Objective: To determine the incidence, maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcome in women with HELLP syndrome
Materials and Methods:Analysis of case records of women with hypertension in pregnancy from December 2007 to November 2012 was carried out. The cases were identified from the pregnancy hypertension registry maintained by the department and the corresponding files were retrieved from the hospital medical records section. A Mississippi criterion was used for the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome. The details of patient characteristics, course of pregnancy and outcome of cases with HELLP syndrome were compiled.
Observations:During the study period the incidence of hypertension in pregnancy was 10.08% (2263 0f 22435 deliveries) and that of HELLP syndrome was 1.23% among hypertensives (28 cases of 2263). Mean age of patients was 28.8∓ 5.05 years (67% were between 20-29 years). Occurrence was commoner in primigravidas (17 cases, 61%). Although most of the cases were after 28 weeks of pregnancy, three cases (10.07%) presented prior to this period of pregnancy. Most of the casers (85%) were detected to have HELLP syndrome between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy. There was a trend suggesting seasonal influence on complication with HELLP being more common in monsoon and winter. Presentation of cases with different severity of classes showed that half of them (53%) were in class II with less than two-fifths having severe disease (5 of 28 cases, 17%). Antepartum transfusion was necessitated in 13 cases (46% of 28), most of them who had evidence of hemolysis in addition to thrombocytopenia. Intensive unit care was required in 28% of the cases and acute renal failure was the common complication (28%). There were five maternal deaths (18% of 27 cases) that included all with the disease prior to 28 weeks. The group had 19 perinatal deaths (73% of 26 cases) and one of them due to birth asphyxia.
Conclusions:Incidence of HELLP syndrome is seen more commonly during monsoon and winter. Maternal death is near inevitable if the disease manifests before 28 weeks of pregnancy.


In this study, we propose a new approach to control design problem for the marine vessels which are moored or controlled by several actuators. In sometime and special purposes, the vessels are to be positioned by actuators which are installed on them or assisted by extra systems. We can see that there are many types of actuator in the real applications. Among them, the useful and widely applicable systems are thruster and mooring winch. In the case of applying these systems to the actual plants, a complicate fact is the control allocation problem. To make a good solution on this problem, many results have been given and verified by many researchers with a two step process. Exactly it means that controller design and control allocation process are carried out individually. In the result, the stability and performance of the control system are not considered, such that the basic objectives of control system design are not guaranteed any more. In this paper, the author gives a sophisticated solution for this issue. The authors show a new design method in which the controller design and control allocation problem can be converted by one step problem. In other word, the authors show that the system stability, control performance and allocation problem are unified by a condition obtained from H  control theory.


A wirelessly powered implantable device is proposed for fully programmable and localized drug delivery. The implant is powered using an external ultrasonic transmitter and operates at <; 5% of the FDA diagnostic ultrasound intensity limit. Drug release is achieved through electrical stimulation of drug-loaded polypyrrole nanoparticles. A design methodology for the implant electronics is presented and experimentally demonstrated to be accurate in predicting the concentration of the released drug. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ultrasonically powered implantable device platform for targeted drug delivery using electroresponsive polymers. The active area of the implant electronics is just 3 mm × 5 mm.


Background Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory and degenerative disease, which affects the Central Nervous System [1]. Fingolimod (FTY) is a medicine indicated in the treatment of MS patients with active exacerbation/remitting episodes. Being an expensive, innovative treatment it has been the subject of careful monitoring. Purpose To evaluate the use of FTY between May 2011 and September 2012. To evaluate the benefits in reducing disease progression. Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis of FTY use in MS patients in outpatient care, followed in Demyelinating Diseases Consultation. The number of outbreaks and Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, blood pressure and heart rate were examined using a pharmacy database and patients' medical records. Results Twenty six patients were investigated: Previous treatment: 10 patients with natalizumab (4 for over 2 years), 8 with interferon beta (IFNβ) (6 of them for more than 1 year), 3 with glatiramer acetate (GA), 3 with azathioprine with mycophenolate mofetil and 1 with methotrexate. FTY treatment periods: 4 patients had started <1 month ago; 18 between 1–6 months; 3 between 6–12 months and one >1 year. Vital parameters: mean arterial pressure (MAP): 121.29 mmHg/70.41 mmHg and 113.06 mmHg/68.31 mmHg after 6 h of administration. The mean heart rate (MHR): 71.06 beats/min and 62.53 beats/min after 6 h. Disease progression: 1 patient suffered only one flare-up. Nine patients had a mean decrease of 0.72 in the EDSS scale and 4 maintained the values. There was no increase in lesion extension in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Average monthly costs: FTY €1,872.5; INFβ/GA (1st line) €843.91; natalizumab €1,923.90 (costs related to the route of administration were not counted). Conclusions There was no worsening of symptoms after introduction of FTY and there was only one recrudescence episode, requiring long-term assessment. Despite costing more than first-line medicines, FTY was the best option because it is an oral formulation, so is more convenient for patients. Reference Portuguese Society of Multiple Sclerosis No conflict of interest.


Background: So far, the anticancer action of pine tree extracts has mainly been shown for the species distributed widely around the Asian countries. Objective: Therefore, this study was performed to examine the potential cytotoxicity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) native also to the European region and growing widely in Estonia. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxic activity of methanol extract and essential oil of Scots pine needles was determined by sulforhodamine B assay in different human cancer cell lines. Results: This needle extract was found to suppress the viability of several human cancer cell lines showing some selectivity to estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] 35 μg/ml) in comparison with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (IC50 86 μg/ml). It is the strongest cytotoxic effect at all measured, thus far for the needles and leaves extracts derived from various pine species, and is also the first study comparing the anticancer effects of pine tree extracts on molecularly different human breast cancer cells. The essential oil showed the stronger cytotoxic effect to both negative and positive breast cancer cell lines (both IC50 29 μg/ml) than pine extract (IC50 42 and 80 μg/ml, respectively). Conclusion: The data from this report indicate that Scots pine needles extract and essential oil exhibits some potential as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agent for mammary tumors unresponsive to endocrine treatment.


The work which has been done on cement‐polymer composite based shielding materials was comprehensively described in the present article, the choice of the study presented here is based on the choice of the researches. The new Hyperbranched Poly Amino‐Ester‐block‐Poly Caprolactone‐Polyurathane Plaster‐concrete composites mixed with different percentage soft lead oxide and arsenic oxide is used to research gamma‐ray shielding and thermal conductivity characteristics. The synthesis of new Hyperbranched Poly Amino‐Ester‐block‐Poly Caprolactone‐Polyurathane copolymer was achieved by Atom Transfer Reaction and Condensation Polymerization methods. The characterization of Hyperbranched Poly Amino‐Ester‐block‐Poly Caprolactone‐Polyurathane Plaster was made with the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Gel Permeation Chromatography, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope methods. The transmitted fluxes of gamma‐rays that were emitted from Eu152 source was detected by a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector system at Karadeniz Technical University‐Department of Physics in Trabzon and analyzed by a GammaVision (Version:6.07‐Ortec, Oak Ridge, TN) computer program. The composite phase change materials including 89, 87, 69, 67% Portland cement, 1% and 3% PU‐Plaster, 10% and 30% weight percent lead oxide and arsenic oxide was irradiated in the various gamma ray photon energy region (121.78, 344.28, 778.90, 964.08, 1085.87, 1112.07, and 1408.01 keV) for 3600 seconds. Then, linear attenuation coefficients, mass attenuation coefficients, half‐value layer, tenth value layer, mean free path, radiation protection efficiency, and gamma‐rays absorption of concrete‐the Hyperbranched Poly Amino‐Ester‐block‐Poly Caprolactone‐Polyurathane copolymers specimens were experimentally investigated. Thermal properties and morphological analysis of the irradiated substances were explored handling differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope methods of the nano lead oxide and arsenic oxide including composite phase change material via gamma irradiation were submitted. Moreover, the effect of the Hyperbranched Poly Amino‐Ester‐block‐Poly Caprolactone‐Polyurathane amount on the radiation attenuation of the composite material was investigated. Gamma attenuation experiments have been performed to specify lead equivalent values for the improved composite material. The composite equivalent thickness values from 0.5 to 0.6 cm sample thickness and 0.665 cm radius were obtained. Via crosschecking the acquired data from concrete samples with and without lead and arsenic, it was observed that, if the powder of lead oxide and arsenic oxide to cement ratio of 10% and 30% by weight is added in the concrete mixture, the concrete‐the Hyperbranched Poly Amino‐Ester‐block‐Poly Caprolactone‐Polyurathane composite can be used as a suitable shield against gamma rays. Also, mass attenuation coefficients were calculated as theoretical with the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST)‐XCOM database. The thermal conductivity coefficient and the heat capacity of the composites were determined.


