthiness. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Emmeline (with some other pieces) [1819] Mary Brunton 320pp Memoirs of Modern Philosophers In 3 Volumes [1800] Elizabeth Hamilton 1122pp Euphemia [1790] Charlotte Lennox (4 volumes) 982pp Walsingham [1797] Mary Robinson (4 volumes bound in 2 volumes) 1430pp The History of Cornelia [1750] Sarah Scott 274pp Wanderings of Warwick [1794] Charlotte Smith 296pp


This project incorporates the thesaurus approach in documents retrieval. In
information retrieval, the common information retrieval model is by using traditional
simple query as the query task. An important issue is that most query language use
the context and the structure of the text to find relevant documents. In that sense, the
system may fail to find relevant answer in order to get the appropriate document.
Beside that, limitation of traditional query can result in losing a lot of the relevant
dociunent. But, using thesaurus techniques in searching, it will find the words that
contain the same meaning with user query. Using thesaurus can help user to get the
result in shorter time. It is because user can use this approach to find other relevant
document. Users do not necessary to think the other word and then query in query
form in order to get the resuh. This project is constructed to develop a prototype for
the document retrieval which considering the thesaurus query and retrieval approach
and evaluate the effectiveness. The query language that has been used in this project
is Visual Basic. NET and for the database is Microsoft SQL Server 2000. An
experiment is conducted by using direct query as the benchmark, to evaluate the
effectiveness of thesaurus query. 50 of FTMSK official letters is taken as the test
document and 10 queries are been used to the retrieval system. From this project, the
result of the experiment shows that thesaurus query is effective but not efficient
compared to direct query.


The role of employment has received a considerable attention in Tanzania and taken as the major factor in accelerating development however, many new employment opportunities are substantially created in the informal sector whose rate of growth may be higher than that of the formal sector in the recent years, the private sector deliberately faces the challenge of employees turnover despite good rewards system, benefits, good working environment, elements of motivation and attraction. The broad objective of the study was to access the employees" turnover in the private sector specifically at Steps Entertainment Limited. The specific objectives of the study aimed at identifying the rate of employees" turnover at Steps entertainment Limited within the five years span, to examine the reasons of employees" turnover at Steps Entertainment Limited over the past 5 year. And last propose a workable solution to minimize employees" turnover rate. The data collection methods such as interviews, questionnaires, and documentation review from the firm were used to get the relevant information about the study.
The data analysis were done through decision analysis techniques whereby the data was presented in terms of graphs, pie charts and tables to enable the reader to understand easily, the study realized that salary, employees dissatisfaction with their works, poor working conditions, lack of employees participation in decision making process, lack of motivation, discrimination at work place, supervision are among the reasons influencing the employees turnover at the firm. The study also revealed that the rate of employees" turnover is growing year to year and this may impact negatively to the growth of private sector. Lastly the study recommended that there is a need to restructure salary scales in order to ensure employees are satisfied, immediate plans should be there to minimize the rate of employees" turnover.


Lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells are being considered as a new and promising form of immunotherapy in the management of patients with solid tumours. Few informations are instead available on these cytotoxic effectors in haematological neoplasias. Here we shall discuss the possible role of LAK cells in human leukaemias. Evidence will be provided for a rationale in the clinical exploitment of Interleukin 2 (IL2)/LAK cells in the treatment of acute leukaemia patients, whilst the implication of these cytotoxic populations appears more uncertain in chronic lymphoproliferative disorders.


Background:  The NICE guideline for adult nutrition support recommends that all hospital inpatients are screened for risk of malnutrition 'on admission' and that screening is repeated weekly (NICE, 2006). Malnutrition screening using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) tool (BAPEN, 2003) was introduced to East Cheshire NHS Trust on 1 March 2008 following training of ward nursing staff in using the tool. The aim of this audit was to evaluate whether East Cheshire NHS Trust is meeting the NICE guideline for screening of malnutrition risk.

Methods:  An audit was conducted including 301 inpatients over a 1-week period in June 2008. The main outcomes included the presence of a MUST score, date of MUST score relative to date of admission, weekly screening of inpatients where relevant, correct completion of MUST tool and referral to the dietetic service if the patient was at high risk of malnutrition. Correct completion of the MUST form was assessed by checking that each section of the form had been completed. The audit team chose 48 h as the cut-off for screening 'on admission'. Data were collected by the allocated ward dietitian or dietetic assistant and recorded on a data collection sheet. All outcome data were recorded from the MUST screening paperwork completed by nursing staff, except date of admission, which was recorded in nursing or medical admission documentation. Data analysis calculating frequencies, mean values and percentages were carried out using Microsoft Excel 2003 (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA).

Results:  Ninety-three inpatients (31%) had a MUST score recorded. Only 24 (8%) were screened within 48 h of admission. There was variation across specialities as to the rate of screening achieved. No patients on general surgical wards were screened, but at least 50% patients were screened on respiratory, diabetes/stroke and cardiology wards, the intensive care unit and stroke rehabilitation ward. Of those patients screened for malnutrition, 39 out of 93 (42%) had a score of two or more, indicating that they were at high risk of malnutrition. The care plan for people identified as being at high risk is to refer to the dietetic department; however, only 26 out of 39 (67%) were referred, meaning that one-third of patients with a score of two or more were not referred. One hundred and fifty-three patients were admitted to hospital for more than 1 week. Only 5% (eight of 153) of these patients were MUST screened weekly. Individual patients were not re-screened to check accuracy of the data on the form. Of the 93 MUST forms completed, 25 (27%) were completed incorrectly. The most common error on 18 out of 93 forms was information missing from completion of stage 1, which is the calculation of body mass index. This is likely to be related to lack of correct weighing equipment on some wards (e.g. hoist scales). Lack of nursing time and screening forms not being included in admission documentation may also have contributed to the low screening rate.

Discussion:  The audit shows that, although malnutrition screening for inpatients has commenced in East Cheshire, the NHS trust is not yet compliant with recommendations in the NICE Guideline for Adult Nutrition Support (NICE, 2006). From 1 March 2008, all referrals made to the dietetic department are required to include a MUST score to encourage nursing staff to complete the screen. It is recommended that the MUST form is also incorporated into nursing assessment documents and that MUST training be included in mandatory training for nursing staff; this has been shown to contribute to increased screening rates in other hospital trusts (Wong and Gandy, 2008).

