The subject of the study is the conceptual, theoretical, empirical and methodological foundations of overcoming corruption risks in the activities of law enforcement agencies in the conditions of economic integration. Methodology. General and specific methods of knowledge were used in the research process. The dialectical method was used to study the nature of corruption at the legal and economic levels of its manifestation. The analysis created the conditions for a multifaceted study of all the characteristic features of corruption, corruption risk and corruption risk management in the context of economic integration. The synthesis created the conditions for generalising the characteristics of the above categories in the legal and economic fields. The formal legal method allowed to correctly interpret the content of normative legal acts that determine the general, special and local legal regime of corruption risk management in the activities of law enforcement agencies in the conditions of economic integration. The purpose of the article is to identify the economic and legal foundations of corruption as a socio-economic and legal phenomenon, as well as corruption risks and their management in the activities of law enforcement agencies, at a theoretical and empirical level. The results of the study showed that measures to overcome corruption risks in the activities of law enforcement agencies are components of the process of their management, which have the appropriate differentiation, organisational, legal and socio-economic basis. Conclusion. Corruption as a social, economic and legal phenomenon has a number of causes, including political, economic, legal, organisational and socio-psychological. Corruption causes corresponding negative phenomena in the development of the economy both at the national and global, international level. Taking into account the position of international and Ukrainian legislation, the study of the nature of the risk of corruption was conducted, as a result of which the categories of assessment and management of the risk of corruption were distinguished in favour of the latter. The positive results of improving the legal regulation of corruption risk management were noted. Based on the results of the study of the content of corruption risks and the process of their management, proposals for amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Prevention of Corruption" were made. It was concluded that the phenomenon of overcoming corruption risks in law enforcement bodies represents a system of appropriate measures, which can be divided into the following groups: 1) general; 2) special; 3) local. General measures are defined within the framework of the general provisions of the current international and domestic legislation, which applies to all subjects in the field of anti-corruption legal regulation, in particular to officials of state authorities. Special ones reflect the specifics of such measures within the limits of the respective law enforcement agency, which is reflected in the content of the anti-corruption programme for the respective period. Local ones appear within the framework of the relevant law enforcement body (police), which is mediated by the anti-corruption programme of this particular body.


Global warming first became evident beyond the bounds of natural variability in the 1970s, but increases in global mean surface temperatures have stalled in the 2000s. Increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide, create an energy imbalance at the top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) even as the planet warms to adjust to this imbalance, which is estimated to be 0.5–1 W m−2 over the 2000s. Annual global fluctuations in TOA energy of up to 0.2 W m−2 occur from natural variations in clouds, aerosols, and changes in the Sun. At times of major volcanic eruptions the effects can be much larger. Yet global mean surface temperatures fluctuate much more than these can account for. An energy imbalance is manifested not just as surface atmospheric or ground warming but also as melting sea and land ice, and heating of the oceans. More than 90% of the heat goes into the oceans and, with melting land ice, causes sea level to rise. For the past decade, more than 30% of the heat has apparently penetrated below 700 m depth that is traceable to changes in surface winds mainly over the Pacific in association with a switch to a negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) in 1999. Surface warming was much more in evidence during the 1976–1998 positive phase of the PDO, suggesting that natural decadal variability modulates the rate of change of global surface temperatures while sea‐level rise is more relentless. Global warming has not stopped; it is merely manifested in different ways.


OBJECTIVE Components of the adipose tissue (AT) extracellular matrix (ECM) are recently discovered contributors to obesity-related cardiometabolic disease. We identified increased adipocyte expression of ECM-related clusterin (apolipoprotein J) in obese versus lean women by microarray. Our objective was to determine 1) whether subcutaneous AT adipocyte (SAd) clusterin and serum clusterin are associated with insulin resistance (IR) and known markers of cardiometabolic risk and 2) how clusterin may contribute to increased risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We validated increased clusterin expression in adipocytes from a separate group of 18 lean and 54 obese individuals. The relationship of clusterin gene expression and plasma clusterin with IR, cardiovascular biomarkers, and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was then determined. Further investigations in human cultured cells and in aged LDLR−/− mice prone to development of obesity-associated complications were performed. RESULTS SAd clusterin correlated with IR, multiple CVD biomarkers, and CVD risk, independent of traditional risk factors. Circulating human clusterin exhibited similar associations. In human adipocytes, palmitate enhanced clusterin secretion, and in human hepatocytes, clusterin attenuated insulin signaling and APOA1 expression and stimulated hepatic gluconeogenesis. LRP2 (megalin), a clusterin receptor, highly expressed in liver, mediated these effects, which were inhibited by LRP2 siRNA. In response to Western diet feeding, an increase in adipocyte clusterin expression was associated with a progressive increase in liver fat, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis in aged LDLR−/− mice. CONCLUSIONS Adipocyte-derived clusterin is a novel ECM-related protein linking cardiometabolic disease and obesity through its actions in the liver.


Pint-sized Leroy Ninker, previously appearing in Mercy Watson Fights Crime, dreams of riding off into the sunset like the silver screen cowboys he so admires, but he's missing one key cowboy essential—a horse. Fortunately, his pal Beatrice knows just where to find one and soon Leroy has procured himself "the most beautified horse in the whole wide green world," Maybelline. Maybelline, however, proves to be a very particular horse, one that expects to be blandished with purdy words at every turn, enjoys a fair amount of grub, and detests, absolutely detests, being left alone. Readers will have a hootenanny of a good time as this rookie cowboy learns to deal with these characteristics, and they'll be especially pleased to find that the pair's adventures (or misadventures) land them back on Deckawoo Drive meeting up with a few familiar faces from the Mercy Watson series, including that toast-loving pig. The text is lengthier here than in those books and the sentence structure more complicated, but there's still the same skillful use of repetition, goofball humor, and easy accessibility. Mercy fans will be quick to cowboy up to this title. Final art not seen. KQG


A fundamental fact about grammatical structure is that it is highly variable both across languages and within languages. Typological analysis has drawn language universals from grammatical variation, in particular by using the semantic map model. But the semantic map model, while theoretically well-motivated in typology, is not mathematically well-defined or computationally tractable, making it impossible to use with large and highly variable crosslinguistic datasets. Multidimensional scaling (MDS), in particular the Optimal Classification nonparametric unfolding algorithm, o¤ers a powerful, formalized tool that allows linguists to infer language universals from highly complex and large-scale datasets. We compare our approach to Haspelmath's semantic map analysis of indefinite pronouns, and reanalyze Dahl's (1985) large tense-aspect dataset. MDS works best with large datasets, demonstrating the centrality of grammatical variation in inferring language universals and the importance of examining as wide a range of grammatical behavior as possible both within and across languages.


The incidence rate of diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide. Herbal formulations have recently gained importance as an alternative therapeutic option in controlling diabetes without causing any side effects. In the present study, we have demonstrated maintenance of glycemic homeostasis and anti-adipogenic potential of a herbo-mineral formulation Divya MadhuKalp (DMK). Initially, we evaluated the presence of bioactive compounds in DMK using LC/MS-QToF analysis. In-vitro analysis of DMK in L6 (skeletal muscle) cells showed a significant increase in cellular glucose uptake. Similarly, a human equivalent dose of DMK significantly reduced blood glucose level in normoglycemic and oral glucose tolerance rat model. DMK extract also inhibited formation of advanced glycation end product and showed anti-α-glucosidase activity. Further analysis of DMK in 3T3 L1 pre-adipocytes demonstrated anti-adipogenic activity through reduction in intracellular lipid accumulation and triglyceride contents along with downregulation of major adipogenic transcriptional factors (PPAR-γ and C/EBPα) and, adipocytes marker genes (LPL, AP2 and adiponectin). In conclusion, DMK exhibited anti-diabetic and anti-adipogenic activities by synergistic effect of its bioactive compounds and can be considered as a potent herbo-mineral formulation for treating metabolic diseases.


Abstract:The Indian Ocean region is a continuum of social, economic, and cultural engagements. It is also a remarkably elastic matrix of human relations that has profoundly influenced and been influenced by global engagements. These interregional engagements raise questions of how to frame global circularities within Indian Ocean pasts. How have imbrications with other world regions affected the networks and boundaries of the Indian Ocean region? And how have Indian Ocean societies affected the wider world? To answer these questions this article traces Indian Ocean histories within global contexts between the sixteenth and early twentieth centuries. It offers a stereoscopic history of Indian Ocean Africa that appreciates Indian Ocean linkages alongside the region's global entanglements, which in turn demonstrates how Africa's Indian Ocean rim has affected and been affected by wider global relationships. The article suggests that imbrications of regional and extraregional networks do not negate the Indian Ocean's coherence or the central importance of regional linkages. Rather, it argues that such imbrications prompt alternative ways of perceiving Indian Ocean worlds: namely, as layered matrices shaped by the dual articulation of Indian Ocean rim societies.


Abstract Revision of part of the Middle Jurassic flora of Sardinia, the Krasser collection, stored in Prague (Lovisato B collection), containing 23 fossil taxa of horsetails, ferns, cycadophytes, ginkgophytes and conifers. The conifers are most diverse, followed by cycadophytes and ferns. The composition of this assemblage differs notably from the Lovisato collection stored in Cagliari, suggesting that it might derive from a different stratigraphic level and/or palaeoenvironment. The palaeodiversity of the Middle Jurassic flora of Sardinia increases to 46 fossil taxa with this revision. Cycadolepis sp. Nilssonia sp., Nilssonia sp. cf. N. orientalis, Pagiophyllum sp. and Agathoxylon sp. are described for the first time from the Middle Jurassic of Sardinia.