Studying the significance of serological diagnosis of auto-liver-antibody by means of collodion agglutination reaction, and also observing the production of the antibody following a few experimental liver impairments, the following results were obtained. 1. Positive titers of agglutination was determined as 128 times since the majority of the collodion agglutination reactions in the healthy individuals as well as in the cases of extrahepatic diseases, demonstrated below 128 times. 2. The positive titers of agglutination were noted in 73.9% on investigating the auto-liver-antibody of infectious hepatitis by means of the collodion agglutination reaction. 3. Observing the alteration of the auto-liver-antibody of infectious hepatitis by means of the collodion agglutination reaction and complement fixation reaction, it was noted that the collodion agglutination was more sensitive and that there were relatively high positive titers of the antibody in the acute stages (the second and third week) as well as in the chronic stages. 4. In the mutual relations between the quantities of the auto-liver-antibody detected by the agglutination reaction, the various clinical pictures and the laboratory data of infectious hepatitis, the reactive positive titer of agglutination have increased in proportion to serum colloid liver function tests, serum bilirubin (over 1 to 2 mg. %), positive urine urobilinogen reaction, and to hepato-splenomegalia. No evident correlation was noted between the reactive positive titers of agglutinations and the hemograms of infectious hepatitis, but in the group of the positive reaction fairy numbers of the cases with lymphocytosis and monocytosis were seen, compared with the group of negative ones. 5. Detecting the auto-liver-antibody by means of the collodion agglutination reaction have reflected the clinical pictures fairly well and would be a effective means for clarify the pathophysiology of hepatic diseases. 6. For the purpose of the investigation regarding the production of the auto-liver-antibody in case of aseptic liver impairment, experiments were performed such as aseptic squeezing, cauterization and ligation of the common bile duct. In these experiments, a production of the auto-liver-antibody was confirmed, in relatively early stages, by means of the collodion agglutination reaction.


After comparing with the shortage of traditional model notebook computers and desktop computers, we disclose sets of new anti-radiation notebook computers. They have all the advantages of traditional desktop computers and notebook computers. You can enjoy their portable, comfortable, excellent heat-spread, high reliability, modularized hardware, quality and cost effective. Much more than these, LCD Monitors of these new designed computers are set before cabinets, so the cabinets behind are far away from you during your operation, they can significantly reduce electromagnetic radiation to you. The radiation can be reduced to less than 10% of its original level,by taking other precautions ,such as shielding and absorbing, these new anti-radiation notebook computers hardly have any radiation. Hence, these anti-radiation notebook computers are green products indeed, have no radiation to computer users, and much more accord with Human-Machine Engineering principles.


Retrofitting the many unsustainable built environments created in recent decades is a pressing urban and suburban design challenge, with sustainable architecture seemingly a common thread. Parametric and generative design is considered a current trend in architectural design. The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential for applying parametric design during the early conceptual stages, in which architecture and urban design overlap, in order to achieve a sustainable style of design. Using a parametric model, the evolutionary process can be accelerated by computer algorithms, allowing many more otherwise expensive and timeconsuming variants and evaluation criteria to be considered, as well as offering more creative solutions to design challenges that are too complex to be solved by human intuition. We advocate the concept that comfort, in terms of environmental conditions, is an objective worth pursuing for suburbs everywhere, while designing in partnership with nature helps to address this quality of life factor, which is otherwise difficult to measure. A suburban area in Amarillo, West Texas, was selected as the case study location because it is representative by being rich in architecture and natural resources, while Amarillo and the surroundings have also undergone some urban and suburban transformations in the past. Intelligent parametrically sustainable design involves replicating the principles found in nature in order to create interaction between it and the built environment, with the aiming of finding the optimum solution through parametric modelling, analysis, simulation and optimization, and ultimately with the intention of assisting architects in the decision-making process.


The first edition of this concise and compact atlas and compendium of common skin diseases was a pretty good book. The second edition is an excellent one. It is copiously illustrated with good color pictures, and the text is brief and direct. It is not for the dermatologist, though even he might find a "pearl" here and there, but for the generalist and the pediatrician. It is not about dermatomyositis and Wegener's granulomatosis; it is about acne and atopic dermatitis, herpes zoster and hirsutism, pruritus and pediculosis, seborrheic dermatitis and sunburn. Both the scope and the treatment are eminently practical and so sound that any specific criticisms would be carping at trifles. There is a 21-page formulary at the end, with admirably liberal use of proprietary preparations under their commercial names, and a good index. The nondermatologist ought to have this book on his desk for ready reference.


We present the Language Interpretability Tool (LIT), an open-source platform for visualization and understanding of NLP models. We focus on core questions about model behavior: Why did my model make this prediction? When does it perform poorly? What happens under a controlled change in the input? LIT integrates local explanations, aggregate analysis, and counterfactual generation into a streamlined, browser-based interface to enable rapid exploration and error analysis. We include case studies for a diverse set of workflows, including exploring counterfactuals for sentiment analysis, measuring gender bias in coreference systems, and exploring local behavior in text generation. LIT supports a wide range of models—including classification, seq2seq, and structured prediction—and is highly extensible through a declarative, framework-agnostic API. LIT is under active development, with code and full documentation available at https://github.com/pair-code/lit.


Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) are frequently encountered in clinical practice, and their presence influences management decisions; patients with CTOs are more frequently allocated to bypass graft surgery or medical therapy than patients without CTOs. Recent advances in interventional guidewires, catheters, and novel techniques have led to significant improvements in success rates with percutaneous coronary intervention. In this article we review the most recent developments in the percutaneous management of CTOs, the emergence of CTO intervention as a subspecialty in its own right, and discuss future directions for further research and improvement.


This paper is concerned with the formation and persistence of spatiotemporal patterns in binary mixtures of chemically reacting species, where one of the species is an activator, the other an inhibitor of the chemical reaction. The system of reaction–diffusion equations is reduced to a finite system of ordinary differential equations by a variant of the centre-manifold reduction method. The reduced system fully describes the local dynamics of the original system near transition points at the onset of instability. The attractor–bifurcation theory is used to give a complete characterization of the bifurcated objects in terms of the physical parameters of the problem. The results are illustrated for the Schnakenberg model.


We explore responses of Australian school principals to the introduction of test score reporting via the My School website in 2010. Our analysis is motivated by the implicit assumption that heightened public scrutiny should motivate principals to align schools' policies and practices with what is believed to generate better test results. We use responses from both public and private schools to a custom-built questionnaire administered to principals before (2009) and after (2012) the My School website launch. We find scarce evidence of meaningful adjustments over time, but we do find evidence of significantly different policies and practices across school groups.


Suppose that a private carrier delivers to a set of customers and also has a number of (optional) backhaul opportunities. It wants to choose the best of these, depending on the revenue generated, and insert them in a revised tour. This will be at an expense of deviation from the original tour, because, here, deliveries need not precede backhauls. The problem is to find the mixed tour whose net cost is the lowest, selecting the most profitable backhauls subject to the overall capacity. We thus generalize several other vehicle routing problems with backhauls. A mixed‐integer model is developed for the problem. It is based on Miller–Tucker–Zemlin subtour elimination constraints. We address several improvement techniques aimed at increasing computational tractability of the formulation. Computational results show that medium‐sized problems can be solved optimally in a reasonable time by using a general‐purpose commercial solver. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Abstract This study identified factors that predicted which of 713 clinically documented incidents of aggression—threats to kill, assault, or sexual assault—committed by 404 forensic psychiatric patients were linked to court findings of guilt. Individuals had, on average, 1.7 aggressive incidents and were found guilty of an average of 0.3 offenses against persons during the study period. Aggressive incidents were mostly assaults, followed by uttering death threats, and sexual assaults. The victims of aggressive incidents were mainly other patients or staff, but some incidents involved family members or friends (16%) and strangers (14%). Most of the aggressive incidents (84%) did not lead to findings of guilt. Incidents of aggression linked to court findings were significantly associated with province; personality disorder; fewer prior aggressive incidents; and incidents involving strangers compared to staff or co-patients or to family or friends. These findings have implications for research in terms of understanding how criminal records underestimate histories of aggression. These findings also point to the need for the development of more consistent policies and procedures for responding to patient aggression, including when it is necessary or productive to report to police.


The physical inconvenience and adverse psychological impact of ileostomy on patients led surgeons to seek a more normal and acceptable alternative. This is a report of the Mayo Clinic experience with, and modifications of, the ileoanal reservoir procedure. The hospital charts of 188 patients who had a J-pouch construction were reviewed. The operative technique is described. There were no hospital deaths. In 10 patients the operation was a failure. Complications included pelvis sepsis (21 patients), anastomotic sinus (15), anastomotic stricture (22), small-bowel obstruction (43), peritonitis after ileostomy closure (10) and pouchitis (15). Careful patient selection for the procedure is important. Crohn's disease is a contraindication. Of the patients studied, 95% found life more acceptable with an ileoanal anastomosis than with a loop ileostomy.


Two-dimensional (2D) materials with zero band gap exhibit remarkable electronic properties with wide tunability. High harmonic generation (HHG) in such materials offers unique platforms to develop novel optoelectronic devices at the nanoscale, as well as to investigate strong-field and ultrafast nonlinear behaviour of massless Dirac fermions. However, control of HHG by modulating the electronic structures of materials has remained largely unexplored to date. Here we report controllable HHG by tuning the electronic structures via mechanical engineering. Using an ab initio approach based on time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT), we show that the HHG process is sensitive to the modulation of band structures of monolayer silicene while preserving the Dirac cones under biaxial and uniaxial strains, which can lead to significant enhancement of harmonic intensity up to an order of magnitude. With the additional advantage of silicene in compatibility and integration into the current silicon-based electronic industry, this study may open a new avenue to develop efficient solid-state optoelectronic nano-devices, and provide a valuable tool to understand the strong-field and mechanically induced ultrafast nonlinear response of Dirac carriers in 2D materials.