Conclusions:  Screening inpatients for malnutrition has been introduced using MUST in East Cheshire. However, screening does not currently meet NICE guideline recommendations.

References  BAPEN (2003) Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. Available at http://www.bapen.org.uk/must_tool.html (accessed on 19th May 2008).

NICE (2006) Nutrition Support for Adults Oral Nutrition Support, Enteral Tube Feeding and Parenteral Nutrition. Available at http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/cg032fullguideline.pdf (accessed on 19th May 2008).

Wong, S. & Gandy, J. (2008). An audit to evaluate the effect of staff training on the use of Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. J. Hum. Nutr. Diet.21, 405–406.


In this paper, an architecture of LUT-array-based PLD and a synthesis approach based on sum of generalized complex terms (SGCTs) expression are proposed. We formulate logic synthesis and layout for the LUT array into SGCT minimization so that the SGCT approach successfully merges these two synthesis stages. An SGCT generation procedure from an incompletely specified function is also presented. Experimental results demonstrate that the numbers of terms needed by our approach to map benchmark circuits into 2-LUT arrays and 3-LUT arrays are reduced to 70.7% and 85.1% on average of those by the existing approach, respectively.


A double-sided adhesive tape is typically used as an insulator and mechanical buffer layer between the chip and lead frame in lead-on-chip (LOC) packages. The costs associated with the lead frame and tape process make the current LOC package ten times more expensive than conventional packaging. A new tapeless LOC package process has been developed which significantly reduces the production costs. In this new process, the tape is replaced by a thermoplastic adhesive layer deposited on the polyimide coated wafer. This paper describes the optimum thermoplastic material properties for the adhesive layer, the fabrication process parameters, and the experimental and simulated reliability and performance results of the tapeless LOC package. >


MEMPERKOKOH SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA PADA PENDIDIKAN TINGGI ISLAM DALAM ERA GLOBALISASI Oleh : Ishomuddin *) Fakultas Agama Islam UMM ABSTRACT Some experts say that globalization can not be avoided. All aspects in the life influenced by globalization values. The awareness of globalization causes broader knowledge of men for gaining something better. Everywhere people start talking about quality, the academic quality as well as the quality of services. People start to compare good product and a no good/bad quality product, between good and bad ideas in this era. The characteristics of globalization era are borderless, the crisis of moral and ethics, the weakness of nation identity, mega-competition, and knowledge society. This paper talks about the characteristic and objective of Islam and how the Islamic higher education faces some challenges in the globalization era. As an Islamic education institution, the Islamic higher education attempts to develop its human resources (lecturers and non-lecturers) and contribute best services to the students to prepare their future. Doing that it has to restructure all the aspects either in the field of curriculum or lecturer quality. There are two ways to face globalization challenges in Islamic higher education, first, developing human resources and, second, changing the traditional education paradigm to the modern one. Keywords: human resources, higher education, the globalization era.


A Si-based miniaturized device for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been developed. The device has Pt temperature sensors and heaters integrated on top of the reaction chamber for real-time accurate temperature sensing and control. Reaction temperature of the device is digitally controlled to achieve a temperature accuracy of +/-0.025 degrees C. The effects of PCR protocol optimization on the amplification performance of the surface-passivated chip reactor have been investigated in detail and quantitatively compared with that of the conventional thermal cycler. In this study, four traditional Chinese medicine genes including Fritillaria cirrhosa, Cartharmus tinctorius, Adenophora lobophilla, and Stephania tetrandra are used as model template. With appropriate chamber surface treatment (chlorotrimethylsilane/polyadenylic acid or SiO2 coatings), the device demonstrates amplification as efficient as that in the conventional thermal cycler at optimized MgCl2 concentration. The amplified DNA has concentration higher than 27 ng/microL, which is sufficient for subsequent on-chip analyses and detection. Experimental results reveal the importance of inclusion of BSA for an efficient amplification in the SiO2-passivated device and the excellent reusability of the device with a simple cleaning step.


The response regulatory gene flcA controls the differentiation process of Azospirillum brasilense from vegetative state to cyst-like forms, both in culture and in association with plants. In contrast to the wild type parental strain Sp7, strain Sp72002, a Tn5 induced flcA(-) mutant, does not aggregate, does not differentiate from motile, vibroid cells into nonmotile, cyst-like forms and lacks some of the exopolysaccharide material on its cell surface. Here we aimed to identify differentially expressed genes whose expression could be modulated by flcA. Using cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism, we detected 81 transcript-derived fragments showing differential expression during exponential growth phase in an aggregation-inducing medium containing high C : N ratio. The fragments were sequenced and analyzed, and expression of ten genes encoding known proteins was compared between the two strains by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-(RT-PCR). RT-PCR analyses confirmed the differential patterns observed by cDNA-AFLP in nine of those genes. Among them are genes homologous to nodQ, involved in sulfation; narK, involved in nitrite/nitrate transport, and flp, involved in autoaggregation; as well as genes encoding a biopolymer transport protein, and the signal recognition particle. This work demonstrates the usefulness of the cDNA-AFLP approach to reveal genes that are differentially expressed during aggregation in Azospirillum brasilense and provides insights into the aggregation process of this bacterium.


Operating the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis at high conversion would allow a simpler once-through configuration to be used for small-scale biomass and waste to liquid. The effect of high conversion, and consequently high partial pressure of H2O and low partial pressures of CO and H2, on the stability of nano-sized cobalt crystallites in Pt–Co/Al2O3 is investigated. Whilst hydrothermal environments are commonly investigated for deactivation, this is typically done under 'simulated' high conversion (low conversion, high partial pressure of water) conditions. Thus, the current study will present the differences between real high conversion and 'simulated' high conversion and attempt to decouple the deactivation mechanisms associated with both cases. At conversion levels higher than XCO = 70% for this study (T = 220 °C, p = 20 bar, feed of H2 : CO : N2 = 2 : 1 : 3), sintering, cobalt aluminate formation and cobalt oxidation led to rapid deactivation. 'Simulated' high conversion is found to cause less cobalt aluminate formation, but more carbon deposition. At very high conversion (XCO > 97%) enhanced reversible deactivation was exhibited due to oxidation and re-reduction of cobalt (shown via in situ magnetometer). A 'maximum' conversion seems to exist for a specific cobalt crystallite size caused by its oxidation.