In the past two decades, a number of studies have been carried out in the Southern Ocean to look at export production using drifting sediment traps and thorium‐234 based measurements, which allows us to reexamine the validity of using the existing relationships between production, export efficiency, and temperature to derive satellite‐based carbon export estimates in this region. Comparisons of in situ export rates with modeled rates indicate a two to fourfold overestimation of export production by existing models. Comprehensive analysis of in situ data indicates two major reasons for this difference: (i) in situ data indicate a trend of decreasing export efficiency with increasing production which is contrary to existing export models and (ii) the export efficiencies appear to be less sensitive to temperature in this region compared to the global estimates used in the existing models. The most important implication of these observations is that the simplest models of export, which predict increase in carbon flux with increasing surface productivity, may require additional parameters, different weighing of existing parameters, or separate algorithms for different oceanic regimes.


Summary Three hundred twenty, 24 lb nursery pigs were fed for 19 days to compare the effects of increasing dietary lysine from L-lysine HCl (L-Lys) or Peptide Plus™ (PP) on growth performance. Three dietary treatments (1.025, 1.15, and 1.275% lysine) were each formulated with L-Lys and PP. Negative and positive control corn-soybean meal-based diets were formulated to .90 and 1.275% lysine, respectively. Increasing dietary lysine to 1.275% from L-Lys or PP resulted in increased performance; however, pigs fed the positive control diet had the best overall performance.


Oxidative stress (OS) underlies neuronal dysfunction in many neurodegenerative disorders. Regulator of Calcineurin 1 (RCAN1 or DSCR1) is a dose-sensitive gene whose overexpression has been linked to Down syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and to the response of cells to stress stimuli. Here, we show that RCAN1 mRNA and protein expression are sensitive to OS in primary neurons, and we evaluate the involvement of RCAN1 dosage in neuronal death induced by OS. We find that Rcan1(-/-) neurons display an increased resistance to damage by H(2)O(2), which can be reverted by RCAN1 overexpression or by exogenous inhibitors of calcineurin. Although increased intracellular Ca(2+) concentration is an important factor in OS-mediated cell death, our results show that Ca(2+) loading after exposure to H(2)O(2) was similar in Rcan1(+/+) and Rcan1(-/-) neurons. Our data further suggest that CaN and NFAT signaling protect against OS in both Rcan1(+/+) and Rcan1(-/-) neurons. To explain the observed differential vulnerability, we therefore propose a mechanism downstream of H(2)O(2)-mediated Ca(2+) entry, involving calcineurin-NFAT signaling. These findings highlight the importance of RCAN1 gene dosage in the modulation of cell survival and death pathways and suggest that changes in the amount of RCAN1 could represent an important mechanism for regulating susceptibility to neurodegeneration, especially in DS and AD.


Recently, the pollution due to non-degradable materials including plastics, has led to needs on the development of environmental-friendly material. Owing to its biodegradability nature, sorghum fibres are interesting to be modified with petro-polymer as a composite. These materials are also expected to reduce the impact of environmental pollution. Surface modification of sorghum through chemical treatment was aimed to enhanced crystalline part of micro-fibrillated cellulose, thus increased compatibility to petro-polymer, as mean to improve composite properties. The experiments were conducted by alkalization process (10% NaOH) followed by acetylation with acetic acid glacial and acetic anhydride (CH3CO2)2 with additions of 1 and 2 drops of 25% H2SO4. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the treated and untreated fibres. The results of investigation showed that the chemical treatments have effectively produced MFC with the smallest fibre size around 5.5 – 6.5 microns and reduced lignin and hemicellulose where the highest crystalline part up to 80.64% was obtained through acetate acid treatment of 17.4 M, followed acetic anhydride with 1 drop of H2SO4 addition. Based on the current results, it is promising that the synthesized composites can be improved for their compatibilities.


Hypoxia inducible factor-1(HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor, is composed of two subunits (HIF-1 α and HIF-1 β ). It is considered as an important transcription factor for regulating oxygen changes in hypoxic environment, which can regulate the expression of various hypoxia-related target genes and play a role in acute and chronic hypoxia pulmonary vascular reactions. In this paper, the function and mechanism of HIF-1a expression and regulation in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) were reviewed, and current candidate schemes for treating pulmonary hypertension by using HIF-1a as the target were introduced, so as to provide reference for studying the pathogenesis of HPH and screening effective treatment methods.


Introduction Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among females in Angola and human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main risk factor for the development of pre-cancerous squamous intraepithelial lesions. The diversity and frequency of HPV types in Angola has yet to be reported. Aim To determine the frequency of HPV among women with squamous intraepithelial lesions from women in Luanda, Angola. Methods Study participants included women diagnosed with cytological abnormalities that voluntarily provided Pap smears (n = 64). Genomic DNA was extracted from the samples for use as templates in the PCR amplification of HPV sequences. PCR products were sequenced to determine HPV type. Results HPV DNA was detected in 71.9% (46/64) in the samples. A higher diversity of HPV types was found in the cytological lesions, such as ASCUS and LSIL (HPV16, 6, 18, 31, 58, 66, 70 and 82, in order of frequency) than that detected for HSIL and SSC (HPV16, 18, 6 and 33). The most prevalent HPV type were: HPV16, HPV6 and HPV18. Conclusion This is the first report on HPV type diversity and frequency in woman of Angola. The results suggest that large-scale studies across Africa would improve our understanding of interrelationship between HPV infections and cervical cancer. More directly, the identification of the HPV types most prevalent suggests that women in Angola would benefit from currently available HPV vaccines.


Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the vector of Leishmania chagasi, the aetiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the New World. In the present study, the response of female sandflies from Jacobina, Brazil, to human odours from six different volunteers was investigated. Glass Petri dishes were handled by different volunteers and then exposed to female sandflies. There was a significant difference between subjects in that some individuals were more attractive or less repellent to sandflies. Response of flies to handled Petri dishes was higher during the first minutes of observation, suggesting the presence of volatile compounds in hand odours. Extracts of glass Petri dishes that had been handled by the volunteers were made with organic solvents such as acetone, methanol, pentane and ether. These were then concentrated and tested for sandfly response. Only extracts carried out with non‐polar solvents such as pentane and ether were able to transfer odours from handled glass Petri dishes onto clean dishes. The attractivity of male and female human subjects was monitored for 80 days, and minor fluctuations in attractiveness were observed.


Ecosystem monitoring is central to effective management, where rapid reporting is essential to provide timely advice. While digital imagery has greatly improved the speed of underwater data collection for monitoring benthic communities, image analysis remains a bottleneck in reporting observations. In recent years, a rapid evolution of artificial intelligence in image recognition has been evident in its broad applications in modern society, offering new opportunities for increasing the capabilities of coral reef monitoring. Here, we evaluated the performance of Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Networks for automated image analysis, using a global coral reef monitoring dataset. The study demonstrates the advantages of automated image analysis for coral reef monitoring in terms of error and repeatability of benthic abundance estimations, as well as cost and benefit. We found unbiased and high agreement between expert and automated observations (97%). Repeated surveys and comparisons against existing monitoring programs also show that automated estimation of benthic composition is equally robust in detecting change and ensuring the continuity of existing monitoring data. Using this automated approach, data analysis and reporting can be accelerated by at least 200x and at a fraction of the cost (1%). Combining commonly used underwater imagery in monitoring with automated image annotation can dramatically improve how we measure and monitor coral reefs worldwide, particularly in terms of allocating limited resources, rapid reporting and data integration within and across management areas.


Recent study data support the role of oxidative stress in diverse psychiatric disorders. Oxidative stress results from an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance, an excess of oxidants and/or a depletion of antioxidants. There are numerous studies that indicate that free radicals (FRs) damage neurons, and then play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and depression. Active oxygen can cause considerable damage and disrupt the important physiological functions of proteins, lipids, enzymes and DNA. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible differences in the concentration of tromboxane B2, 8-OHdG and protein carbonyls, as significant markers of oxidative damage, and urate, albumin and total protein concentrations as antioxidative molecules in PTSD patients in comparison to the healthy control group. The study included 74 male participants who were active soldiers in the Croatian armed forces from 1991 to 1995. 46 subjects with chronic and current PTSD were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry of Dubrava University Hospital during 2010, 28 healthy subjects were recruited in the same period during the regular medical examination at the Dubrava University Hospital. Study results have shown that there is no statistically significant difference in urinary concentrations of 8-OHdG, serum thromboxane B2, and serum urates between two studied groups. Statistically significant difference of the protein carbonyl concentrations was examined. Concentrations were significantly lower in the PTSD group than in the control group. The clinical significance of these results was examined using ROC analysis. The obtained ROC curves did not separate the groups in a satisfactory manner.


Popular Internet services are hosted by multiple geographically distributed data centers. The location of the data centers has a direct impact on the services' response times, capital and operational costs, and (indirect) carbon dioxide emissions. Selecting a location involves many important considerations, including its proximity to population centers, power plants, and network backbones, the source of the electricity in the region, the electricity, land, and water prices at the location, and the average temperatures at the location. As there can be many potential locations and many issues to consider for each of them, the selection process can be extremely involved and time-consuming. In this paper, we focus on the selection process and its automation. Specifically, we propose a framework that formalizes the process as a non-linear cost optimization problem, and approaches for solving the problem. Based on the framework, we characterize areas across the United States as potential locations for data centers, and delve deeper into seven interesting locations. Using the framework and our solution approaches, we illustrate the selection trade offs by quantifying the minimum cost of (1) achieving different response times, availability levels, and consistency times, and (2) restricting services to green energy and chiller-less data centers. Among other interesting results, we demonstrate that the intelligent placement of data centers can save millions of dollars under a variety of conditions. We also demonstrate that the selection process is most efficient and accurate when it uses a novel combination of linear programming and simulated annealing.