Adverse weather delaying harvest is a frequent problem of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] producers. This study evaluated the effects of foliar application of 32% nitrogen urea-ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) to desiccate grain sorghum before harvest. Nitrogen solutions were applied at O, 67, and 134 kg N/ha when grain had reached physiological maturity. Two hybrids ('RS671' and 'E57') and two planting dates were compared at two locations in 1972 and 1973. Grain samples were collected weekly until harvest for moisture determination, then grain and forage yields and N contents were determined. The effects of N carryover to succeeding grain sorghum crops were also evaluated. Grain drying was accelerated significantly only when N was applied at or before physiological maturity. However, application before physiological maturity reduced grain yields. Rainfall and high humidity resulting in poor drying conditions more than offset desiccation effects after grain moisture reached 20 to 25%. Leaf loss reduced harvestable forage yields, as expected. Desiccant N gave little or no Increase in N content of the grain or forage. Soil N and grain sorghum yields were increased slightly the next year in some plots, but no significant carryover of desiccant N was found in others. Low recovery of applied N in the treated crop at harvest and low carryover to the succeeding crop suggests that volatilization losses following treatment were high.


In the solution by numerical methods of ordinary and partial differential equations, the derivatives are replaced by their finite-difference equivalents, usually infinite series of differences. For the employment of relaxation methods it has been customary to ignore all but the dominant first term of these series, taking sufficient intervals to ensure the effective vanishing of the neglected terms. In this paper, methods are developed whereby the full difference equations can be used at the maximum interval consistent with the convergence of the differences. The number of mesh points, and hence the labour and difficulty of the relaxation process, is thus considerably reduced, and increased accuracy is obtained. The method is applied to eight examples, including ordinary and partial differential equations, eigen-value problems, and the more difficult problem of curved boundaries.


ABSTRACT Synthetic and natural polymeric esters find applications in transport and construction sectors, where fire safety is an important concern. One polymer that is widely used is poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), which almost completely undergoes thermal decomposition into methyl methacrylate (its monomer) (MMA) at –C. In order to analyze the high-temperature gas-phase oxidation of PMMA, and thereby predict its fire behavior (such as burning rate, temperature of the material, and heat fluxes) with less computational effort, a compact kinetic model for the oxidation of its primary decomposition product, MMA, is most essential. This is accomplished in the present work by obtaining a reduced mechanism for MMA oxidation from a detailed mechanism from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories group. To extend the available data base for model validation and present validation data at atmospheric pressure conditions, for the first time, (i) detailed measurements of species profiles have been performed in stoichiometric laminar flat flames using flame sampling molecular beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) technique and (ii) laminar burning velocities have been obtained using the heat flux method for various unburnt mixture temperatures. Evaluating the model against these data sets point to the need to revise the kinetic model, which is achieved by adopting rate constants of key reactions among analogous molecules from recent literature. The updated compact kinetic model is able to predict the major species in the flat flame as well as the burning velocity of MMA satisfactorily. The final "short MMA mechanism" consists of 88 species and 1084 reactions.


Childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by anatomical and functional upper airway abnormalities as pathophysiological determinants, and clinical symptoms are frequently clear. OSAS is widely described in rare genetic disorders, such as achondroplasia, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Pierre Robin sequence, and mucopolysaccharidosis. Craniofacial and upper airway involvement is frequently morbid conditions. In children with genetic diseases, the clinical symptoms of OSAS are often slight or absent, and related morbidities are usually more severe and can be observed at any age. The present review is aimed to updating the discoveries regarding OSAS on Achondroplasia, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Pierre Robin sequence, Sickle cell disease, or encountered in our clinical practice (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, Noonan syndrome). Two additional groups of genetic disorders will be focused (mucopolysaccharidoses and osteogenesis imperfecta). The flowing items are covered for each disease: (I) what is the pathophysiology of OSAS? (II) What is the incidence/prevalence of OSAS? (III) What result from the management and prognosis? (IV) What are the recommendations? Considering the worries of OSAS, such as inattention and behavioural problems, daytime sleepiness, failure to thrive, cardiological and metabolic complications, the benefit of a widespread screening and the treatment in children with genetic diseases is undoubtful. The goals of the further efforts can be the inclusion of various genetic diseases into guidelines for the screening of OSAS, updating the shreds of evidence based on the research progression.


Abstract Nöel, J. P., & Schoukens, J. [2018. Grey-box state-space identification of nonlinear mechanical vibrations. International Journal of Control, 91, 1–22] discuss a methodology for the discrete-time state-space identification of nonlinear systems and apply this to experimental data from the well known Silverbox nonlinear circuit, producing a model characterised by 13 parameters. This model explains the data very well but the parameter estimates are not well defined in the optimisation results, with the very large confidence bounds suggesting that the model is over-parameterised. This comment shows that this is indeed the case and that the data can be explained equally well by an alternative continuous-time, State-Dependent Parameter (SDP) transfer function model with only 6 parameters, the estimates of which are well defined with very tight confidence bounds. The comment also raises questions about how the model form for nonlinear systems such as the Silverbox should be identified and suggests that the Data-Based Mechanistic (DBM) approach to modelling has some advantages in this regard.


The transcription elongation and pre-mRNA splicing factor Tat-SF1 associates with the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) of the spliceosome. However, the direct binding partner and underlying interactions mediating the Tat-SF1–U2 snRNP association remain unknown. Here, we identified SF3b1 as a Tat-SF1–interacting subunit of the U2 snRNP. Our 1.1 Å resolution crystal structure revealed that Tat-SF1 contains a U2AF homology motif (UHM) protein–protein interaction module. We demonstrated that Tat-SF1 preferentially and directly binds the SF3b1 subunit compared with other U2AF ligand motif (ULM)-containing splicing factors, and further established that SF3b1 association depends on the integrity of the Tat-SF1 UHM. We next compared the Tat-SF1–binding affinities for each of the five known SF3b1 ULMs and then determined the structures of representative high- and low-affinity SF3b1 ULM complexes with the Tat-SF1 UHM at 1.9 Å and 2.1 Å resolutions, respectively. These structures revealed a canonical UHM–ULM interface, comprising a Tat-SF1 binding pocket for a ULM tryptophan (SF3b1 Trp338) and electrostatic interactions with a basic ULM tail. Importantly, we found that SF3b1 regulates Tat-SF1 levels and that these two factors influence expression of overlapping representative transcripts, consistent with a functional partnership of Tat-SF1 and SF3b1. Altogether, these results define a new molecular interface of the Tat-SF1–U2 snRNP complex for gene regulation.


Aggregative Digital Library Systems (ADLSs) provide end users with web portals to operate over an information space of descriptive metadata records, collected and aggregated from a pool of possibly heterogeneous repositories. Due to the costs of software realization and system maintenance, existing "traditional" ADLS solutions are not easily sustainable over time for the supporting organizations. Recently, the DRIVER EC project proposed a new approach to ADLS construction, based on Service-Oriented Infrastructures. The resulting D-NET software toolkit enables a running, distributed system in which one or multiple organizations can collaboratively build and maintain their service-oriented ADLSs in a sustainable way. In this paper, we advocate that D-NET's "infrastructural" approach to ADLS realization and maintenance proves to be generally more sustainable than "traditional" ones. To demonstrate our thesis, we report on the sustainability of the "traditional" OAIster System ADLS, based on DLXS software (University of Michigan), and those of the "infrastructural" DRIVER ADLS, based on D-NET.


This paper estimates the rate of discount to be used in Chile when evaluating long run projects with environmental consequences. The methodology is known as Gamma Discounting and was presented first by Martin Weitzman in the American Economic Review in March 2001.


The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of training and echocardiographic left ventricular indices with competitive results in distance running. Echocardiography was performed on 53 male sub-elite runners. Training parameters and competitive results in races from 800 m to marathon were also analysed. Simple correlation analysis revealed a positive association between left ventricular mass or wall thickness and average running speed in races of 1500 m, 3000 m, and 10000 m (p < 0.05). Training volume correlated with competitive results in distance running stronger and more consistently, however, than did cardiac size parameters. Additionally, training volume correlated positively with ventricular wall thickness and mass but not chamber size. Multiple linear regression analysis supported training volume and left ventricular mass index as independent predictors of distance running performance. Neither simple correlation nor multiple regression analysis evidenced a positive association between ventricular diameter or peak diastolic filling parameters and competitive results (p > 0.05). Thus, the re-sults of our study suggest that competitive re-sults of sub-elite middle and long distance runners are related stronger to training volume than echocardiographic data, and that left ventricular muscle mass but not chamber size correlates positively with average running velocity during distance races.


There is a large body of work on the barriers that Māori, other indigenous peoples and minorities encounter at educational institutions, there is also research into the barriers that these groups encounter within the health sector and a smaller body of work pertaining to these same barriers within public and school libraries. This research combines the findings from these bodies of literature with the results from two focus groups of university students to explore the possibility that there are barriers which they may have encountered at their university library. The results showed that there were barriers within the university library, and like other barrier research these were many and varied and were dependant on a number of factors including, institution (library system) size, and individual expectations of the student. These findings are discussed in terms of the implications that they have for Māori university students, and suggestions are made for further research, as well as ways that these barriers may be countered.