Mites in the family Trombiculidae sensu lato are parasites of terrestrial vertebrates, even humans, in their larval stage. There are more than 3,700 species of chiggers, and about one-third of these species are represented by type specimens in the Smithsonian Institution's United States National Museum Entomology Collection. Here we provide a catalog of all primary and secondary type specimens of chiggers (holotype, paratype, syntype, lectotype, and paralectotype) housed in the collection. Listed herein are 1,026 type specimens with 645 representing holotypes, 782 paratypes, 69 syntypes, 19 lectotypes, and 16 paralectotypes of larvae, deutonymphs, and adult chiggers.


The Lyα emitters found at z ~ 4.5 by the Large Area Lyman Alpha (LALA) survey have high equivalent widths in the Lyα line, which can be produced by either narrow-lined active galactic nuclei (AGNs) or by stellar populations with a very high proportion of young, massive stars. To investigate the AGN scenario, we obtained two deep Chandra exposures to study the X-ray nature of the Lyα emitters. The 172 ks deep Chandra image on the LALA Boötes field was presented in a previous paper, and in this Letter we present a new Chandra deep exposure (174 ks) on the LALA Cetus field, which doubled our sample of X-ray-imaged Lyα sources and imaged the brightest source among our Lyα emitters. None of the 101 Lyα sources covered by two Chandra exposures were detected individually in X-rays, with a 3 σ limiting X-ray flux of F0.5-10.0 keV < 3.3 × 10-16 ergs cm-2 s-1 for on-axis targets. The sources remain undetectable in the stacked image, implying a 3 σ limit to the average luminosity of L2-8 keV < 2.8 × 1042 ergs s-1. The resulting X-ray to Lyα ratio is greater than 21 times lower than the ratios for known high-redshift type II quasars. Together with optical spectra obtained at Keck, we conclude that no evidence of AGN activity was found among our Lyα emitters at z ~ 4.5.


We analyse Kepler observations of the high-amplitude δ Scuti (HADS) star V2367 Cyg (KIC 9408694). The variations are dominated by a mode with frequency f1= 5.6611 d−1. Two other independent modes with f2= 7.1490 d−1 and f3= 7.7756 d−1 have amplitudes an order of magnitude smaller than f1. Nearly all the light variation is due to these three modes and their combination frequencies, but several hundred other frequencies of very low amplitude are also present. The amplitudes of the principal modes may vary slightly with time. The star has twice the projected rotational velocity of any other HADS star, which makes it unusual. We find a correlation between the phases of the combination frequencies and their pulsation frequencies, which is not understood. Since modes of highest amplitude in HADS stars are normally radial modes, we assumed that this would also be true in this star. However, attempts to model the observed frequencies as radial modes without mode interaction were not successful. For a star with such a relatively high rotational velocity, it is important to consider the effect of mode interaction. Indeed, when this was done, we were able to obtain a model in which a good match with f1 and f2 is obtained, with f1 being the fundamental radial mode.


High altitude platform station (HAPS), which is deployed in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20-50 kilometres, has attracted much attention in recent years due to their large footprint, line-of-sight links, and fixed position relative to the Earth. Compared with existing network infrastructure, HAPS has a much larger coverage area than terrestrial base stations and is much closer than satellites to the ground users. Besides small-cells and macro-cells, a HAPS can offer one mega-cell, which can complement legacy networks in 6G and beyond wireless systems. This paper explores potential use cases and discusses relevant open challenges of integrating HAPS into legacy networks, while also suggesting some solutions to these challenges. The cumulative density functions of spectral efficiency of the integrated network and cell-edge users are studied and compared with terrestrial network. The results show the capacity gains achieved by the integrated network are beneficial to cell-edge users. Furthermore, the advantages of a HAPS for backhauling aerial base stations are demonstrated by the simulation results.


Abstract Many strategists argue that to deter a nuclear attack, states must be certain of their ability to retaliate after a nuclear first strike. China's nuclear posture of uncertain retaliation suggests an alternative logic. Given the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear attack, uncertain retaliation can have a strong deterrent effect, and assured retaliation is not necessary. A simplified nuclear exchange model developed to evaluate China's nuclear retaliatory capabilities against the Soviet Union in 1984 and the United States in 2000 and 2010 shows that China's nuclear retaliatory capability has been and remains far from assured. In its 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report, the United States promised to maintain strategic stability with China; therefore, the 2010 scenario can be considered as a baseline for China-U.S. strategic stability. Both China and the United States are developing or modernizing their strategic offensive and defensive weapons. The technical competition between China and the United States favors each in different ways. A hypothetical scenario of China versus the United States in 2025 reveals that China-U.S. strategic stability will likely be maintained at no lower than its 2010 level.


Lack of access to credit is almost universally indicated as a key problem for micro and small enterprises. The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of K-Rep Bank group loans on growth of Small Micro Enterprises in Othaya and Mukurweini, Nyeri County. The objectives of the study included; the role of k-rep bank group based loans on growth of small micro enterprises, to establish how institutional capacity and organization policies adopted by Krep bank influence growth of small micro enterprise, to find out the effect of customer satisfaction in the bank services and products and lastly to assess the contribution of SMEs in enhancing growth in Othaya and Mukurweini. The research employed a descriptive survey design. The target population of the study was recipients of K-Rep bank group based loans for not less than 5 years operating their business in Othaya and Mukurweini. Using a simple random sampling technique, the researcher arrived at a sample size of 80 individuals. During the month of July, 2012, data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Additional data was collected using an interviewed schedule administered to credit officers at K-Rep bank Nyeri. The researcher found out the following; All the respondents had received a loan from the bank with the majority (67%) of the respondents able to access between quarter a million to half a million Kenya shillings. 46% wished to finance business development while 37% aimed to buy inventories for their business. SMEs had employed 1 to 5 employees while 14% of the SMEs in the study had 5-10 individuals as employees. The researcher established that K-rep bank's group based loans had contributed to many SMEs in Othaya and Mukurweini. However, the findings have revealed that the contribution was insufficient and the loanees had to look for additional credit from other financial institutions, the researcher concludes that K-rep bank has adequate institutional capacity and organizational policies. This was exhibited by the financial training given to the clients and the high level of awareness that was found on the ground, finally, the study established that SMEs have contributed to growth in Othaya and Mukurweini. This was evident by the number of enterprises set up and the number of employees earning their living from the establishments. SMEs had employed 1 to 5 employees while 14% of the SMEs in the study had 5-10 individuals as employees. The study recommended that K-rep bank should re evaluate their lending policy to conform to the current demands of business which is faced by a high cost of living and inflation, K-rep bank should strengthen its institutional capacity to set up a training college where its members can gain management skills required to run an SME successfully and finally K-rep bank should look to innovate new products and services to meet the changing needs of customers adequately to enhance customer satisfaction.