SIR,-We have already reported changes in plasma cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone, renin activity, and serum osmolality in a group of Finnish sportsmen who ran a noncompetitive marathon over the classical course in Athens in October 1973.1As these data suggested a correlation between physical fitness and changes in hormone profiles we investigated a similar group of nine amateur Finnish runners aged 29-54 (mean 43) years running the same course in October 1976. The group included a woman and a father and son. All participantswere in good physical condition and had been running regularly as part of a programme to increase physical fitness and promote mens sana in corpore sano. The experimental conditions were the same as in 1973. Water was allowed ad libitum. The sky was cloudy, however, and the temperature only 18'C, in contrast to the fierce sunshine and 30°C in 1973. The mean running time was the same as before-that is, 242 min. Control blood samples were obtained on arrival in Greece two days before the run and also one week previously in Finland to show whether travel stress affected hormone levels. The results of hormone determinations are shown in the accompanying table.


Voice User Interfaces are becoming ubiquitously available, providing unprecedented opportunities to advance our understanding of voice interaction in a burgeoning array of practices and settings. We invite participants to contribute work-in-progress in voice interaction, and to come together to reflect on related methodological matters, social uses, and design issues. This one-day workshop will be geared specifically to present and discuss methodologies for, and data emerging from, ongoing empirical studies of voice interfaces in use and connected emerging design insights. We seek to draw on participants' (alongside organisers') contributions to explore ways of operationalising findings from such studies for the purposes of design. As part of this, will try to identify what can be done to improve user experience and consider creative approaches to how we might ameliorate challenges that are faced in the design of voice UIs.


Drs V. E. Camp, N. J. Jackson, C. R. Ramsay, M. J. Roobol, D. B. Stoeser and D. L. White write: The recent paper by Al-Shanti and Gass (1983) describing ophiolite mélange zones in the eastern Arabian Shield reaches a number of conclusions which we consider do not accord with the evidence. The oceanic island arc accretion model The recognition that the Arabian Shield contains island arcs (Jackaman 1972; Greenwood et al. 1976) which have been tectonically juxtaposed (Bakor et al. 1976; Frisch & Al-Shanti 1977; Gass 1977), was a major conceptual breakthrough. However, evidence now indicates that the basic model reiterated by Al-Shanti and Gass (p. 867, 'accretion of intra-oceanic island arc systems over the period 1100-SO0 Ma') is an oversimplification. First, part of the eastern Arabian Shield may be underlain by continental sialic crust (e.g. Ramsay et al. 1979; Stacey et al. 1980; Delfour 1980; Stacey & Stoeser 1983). Second, the best estimate for the start of oceanic island arc develop- ment was shortly before about 900 Ma (Marzouki et al. 1982). Third, although the development of oceanic island arc systems was the dominant crustal process from about 900 to about 700 Ma (e.g. Fleck et al. 1980; Jackson & Ramsay 1980; Roobol et al. 1983), most of these arc systems were assembled into a single plate by 670 f 10 Ma ago. Following this suturing, the shield- forming magmatic processes changed from one of lithospheric magma systems dominated by subduction- related procsses, to magma systems dominated by massive


Since fi rst discovered in the early 19th century, the ossuaries from Bushehr, Persian Gulf, have attracted attention as possible archaeological evidence for ancient Zoroastrian burial practice. Th is practice involved exposing cadavers to birds before the surviving remains were gathered for deposition in an ossuary. In this paper, the human remains recovered from two ossuaries at Bushehr are described. Specifi cally, several bones were missing, others were damaged on their surfaces, were stained, or broken, all of which can be interpreted as resulting from exposure, carrion feeding, as well as being placed in an ossuary. An overall lack of tooth marks on surviving bones and the observed diff erential pattern of limb and torso survival suggest that bones from the ossuaries had been exposed to bird carrion feeding.


The Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB) system consists of a linear arrangement of N nodes that communicate with each other using two contra-flowing buses. The nodes use an extremely simple protocol to send messages on these buses. This simple, but elegant, system has been found to be very challenging to analyze. We consider a simple and uniform abstraction of this model to highlight the fairness issues in terms of average waiting time. We introduce a new approximation method to analyze the performance of DQDB system in terms of the average waiting time of a node expressed as a function of its position. Our approach abstracts the intimate relationship between the load of the system and its fairness characteristics, and explains all basic behavior profiles of DQDB observed in previous simulation. For the uniform DQDB with equal distance between adjacent nodes, we show that the system operates under three basic behavior profiles and a finite number of their combinations that depend on the load of the network. Consequently, the system is not fair at any load in terms of the average waiting times. We also show that the main theme of the analysis carries over to the general (nonuniform) DQDB. By suitably choosing the inter-node distances, the DQDB can be made fair around some loads, but such system will become unfair as the load changes. In the vicinity of a critical load, the uniform network runs into a state of instability, where its behavior fluctuates from one extreme to the other with small load variations. Our analysis is supported by simulation results. >


This three phase 'action research' based study set out to improve the experience of e-learners. The first two phases resulted in a set of recommendations with the potential to improve the experiences of e-learners. The recommendations resulted in three sets of implementations aimed at providing an active and salient leadership, developing an active learning community, and communicating module element clearly and precisely. Phase three involved implementing the recommendations in a module delivered to 20 postgraduate learners in blended mode and evaluating the impact on their learning experiences. Water-Adams (2006) suggests action and context are central to action research which is a practical approach to professional inquiry. This research addressed a real life, in context problem on a collaborative basis with learners. The approach was interpretative, phenomenological, idiographic and inductive. The primary research tool was the interview used to develop an understanding of learner experiences at a deep and individual level. An unstructured interview was used to evaluate learner experiences in phase one. Themes were abstracted from phase one interviews and used to inform semi-structured interviews which were conducted in phases two and three. A questionnaire was also used in phase three to evaluate the general class experience. The findings suggested that the implementations were successful. Learners perceived an active and salient leadership, felt they benefitted as part of an active learning community and articulated appreciation for clear communications of module elements. However, the nature of communications seemed to play an important role as learners responded very positively to personalised communications such as texting and audio feedback from the tutor. The results highlight the vital role of communications in an e-learning environment, in particular communications which give evidence of an active, approachable and understanding tutor presence, and connects cognitively and emotionally with learners.


Sarah Kane's drama demonstrates modern fascination with the grotesque. In this study some aspects of the modern grotesque in Kane's drama are discussed using some of Bakhtin's, Kayser's and McElroy's findings to depict how modern grotesque represents the world as monstrous since although some critics have stressed the grotesque's playful side, the moderns invested dread and fear into the concept of the grotesque. So the aim is to localize representative examples of the prime characteristics of the modern grotesque world and characters in Kane's oeuvre. Some of the major issues relating to the modern grotesque discussed in this study are subversion and distortion of size, shape and symmetry, alienation of the familiar world and fusion of the realms and grotesque characters. Throughout Kane's oeuvre the characters are deformed and disproportioned, there is a lack of organization and breaking with tradition, and the image of the familiar world is presented alongside the nightmarish, dark elements that break it apart. Furthermore, the individual is being determined in a world surrounded by dark, ominous forces with no emotions or intimate ties. The grotesque characters are also shown as threatened by mental disorders who occasionally attempt to withdraw into an idyllic or anchoritic existence. Keywords: Sarah Kane; Drama, Modern Grotesque; Grotesque World; Grotesque Character; Kayser, Bakhtin; McElroy.


Intrathoracic teratoma is mainly found in the mediastinum. Primary intrapulmonary teratoma is very rare. A 24 year-old female presented with a 2-month history of intermittent episodes of cough and haemoptysis. Contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) examination of chest revealed a mass in the left lingular lobe with evidence of fat and surrounding peripheral translucency. A presumptive diagnosis of intraparenchymal teratoma was considered. Internal inhomogeneity with irregular margins and bursting fat configuration suggested intrapulmonary rupture.Thoracotomy was performed, which revealed an encapsulated mass in the left lingula with bronchial communication. Lingual segmentectomy was performed, with complete resection of the tumour. Gross and histopathological features of the resected specimen were suggestive of a benign intrapulmonary teratoma. Pneumon 2012, 25(2):243-246.


SEMIPALATINSK, KAZAKHSTAN — It was a clear and sunny day when the earth shook in Arcania. Several seismic stations that are part of the International Monitoring System (IMS) that is monitoring compliance with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) picked up the event a short time later and transmitted the data in near real time to Vienna. There, the International Data Center of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) determined that the seismic event on Aug. 22 had a magnitude of 4.05 and placed it in the middle of the so-called Barrier Zone, where Arcania had conducted several nuclear test explosions in the 1970s and 1980s. Arcania claimed to have closed its nuclear test site in 1989 and stated that an earthquake triggered the seismic network. But Arcania's neighboring state and regional competitor, Fiducia, remained apprehensive, not least because it had obtained its own information about suspicious activities prior to Aug. 22 in the Barrier Zone. Because both states are CTBT members, Fiducia requested an on-site inspection (OSI) to clarify what happened in Arcania on Aug. 22. That request was granted, and a team of international inspectors from 22 different countries began assembling immediately in Vienna.