Introduction PRISM score (Paediatric risk mortality) is widely used to determine the risk of mortality in children in PICU. Recent studies had found correlation between the low values of PRISM with the success of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and the high values with failure, but without clearly defined who will be called higher or lower value of PRISM score. Objective To evaluate the predictive value of PRISM score for NIV success in acute respiratory failure (ARF). Methods This is a prospective study. Are included all children admitted at PICU during January–December 2011. NIV was used as the primary support for ARF. We analysed the predictive value of the PRISM score using ROC curves and the trend of success change by Chi-square trend. Results A total of 42 patients were included. NIV success rate was 73.8%. Prism score in the success group was 9.5 ± 3.9 vs. 14.5 ± 6.6 points in the failure group (p = 0.0184). Max value was 27 points, min value 3 points. By ROC curves, PRISM < 10 points before NIV results significant predictive factor for NIV success with predictive positive value 87.5%. By Chi-square trend it was found a significant trend of success reduction with increasing value of PRISM. For PRISM score = 10 up to 15 points, OR = 0.3 (95% CI 0.05–2.0) p = 0.2. For PRISM score >15 points, OR = 0.08 (95% CI 0.01–0.5) p = 0.01. (χ2 for linear trend = 7.6, p < 0.01). Conclusion PRISM score <10 points is a significant predictive factor for NIV success. For PRISM score >15 points the likelihood to have success is decreased significantly.


Background/aims To report alterations in visual acuity and visual pathway structure over an interval of 1–3 years in a cohort of children, adolescents and young adults who have Wolfram syndrome (WFS) and to describe the range of disease severity evident in patients with WFS whose ages differed by as much as 20 years at first examination. Methods Annual, prospective ophthalmological examinations were performed in conjunction with retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) analysis. Diffusion tensor MRI-derived fractional anisotropy was used to assess the microstructural integrity of the optic radiations (OR FA). Results Mean age of the 23 patients with WFS in the study was 13.8 years (range 5–25 years). Mean log minimum angle resolution visual acuity was 0.66 (20/91). RNFL thickness was subnormal in even the youngest patients with WFS. Average RNFL thickness in patients with WFS was 57±8 µ or ~40% thinner than that measured in normal (94±10 µ) children and adolescents (P<0.01). Lower OR FA correlated with worse visual acuity (P=0.006). Subsequent examinations showed declines (P<0.05) in visual acuity, RNFL thickness and OR FA at follow-up intervals of 12–36 months. However, a wide range of disease severity was evident across ages: some of the youngest patients at their first examination had deficits more severe than the oldest patients. Conclusion The genetic mutation of WFS causes damage to both pregeniculate and postgeniculate regions of the visual pathway. The damage is progressive. The decline in visual pathway structure is accompanied by declines of visual function. Disease severity differs widely in individual patients and cannot be predicted from their age.


When food-access is restricted to a consistent time of day (restricted feeding), rodents reorganize many circadian behaviors around the mealtime. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the master circadian pacemaker, while the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST-OV) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) are important in stress, motivation and feeding. All these regions express the 'clock protein' Period2 (PER2) with a circadian rhythm. Restricted feeding changes PER2 expression patterns in the BNST-OV and CEA, but not in the SCN. To test the relative importance of motivational and homeostatic variables on PER2 expression in the BNST-OV and CEA, we contrasted daily restricted feeding (containing homeostatic and motivational components) with daily restricted treats (no weight loss, a motivational challenge only). Restricted feeding was comprised of fasted animals receiving repeated daily access to chocolate Ensure, whereas restricted treats consisted of sated animals receiving similar Ensure-access. In restricted feeding groups, the daily pattern of running wheel activity was consistently reorganized. However, in restricted treat groups, behavioral reorganization was more variable. Daily oscillations of PER2 expression in the BNST-OV and CEA were altered only under restricted-feeding, but not restricted-treat conditions. In contrast, cFOS expression in both the BNST-OV and CEA was enhanced in response to Ensure-access regardless of whether it was presented to fasted or sated rats. These findings suggest that some aspect of the homeostatic challenge associated with restricted feeding is important for shifting circadian PER2 expression in these areas of the central extended amygdala.


The performance of multiple imputation (MI) for missing data in Likert-type items assuming multivariate normality was assessed using simulation methods. MI was robust to violations of continuity and normality. With 30% of missing data, MAR conditions resulted in negatively biased correlations. With 50% missingness, all results were negatively biased.


Within the past decade, the popularity of cosmetic breast augmentation has surged and, with it, the interest in the psychological aspects of the procedure. Investigations of women who seek cosmetic breast augmentation have examined both their psychosocial characteristics and their motivations for surgery. Dissatisfaction both with body image and with breast size and/or shape are thought to be primary motivators for surgery. It is common for women seeking cosmetic breast augmentation to have some body image dissatisfaction. However, a considerable minority may suffer from excessive dissatisfaction consistent with the psychiatric diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder, which is believed to contraindicate cosmetic surgery. Following breast augmentation, most women report satisfaction with the aesthetic result and improvements in body image. The impact of the procedure on other areas of functioning, such as self-esteem and quality of life, is less clear. These positive outcomes have been tempered by recent epidemiological studies that have identified a relationship between cosmetic breast implants and suicide. This article reviews this literature and provides recommendations to plastic surgical nurses regarding the psychological assessment and management of patients seeking breast augmentation.


Healthcare systems modeling and simulation has a broad application around different disciplines such as clinical simulation, operational simulation, managerial simulation, and educational simulation. However, the domain of healthcare is characterized by a high degree of complexity and a diversity of facets, and modelers are often confronted with the challenge of formulating a simulation model that captures this complexity in a systematic and manageable manner. This chapter reviews frequently used M&S-related concepts to address the problem, concluding clinical and epidemiologic simulations are predominant in the literature.


Objectives Recent studies have demonstrated that inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase activity rapidly reduces tumor glucose metabolism in sensitive cell lines. This suggests that imaging of tumor metabolism with positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) could be used clinically to monitor treatment with EGFR kinase inhibitors. In this study, I investigated whether EGFR kinase inhibition specifically affects glucose metabolism or whether it also affects lipid and amino acid metabolism. In doing so, I am attempting to determine the best PET tracers to identify malignancies responding to EGFR kinase inhibitors in the clinics. Methods The lung cancer cell lines H3255 and A549 served as models for tumors that are sensitive and resistant to EGFR kinase inhibition, respectively. Glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism were studied by measuring the uptake of radiolabeled analogs of glucose, tyrosine, and choline. Uptake of these tracers was assayed in vitro after incubating cells with increasing doses of the EGFR kinase inhibitor erlotinib and in vivo by PET imaging of tumor bearing mice before and after erlotinib treatment. In vitro blocking studies with specific reagents were performed to elucidate the mechanisms of tyrosine and choline uptake. Results In sensitive H3255 cells, erlotinib decreased glucose uptake 54 ± 2% within 4 hours, whereas tyrosine and choline uptake were unaffected. In resistant A549 cells, no reduction of tracer uptake was observed for any of the studied tracers. These in vitro findings were confirmed in H3255 xenografted mice, which demonstrated a selective reduction of glucose uptake by 50 ± 5% after two doses of erlotinib. In A549 xenografts, erlotinib had no measurable metabolic effects. In H3255 and A549 cells, 2-amino-2-norbornanecarboxylic acid, a specific inhibitor of l-type amino acid transport, reduced tyrosine uptake by 83 ± 1% and 75 ± 1%, and cold choline inhibited choline uptake with IC50s of 5 μM and 6 μM, respectively. Conclusion These observations suggest that efficacious erlotinib treatment specifically modulates glucose, but not amino acid or lipid metabolism, as EGFR kinase inhibition may not affect the l-type amino acid transport system or the high-affinity choline transport system. Thus, the glucose analog FDG is the most promising tracer for monitoring treatment with EGFR kinase inhibitors in the clinics.


Research on non-hedonic entertainment suggests the experience of elevation as an important construct leading to beneficial outcomes such as prosocial motivation. This study builds on first findings in this realm by distinguishing between different meaningful media contents. In a 3 × 4 between-subjects online experiment, we varied type of video (beauty of the earth, unity of humankind, portrayals of human kindness, and funny control videos) and context of proliferation (presentation on an unknown video platform or on YouTube with low vs high number of views). Meaningful videos indeed led to greater elevation, more universal orientation, and prosocial motivation—with videos showing human kindness standing out against other forms of meaningful videos. Human kindness videos additionally fostered more positive attitudes toward stereotyped groups—mediated by the feeling of elevation and the subsequent feeling of universal orientation.


Available evidence suggests that hypogammaglobulinemia, particularly immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency, may be associated with intestinal malabsorption and mild to moderate villous atrophy of the proximal jejunal mucosa.1-3We have encountered such a patient who responded favorably in turn to a gluten-free diet and to tetracycline hydrochloride therapy administered orally. The purpose of this report is to relate the clinical and immunological findings in this case to published data from other patients with malabsorption and documented immunoglobulin deficiencies. Methods For Special Studies The serological and tissue techniques, as well as the method used to quantify mucosal lymphoid cells employing cell density indices (CDI), have been reported.4The CDI are arbitrary units which represent cells per unit area of interstitium.4In the previous study of eight specimens of normal human rectal mucosa, the CDI (mean ± SE of the mean) for IgA-, IgM- and IgG-containing lymphoid cells were 80.14


In the context of the PANACElA-ITV IST European project, a home care service provision system is described based on interactive TV technology. The purpose of PANACEIA-ITV is to facilitate essential lifestyle changes and to promote compliance with scientifically sound self-care recommendations, through the application of interactive digital television for family health maintenance. The means to achieve these goals are based on technological, health services and business models. PANACEIA-ITV is looking for communication of monitoring micro-devices with ITV set-top-boxes using infrared technology, and embodiment of analogous H/W and S/W in the ITV set-top-boxes. The PANACElA-ITV system is used by patients suffering from adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) at the Royal Brompton Hospital. The primary aim of this pilot is to test whether delivery of high quality monitoring, treatment and education for the ACHD or pulmonary hypertension patient is feasible via interactive television and infrared microdevices. Secondary aims of this pilot are to test the hypothesis that intensified home monitoring and guidance for patients of this target group will lead to reduced ACHD related hospitalization and to evaluate the overall attitude of the patients and clinicians towards the use of new technologies such as ITV in healthcare and disease management.