Citizen science involves laymen in some steps of a scientific experiment: citizens are volunteers devoting their free time to citizen science projects. Therefore it is important to investigate the factors influencing their motivation and engagement. In this paper, we present our study to investigate the motivation factors of the TESS photometer network participants, an initiative to collect light pollution data. We present the results and insight of our investigation and the instrument we adopted, which can be useful for the broad citizen science community.


Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI) consists of 3 polypeptides cross-linked by chondroitin sulphate, which is o-glycosidically linked to the smallest of the polypeptides, designated bikunin. Pre-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (p alpha I) consists of bikunin and a fourth polypeptide, also associated by chondroitin sulphate. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) of plasma, using immunoglobulins to ITI, revealed 3 precipitation-lines, two of which increased in size during disease. Molecular mass determination by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the immunoprecipitates contained mixtures of proteins. Therefore CIE is unfit for quantitation of the individual proteins related to ITI. Immunoblotting suggested that the plasma concentrations of p alpha I and of bikunin was increased in uraemia, rheumatoid arthritis and after trauma. The plasma concentrations of ITI and of p alpha I were decreased in a patient with endocarditis.


The gating mechanism of a K+ channel includes a perfect spring, according to Xiaowei Niu, Xiang Qian, and Karl Magleby (University of Miami, Miami, FL).

Figure

The linker between the RCK gating ring and the S6 gate acts as a perfect spring.

The group studied the BK channel from mice. This channel is opened by changes in both voltage and intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Depolarization drives a positively charged section of the protein outwards and thus drags apart the S6 channel domains that form the channel's gate. Addition of Ca2+, by contrast, widens the diameter of an intracellular gating ring, once again pulling apart the S6 gates.

The two control mechanisms converge on the same target—positioning of the S6 gates—so one control mechanism can be used to probe the mechanism used by the other. The authors changed the length of the linkers that run from gating ring to gates, and tested how much voltage was needed to open the new channel variants.

Shortening the linkers made it easier to open the channel with voltage changes, probably because the diameter of the gating ring is fixed, so shortening the linker pulls the S6 gates outwards toward the gating ring. Lengthening the linker made it more difficult to open the channel with a voltage change. There was a linear relationship between the changes in linker length and required voltage, indicating that the linker-gating ring complex is acting as a perfect, Hookean spring.

The same linear relationship did not hold up when channels with different linker lengths were probed with varying Ca2+ levels. "With calcium the gating ring becomes an active machine and changes in shape," says Magleby.

Magleby hopes to confirm the proposed movements with fluorescence proximity probes. But already, says Niu, "you don't have to look at the channels as blobs of protein. You can have mechanical models that really work." ▪

Reference:

Niu, X., et al. 2004. Neuron. 42:745–756. [PubMed]


The paper extends the option pricing model of Merlon (1973) with lime-varying volatility of the underlying security. We develop the theoretical option model. Time-varying volatility is constructed by fitting a lime-polynomial to implied volatility values where the order of the polynomial is approximated by the number of options considered. We then predict the option price one day forward and compare the results with the standard Black and Scholcs model. When applied to PT-SE 100 index European options the new model was found to be more accurate titan the Black and Scholcs.
Key words: Omion. Time-Varying. Volatility, Black and Scholcs.


My mother-in-law, a stranger to me had been brought to her son's home. The years between us had been barren years, sterile with the desert of silence. I had tried many times to traverse this desert, in search of that illusory oasis, but it was only the mirage that led me on and on. I ended up gaunt and starved, parched with craving for that which would never be. Here, finally I had stopped, with the barriers of dunes before me and the sand prickling against my skin. Those conduits, those springs, those lost oceans were dried up. We were strangers to each other. Yet we were both women to whom this man, her son, my husband, belonged. She, my mother-in-law, who was once a matriarch, who was proud in a sense of her hierarchy, with the pride of possession, a caste, a name, six children was now gradually losing everything. A tree that was being denuded of fruit, leaf, flower. I was the daughter-in-law who had desired more than anything else to know who they were, this family, whose lineage made them a people apart in their village. This serial is available in Kunapipi: https://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi/vol16/iss1/47 Tilt Mother-in-Law 225


The frequency of oral yeast ingestion and its relationship with sucking and feeding habits was described in children from one to 18 months of age. Yeasts were detected in 58.3 percent of children and the most prevalent species were Candida parapsilosis and Candida albicans. The use of a pacifier was positively associated with the frequency of yeast infection and with the levels of these microorganisms in the mouth. No relationship was detected between the prevalence of yeast and breast-feeding or bottle-feeding habits. The results suggest that use of a pacifier is an important local factor in the colonization and proliferation of yeast in the oral cavity.


This Delphi study identifies problems that have significant impacts on profits gained from large engineering and construction projects in a European company. Information quality gained remarkable weight among the identified problems. The problems were ranked in accordance to their estimated impact on the project profit margins. Within a consolidated list of 125 problems identified altogether, the final ranking of the top 18 problems was strongly agreed upon by an expert panel. The panel involved experienced engineering and management professionals throughout the construction project supply chain. Among the top 18, eight problems, including the top six, concerned information quality. The results address a need for increased focus on information quality challenges in the target organization and provide a detailed account of such challenges in comparison to the previous literature on information quality in engineering and construction.