A County of Culture provides a detailed analysis of education reforms in twentieth-century rural China, and of how these reforms relate to larger processes of social, political, and economic transformation. Based on documents and life histories collected in Zouping, the book focuses on education as an indicator of the changing relations between state and rural society,as a crucial feature in local economic life,and as a decisive factor in individual careers and destinies. A County of Culture demonstrates how changes in educational policies have exerted considerable influence on social life in Zouping, from the macro level of nation building and state formation to the micro level of individual careers. It also shows that the rural population has been far from being a passive object of reform, and that it has been extremely difficult for educational reformers to achieve their goals as a result of the social, economic, and mental realities of China's villages. The fate of educational reforms has thus been decided in the tension between two poles: the visions of educational planners and reformers on the one hand, and the expectations of the rural population on the other. Not only pertinent to specialists of Chinese education, this book will also be useful to anyone interested in state-society relations in modern China and to students of comparative education and rural development.


Background Lung disease in very low borth weight (VLBW) infants is known to affect weight gain. We consider whether the results of a pulmonary function test (PFT) in the first weeks of life are associated with infants' weight at 36 weeks post-menstrual age (Wt36). Methods We studied conventionally ventilated infants <32 weeks GA and a BW ≤1250g enrolled in the NO CLD multicenter randomized trial of inhaled nitric oxide who had a PFT performed prior to initiation of study drug. Infants could be enrolled between 7 and 21 days of age. PFTs were obtained with the CO2SMO plus! Respiratory Profile Monitor and Analysis Plus! Software. Dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and expiratory airway resistance (Rexp) were calculated via a least squares technique using a single compartment linear model. Linear regression models were generated to assess the association of Wt36 with Cdyn and Rexp after controlling for confounding factors including weight at the time of PFT. BW was not added to the regression models due to a high degree of colinearity with weight at the time of PFT. Results 55 infants with mean GA of 25.4 wks (range 23-38) and BW of 737g (range 500-1105) had a PFT performed on a mean age of 15 days (range 7-21). Mean Cdyn was 0.39 cc/cmH2O (range 0.20-0.66), and Rexp 226 cm H20/L/sec (range 53-348). One infant died before reaching 36 weeks adjusted age and was excluded from further analysis. Mean Wt36 was 1847g (range 1267-2350). In univariate analysis, Cdyn was significantly (p≤0.001) associated with Wt36. When weight at the time of PFT was added to this model, the effect size on Cdyn dropped by 29%, but Cdyn remained significant (p=0.027). In contrast, Rexp, duration of parenteral nutrition, days until enteral feedings of 100kcal/kg were achieved, days on the ventilator, and ventilation status at 36 weeks were not significantly associated with Wt36 in univariate models. In a multivariate linear regression model (R2=0.55), Cdyn remained significant (coefficient 583 g/cc/cmH20, p=0.035) after controlling for weight at the time of PFT, GA, and duration of parenteral nutrition. GA and weight at the time of the PFT were significant in this model, but duration of parenteral nutrition was not. Conclusion In VLBW infants, Cdyn is associated with Wt36. These results highlight the effect of lung disease on growth in VLBW infants, and may reflect work of breathing or overall severity of illness. Furthermore, they emphasize the relationship between early pulmonary status and outcome.


The recent success of neural network models has shone light on a rather surprising statistical phenomenon: statistical models that perfectly fit noisy data can generalize well to unseen test data. Understanding this phenomenon of $\textit{benign overfitting}$ has attracted intense theoretical and empirical study. In this paper, we consider interpolating two-layer linear neural networks trained with gradient flow on the squared loss and derive bounds on the excess risk when the covariates satisfy sub-Gaussianity and anti-concentration properties, and the noise is independent and sub-Gaussian. By leveraging recent results that characterize the implicit bias of this estimator, our bounds emphasize the role of both the quality of the initialization as well as the properties of the data covariance matrix in achieving low excess risk.


Hydraulic structures constitute the most vulnerable elements of transportation infrastructure. Recent increases in precipitation have resulted in severe and more frequent flash flooding incidents. This has put bridges over waterways at higher risk of failure due to scour. This study presents a new sensor for measuring scour depth variation and sediment deposition processes in the vicinity of the foundations to underpin systems for early warning of impending structural failure. The monitoring system consists of a probe with integrated electromagnetic sensors designed to detect changes in the dielectric permittivity of the surrounding bridge foundation. The probe is equipped with a wireless interface and was evaluated to assess its ability to detect scour and sediment deposition in various soil types and under temperature and water salinity conditions that would commonly occur in a practical installation environment. A novel methodology is also developed enabling discrimination between in situ and re-deposited sediment delivering vital information about the load bearing capacity of the foundation. The experimental approach was validated using 'static' scour simulations and real-time open channel flume experiments. Results indicate that the sensor is highly sensitive to underwater bed level variations and can provide an economical and accurate structural health monitoring alternative to existing instruments.


The essay offers a glimpse of the work developed by Imago Rerum team, concerned to University of IUAV/dCP in Venice, about the critical interpretation and digital reconstruction of the renowned handscroll "Prosperous Suzhou (姑蘇繁華圖)", a Chinese work of art of the XVIII sec, depicting the Chinese city of Suzhou and its surroundings. The aforementioned team of experts carried out a complex research project which involved both the projection and reproduction of axonometric shapes and of orography and topography to the totality of the architectural elements illustrated. The original scroll is 12,41 mt long and 36,5 cm high and it is currently housed in Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang, China. The author was Xu Yang, a court painter of the Qing Dynasty who spent 24 years working on the scroll. Only one section of the long handscroll is presented here, yet, the analysis of the chosen area allowed for the reveal of unprecedented details characterizing this work. One remark evaluates how the urban and topographical sequence follows the topological route instead of the actual landscape. The digital analysis and reconstruction of Suzhou 3D model, also allowed to rebuild lost sections of the prime urban reconfiguration and, in the near future, it will display in an interactive way a comparison between the painted historical city and the current one. Moreover, this work is noted for a combined use of oblique parallel projection, the Sino-Japanese classical art, and linear conic perspective. The latter was imported into China due the Jesuit missions: a semantic integration that conveys to the scroll an even more suggestive power of the relations between East and West at the doorstep of modernity.


Self-regulated learning has become a prominent form of learning, both in the work-place and in educational institutions. Self-regulated learners are able to strategically plan, monitor, evaluate and modify their learning practices and goals. Previous studies revealed school factors which can affect students' ability to self-regulate their learning. However, more research is needed in order to identify out-of-school factors which can contribute to someone becoming a highly self-regulated learner as an adult. One such key factor is parenting style, in particular, parental involvement in and encouragement of children's learning. The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate patterns of parenting styles in childhood and adolescence of highly self-regulated professionals that might have had an impact on the development of these professionals' self-regulatory skills. In order to identify such shared factors, their life histories were explored through in-depth biographical interviews (n=39). Parental involvement and especially maternal involvement, parental positive attitudes towards learning and autonomy support and freedom were found to be recurring common experiences in the majority of life histories of these highly self-regulated learners. Based on our findings, we hypothesise a set of parental style factors that may contribute to the development of self-regulatory learning skills, to be investigated in future research: parental support and encouragement of (i) personal interests, family activities and structured routines; (ii) education and early literacy development; and (iii) independence and freedom of choice.


Voltage-dependent calcium (Ca(2+), Ca(V)1.2) channels are the primary Ca(2+) entry pathway in smooth muscle cells of resistance-size (myogenic) arteries, but their molecular identity remains unclear. Here we identified and quantified Ca(V)1.2 alpha(1)-subunit splice variation in myocytes of rat resistance-size (100-200 microm diameter) cerebral arteries. Full-length clones containing either exon 1b or the recently identified exon 1c exhibited additional primary splice variation at exons 9*, 21/22, 31/32, and +/- 33. Real-time PCR confirmed the findings from full-length clones and indicated that the major Ca(V)1.2 variant contained exons 1c, 8, 21, and 32+33, with approximately 57% containing 9*. Exon 9* was more prevalent in clones containing 1c (72%) than in those containing 1b (33%), suggesting exon-selective combinatorial splicing. To examine the functional significance of this splicing profile, membrane currents produced by each of the four exon 1b/c/ +/- 9* variants were characterized following transfection in HEK293 cells. Exon 1c and 9* caused similar hyperpolarizing shifts in both current-voltage relationships and voltage-dependent activation of currents. Furthermore, exon 9* induced a hyperpolarizing shift only in the voltage-dependent activation of channels containing exon 1b, but not in those containing exon 1c. In contrast, exon 1b, 1c, or +9* did not alter voltage-dependent inactivation. In summary, we have identified the Ca(V)1.2 alpha(1)-subunit splice variant population that is expressed in myocytes of resistance-size arteries and the unique electrophysiological properties of recombinant channels formed by exon 1 and 9* variation. The predominance of exon 1c and 9* in smooth muscle cell Ca(V)1.2 channels causes a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage sensitivity of currents toward the physiological arterial voltage range.


Diverse physical measurements can be modeled by X-ray transforms. While X-ray tomography is the canonical example, reference structure tomography (RST) and coded aperture snapshot spectral imaging (CASSI) are examples of physically unrelated but mathematically equivalent sensor systems. Historically, most x-ray transform based systems sample continuous distributions and apply analytical inversion processes. On the other hand, RST and CASSI generate discrete multiplexed measurements implemented with coded apertures. This multiplexing of coded measurements allows for compression of measurements from a compressed sensing perspective. Compressed sensing (CS) is a revelation that if the object has a sparse representation in some basis, then a certain number, but typically much less than what is prescribed by Shannon's sampling rate, of random projections captures enough information for a highly accurate reconstruction of the object. This paper investigates the role of coded apertures in x-ray transform measurement systems (XTMs) in terms of data efficiency and reconstruction fidelity from a CS perspective. To conduct this, we construct a unified analysis using RST and CASSI measurement models. Also, we propose a novel compressive x-ray tomography measurement scheme which also exploits coding and multiplexing, and hence shares the analysis of the other two XTMs. Using this analysis, we perform a qualitative study on how coded apertures can be exploited to implement physical random projections by "regularizing" the measurement systems. Numerical studies and simulation results demonstrate several examples of the impact of coding.