This report describes the results of the NERC Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) workshop that was held at BGS Keyworth on the 4th to 5th February, 2014. The meeting brought together some 35 scientists from the NERC Science Office and five NERC centres and surveys. The workshop builds on previous meetings which have been convened over a number of years; such as the International summit on Integrated Environmental Modelling, Washington (2010), the AGU fall meeting, San Francisco (2009), and the international congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (2010). From these meetings it was recognised that there were many communities involved in developing IEM and that the two main groups of the US and Europe needed to work together to create an open community for all. Out of these meetings it was clear that there was a need to; provide accessible linkable components, to address uncertainty, to professionalise the development of integrated models, to engage with the user community (particularly decision and policy-makers) and to develop a community of practise to aid the development and uptake of IEM.
The aim of this meeting was to:
 Develop a strategy for Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) within NERC
 Develop an Integrated Environmental Modelling Methodology that can be easily adopted both inside and outside NERC
 Establish several exemplar projects that are cross-cutting (institutional and discipline) and also deliver the key goals of IEM and the new NERC strategy
The outcomes from the Washington meeting in 2010 have been considered and further developed. From this, the proposed NERC IEM strategy has been broken down into 4 key areas which formed the topics for each of the breakout groups and are: -
1. The premise that eventually all models will at some point in their life-cycle need to be linked to other models. What needs to be done to enable this to happen?
2. To encourage the development of modelling platforms. What needs to be done to enable this to happen?
3. To assess and quantify uncertainty arising from integrated modelling. What needs to be done to enable this to happen?
4. To develop specific exemplar projects. How should this be done within NERC and with NERC's partners?
The report outlines the strategy and vision for Integrated Environmental Modelling in NERC and then gives a description of the main findings from each of the 4 main topics areas addressed within the NERC IEM workshop


The paper applies non-parametric methods of Chi-plots and Kendall (K)-plots and three different copula functions to empirically examine the tail dependence between the U.S. stock market and stock markets in Vietnam and China in order to test contagion effect after the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. The results indicate the presence of left tail dependence before and after the crisis suggesting no change in dependence structure but stronger left tail dependence between the U.S. and Vietnam stock markets. Thus, the US and Vietnam stock markets are more prone to crashing than booming together. Between the U.S. and Shanghai stock markets, the results provide evidence of a left tail dependence before the crisis, but no evidence of tail dependence after the crisis indicating that the dependence structure between U.S. and Shanghai stock markets changed after the crisis. On the contrary, the findings show that the Shenzhen stock market is independent of the U.S. market in both before and after crisis periods which imply that an extreme event in the U.S. market is less likely to influence the Shenzhen stock market. This suggests that there is significant potential for risk diversification by investing in the Shenzhen market by U. S. investors after the financial crisis. The results have not been documented in the existing literature and provide a new insight into risk diversification between the stock markets.


We demonstrate a chemical and biological sensing mechanism in microfluidics that transduces chemical and biological signals to electrical signals with large intrinsic amplification without need for complex electronics. The sensing mechanism involves a dissolvable membrane separating a liquid sample chamber from an interdigitated electrode. Dissolution of the membrane (here, a disulfide cross-linked poly(acrylamide) hydrogel) in the presence of a specific target (here, a reducing agent-dithiothreitol) allows the target solution to flow into contact with the electrode. The liquid movement displaces the air dielectric with a liquid, leading to a change (open circuit to approximately 1 kOmega) in the resistance between the electrodes. Thus, a biochemical event is transduced into an electrical signal via fluid movement. The concentration of the target is estimated by monitoring the difference in dissolution times of two juxtaposed sensing membranes having different dissolution characteristics. No dc power is consumed by the sensor until detection of the target. A range of targets could be sensed by defining membranes specific to the target. This sensing mechanism might find applications in sensing targets such as toxins, which exhibit enzymatic activity.


Despite the growing interest in social media and user-generated content, both academics and practitioners are struggling to understand the value and consequences of social media (e.g., blogs). This study employed a 2 (media source: mainstream/ social media) × 2 (message valence: positive/negative) × 2 (team identification: high/low) between-subjects design on source credibility and attitude toward an article. Positive and negative messages about the university's varsity men's basketball team were presented in either the mainstream media (sport magazine) or a user-generated format (blog). The results revealed that message valence had a significant main impact on triggering biased source evaluation and attitude toward the message. In turn, media source had a significant main effect on source expertise, but no main effects were found for trustworthiness and attitude. Team identification moderated the effect of media source on cognitive processing, suggesting that highly identified fans evaluated mainstream c...


: Heat transfer is the terms use for thermal energy transfer from a hot to a colder body. Heat transfer is considered as transfer of thermal energy from physical body to another. Heat transfer is the most important parameter to be which is measured as the performance and efficiency of the shell and tube heat exchanger. CFD is the science of predicting fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, chemical reactions, and related phenomenon by solving the mathematical equations which govern these processes using a numerical process. By using CFD Simulation software, it can reduces the operation cost as well as time compared by Experimental in order to measure the optimum parameter and the behaviour of this type of heat exchanger, conclusion from this project work is using CFD analysis instant results can be obtained. Temperature at any moment or point can be procured during the process. Flow patterns can be visualized which is not possible in case of experimental analysis. Also internal geometry is visible.


The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been producing reference materials since the 1950s. Over 50 materials have been developed to cover bulk rock, sediment, and soils for the geological community. These materials are used globally in geochemistry, environmental, and analytical laboratories that perform bulk chemistry and/or microanalysis for instrument calibration and quality assurance testing. To answer the growing demand for higher spatial resolution and sensitivity, there is a need to create a new generation of microanalytical reference materials suitable for a variety of techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy/X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). As such, the microanalytical reference material (MRM) needs to be stable under the beam, be homogeneous at scales of better than 10–25 micrometers for the major to ultra-trace element level, and contain all of the analytes (elements or isotopes) of interest. Previous development of basaltic glasses intended for LA-ICP-MS has resulted in a synthetic basaltic matrix series of glasses (USGS GS-series) and a natural basalt series of glasses (BCR-1G, BHVO-2G, and NKT-1G). These materials have been useful for the LA-ICP-MS community but were not originally intended for use by the electron or ion beam community. A material developed from start to finish with intended use in multiple microanalytical instruments would be useful for inter-laboratory and inter-instrument platform comparisons. This article summarizes the experiments undertaken to produce a basalt glass reference material suitable for distribution as a multiple-technique round robin material. The goal of the analytical work presented here is to demonstrate that the elemental homogeneity of the new glass is acceptable for its use as a reference material. Because the round robin exercise is still underway, only nominal compositional ranges for each element are given in the article.


This work describes the design, fabrication, and application of an ultrastable scanning probe microscope for nanoscale studies at the solid-liquid interface, specifically in electrolyte environments. Quantification of system noise limits in the tunneling mode, mechanical drift rates, and lowest mechanical resonance provided values of < or = 10 pA/Hz(1/2), 2 nm/min (XY) and 0.15 nm/min (Z), and 7.9 kHz, respectively. Measurement of the closed-loop transfer function in the tunneling condition demonstrated linear feedback responses up to 4.2 and 2.5 kHz in ambient and electrochemical conditions. Atomic and molecular resolution imagings have been achieved in ambient, in situ, and electrochemical imaging environments at scan rates up to 80 lines/s. A modular design approach has produced a highly flexible microscope capable of imaging and spectroscopy in tunneling, tapping force [amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AFM)], and noncontact force (frequency modulation-AFM) modes.


A large proportion of American Indian reservation lands are owned by non-Indian entities. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a powerful tool for visualising land tenure changes, and public participation GIS (PPGIS) is one approach for using spatial technologies to facilitate the identification and reacquisition of reservation lands by tribes. While some tribes have successfully harnessed GIS for land management and for systematically identifying lands for reacquisition, others struggle to implement land management systems such as GIS for these purposes. This paper situates PPGIS in relation to other forms of participatory action research and outlines our use of a PPGIS framework to engage undergraduate geography students in the mapping of land tenure status on ten rural Minnesota Indian reservations as part of a collaborative partnership with the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF). A PPGIS framework allowed us to collaboratively define research goals in response to tribal community needs and provided structure for student work with partner reservations to develop and implement tailored mapping and analysis techniques. Two sets of findings are significant. First, the assembly of a standardised set of maps for American Indian reservations in Minnesota provides a tremendous visual and analytical resource for ILTF and individual tribes to pursue land reacquisition within reservation boundaries. Second, from a PPGIS perspective, we found that working with a coordinating or 'bridging' organisation provided key benefits by enabling education of both the student–faculty partners and the individual tribes. The PPGIS model empowered both partners by allowing tribes to harness a powerful technology to assist in visualising land-based assets and allowing students to contribute to native land reacquisition efforts through application of their GIS skills. This mapping helps facilitate economic and cultural viability in tribal communities by providing an important visual catalogue of existing land-based assets, in support of future land acquisition and economic development planning.