Smooth motion is critical to some robotic applications such as haptics or those requiring high precision force control. These systems are often direct-drive, so any torque ripple in the motor output must be minimal. Unfortunately, low inherent torque ripple motors are expensive. Low cost brushless DC motors are becoming more prevalent, especially from the hobby RC community. These motors often have the required high torque density; however, they also have significant torque ripple. This paper presents a system that is low cost using a method for anticogging the compensation of cogging torque in low cost, high torque motors. While other methods exist to compensate for current-based torque ripple (mutual or reluctance torque), none have addressed cogging torque, except by adding expensive force sensors. This paper presents two methods that use a position sensor (already present for servo motors) to map cogging torque to rotor position. The map is played back according to position reported from the sensor to cancel the cogging torque. The design and testing of a low cost haptic arm using anticogging shows validation; however, the approach is much broader, and can be applied to any precision force application. Test results on eleven different motors show an average removal of 69% of torque ripple with no added cost in robotic servo applications.


We investigate whether asynchronous computational models and asynchronous algorithms can be considered for designing real-time distributed fault-tolerant systems. A priori, the lack of bounded finite delays is antagonistic with timeliness requirements. We show how to circumvent this apparent contradiction, via the principle of "late binding" of a solution to some (partially) synchronous model. This principle is shown to maximize the coverage of demonstrated safety, liveness, and timeliness properties. These general results are illustrated with the uniform consensus (UC) and real-time UC problems, assuming processor crashes and reliable communications, considering asynchronous solutions based upon unreliable failure detectors. We introduce the concept of fast failure detectors and show that the problem of building strong or perfect fast failure detectors in real systems can be stated as a distributed message scheduling problem. A generic solution to this problem is given and illustrated considering deterministic Ethernets. In passing, it is shown that, with our construction of unreliable failure detectors, asynchronous algorithms that solve UC have a worst-case termination lower bound that matches the optimal synchronous lower bound. Finally, we introduce FastUC, a novel solution to UC, that is based upon fast failure detectors.


This dissertation focuses on the photodissociation dynamics, thermochemistry, spectroscopy and structure of important hydroperoxide molecules which influence the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. Since hydroperoxides such as CH₃OOH, HOCH₂OOH, HO₂NO₂ and HOOH species serve as reservoir for the HOx (=HO₂ + OH) radicals, a thorough examination of excited state and ground state photochemistry of these species is needed. In this dissertation, the photodissociation dynamics of vibrationally excited HO₂NO₂ molecule is examined, and its first OH-stretching state dissociation quantum yield is assessed in order to quantify its contribution to the HOx budget. An ab initio study is used to obtain bond dissociation energies, vibrational spectra and absorption cross-sections. The HOONO molecule is an important structural isomer of nitric acid. Studies of HOONO molecule have primarily focused on the vibrational structure, spectra and energetics of vibrational states in the vicinity of the first and second OH-stretching overtones. From these measurements, the heat of formation and vibrational band assignment of cis-cis HOONO are determined. Organic hydroperoxides such as CH₃OOH and HOCH₂OOH are fundamental systems to explore the flow of energy among different vibrational modes. In HOCH₂OOH, the dissociation rates that are extracted from the third OH- stretching overtone suggest that excitation of the alcohol OH-stretch result in dissociation rates that are substantially slower than rates resulting from excitation of the peroxide OH-stretch where IVR is evidently more restricted. Non-statistical behavior is also observed in CH₃OOH, where the excitation of HOO-bending mode and CH- stretching modes result in more complete IVR due to strong state-mixing compared with excitation of the OH-stretching modes; as inferred from the quantities of vibrationally excited OH product formed. Enhanced IVR mixing is also observed in HOOH molecule, suggesting mode-selective behavior is a common occurrence in hydroperoxide molecules. Lastly, rotational band analysis of jet-cooled CH₃OOH facilitates band assignment and structure of the first and second OH-stretching overtones and their corresponding torsional states. The analysis also shows that interactions between the bright OH-state and dark background states lead to inhomogeneous line broadening and band perturbations. These interactions predominantly arise from interaction between the symmetric HOOC-torsion/ OH-stretching states and the CH-states of the methyl rotor


Purpose. Improving mammography among Latinas may improve ethnic disparities in stage at diagnosis, morbidity, and quality of life. In response, multiple interventions have been developed and assessed, including patient navigation. Little is known about how efficacy varies across socioenvironmental contexts. Such work is warranted for future comparative effectiveness research and clinical implementation. Objective. The study examined the interactive effects of patient navigation with contextual factors (facility and residential neighborhood characteristics) on mammography uptake among a Chicago-based sample of Latinas. Methods. The larger trial, "Patient Navigation in Medically Underserved Areas", is a five year project to assess the effectiveness of primarily phone-based navigation services within 3 hospitals in South Chicago. The current study9s analytic sample includes 715 women who: 1) identified as Latina; 2) were referred for mammography; and 3) had age, insurance status, type of mammogram, and zipcode information documented in their medical records. We classified participants using an as-treated operationalization (navigated or not). The facility variable of interest was accreditation as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (BICOE; 1 yes and 2 no). The two neighborhood characteristics of interest were median household income and percent of Latino residents (%Latino) based on American Community Survey 2007-2011 data. The outcome of interest was days to mammography uptake, defined as days between randomization and attendance at the referred mammography appointment. Results. First, Cox regression survival models were conducted that adjusted for patient age, insurance status, and type of mammogram (screening or diagnostic) and incorporated main effects of facility and neighborhood characteristics. There were significant interaction effects of navigation with neighborhood %Latino (p The analysis next conducted models, wherein we stratified by tertiles for %Latino and by facility BICOE status (yes/no). For these models, it included covariates and the main effects of non-stratified contextual variables (e.g., neighborhood median income). Among residents of neighborhoods with the least %Latino, non-navigated women had a greater number of days to mammography uptake relative to navigated women, HR =2.8, 95%CI[1.6, 4.9], p Conclusions. The study suggests navigation may be particularly effective within more resourced facility settings and for Latinos living outside of ethnic enclaves. Future studies are warranted to confirm our findings and assess the potential of these services across diverse clinical settings. Citation Format: Yamile Molina, Yazmin San Miguel, Sage Kim, Anne Elizabeth Glassglow, Nerida Berrios, Julie S. Darnell, Elizabeth A. Calhoun. The effect of navigation on mammography uptake among Latinas: Effect modification by facility and neighborhood characteristics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C78.