The Colladon symposium is a public event that will honor the physicist Jean-Daniel Colladon (1802–1890). He was a scientist born in Geneva and well known for his measurements of the speed of sound in the lake of Geneva, his development of tunnel drilling machines, as well as gas light installations in his home town. However, only few people associate his work also with light guiding and fiber optics. In fact, Colladon demonstrated for the first time in 1841 the guiding of light in a liquid jet of water at the Academy of Science, now the University of Geneva. The Colladon experiment, described 1842 in the French Academy of Sciences' journal "Comptes rendus", was afterwards reproduced many time and applied in the illumination of water fountains, for example in the Paris World Exposition in 1889. The British physicist John Tyndall performed similar experiments in 1854 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. With his report in the 1854 "Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great Britain" he earned the credits for inventing light guiding by total internal reflection. Until today he is mistakenly most often considered as inventor of light guiding in the Anglo-Saxon world. During the symposium four presentations will cover milestones in light guiding: From Colladon's water jet experiments to the fabrication of the first transmission fibers, the invention of the optical amplifier to novel microstructered fibers with bandgap guiding. The 4 topics of the symposium and the speakers are: — Origin of light guiding (Jeff Hecht) — First optical fibers (Donald Keck) — Erbium doped fiber optic amplifiers (David Payne) — Photonic crystal fibers (Philip Russell)


Objectives To assess the efficacy and tolerability of risedronate, a pyridinyl bisphosphonate, in preventing loss of bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and proximal femur in early postmenopausal women. Methods A total of 383 patients were randomly assigned to receive risedronate 2.5 or 5 mg or placebo once daily for 24 months. All patients received 1 g elemental calcium daily. BMD was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results Risedronate 5 mg significantly increased BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck and trochanter in early postmenopausal women. Significant results were observed as early as 3 months. In the control calcium-supplemented group, BMD decreased steadily at each site throughout the study. The mean percentage change from baseline in BMD in the risedronate 5 mg group was significantly different from that in the control group at each determination at each site. At 24 months, the differences were 4.5 ± 0.45% at the lumbar spine, 3.3 ± 0.49% at the femoral neck, and 4.3 ± 0.67% at the femoral trochanter. Risedronate 2.5 mg maintained BMD at each site, although the effect was less pronounced than that of risedronate 5 mg. Risedronate was well tolerated and was not associated with an increased incidence of overall or upper gastrointestinal adverse events. Conclusions Risedronate 5 mg prevents bone loss in early postmenopausal women, is well tolerated, and represents an effective choice to maintain bone mass and prevent osteoporosis.


The global-in-time existence of bounded weak solutions to a large class of physically relevant, strongly coupled parabolic systems exhibiting a formal gradient-flow structure is proved. The main feature of these systems is that the diffusion matrix may be generally neither symmetric nor positive semi-definite. The key idea is to employ a transformation of variables, determined by the entropy density, which is defined by the gradient-flow formulation. The transformation yields at the same time a positive semi-definite diffusion matrix, suitable gradient estimates as well as lower and/or upper bounds of the solutions. These bounds are a consequence of the transformation of variables and are obtained without the use of a maximum principle. Several classes of cross-diffusion systems are identified which can be solved by this technique. The systems are formally derived from continuous-time random walks on a lattice modeling, for instance, the motion of ions, cells, or fluid particles. The key conditions for this approach are identified and previous results in the literature are unified and generalized. New existence results are obtained for the population model with or without volume filling.


Most organizations require the verification of personal information before providing services, and the privacy of such information is of growing concern. The authors show how federated identity management systems can better protect users' information when integrated with trust negotiation. In today's increasingly competitive business environment, more and more leading organizations are building Web-based infrastructures to gain the strategic advantages of collaborative networking. However, to facilitate collaboration and fully exploit such infrastructures, organizations must identify each user in the collaborative network as well as the resources each user is authorized to access. User identification and access control must be carried out so as to maximize user convenience and privacy without increasing organizations1 operational costs. A federation can serve as the basic context for determining suitable solutions to this issue. A federation is a set of organizations that establish trust relationships with respect to the identity information-the federated identity information-that is considered valid. A federated identity management system (idM) provides a group of organizations that collaborate with mechanisms for managing and gaining access to user identity information and other resources across organizational boundaries


This 1 sonata uses simple generative principles, to develop networks of relatively high complexity in which intuition actively participates to produce an output with a certain degree of activity and acoustic nonlinearity.Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, from the introduction to his book titled Linked: the new science of networks, "Just as diverse humans share skeletons that are almost indistinguishable, we have learned that these diverse maps follow a common blueprint. A string of recent breathtaking discoveries has forced us to acknowledge that amazingly simple and far-reaching natural laws govern the structure and evolution of all the complex networks that surround us." (Barabasi, 2003)In part, this 1 sonata is influenced by a line of work known as "scale-free" networks. Briefly what this suggests is that networks are everywhere, from biological to eco-systems, even to the internet. These are not yet well understood, but research is beginning to provide answers. It seems that many networks are dominated by a relatively small number of important nodes/hubs that are connected to many other sites. While some hubs have only a few links, others have an enormous amount of links, and it is this sense in which they are "scale-free". Further, no node is typical ofthe others.This is dramatically different than the previous 40 years of research on complex networks, which were understood to be random, such that most nodes have approximately the same number of links. What recent research had found was that, instead of following a bell-shaped distribution (like the height of the majority of the world's population), many networks feature a power law distribution (or finding the equivalent of lots of folks who are100 feet tall!).These answers have significantly altered our understanding of complex networks. Unexplained by previous network theories, hubs offer convincing proof that various complex systems have strict architecture ruled by fundamental laws – these laws apply to real-world systems (cells, computers, languages and society) – but further, these organizing principles have significant implications for creation (developing better drugs, defending the internet, halting the spread of epidemics, or even composing music). (Less)


Tin fluoride (SnF2) is widely used as an effective additive for lead‐free tin‐based perovskite solar cells. However, the function of SnF2 and the mechanism in improving the film morphology are still not clear. In this work, it is clearly demonstrated that SnF2 can play a crucial role in the crystal nucleation process. Due to the limited solubility, SnF2 creates more nucleuses for the crystal growth and therefore enables more uniform thin film with high coverage. It is confirmed that this mechanism can be applied to the growth of both thin film and single crystal. As a result of tin‐fluoride‐assisted heterogeneous nucleation, an MASnIBr2‐based perovskite solar cell with a high and stable power conversion efficiency of 3.70% is demonstrated.


A PROTESTANT CLERGYMAN exhorts a young Jewish woman to tell her father of her conversion, and reminds her of Matthew 10.37: "He that loveth father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me" (Ball 36). A Roman Catholic priest rebukes a young woman who worries that a monastic vocation would be disloyal to her mother, and reminds her too of Matthew 10.37: "I must choose between God and my mother. I could not serve both; and if I made choice of the latter, I would lose my immortal soul, and be damned, quoting the passage, 'whoever loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy to be my disciple" (O'Gorman 12–13). The same Biblical text – yet each polemicist appropriates it for noticeably different ends. In the first case, the danger lies not in young Thirza's own rejection of her father but his rejection of her; his anti-Christian sentiments have negated in advance her own challenge to his authority. But in the second, Edith O'Gorman faces a church hierarchy that equates familial affection with demonic evil. Whereas the Jewish convert mournfully recognizes that her decision may alienate her parents, the would-be nun must actively repudiate her own family.


University students are plagued with increased levels of stress and anxiety which can lead to poor sleep quality and quantity. Breathing techniques have demonstrated counteractive effects to the chronic stresses that the population encounters on an everyday basis. Wearable technology, such as Apple Watches, contain a mindfulness feature that encourages its users to pause throughout the day and engage in mindfulness through resonant breathing. Wearable technology has become increasingly accessible and is also growing in accuracy to measure different biometrics such as sleep quality and quantity. The purpose of the present study was to examine if the mindfulness reminders initiated by the Apple Watch will positively correlate with better sleep quality and quantity. Participants were encouraged to participate in at least one mindfulness reminder a day, which consisted of one minute of mindful breathing, as well as sleep while wearing their Apple Watch to record sleep data on the Sleep++ application. This study suggests that the Apple Watch mindfulness reminders slightly decrease restful sleep by about 1%. It was also found that the more time the participant sleeps, the more restful sleep they will have overall. Lastly, it was suggested that exercise has a positive effect on restful sleep.


Background:  The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) recognises the key role that nurses play in the identification and management of nutritional issues as they have the most frequent contact with patients(Green & Watson, 2007). However, it has been suggested that under-nutrition is frequently unrecognised due to the lack of nutrition training and subsequent awareness of frontline nursing staff (Elia et al., 2005). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a nutrition education programme on nutrition knowledge, practice and awareness in a small sample of nursing staff.

Methods:  Nursing staff from the acute hospital setting completed a pre-training questionnaires and from this a Positive Nutrition Education Programme was devised educating nursing staff on nutrition and how to utilise Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). A post training questionnaire was then completed, on the same wards, one month following training. The maximum achievable knowledge score was 31 for both questionnaires. The nutrition knowledge, practice and awareness were analysed using quantitative and qualitative descriptive analyses; a chi squared test was used to look at the effect of pre education.