The new genus Totoralia from the late middle Cambrian of El Totoral (Mendoza Province, western Argentina) is described herein. It is a delicate, high, bilaterally symmetrical cone with a sub-central apex and five to seven prominent comarginal corrugations. In addition, its surface shows numerous fine comarginal lines, as well as thin, closely spaced radial lirae. Totoralia gen. nov., in most respects, resembles the Cambrian helcionellids Scenella BILLINGS and Palaeacmaea HALL and Whitfield. Although Scenella has been considered as a chondrophorine cnidarian by some authors in the past, now the predominant view is that it is a mollusk. Likewise, several aspects of Totoralia gen. nov. morphology indicate closer affinities with mollusks. The specimens studied constitute elevated cones that are rather consistent in height, implying that they were not flexible structures like those of the chondrophorines. The presence of a short concave slope immediately in front of the apex can also be interpreted as a mollusk feature. In addition, the numerous comarginal lines of the cone are uniform in prominence and constant in spacing, and are only represented on the dorsal surface of the shell; thus, they are most similar to the incremental growth lines of shells of mollusks. The morphology of Totoralia gen. nov. is regarded as primitive in the Helcionelloida because the ancestor of the class is likely to have had a minute, untorted limpet-shaped shell. Although the new genus herein described seems to be endemic to Argentina, the Cambrian occurrences of related scenellid genera suggest affinities with Laurentia.


: Surgical trauma of the pancreas cauda can occur when the renal hilum is dissected during left radical nephrectomy, mainly when normal anatomy is altered by the tumoral or inflammatory pathology. This lesion can be appreciated during the surgical procedure or else a pseudocyst or pancreatic fistula can become evident post-operatively. The urologist's knowledge of what the correct management both intra-operatively and postoperatively of this pathology should include will lessen the significant morbidity it implies. Presentation of a series of 6 patients presenting pancreatic trauma during left radical nephrectomy. Comments on the pathophysiology of this disorder, intra-operative management and post-operative treatment, specifically emphasizing the use of Total Parenteral Nutrition and Momatostatin IV.


Depletion of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) represents one of the key molecular changes that underlie transdifferentiation (activation) of hepatic stellate cells in the genesis of liver fibrosis (Miyahara, T., Schrum, L., Rippe, R., Xiong, S., Yee, H. F., Jr., Motomura, K., Anania, F. A., Willson, T. M., and Tsukamoto, H. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 35715-35722; Hazra, S., Xiong, S., Wang, J., Rippe, R. A., Krishna, V., Chatterjee, K., and Tsukamoto, H. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 11392-11401). In support of this notion, ectopic expression of PPARgamma suppresses hepatic stellate cells activation markers, most notably expression of alpha1(I) procollagen. However, the mechanisms underlying this antifibrotic effect are largely unknown. The present study utilized deletion-reporter gene constructs of proximal 2.2-kb alpha1(I) procollagen promoter to demonstrate that a region proximal to -133 bp is where PPARgamma exerts its inhibitory effect. Within this region, two DNase footprints with Sp1 and reverse CCAAT box sites exist. NF-I, but not CCAAT DNA-binding factor/NF-Y, binds to the proximal CCAAT box in hepatic stellate cells. A mutation of this site almost completely abrogates the promoter activity. NF-I mildly but independently stimulates the promoter activity and synergistically promotes Sp1-induced activity. PPARgamma inhibits NF-I binding to the most proximal footprint (-97/-85 bp) and inhibits its transactivity. The former effect is mediated by the ability of PPARgamma to inhibit p300-facilitated NF-I binding to DNA as demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.


This work describes the identification and classification of a hitherto unknown group of α-haemolytic micrococci isolated from bottles containing dregs of fluid medicaments. The majority of the strains were both catalase-positive and nitratase-positive. In view of several similarities between these bacteria and the aerococci described by Shaw, Stitt & Cowan (1951), and later by Williams, Hirch & Cowan (1953), it is proposed that both groups should be incorporated in a new bacterial family, Aerococcaceae, despite the fact that the aerococci are catalase-negative and nitratase-negative. The suggestion that a new family should be established is prompted by the many dissimilarities between both the aforementioned groups and the representatives of the families to which they are closest according to the Bergey system. The new family ought to include one genus, Aerococcus, and two species, one of which, A. viridans, should comprise catalase-negative and nitratase-negative strains, and the other, A. catalasicus, strains which are obligate catalase-positive and may also be nitratase-positive.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether statins may improve endothelial function in systemic sclerosis (SSc) by evaluating the effects of simvastatin on vasculogenesis [indicated by the expansion of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC)] and the markers of vascular injury in the peripheral blood of patients with SSc.

METHODS
Twenty SSc patients with normal cholesterol concentrations and 20 hypercholesterolemic subjects were allocated to receive 20 mg/day simvastatin for 12 weeks. Peripheral blood samples were collected before and 12 weeks after initiation of treatment, and 4 weeks after discontinuation. Five-parameter, 3-color flow cytometry was performed with a FacScan to enumerate EPC and mature circulating endothelial cells (CEC). Levels of soluble E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, interleukin 6, and endothelin-1 were assessed by commercial ELISA.

RESULTS
Simvastatin treatment significantly increased EPC in the hypercholesterolemic group, but failed to improve the EPC levels in the SSc patients, mainly in patients with late disease. Baseline levels of CEC were significantly higher in SSc patients compared with controls and at the end of the treatment they were significantly decreased. Regarding other markers of endothelial activation, we found that all the cytokine levels decreased in a statistically significant manner in the treated patients.

CONCLUSION
Treatment with simvastatin results in rapid and significant improvement of measures of endothelial activation, suggesting a potential role of statins in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease in SSc. The lack of effect on increase of EPC confirms our previous findings of a defective endothelial stem cell recruitment in the bone marrow of SSc patients. This could indicate that the potential effectiveness of statins in SSc could mainly be ascribed to their effectiveness in modulating endothelial activation mechanisms.


In this report a method is presented for the calculation of the profile drag of airfoil sections. The method requlres only a knowledge of the theoretical velocity distribution and can be applied readily once this dlstribution is ascertained. Comparison of calculated and experimental drag characteristics for several airfoils shows a satisfactory agreement. Sample calculatlons are included.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which transcription is creative work, the degrees to which current literature elides or explores these creative elements, and the ethical implications of researchers' standard disacknowledgement of transcription as an intra-active suturing together of verbal exchanges, personal understandings, and texts.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors' analysis is based on a review of literature, with this paper putting specific sections of qualitative inquiry into conversation with one another, along with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Karen Barad's concept of spacetimemattering.

Findings
First, in a preliminary literature review of 200+ articles, the authors found that few researchers acknowledge the creative and decision-making processes that are inherent in transcription. Second, building on that finding, the authors explore the ways that others have discussed transcription as creation/creative and the ways that Barad's concept of spacetimemattering – which directly influences our use of Shelley's Frankenstein – has influenced qualitative inquiry.

Research limitations/implications
Transcription is pervasive in qualitative research, with some researchers finding that upwards of 60 percent of research is based on transcribed interviews. However, there is little examination of the creative processes inherent in transcription and the ethical implications of those processes. In terms of limitations, because this is a conceptual paper, it is based on a discussion of various aspects of the literature rather than specific findings demonstrating what the authors argue.

Practical implications
There is real risk in transcription being positioned as merely a task to be completed, to get to the "good stuff" of analysis and writing. Transcription carries implications bound with the responsibilities of creation and interpretation, and researchers who aim merely to achieve and work from a "verbatim" transcript skip over all of the parts that make this common process matter, both to researchers and the researched. The authors argue that qualitative researchers find before them a range of options when they begin the seemingly mundane task of transcription. The keystrokes begin the suturing process, binding together word, action and emotion in a document. Perhaps more importantly, though, the process of creating a transcription is a continuation of the range of ethical implications that research has for participants and researchers.

Social implications
The authors suggest a similar degree of responsibility for researchers who transcribe and/or work from transcriptions, though the concerns are the inverse of Frankenstein's creature's. Researchers are focused on the final product – the transcript itself. That document becomes the basis of analysis, of arguments, of understandings. Researchers need to be as aware of the sutures, cuts and stitches that form their transcription as they are of the final product. There are ethical implications of not exploring the degrees to which the transcripts themselves are creatures – born of decisions, of available resources, of researchers' own assumptions and understandings.

Originality/value
While Barad's concepts of spacetimemattering and Frankenstein have informed qualitative inquiry, there is no scholarship linking this theoretical discussion to the process of transcription, which is an important element of a substantial amount of qualitative data.