The Indian state of East Punjab (hereafter Punjab/Punjabi) has a long and continuing history of overseas emigration, mainly originating from the predominantly rural Doaba region – a history that has produced a heterogeneous Punjabi diaspora located in over 75 countries worldwide, constituted by deeply embedded transnational networks.1 The relationship between Doaban transnationalism, social mobility and development within Punjab has consequently received much academic and political attention within India, which is well known as the largest foreign remittance receiving country in the world, as well as in the global academic and policy context, where transnational migrants are increasingly seen as agents of development. In this chapter I focus on Punjabi Dalit geographical and social mobility, originating from Doaba and beyond, and its relationship to enduring, but also dynamic, caste inequalities within the region.2 This is an under-explored nexus within the study of Punjabi transnationalism.


Objective To check the knowledge informal caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate acquire about the postoperative care of cheiloplasty and palatoplasty through the use of an educational video. Methods Randomized clinical trial conducted with 80 caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate, arranged into two groups: experimental (G1) and control (G2). Data collection occurred during the child's hospital stay, in three stages, using a structured questionnaire and an educational video developed and validated for this study. Results There was evidence of improvement in the acquisition of knowledge about postoperative care in both groups (p <0.001), but it was higher in G1 compared to G2. Conclusion The educational video was shown to be effective to train caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate after cheiloplasty and palatoplasty.


A typical sub-region of Baiyangdian Lake is selected as the practical study area, which is characterized by irregular geometry and complex bathymetry. The coupled lattice Boltzmann model for simulating shallow water flow and pollutant transport in two dimensions is set up and applied to it. The wind stress is regarded as the main driven force. The bed friction and the gravitional force relating to bed slops are involved. The simulation results well represent the flow field and the distribution of pollutant concentration under the predominant wind. This study demonstrates that the lattice Blotzmann method possesses the robust capacity to deal with complex boundaries and irregular topography.


BACKGROUND
China has the largest population living with dementia globally and urban-rural differences are significant in prevalence, risk factors, and health resources. Epidemiologic studies on cognitive impairment in rural areas are limited in China and other low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVE
This study investigated cognitive impairment and associated factors in rural elderly aged 65 years and over in China.

METHODS
In total, 1,250 participants from ten villages in North China were recruited from June to September, 2017. Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted for data collection. The interviews included socio-demographic information, health status, and psychological assessments. Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. A multivariate logistic regression model with backward method was employed to identify factors associated with cognitive impairment.

RESULTS
The positive rate of cognitive impairment among rural Chinese elderly aged 65 years and older was 42.9% (95% CI, 40.1-45.6). No significant differences were found in cognitive impairment by age or gender before the age of 75 years. Older age, lack of formal school education, reliance on the basic living allowance as the only income source, poor hearing and vision function, diabetes, and activities of daily living dependence were associated with higher rate of cognitive impairment, while tea consumption and fatty liver disease were associated with lower cognitive impairment rate.

CONCLUSION
A very high percentage of rural elderly in China had cognitive impairment. Education programs and prevention interventions targeting modifiable risk factors among high-risk populations should be developed through collective efforts involving all stakeholders.


The stele from Vezirhan (Istanbul Archaeological Museum, inv. 6219+71.27) is best known for its Old Phrygian and Greek inscriptions (B-05). However, its reliefs also pose an interesting challenge. They include a boar hunt, a ritual banquet scene, and a human figure, commonly identified as a goddess, with lions, birds, and a palmette-like motif "sprouting" from her head.
The stele is dated to the late 5th–early 4th century BC. The hunt and banquet scenes clearly belong to this time (and find many parallels on votive and funerary reliefs and seals of Hellespontine Phrygia).
The image of the goddess, however, continues a different tradition, one that possibly stems from an earlier period. The Vezirhan goddess doesn't have a singular prototype, but displays connections to a wide variety of iconographical schemes and details. Most are found in the 7th–6th centuries BC arts of Anatolia and the Aegean. By examining this corpus, with special focus on the Potnia theron iconographic type, we understand that the Vezirhan goddess is related to other deities attested in Anatolia (in fact, her name might have been a variation of Artemis, according to line 3 of the Phrygian inscription). Yet, she cannot be identified with any of them directly. For all matches, there are also differences. A certain creative effort was made to distinguish the goddess from her peers, possibly to reflect her local cult.
In my talk, I would like to unfold this synthetic image, examine its components, and try to put them back together – and hopefully gain some insight into how the Vezirhan goddess' iconographic scheme came to be.


A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with dual-electrochemical detection (HPLC-DEC) for the simultaneous determination of vitamins A, E and K1 is described. Separation was carried out using a C18 reversed-phase column and 2.5 mmol l-1 acetic acid-sodium acetate in methanol-water (99 + 1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The compounds eluted with good resolution in the above mentioned order within about 20 min and were quantified by dual-amperometric detection with a glassy carbon electrode at -1100 mV (E1) and + 700 mV (E2) (versus Ag/AgCl). This reductive-oxidative detection mode gave reproducible results and the detection limits were of the order of 0.06, 0.19 and 3.1 ng for vitamins A, E and K1, respectively. The HPLC-DEC method was successfully applied to the analysis of vitamins A, E and K1 in liquid cows' milk and infant-formula powdered-milk samples after applying alkaline hydrolysis of the fatty material and extraction of the vitamins with hexane for the analysis of vitamins A and E. In the case of vitamin K1 it was necessary to carry out enzymic hydrolysis, since this vitamin is degraded in basic medium, followed by cleaning with a Sep-Pak silica cartridge to isolate it from the other vitamins. Good recoveries (between 81 and 106%) were obtained.


About the book: Mapping Women, Making Politics demonstrates the multiple ways in which gender influences political processes and the politics of space. The book begins by addressing feminism's theoretical and conceptual challenges to traditional political geography and than applies these perspectives to a range of settings and topics including nationalism, migration, development, international relations, elections, social movements, governance and the environment in the Global North and South.


Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of energetic, geometric, vibrational, and electrostatic properties of different arrangements of CO and NO at quarter and half monolayer coverage on Pt(111) are presented. Differences in the extents of electron back-donation from the Pt surface to these molecules cause the low-coverage adsorbate dipoles to have opposite signs at atop and more highly coordinated bridge or fcc sites. These dipoles of opposite sign occupy adjacent positions in the experimentally observed atop-bridge or atop-fcc high -coverage arrangements, leading to attractive electrostatic interactions and concomitant changes in dipole moments, bond lengths, and vibrational frequencies. The interaction energies are estimated by charge partitioning to extract individual dipoles from the mixed arrangement and by calculations of field-dipole interactions. These estimated dipole interactions contribute significantly (20-60%) to the DFT-calculated relative stability of mixed arrangements over atop-, bridge-, or fcc-only arrangements and thus play an important role in coverage-dependent adsorption. We further extend these analyses to a range of molecules with varying dipole moments and show that the general nature of these interactions is not limited to CO and NO.


The inner concave cable arch structure has been adopted in some engineering applications in recent years. Geometric configuration of the cable clamp joint and its anti-sliding performance is the key to assure the bearing capacity for this type of structure. In this study, nonlinear finite element analysis on the cable clamp joint of a concave cable arch is performed using ABAQUS, with influences of the friction coefficients and the nonlinearity of materials are investigated. The pretension loss of bolts caused by different tightening sequences is also discussed. It is found that nearly 9% of the initial pretension force for each bolt gets lost during the tightening process, and mutual influence of the bolts can be significantly weakened by applying reasonable tightening sequence.


Due to the popularity of online repositories, an efficient compression algorithm that removes statistical redundancy and psychovisual redundancies without perceptual degradation is important for data transmission and storage. Visual attention model and visual sensitivity model are proposed for removing psychovisual redundancies. However most visual attention models are based on spatial component analysis, and only a few adopt motion vectors for temporal component analysis, which lacks perceptual information. This paper proposes a scene motion and saliency motion based visual attention model that effectively traces the movement of salient regions, and incorporates the obtained motion saliency map with Just Noticeable Distortion (JND) to determine the quantization parameters. The proposed framework achieves an 8% to 73% bit rate reduction compared with the H.264 in version JM14.0, and its bit rate reduction is three times higher than the previous methods. Visual quality assessment experiments indicate that participants cannot distinguish the difference between the compressed video streams and the original video streams.


The Sunswift project of the University of New South Wales, Australia, exists to provide university students with a multi-disciplinary engineering challenge, enhancing the true educational value of their degree with a unique hands-on real-world experience of creating solar–electric hybrid vehicles. The design and development of the low-drag 'solar supercar' Sunswift eVe car are described here, detailing the student-led process from initial concept sketches to the completed performance vehicle. eVe was designed to demonstrate the potential of effective solar integration into a practical passenger-carrying vehicle. It is a two-seater vehicle with an on-body solar array area of 4 m2 and a battery capacity of 16 kW h, which is capable of sustained speeds over 130 km/h and a single-charge range of over 800 km. Carbon fiber was used extensively, and the components were almost all designed, built, and tested by students with industry and academic mentorship. The eVe project was initiated in mid-2012, and the car competed in the 2013 World Solar Challenge, taking class line honours. It subsequently set a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile land speed record in 2014 for the fastest average speed of an electric vehicle over 500 km; it is now the team's intent to develop the car to road-legal status.


There is a lack of reporting on the connection between Humanitarian Country Team Health Clusters and the three funds (the Global Fund, the Gavi Alliance, and the Global Financing Facility (GFF)), both generally and for the three countries of focus (Mozambique, Uganda, and Nigeria). The Global Fund is noted to partner with the Global Health Cluster but details were not identified within the scope of this report. Global Fund A Global Fund board meeting report and a review of Fund investments in challenging operating environments notes partnering and joining with the Global Health Clusters but does not give detail of specific countries. The Global Fund does not include Mozambique or Uganda in their list of challenging operating environments. There are reports of emergency funding being allocated for refugees in Uganda, and for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mozambique. Countries are encouraged to include refugees in their funding requests to the Global Fund. Some Global Fund supported operations for HIV treatment in Mozambique have been interrupted as people receiving treatment fled from violence. Partners in provinces where the displaced are arriving are implementing emergency plans to maintain continuity of care. A Global Fund initiative for removing human-rights barriers to health treatment does not list refugees or IDPs as vulnerable groups for HIV programming. The same initiative in Uganda did specifically support distribution of nets to help prevent malaria. A 2017 audit report on Global Fund grant management in high-risk environments found inadequate early warning mechanisms to identify risk levels of grants. Gavi Alliance Gavi Alliance policy documentation states that a flexible and tailored approach is taken to achieve equity in fragile or emergency situations and for the needs of displaced populations. Requests for flexible support are based on specific needs which must be justified. The policy puts a strong emphasis on ensuring the inclusion of displaced populations. It encourages governments to provide immunisations independent of residency and legal status. They provide extra support where justified for displaced people. Very little information on Gavi activity in the countries of focus for this report was found. Global Financing Facility The GFF 2021-2025 strategy reports offering support in complex humanitarian settings but detail is not included. An earlier report describes GFF support in Nigeria where the Facility were able to finance a targeted project in a short timeframe. Distinction is made between this type of support and emergency support which is not part of the design of the GFF and is unable to quickly release lifesaving funds in emergency situations. The short timeframe funding was provided to support the Nigerian State Health Investment Project where violence had disrupted health services and where health indicators were poor. Mobile health teams were contracted out to hard-to-reach areas. Outreach included psychosocial support.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To study patients' descriptions of their health after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) before discharge.

BACKGROUND
Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) affects the patient's recovery. The hospital stay is long, and it is important to study how patients experience their health postoperatively.

DESIGN
Qualitative descriptive design.

METHODS
Between January-May 2012, individual interviews were conducted with 20 patients in a university hospital in central Sweden using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS
Three themes (a process, body and mind, and support) and nine categories emerged. The surgery was described as a turning point, followed by a period of hope and thankfulness. Nevertheless, patients had difficulty taking in their positive feelings because they were overwhelmed by their bodily ailments. Despite the patients' descriptions of being on an emotional roller coaster, thinking about death and an uncertain future, or being in a state somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, they described themselves as being in good mental health. Continuous individualised information and support from the surgeon and staff members were described as being important for the recovery process, and none of the patients asked for counselling before discharge.