Results:  Mean (SD) knowledge scores pre and post nutrition education for all staff were not significantly different [21 (6.7) and 23 (6.2) respectively]. This may be attributed to the large standard deviations seen or the small sample size. However for Band five nurses (pre-training n = 9, post training n = 6) a significant improvement in mean knowledge scores was noted [22 (4.2) and 27 (2) respectively; P = 0.007].

Table 1.   Percentage response of nursing staff to nutrition practice, awareness and attitude questions before and after a nutrition education programme Question Nursing staff responding 'Yes' pre-education (n = 23) (%) Nursing staff responded 'Yes' post education (n = 16) (%) P-value*

*Values compared using chi-square test, P < 0.05.

Practice –Are patient's weighed on admission? 74 94 <0.001
Awareness –Is malnutrition a significant problem for NHS today? 39 82 0.027
MUST –Would MUST be useful on the ward? 94 100 NS

Discussion:  This small study highlights the positive attitudes of nursing staff to the use of a nutrition screening tool such as MUST regardless of training. It also suggests that a Positive Nutrition Education Programme could improve nutritional knowledge, increase nutritional awareness, and result in improved nutritional practices. This finding is in agreement with that of other studies in that further nutritional training for nursing and nursing support staff is required to improve nutrition screening and nutrition practices on acute hospital wards (Elia & Russell, 2008).

Conclusion:  Further, more detailed studies into the impact of training on nursing nutrition awareness and practice, specifically in relation to MUST may suggest ways to improve compliance with the nutrition screening of patients.

References:  Green, S.M. & Watson, R. (2005). Nutritional screening and assessment tools for use by nurses: literature review. J. Adv. Nurs.50, 69–83.

Elia, M. Zellipour, L. & Stratton, R. (2005) To screen or not to screen for adult malnutrition? Clin. Nutr.24, 867–884.

Elia, M. & Russell, C. (2008) Combating Malnutrition: Recommendations for Action. (BAPEN), Redditch.


LDL cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, is a fat that circulates in the blood, moving cholesterol around the body to where it is needed for cell repair and depositing it inside of artery walls. Because cholesterol and triglycerides are insoluble in water, they must be associated with proteins to flow through the hydrophilic blood. [1]


Darwinulocopina is an interesting group of ostracods that includes some of the first invaders of freshwater habitats during the late Palaeozoic. The Permian–Triassic extinction greatly reduced their diversity, culminating in a single extant family. The darwinulids are regarded as 'ancient asexuals' given that a parthenogenetic mode of reproduction is assumed for all post‐Triassic members of the group. However, the high diversity achieved during the late Palaeozoic is often associated with sexual reproduction. Here we studied a monospecific assemblage of ostracods from the Middle Triassic of the Cuyo Basin, Province of Mendoza, Argentina, recognizing a new species of Darwinulocopina, Prasuchonella? huarpe sp. nov. We discuss the traditional length/height and length/width graphical method for identifying ontogeny/sexual dimorphism in fossil ostracod assemblages. A geometric morphometric analysis was performed on both lateral and dorsal views of almost 170 carapaces, to evaluate the ontogeny and sexual dimorphism of the species. The best results were obtained from the analysis in dorsal view, discriminating four ontogenetic stages. This revealed a main ontogenetic trend related to the development of the brooding chamber. Although subtle in difference, female carapaces are wider not only at the brooding chamber, but also along the whole length, compared with the presumptive males. We provide full systematic descriptions and discussions, attempting to unify descriptive criteria for recent and fossil darwinulocopine carapaces, and suggest closeness to species previously described from the upper Permian of Russia. As a result, we recommend a review of Mesozoic records of Darwinulocopina, particularly those from the Triassic.


The paper introduces the first attempt at implementing, within the public primary school system, an evidence-based social-emotional learning program called Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS®). The program's central implementation elements are described, and they are ascribable to a three year long European research that has seen the involvement of 5 different countries: Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia. Particularly, the paper describes the stages of teacher training, monitoring of program implementation, experimentation and assessment which have seen the involvement of Italian schools, with a specific focus on the effects of social-emotional learning on inclusive process. The findings, though showing overall positive trends, highlight the need for further investigating some aspects ascribable to the contextual adjustment of an evidence-based program and the use of adequate assessment tools.


Chlamydia trachomatis lipid A is unusual in that it is acylated with myristoyl chains at the glucosamine 3 and 3' positions. We have cloned and expressed the gene encoding UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 3-O-acyltransferase of C. trachomatis (CtlpxA), the first enzyme of lipid A biosynthesis. C. trachomatis LpxA displays approximately 20-fold selectivity for myristoyl-ACP over R/S-3-hydroxymyristoyl-ACP under standard assay conditions, consistent with the proposed structure of C. trachomatis lipid A. CtLpxA is the first reported UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase that prefers a non-hydroxylated acyl-ACP to a hydroxyacyl-ACP. When CtlpxA was expressed in RO138, a temperature-sensitive lpxA mutant of Escherichia coli, five new hybrid lipid A species were made in vivo after 2 h at 42 degrees C, in place of Escherichia coli lipid A. These compounds were purified and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry. In each case, a myristoyl chain replaced one or both of the ester linked 3-hydroxymyristoyl residues of E. coli lipid A. With prolonged growth at 42 degrees C, all the ester-linked 3-hydroxymyristoyl residues were replaced with myristate chains. Re-engineering the structure of E. coli lipid A should facilitate the microbiological production of novel agonists or antagonists of the innate immunity receptor TLR-4, with possible uses as adjuvants or anti-inflammatory agents.


Recent work indicates that cell volume is an important regulator of proteolysls in liver. The antiproteolytic effects of insulin and some amino acids (e.g., glutamine and glycine) are mediated by increases in cell volume. The purpose of the present study was to assess the role of nutritional state in the cell volume-dependent regulation of proteolysis in isolated perfused rat liver. In rats that had been prelabeled by an intraperitoneal injection of L-[4,5-3H]leucine 16-20 h prior to the perfusion experiment, hepatic proteolysis was studied by determination of [3H]labelrelease into effluent perfusate. In separate perfusion experiments [3H]inulin and [14C]urea, acting as markers for1extracellular and the sum of extra- plus intracellular space, were em ployed for determination of effector-induced cell volume changes. Proteolysis in the perfused rat liver was in hibited by insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) and taurocholic acid. Both agonists increased the intracellular water space. The nutritional state of the livers had marked influence on the hormone- and amino acid-dependent regulation of proteolysis. In livers from food-deprived rats for 24 h, the swelling responses to glycine, glutamine and alanine were enhanced, whereas the in sulin-and IGF-1-induced increases of cell volume were diminished. A stronger inhibition of proteolysis was observed in livers from food-deprived rats upon addition of the amino acids, whereas the insulin- and 1GF-1-mediated inhibition of proteolysis was attenuated. In dependent of the nutritional state, a close relationship between the cellular hydration state and the corre sponding inhibition of proteolysis was observed, re gardless of whether cell volume was modified by amino acids, hormones, hypoosmotic exposure or bile acids. We conclude that the nutritional state markedly mod ifies the swelling potency of amino acids and hormones in liver and by this means affects proteolysis. Nutr.


A new type of a non-light concentrating solar photoreactor with immobilized catalyst was developed, where a flat and transparent structured box made of polymethylmethacrylate comprised the main body, and immobilized TiO2 membrane supported on glass fiber net with sol-gel method was used as catalyst. Phenol was used as model pollutant to evaluating the device performance. The limitation of mass transfer was diminished when the circular flux exceeded 2L/min. The apparent reaction kinetics was first order with respect to the phenol concentration, and the apparent kinetic constants decreased with the increase of initial concentration. The linear dependence between apparent reaction rate and radiation density flux was found from 12.8 to 47.6 W/m2. The new reactor, which treated phenol in tap water with high efficiency, has a promising prospective in real drinking water treatment.


The shock induced polarization is one model to explain the electromotive force (EMF) originated from the shock compressed material and provides a good explanation of the variation of the current from the sample with time. This model suggests that the dipole polarization is induced at the shock front and decay behind the front with some characteristic long relaxation time. The precise microscopic mechanism is still unknown. The amount of induced polarization generally depends on the shock pressure and the material. We report the shock induced electromotive forces for several phases of 4-methoxybenzylidene-4-n-butylaniline (MBBA) and the strong dependence of the magnitude of EMF on the initial state of this material.


Due to the difficulty of performing uniaxial tensile testing, the strengths of graphene and its grain boundaries have been measured in experiments by nanoindentation testing. From a series of molecular dynamics simulations, we find that the strength measured in uniaxial simulation and the strength estimated from the nanoindentation fracture force can differ significantly. Fracture in tensile loading occurs simultaneously with the onset of crack nucleation near 5-7 defects, while the graphene sheets often sustain the indentation loads after the crack initiation because the sharply concentrated stress near the tip does not give rise to enough driving force for further crack propagation. Due to the concentrated stress, strength estimation is sensitive to the indenter tip position along the grain boundaries. Also, it approaches the strength of pristine graphene if the tip is located slightly away from the grain boundary line. Our findings reveal the limitations of nanoindentation testing in quantifying the strength of graphene, and show that the loading-mode-specific failure mechanism must be taken into account in designing reliable devices from graphene and other technologically important 2D materials.