Managing native pastures for sustainable and economic production requires a good understanding of grazing effects on pasture dynamics. The Aristida/Bothriochloa pastures of north-eastern Australia are important for cattle production but little data on grazing pressure impacts on pastures are available to guide management decisions of producers, for land management education programs, or for predictive modelling. To address this deficiency, four different continuous grazing intensities were imposed on woodland communities over 7 or 8 years at two sites: a Eucalyptus populnea (poplar box) and a E. melanophloia (silver-leaved ironbark) community. Both sites had replicated paddocks grazed at a low, medium or high grazing pressure by +/− tree killing using herbicide (12 paddocks), and 12 ungrazed (nil grazing pressure) 1-ha plots subjected to the same tree-killing contrasts. Grazed paddock areas were fixed and varied between 3.5 and 21.5 ha. Differential grazing pressures were reset each autumn, by adjusting cattle numbers to consume over the next year the equivalent of 0%, 25%, 50% or 75% of the standing pasture mass available. Pasture grasses suitable as indicators of grazing pressure were identified for both communities. Under low grazing pressure, Themeda triandra (kangaroo grass) was the only desirable grass to show a significant increase in total contribution over time at both sites, although Dichanthium sericeum (Queensland bluegrass) also increased its contribution at the poplar box site. Chloris species increased their contribution as grazing pressure increased. The proportion of less palatable Aristida spp. (wiregrasses) in the pasture was not affected by high grazing pressure, although they increased at low grazing pressure in the poplar box community. There were no consistent changes in native legumes or weedy forb species to any treatment. Increasing grazing pressure had a greater negative effect on pasture mass, ground cover and pasture crown cover area than on changing species composition. Most changes in composition due to grazing pressure were smaller than those associated with variable seasonal rainfall, and were greater in the poplar box community. In above-average rainfall years grazing up to 50% of autumn standing pasture mass had no detrimental effect on composition in treeless poplar box country in the short term. The pastures remained stable or improved in both communities when grazing pressure was set annually to utilise 25% of the standing autumn forage.


Scour in and around structures placed on the seafloor occurs on varying spatio-temporal scales in response to changing hydrodynamic conditions. This effort examines the scour surrounding submerged railway cars in an artificial reef environment, Red Bird Reef, located off the shores of Delaware. Repeated high resolution multibeam sonar data from a Reson 7125 Multibeam Echo Sounder is used to evaluate the sensitivity of localized scour to car orientation, water depth, sediment heterogeneity, and hydrodynamic forcing. Red Bird Reef shows unambiguous differences in scour/accretion response to varying wave climates and varying response to object based parameters such as object proximity, orientation, depth and height. This study examines the overall local scour and accretion surrounding 38 decommissioned R-26 "Redbird" subway cars placed on the seafloor functioning as an artificial reef system. Scour was shown to have axial asymmetries and is sensitive to the car orientation relative to wave direction. The observations show that the local influence area is greater than 8 times the objects width wide and 2 times the length long. The use of bathymetric difference surfaces suggests areas where previous estimates of sediment composition transition from coarse to fine sediment are concomitant with regions of high scour variability. This result suggests that sediment grain size heterogeneity could be a significant influence on variability of submarine scour.


[FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Introduction Builders of residential homes are integrating design principles that will be appealing to baby boomers (people who were born between 1946 and 1964). There are approximately 70 to 80 million baby boomers who compose almost one-third of the population in the United States of America. States such as California, Georgia, Florida, and Nevada have large baby boomer concentrations, and builders in these areas are trying to incorporate design features that will appeal to them. Builders are also trying to design homes with features that would appeal to those with physical disabilities and special needs. People generally prefer to stay in their homes as opposed to moving to a retirement or assisted-living community (Perkins, 2003). According to the article Housing Selection Crucial for Retirees, "Many retirees and near retirees should be thinking about modifying their current home to be 'age-friendly' as they grow older so they can stay longer, even as their health begins to fail" (p. 8). If the opportunity to remodel a bathroom presents itself, a walk-in shower with a seat or room enough to roll in a wheelchair should be taken into consideration. Installation of wider doorways, handrails, and chair lifts are features that should be considered. Retirees should also consider relocating the master bedroom to the first floor and consider having first-floor laundry facilities. (Society for the Advancement of Education, 2003). Regardless of whether individuals are considering purchasing, building, or retrofitting a home to be "age-friendly," there are several design principles that should be taken into consideration. In 1970, an architect named Ronald L. Mace and others developed seven Universal Design Principles that can be incorporated into new and existing structures to broaden accessibility, usability, and safety for all occupants. These design principles extend beyond simply making a residence "age-friendly" and seek to make the residence friendly for all. According to Perkins (2003), "The seven principles are: equitable use; flexibility; simple and intuitive; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; and size and space for approach and use" (Para. 9). Regarding mobility and agility, Perkins suggests, "berms, ramps, wider doorways with lower thresholds, swing-clear door hinges, levered handles, sidewalk curb cutouts, high-density, low-pile carpeting, ground-floor bed and bathrooms, roll-in showers and handheld showers" (Para. 13). In addition to interior and exterior physical characteristics of the residence, the location of electrical components should to be taken into consideration. According to Perkins, "Electrical switches and thermostats no higher than 48 inches above the floor and electrical outlets no lower than 27 inches puts them within reach of virtually anyone" (Para. 10). In a study to identify patterns of environmental support needed by people with disabilities, Stark (2001) found that environmental problems are highly individual. A plan for every individual is needed that should include multiple strategies (including architectural modification, assistive technology, programmatic support, and personal support). Research has been conducted pertaining to the areas in the home where individuals often encounter accessibility issues. Gitlin, Mann, Tomit, & Marcus (2001) studied community-living elders in the western region of New York and examined their home modification needs and difficulties encountered in the home. They found that bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and entryways to rooms caused the most problems. According to Gitlin, et al. (2001), "Most subjects encountered difficulties in bathrooms (88% of subjects), kitchens (76% of subjects), bedrooms (61% of subjects), entryways (58%), and in living or family room areas (55%)" (p. 781). According to Gitlin, et al., specific problems encountered in the bathroom included getting in/out of the tub, the lack of grab bars, problems with the toilet being too low, too small, or no grab bars, lack of hand-held shower, limited storage, bathroom that was too small, and difficulty with faucets. …


The creation of a sustainable transport system is the main objective of the European transport policy. This system should encourage facilities to connect all people and should be linked with economic, social and environmental aspects of society. Current trends and future challenges will meet a growing "accessibility" demand, highlighting concerns about the sustainability of transport. Therefore one of the priorities of transport policy is the improving of overall quality of transport, including aspects related to: personal safety, accidents and health hazards reduction, protection of passengers rights and of accessibility to remote areas. This paper is dedicated to sustainable development, with particular attention to urban transport and to daily mobility of citizens. It is important to analyze all the aspects that make it possible to clarify a definition of "sustainable transport". Their analysis has to be related to the individuation of a set of indicators that simultaneously take into account the three dimensions of sustainability: environment, economy and social issues. This, set should help to take decisions on policy and planning of urban transport systems. A limited and easily available set of indicators is more convenient to be used, but it may overlook important impacts, thus distorting planning decisions. A broad set of indicators can propose more quality in terms of completeness, but it has characterized by incredible data collection costs and by serious difficulties of interpretation. This study is based on the results of a survey carried out to verify feasibility and usefulness of such indicators for sustainable urban mobility in a particular territory. Values assumed by economic, environmental and social indicators are referred to the city of Palermo. A survey on family shifts was carried out in this city. It aims to the creation of a set of indicators that would allow comparison between different urban transport strategies. Finally, we analyze the possibility to generalize the proposed


Currently, there is no method available that can systematically score the available ecosystem services in streets or street segments in suburban districts. In this study, different climate adaptation measures and their ecosystem services were categorized into green, blue, and grey categories and weight was given to each category based on their impact on the microclimate. This study took place in the Hillesluis district in the city of Rotterdam and the Paddepoel district in the city of Groningen. In Rotterdam, 21 streets, composed of 42 street segments, were assessed. In Groningen, 17 streets, composed of 45 street segments, were assessed. The available ecosystem services of each street segment were scored from 0–100. The scorecard method that was developed and tested during this study provided insight in the variation of available ecosystem services of streets and street segments. Individual street scores were very low in the city of Rotterdam and ranged between 3 and 50, with the average score for the street segments of 29. In Groningen, the scores were considerably higher with a range between 23 and 70, with an average score of 47 per street segment. The presence of larger green trees, front yards, and façade gardens in the green category are the most distinctive variable, while adaptation measures in the blue category were absent in both cities. The scorecard proved to be very useful in the adaptation labeling of street segments and entire streets. After assessing a neighborhood, the least adaptive streets can be identified relatively easy. Based on the score a label can be given between A+++ and G. The scorecard informs residents and decision makers about which streets are most adaptive and which streets have an adaptation potential. The method can easily be duplicated and used by local governments and community groups to have better insight in the level of climate adaptation of their street. Labels for entire streets can be used to create awareness and encourage residents to take action and expand the number of climate adaptation measures in their street.