CONCLUSION
Surgery was described as a turning point followed by an uncertain future. Despite the overwhelming nature of their bodily ailments and being on an emotional roller coaster postoperatively, patients described themselves as being in good psychological health and not needing any professional counselling. Continuous individualised information from the surgeon and staff members played an important role in the recovery process.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Both staff and future patients may benefit from the patients' experiences after CRS and HIPEC described in this study. The knowledge gained from this study could be used in designing a care plan for future patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC.


Nickel-based nano self-lubricating coatings were deposited on medium carbon steel by laser. The microstructure and tribological properties of the typical coating containing 10wt % nano-hBN powders were investigated using SEM incorporating EDS, and high temperature tribo-tester, respectively. It was found that the cladding layer and substrate was good metallurgical bonding. Dry sliding frictional tests suggested that the composite coating containing about 10wt % hBN powders has lower friction coefficient than that of pure Ni60 cladding at room temperature with a load of 40N and a speed of 2m/s, as well as 400°C with a load of 20N and a speed of 2m/s. The wear resistance of Ni60-hBN coating is about 10 times than that of Ni60 coating. The SEM analysis of the abrasion morphology found that wear mechanism of self-solid lubrication coating was adhesive wear, and wear mechanism of the cladding layer of non-lubricant was adhesive wear with abrasive wear.


A 9 years' experience with percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS) has been appraised. A total number of 1,272 procedures have been performed in our institution between 1986 and 1994; 861 before the 24th week of gestation and 411 after 24 weeks. The indications for PUBS changed throughout these years because of the rapid evolution of molecular biology and because of the fact that certain conditions can now be diagnosed at earlier stages of gestation by chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis. Sampling at a later gestational age reflected changes in indications. PUBS loss rate has been calculated for 482 fetuses less than 24 weeks, retrospectively found to be negative for the suspected condition and has been related to gestational age, duration of the procedure and number of needle insertions. Total procedure-related loss rate was 2.3%: 1.6% intrauterine fetal deaths within 48 h of the procedure and 0.7% spontaneous abortions in the 2 weeks following the procedure. Gestational age at the time of the procedure and duration of the procedure were significantly related to fetal losses within 48 h.


Ti and Ti alloys are widely used as metallic implants, because of their good mechanical properties and nontoxic behavior. However, they have problems as the implant-materials, namely, high Young's modulus comparing that of bone and low bonding ability with bone. There is a need to develop the Ti and Ti alloys with lower Young's modulus and good bonding ability. In previous study, Ti composite containing biodegradable poly-L-lactic-acid (PLLA) fiber has been fabricated to improve these problems. However, this composite has low strength because of the imperfect sintering of Ti matrix. To improve its strength, sintering of Ti matrix should be completed. In this study, Ti-NaCl composite material was fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) method using powder mixture of Ti and NaCl to complete the sintering of Ti matrix. To obtain porous Ti samples, Ti-NaCl composite were put into hot water of 100 oC. The porous Ti was dipped into PLLA melt in order to introduce PLLA into the pores of porous Ti. Finally, Ti-PLLA composite was obtained, and PLLA plays a role as reinforcement of Ti matrix. It was found that the Ti-PLLA composite has gradient structure and mechanical properties.


Two additional cases of this rare bladder tumor are described. The immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the histological diagnosis of this aggressive tumor type. The choice of treatment for the tumor and its metastasis is influenced by its rarity.


Here, a new thermally actuated latching wideband RF microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch is presented. The switch employs two thermal actuators connected to two thin metal arms which serve as signal lines of coplanar waveguide switch. The actuators pull the thin arms sequentially, and latch the switch. The switch can be actuated on and off by using either short voltage or current pulses. Using a dielectric bridge (nitride) as an interface between the actuators and the thin arms, the RF circuitry is separated from DC actuators, allowing wide-band operation. The switch demonstrates an excellent wideband RF performance with an insertion loss of better than 0.3 dB up to 20 GHz and better than 0.8 dB up to 40 GHz. The return loss and isolation of the switch is better than 20 dB for the entire frequency band. The switch also has a very satisfactory repeatability with better than 0.1-dB variation in insertion loss and less than 1-dB variation in return loss and isolation at 30-dB level up to 6000 times switching cycles. The switch has been also successfully tested for RF power handling capability up to 40 dBm. The proposed switch has very simple RF structure which makes it an ideal candidate to be integrated in the form of more complex circuitry. An application of the proposed switch for a band selection network which is used in multiband transceivers has been presented here.


AIM
To develop and preliminarily evaluate a new screening instrument for atypical odontalgia (AO) or persistent dentoalveolar pain disorder (PDAP). To evaluate the instrument's performance in detecting AO/PDAP amongst a heterogeneous group of orofacial pain conditions and pain-free controls and empirically compare its performance with an established neuropathic screening instrument (S-LANSS), which is the best available standard.

METHODS
The study design was cross-sectional; subjects recruited included a convenience sample of pain-free controls (n = 21) and four groups of orofacial pain conditions: AO/PDAP (n = 22); trigeminal neuralgia (n = 21); temporomandibular disorder (n = 41); and acute dental pain (n = 41). The instrument's internal reliability and factor structure were examined alongside its sensitivity and specificity and ROC-determined threshold score.

RESULTS
The 9 AO/PDAP-specific items were found to moderately correlate with the S-LANSS (r = 0.58; P < 0.01). The 14-items of the full instrument were examined using exploratory factor analysis and reduced to ten items in a two-factor structure that explained 96% of the variance. This 10-item final instrument had a ROC area of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.67; 0.88), sensitivity of 77% (95% CI: 55; 92%), and specificity of 69% (95% CI: 60; 77%) with an intentionally higher false-positive rate than false-negative rate. In contrast, the S-LANSS exhibited sensitivity of 32% (95% CI: 14;55%) and specificity of 78% (95% CI: 70;85%) with less optimal false-positive versus false-negative rates.

CONCLUSION
This preliminary study confirms the new screening instrument for AO/PDAP merits progression to field testing.