Due to suboptimal assignment of pins to grounds and signals, the ground noise problem in integrated circuit (ICs) packages either persists or compromises the design by forcing too many pins to be wasted carrying ground reference. This paper proposes a new CAD technique for optimizing pin assignment in IC packages to minimize ground noise using simulated annealing. Optimization techniques are used in which the objective function is the ground noise as determined by simulation of the IC package leadframe. However, modeling and simulation methods currently employed are prohibitively expensive in terms of CPU time. For this reason, two circuit models of the leadframe are developed and used concurrently: one to provide accuracy and the other to ensure fast execution. Using simulated annealing with a ground noise cost function has provided an observed 26-fold reduction in ground noise in a 208-pin IC quad flat pack (QFP) from a poor initial configuration. In addition, the same process was able to produce a 2.2-fold improvement when an intelligent initial pin assignment was used. Furthermore, these results came at a CPU cost of about 1200 s each on a SUN SPARC10 workstation.


This subject guide will help you to learn about the library's resources on Biology. It includes links to books, articles, databases, websites, and other information sources.


Since the beginning of the present form of crowdfunding, in 2006, crowdfunding has continued to increase in popularity as a higher number of projects seek access to this funding vehicle.This has resulted in the need for independent training materials that can help simulate the socially constructed real world experiences applicants are likely to encounter. At present, these training materials exist as proprietary products accessible only to applicants who are registered on a crowdfunding platform and have either completed, or are in the process of creating, their own crowdfunding campaign. The purpose of this study was to address the central question of how a serious game can help simulate the crowdfunding experience. In addressing this question, the research developed an appropriate framework for crowdfunding success. Furthermore, it also explored two artefacts suited to these outcomes as a means of housing this framework; a workbook and a board game. Validating the two products via a mixed methods approach, a robust set of data has been produced that indicate weaknesses and strengths in both products. These mixed methods included observational session summary sheets, playtests, semi-structured interviews andsurveys. Most salient in this data is the need for lexical adjustments in the workbook and for better mechanics and dynamics in the board game design. However, both products were well received and their ability to meet their learning objectives was a positive correlation, indicating that both products are valid tools for improving the understanding of the crowdfunding applicant and simulating the real-world experiences they are likely to encounter.


Background To eliminate health disparities, research will depend on our ability to reach select groups of people (eg, samples of a particular racial or ethnic group with a particular disease); unfortunately, researchers often experience difficulty obtaining high-quality data from samples of sufficient size. Objective Past studies utilizing MTurk applaud its diversity, so our initial objective was to capitalize on MTurk's diversity to investigate psychosocial factors related to diabetes self-care. Methods In Study 1, a "Health Survey" was posted on MTurk to examine diabetes-relevant psychosocial factors. The survey was restricted to individuals who were 18 years of age or older with diabetes. Detection of irregularities in the data, however, prompted an evaluation of the quality of MTurk health-relevant data. This ultimately led to Study 2, which utilized an alert statement to improve conscientious behavior, or the likelihood that participants would be thorough and diligent in their responses. Trap questions were also embedded to assess conscientious behavior. Results In Study 1, of 4165 responses, 1246 were generated from 533 unique IP addresses completing the survey multiple times within close temporal proximity. Ultimately, only 252 responses were found to be acceptable. Further analyses indicated additional quality concerns with this subsample. In Study 2, as compared with the MTurk sample (N=316), the undergraduate sample (N=300) included more females, and fewer individuals who were married. The samples did not differ with respect to race. Although the presence of an alert resulted in fewer trap failures (mean=0.07) than when no alert was present (mean=0.11), this difference failed to reach significance: F1,604=2.5, P=.11, ƞ²=.004, power=.35. The modal trap failure response was zero, while the mean was 0.092 (SD=0.32). There were a total of 60 trap failures in a context where the potential could have exceeded 16,000. Conclusions Published studies that utilize MTurk participants are rapidly appearing in the health domain. While MTurk may have the potential to be more diverse than an undergraduate sample, our efforts did not meet the criteria for what would constitute a diverse sample in and of itself. Because some researchers have experienced successful data collection on MTurk, while others report disastrous results, Kees et al recently identified that one essential area of research is of the types and magnitude of cheating behavior occurring on Web-based platforms. The present studies can contribute to this dialogue, and alternately provide evidence of disaster and success. Moving forward, it is recommended that researchers employ best practices in survey design and deliberately embed trap questions to assess participant behavior. We would strongly suggest that standards be in place for publishing the results of Web-based surveys—standards that protect against publication unless there are suitable quality assurance tests built into the survey design, distribution, and analysis.


Genetic recombination in bacteriophage φX174 usually takes place early in the infection process and involves two parental replicative form (double-stranded) DNA molecules. The host recA protein is required; none of the nine known φX174 cistron products is essential. The products of a single recombination event are nonreciprocal and asymmetric. Typically, only one of the parental genotypes and one recombinant genotype are recovered from a single cell. An alternative, less efficient recombination mechanism which requires an active φX174 cistron A protein is observed in the absence of the host recA gene product.


The aim of this paper is to deal with the resource-constrained multiple project scheduling problems (rc-mPSP) with fuzzy coefficients, which is well known one of NP-hard problems, by a hybrid genetic algorithm with fuzzy logic controller (flc-hGA). The objective in this paper is to minimize total project time in the project. Because traditional optimization techniques canpsilat cope with the rc-mPSP problems with fuzzy coefficients effectively, so we presents a new approach based on the hybrid genetic algorithm (hGA) with fuzzy logic controller (FLC). For rc-mPSP with fuzzy coefficients, the approach was tested on a set of standard problems and compared with other approaches. The computation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.


The twenty-first century is witnessing a shift in attitude towards the acquisition of
more than one language. Bilingualism that was once considered to lower the
intelligence of the 'afflicted' is now being suggested as contributing to better cognitive
abilities, and delaying the onset of dementia. The other pressing issue that the 21st
century is facing in many parts of the developed world is a rapidly ageing population.
Thus, the present study examined the effects of age(ing) and bilingualism on two
important aspects of human life: our ability to infer nonliteral meaning (i.e. pragmatic
inferences) and executive functions (EF). The present study also explored the
relationship between pragmatic inferences and executive functions, and has
documented a small number of case studies on EF and pragmatic inferring in AD. Four
groups of participants made up of young {17 -23 years) and old {60- 83), and
monolinguals (English speakers in the UK) and bilinguals {English-Tamil speakers in
Singapore) were put through a set of linguistic tasks (pragmatic inferring tasks that
included nonconventional indirect requests, conventional metaphors and novel
metaphors) and non-linguistic tasks (Simon, Stroop Arrow, Spatial N-Back, ColourShape
etc.) that recorded the participants' pragmatic inferential abilities and
executive functioning (namely, inhibition, updating and switching). The present study
has found that there was a bilingual advantage in pragmatic inference-making for
some nonliteral language types. There was an age effect on pragmatic inferencemaking,
but, again, not for all nonliteral language types. There was no bilingualism
effect on executive functions, but young bilinguals were found to have a smaller
Mixing Cost than the young monolinguals and old bilinguals, presumably due to their greater code-switching frequency. An age effect w.a s found for inhibition (where old
participants obtained better accuracy scores than the young) and updating, but none
for Switching/Shifting, except for the Mixing Cost.
It was also found that updating was predominantly a significant contributor to
pragmatic inference-making. And lastly, there were relationships between updating
and pragmatic inference-making, but only for some non literal language types and that
too, for bilingual participants. While past studies have found effects of bilingualism in
inhibition, the present study has shown that updating seems to be an important EF
resource for bilinguals in discourse processing. In addition, as predicted in the study,
frequent code-switching contributed positively to better global sustained control
mechanisms.


The structures of systems of particles with repulsive Yukawa interactions are analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations with emphasis on the behavior of Yukawa mixtures. To keep the density of particles with mutual repulsion at finite values, we need some confining mechanism and the latter has strong effects on the structure formation. Under the gravity, the confinement is one-dimensional and we have layered structures. In this case, Yukawa mixtures are separated by the difference in the charge to mass ratios. In the case without gravity, we may have three-dimensional confinement and the behavior of the system may be analyzed by assuming spherical symmetry. We show that there also occurs a separation of species according to the magnitude of charges under the condition of no gravity and we have well-organized structures when the temperature is sufficiently low.


The sulfur-doped Y-junction carbon nanotubes (S-YCNTs) were prepared by chemical vapor deposition of carbon disulfide using Fe as catalyst. Sulfur can be incorporated into the nanotubes with an identifiable amount, forming sulfur-doped carbon nanotubes. The growth of asymmetrical Y-branches in the nanotubes may be related to the presence of sulfur from precursor. The structure and morphology of S-YCNTs can be controlled by processing parameters. The S-YCNTs were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, and XPS, respectively. The growth mechanism of S-YCNTs was discussed in terms of the role of sulfur from carbon feedstock.