Virchow–Robin spaces (VRS) are perivascular, pial-lined areas in the brain that surrounds small arteries and can be seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging. VRS are typically less than 5 mm in diameter and accepted as normal anatomical structures. VRS are usually asymptomatic, but if there is an expansion to the brain parenchyma, various clinical symptoms can be seen associated with the mass effect. A 5-year-old boy presented with a complaint of developmental delay. He had relative macrocephaly, hair with a double crown, and clinodactyly of the middle phalanx of both the fifth fingers. He had dysmorphic facial features, including triangular face, frontal bossing, and low-set protruding ears. His neurologic examination revealed normal muscular tonus and normal deep tendon reflexes with clumsy gait. Metabolic screening tests, including tandem mass, urine organic acids, plasma, and urine amino acid profiles were also normal. The patient underwent MRI of the brain as a firstline investigation, and T2 images demonstrated an extensive involvement of the hemispheric, subcortical white matter with a cerebrospinal fluid intensity signal change suggestive of multilocular giant VRS. MR spectroscopy showed no significant signal peak. The karyotype analysis of the patient was 46 XY, and FISH for Angelman syndrome also revealed a normal result. In the 2-year follow-up, the patient showed no neuromotor deterioration and radiological progression. In conclusion, VRS must be differentiated from other cystic lesions of the brain. Phenotypic characteristics of our patient were not compatible with the previously defined syndromes. Abstract PO-0806 Figure 1


Abstract Laughter commonly occurs in daily interactions, and is not only simply related to funny situations, but also to expressing some type of attitudes, having important social functions in communication. The background of the present work is to generate natural motions in a humanoid robot, so that miscommunication might be caused if there is mismatching between audio and visual modalities, especially in laughter events. In the present work, we used a multimodal dialogue database, and analyzed facial, head, and body motion during laughing speech. Based on the analysis results of human behaviors during laughing speech, we proposed a motion generation method given the speech signal and the laughing speech intervals. Subjective experiments were conducted using our android robot by generating five different motion types, considering several modalities. Evaluation results showed the effectiveness of controlling different parts of the face, head, and upper body (eyelid narrowing, lip corner/cheek raising, eye blinking, head motion, and upper body motion control).


The peaceful coexistence among people is the key to a stable and progressing world. The focus of the study was to examine the desired and existing level of peace teaching practices at the university level. Convergent mixed methods design was considered best fit, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Respondents of the study were all administrators, the teachers, and BS students at the universities of Pakistan. Multistage sampling techniques were used for the selection of the respondents. Three instruments were used in this study; first and second instruments were self-developed questionnaires consisting of 50 items both for teachers and students used to collect quantitative data. The reliability of questionnaires was computed after pilot testing applying Cronbach's Alpha (0.92). The third instrument i.e. interview schedule consisted of (5) questions, was used to collect qualitative data. The analysis of data revealed that the desired level for peace teaching practices and its subsidiary values is significantly greater than the existing level of peace teaching practices. It leads to the conclusion that there is more need for teaching peace and its subsidiary values to university students. Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan may suggest a separate course on peace in its policy guidelines for the universities under its auspices.


Parasitoid wasps are increasingly being used to control insect pest populations, where the pest is the host species parasitized by the wasp. Here we use the discrete-time formalism of the Nicholson-Bailey model to investigate a fundamental question - are there limits to parasitoid-driven suppression of the host population density while still ensuring a stable coexistence of both species? Our model formulation imposes an intrinsic self-limitation in the host's growth resulting in a carrying capacity in the absence of the parasitoid. Different versions of the model are considered with parasitism occurring at a developmental stage that is before, during, or after the growth-limiting stage. For example, the host's growth limitation may occur at its larval stage due to intraspecific competition, while the wasps attack either the host egg, larval or pupal stage. For slow-growing hosts, models with parasitism occurring at different life stages are identical in terms of their host suppression dynamics but have contrasting differences for fast-growing hosts. In the latter case, our analysis reveals that wasp parasitism occurring after host growth limitation yields the lowest pest population density conditioned on stable host-parasitoid coexistence. For ecologically relevant parameter regimes we estimate this host suppression to be roughly 10-20% of the parasitoid-free carrying capacity. We further expand the models to consider a fraction of hosts protected from parasitism (i.e., a host refuge). Our results show that for a given host reproduction rate there exists a critical value of protected host fraction beyond which, the system dynamics are stable even for high levels of parasitism that drive the host to arbitrary low population densities. In summary, our systematic analysis sheds key insights into the combined effects of density-dependence in host growth and parasitism refuge in stabilizing the host-parasitoid population dynamics with important implications for biological control.


Commercial Seed Production (CSP) in vegetables like tomato and okra is an important economic activity for farmers in the dry regions like Haveri and Gadag in Karnataka providing assured returns and additional employment. Its economic impact assessed at individual and aggregate levels based on a sample of 70 cultivators has indicated that the activity provides stability, equity in income distribution across the group and helps enhance family welfare. Undertaken mainly during the khraif season on a plot of around 0.43 ha, the farmers incur an expenditure of around Rs 49,780 / ha for tomato and Rs 38,555/ha for okra. With a seed yield of 0.493 and 5.66 quintals of tomato and okra, respectively, the farmers could realize a net return of Rs 88,338/ha from tomato and Rs 39,440/ha from okra. Being highly labour-intensive involving special operations such as emasculation and hybridization, the commercial seed production generates employment opportunities of around 415 women-days in both tomato and okra CSP. With low coefficient of variation in the range of 8 per cent price in okra to around 28 per cent for yield in tomato, the CSP could provide income stability for the dryland farmers. Measured in terms of Gini's coefficient of income equality, the CSP of tomato and okra with a value of 0.22 and 0.24 has proved to improve income distribution across the group. By adopting a combination of two plots of tomato, one during kharif and one during rabi, with one plot of okra in kharif, CSP could fetch the highest net return of Rs 33,859/ha. The presence of surrogate water market and dwindling groundwater in the region highlight the urgent need for a policy and action points for safeguarding the social and environment issues in the highly beneficial CSP of tomato and okra.


EU and twelve countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) engaged in 1995 in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) in political, economic and cultural matters with the aim to foster cooperation, stability, and prosperity around the Mediterranean Basin. The Economic and Financial Partnership (EFP) plays a central role in the EMP design and implementation, which is centered on economic and trade integration as a starting point for and an anchor of socioeconomic development in the MENA region. Against this background, this paper reviews the situation in the MENA partner countries and the past performance of the EFP. It analyzes the association agreements, economic cooperation and financial assistance, discusses the major obstacles, and outlines the potential of the EFP to shape the European Neighborhood Policy.


Conventional wisdom would have us believe that every immigrant to the United States became American, by choice and with deliberate speed. Yet, as Special Sorrows shows us, this is simply untrue. In this compelling revisionist study, Matthew Frye Jacobson reveals tenacious attachments to the Old World and explores the significance of homeland politics for Irish, Polish, and Jewish immigrants at the turn of the twentieth century. Drawing on Yiddish, Polish, and English-language sources, Jacobson discovers the influence of nationalist ideologies in the overt political agendas of such ethnic associations as the Knights of Zion and the Polish Falcons, as well as in newspapers, vernacular theater, popular religion, poetry, fiction, and festivals, both religious and secular. In immigrant communities, he finds that nationalism was a powerful component of popular sensibility. A captivating example of Jacobson's thesis is immigrant reaction to American intervention in Cuba. Masculinist/militarist strains of nationalist culture met with the keen impulse to aid a subjugated people. The three national groups, rich with memories of their own subjugation, found an unlikely outlet in the Caribbean. But when the U.S. war for Cuban liberation was followed by a crusade for Philippine subjugation, immigrants faced a dilemma: some condemned the American empire rich in Old World parallels; others dismissed the Filipinos as racial others and embraced the glories of conquest. In effect, the crucible of American imperialism was vital to many immigrants' Americanization, in the sense of passionate participation in national politics, pro or con. This work answers the call of scholars to recover the full experience of these immigrants. It adds to the tapestry of America's turn-of-the-century political culture and restores an essential transnational dimension to questions of ethnic identity and behavior.


The incorporation of drugs into the dressings make these dressings antimicrobial and help in control of infection around the wound. The wound dressing materials based on PVA/PAA, ciprofloxacin HCl, and aloe vera have been designed and developed so that the wound undergoes proper healing and scar formation is minimal. These wound dressing materials are produced using the electrospinning method. The wound dressing materials are characterized using the FT-IR, DSC, DTA, TGA, and SEM techniques. The wound dressing materials are tested for microbial activity tests and drug release experiments. Controlled ciprofloxacin HCl release is observed.


In this article we argue that an analytics of governmentality has an important contribution to make to the study of governmental approaches to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Looking at developments within the EU, we see government emerging as an enabling and empowering facilitator that a) promotes a strategic understanding of CSR as a lever for economic competitiveness and growth and b) disregards regulatory measures in favour of liberal and indirect means of steering. We argue that the analytical vocabulary of governmentality makes it possible to address and problematize the indirect modes of power and governing that are prevalent in governmental approaches to CSR in general and in neoliberal modes of CSR governance in particular. Using EU and member states policy developments as an empirical backdrop, we provide a conceptual exploration of the prospects of applying governmentality to the study of the changing roles of government in CSR. We position our contribution within the critical literature on CSR as a political phenomenon.


Due to the drastically elevated prominence of social networking sites (SNS), online social impressions such as views, comments, followers, subscribers, likes, and dislikes have become a valuable currency that translates to popularity, credibility, and even financial gains. Aside from machine-generated impressions, a growing industry known as crowdturfing utilizes human workers to provide "real" social impressions as-a-service. Although crowdturfing platforms are often seen as a clear example of deceptive conduct, they justify their business by leveraging well-crafted persuasive strategies and ethical appeals. Given the increasingly significant role of online impressions on shaping people's views and opinions, the servitization of these impressions calls for a clearer understanding. To address this call, we set out to investigate 1) What persuasive strategies do crowdturfing agents leverage to promote their service offerings?; and 2) To what extent these offerings can be ethically justified? Our analysis reveals utilization of three key persuasive strategies - namely, educational messages, bragging messages, and reassuring messages. Moreover, we find that they use various ethical appeals which largely depend on the conception of what 'real' means. The theoretical and practical significance of these findings are discussed.