We investigated the effect of integrin αvβ3 expression on the metastatic pattern of human melanoma cells in the central nervous system (CNS). For this purpose, we developed a hematogenous CNS melanoma metastasis model in nude mice using a modified internal carotid artery infusion technique. This protocol revealed 2 different patterns of CNS metastasis. The integrin αvβ3‐expressing melanoma lines Mel57 and Zkr nearly exclusively produced metastases in the brain parenchyma, whereas cells of the BLM and MV3 lines, devoid of integrin αvβ3 expression, preferentially metastasized to dura mater and leptomeninges. Treatment with hyaluronidase to obtain single BLM cell suspensions did not influence the metastatic pattern, indicating that this was not simply the result of entrapment of tumor cell aggregates in large‐sized leptomeningeal vessels. The role of integrin αvβ3 expression in the process of metastasis was tested by transfection of BLM, but did not lead to an altered pattern of metastasis. We did observe, however, slower growth of the transfected tumors, although the in vitro growth rate was unaltered, indicating a reduction in tumorigenicity. We conclude from our findings that CNS metastasis of melanoma cells in the mouse xenograft model occurs in at least 2 different but very reproducible patterns. Although it is predicted that adhesion of tumor cells to endothelial cells plays a role in this phenomenon, tumor cell integrin αvβ3 expression per se does not explain the difference in metastatic behavior in the CNS. We assume that other, as yet unknown factors, must be involved. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We investigate the mass and decay constant of the heavy‐heavy pseudoscalar, Bc, ηc and ηb mesons in the framework of finite-temperature QCD sum rules. The annihilation and scattering parts of spectral density are calculated in the lowestorderofperturbationtheory.Takingintoaccounttheadditionaloperators arising at finite temperature, the nonperturbative corrections are also evaluated. The masses and decay constants remain unchanged under T ∼ 100 MeV, but after this point, they start to diminish with increasing temperature. At critical or deconfinement temperature, the decay constants reach approximately 35% of their values in vacuum, while the masses are decreased about 7%, 12% and 2% for Bc, ηc and ηb states, respectively. The results at zero temperature are in good consistency with the existing experimental values as well as predictions of the other nonperturbative approaches. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)


The molecular requirements for ethylene action were investigated using the pea straight growth test. Biological activity requires an unsaturated bond adjacent to a terminal carbon atom, is inversely related to molecular size, and is decreased by substitutions which lower the electron density in the unsaturated position. Evidence is presented that ethylene binds to a metal containing receptor site. CO(2) is a competitive inhibitor of ethylene action, and prevents high concentrations of auxin (which stimulate ethylene formation) from retarding the elongation of etiolated pea stem sections. It is suggested that CO(2) delays fruit ripening by displacing the ripening hormone, ethylene, from its receptor site. Binding of ethylene to the receptor site is also impeded when the O(2) concentration is lowered, and this may explain why fruit ripening is delayed at low O(2) tensions.


Extending the approach of Jouini, Meddeb, and Touzi [Finance Stoch., 8 (2004), pp. 531-552] we define set-valued (convex) measures of risk and their acceptance sets, and we give dual representation theorems. A scalarization concept is introduced that has a meaning in terms of internal prices of portfolios of reference instruments. Using primal and dual descriptions, we introduce new examples for set-valued measures of risk, e.g., set-valued upper expectations, value at risk, average value at risk, and entropic risk measure.


Abstract In this paper we extend linear momentum actuator disc theory to consider two rows of tidal turbines placed in a centred or staggered arrangement. The extensions assume a streamwise spacing between rows that is sufficient for pressure equalization, but is not too large for significant mixing of the upstream turbine wake before the second row. We first consider a given number of turbines in a tidal channel; in this case the average power for a staggered arrangement over two rows is found to be higher than that for a centred arrangement, but lower than can be obtained by placing all turbines side-by-side in one row (if all turbines have the same local resistance). Furthermore, staggered arrangements extract power more efficiently than centred arrangements, but less efficiently than a single row with the same number of turbines, and this has implications for ranking different arrangements of tidal turbines. We also use the extended actuator disc models (together with an argument of scale separation) to consider some example arrangements of tidal turbines in laterally unconfined flow. Specifically, it is shown that locally staggering a fixed number of turbines in an array to form a tidal farm generates less power than placing the same number of turbines side-by-side. However, if more than one row of turbines is adopted (perhaps to keep the farm spatially compact) then the optimum turbine spacing within a row increases significantly with addition of a second row. This trend suggests that multi-row tidal turbine farms would require wide turbine spacing within each row to maximize the power per turbine, similarly to existing offshore wind farms.


A biotest to investigate wastewaters for the presence of nitrification-inhibiting substances has been developed. The principal feature of the test system is a packed-bed fixed-film biological reactor operated as a differential reactor. The test has been used to determine the effects on nitrification of wastewaters especially from textile and leather industries. Inhibition could be found even when the wastewater was diluted considerably. Tannery sewage may cause particularly severe problems in biological wastewater treatment, as the degree of inhibition of this wastewater has been observed to be similar to that of a solution of 2 mg/L allythiourea.


Abstract Background To evaluate the reliability and discriminative validity of a proposed adapted tool for the assessment of movement control in patients with and without neck pain. Method A cross-sectional study at a University hospital center involving 25 pain-free healthy controls and 25 patients suffering from neck pain. Participants were assessed by two raters for inter-rater reliability and 1 week afterwards by a same rater for intra-rater reliability. The assessment involved a test for the axioscapular (adapted scapular holding test; SHT) and craniocervical (adapted craniocervical flexion test; CCFT) region for which intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were computed to define the reliability. Discriminative validity to distinguish patients from controls was assessed by cross-validated computation of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, overall accuracy, and area under the curve. Results The proposed tool was able to reliably assess sensorimotor impairment in participants at the craniocervical region (ICCintra = [0.52–0.82]; ICCinter = [0.60–0.85]), left axioscapular region (ICCintra = [0.43–0.77]; ICCinter = 0.71–0.90), and right axioscapular region (ICCintra = [0.47–0.79]; ICCinter = [0.42–0.77]). Furthermore, the tool yielded a sensitivity of 0.86, a specificity of 0.57, and accuracy of 0.71 (based on cross-validation). Conclusion The proposed tool is able to reliably evaluate patients based on their sensorimotor performance in the craniocervical and axioscapular region. Implications for rehabilitation Neck pain is related to sensorimotor impairment including neuromuscular differences and atypical sensormimotor control strategies. Clinicians should not avoid the challenging task of screening for sensorimotor impairment in patients reporting neck pain. The proposed tool supplemented with other tools might guide clinicians in the evaluation of sensorimotor impairment.


Introduction Pleural mesothelioma constitutes about 80% of all mesotheliomas. The peak incidence of malignant mesothelioma estimated using the cancer registries was in early 1990 to 2000 in the United States. The disease is primarily associated with asbestos exposure. The latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) can range anywhere from 15 to 60 years. Asbestos exposure was peaked during the industrial revolution and World War II due to military and shipyard exposures. It is often difficult for the pathologist to distinguish different histological subtypes; due to the disease's rarity and the inadequate tissue sample obtained. There is no available data on the difference in epidemiology of different subtypes of MPM. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), cancer incidence data include population-based registries covering approximately 34.6% of the U.S. population. Here in our study, we analyze malignant pleural mesothelioma epidemiology in the United States, emphasizing different histological subtypes. Methods SEER data from 2000 to 2016 was used in our study. The primary site of cancer is selected as pleura, and malignant behavior only is selected as the filter. Data were analyzed using the SEER stat program. Overall epidemiology of MPM and epidemiology of epithelioid, fibrous, and biphasic histological subtypes were analyzed separately. We used annual percentage change (APC) to evaluate the trend in the epidemiology of MPM. Results summary A total of 11,857 cases of MPM were included in the primary cohort from the SEER 18 registry from 2000 to 2016. The total prevalence of MPM was highest in 2009 and was lowest in 2016. The APC in MPM incidence during this period is -2.0. After removing 5,989 cases with non-specified histology during the same period, the APC for each histological type is -0.7 for fibrous type, 1.8 for epithelioid type, and 2.9 for biphasic type. Out of 17 regional registries included in the study, the greatest statistically significant change in APC was seen in the Hawaiian registry -4.1. In contrast, the lowest statistically significant difference was seen in Seattle (Puget Sound) registry -1.7. The APC in the incidence of MPM among males during the study period was -2.4 while that of females was -0.9. The Iowa registry showed a statistically significant increase in APC of the epithelioid malignant mesothelioma with a statistically insignificant reduction in the overall MPM APC. Conclusion The overall incidence of MPM in the United States is declining, while the data showed an increase in the incidence of epithelioid and biphasic histological subtypes. The authors believe that these conflicting results can be attributed to improved histological diagnosis and improved biopsy techniques.


It is shown that under a certain condition the optical properties of helicoidal bianisotropic structures for propagation along the helix exhibit drastic changes. An inhibition of the Bragg reflection occurs and the structure behaves optically as an isotropic medium. A very small perturbation to the structure can then induce a strong optical effect.


A 52 year-old woman noticed general fatigue, polyarthralgia, and muscle weakness of lower extremities in October 2001. In December, she felt difficulty in walking due to muscle weakness. In January 2002, she admitted another hospital because of dyspnea on exertion and edema of lower extremities. Laboratory test revealed leukocytopenia, the elevation of creatine kinase and positive anti-U1-RNP antibodies. Her chest computed tomography (CT) showed severe interstitial pneumonia. Cardiac echogram revealed that she had pericardial effusion and pulmonary hypertension. Then she was transferred to Keio University Hospital and she was diagnosed as having mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) manifestating myositis, interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension and pericarditis. Prednisolone (PSL) 60mg daily following to methylprednisolone (mPSL) pulse therapy was begun and her symptoms were gradually improved. In middle of February, she complained of high fever over 39.0 degrees C. Bacterial culture tests were negative and laboratory data indicated pancytopenia and a high level of serum ferritin. Bone marrow aspiration revealed hemophagocytosis in bone marrow specimens and she was diagnosed as having hemophagocytic syndrome associated with MCTD. mPSL pulse therapy was not effective and intermittent cyclophosphamide pulse therapy (IV-CY) was performed resulting in improvement of the symptoms. This case suggested the effectiveness of IV-CY therapy in patients with corticosteroid-resistant HPS associated with connective tissue diseases.