, SUMMARY microRNAs are regulators of myriad cellular events, but evidence for a single microRNA that can efficiently differentiate multipotent cells into a specific lineage or regulate direct reprogramming of cells into an alternate cell fate has been elusive. Here, we show that miR-145 and miR-143 are co-transcribed in multipotent cardiac progenitors before becoming localized to smooth muscle cells, including neural crest stem cell–derived vascular smooth muscle cells. miR-145 and miR-143 were direct transcriptional targets of serum response factor, myocardin and Nkx2.5, and were downregulated in injured or atherosclerotic vessels containing proliferating, less differentiated smooth muscle cells. miR-145 was necessary for myocardin-induced reprogramming of adult fibroblasts into smooth muscle cells and sufficient to induce differentiation of multipotent neural crest stem cells into vascular smooth muscle. Furthermore, miR-145 and miR-143 cooperatively targeted a network of transcription factors, including Klf4, myocardin, and Elk-1 to promote differentiation and repress proliferation of smooth muscle cells. These findings demonstrate that miR-145 can direct the smooth muscle fate and that miR-145 and miR-143 function to regulate the quiescent versus proliferative phenotype of smooth muscle cells.


This paper studies the multi-user performance of multi-cell visible light communication (VLC) systems with coordinated precoding among cells. Practically, separated LED arrays are employed to properly illuminate a large room/office. This configuration enables a multi-cell VLC system, which is analogous to that in mobile cellular networks. In such multi-cell systems supporting multiple users, the received signal at a user can severely be degraded not only by the interference caused by the signals that are intended to other users within the cell (intra-cell interference) but also by interference from signals of the other cells (inter-cell interference). In order to remove these interferences, we propose a coordinated precoding technique which allows coordination between VLC cells. We then investigate the optimal precoding matrix design to maximize the achievable sum capacity of users. The maximization problem is formulated as a convex optimization problem which can be solved efficiently by using standard software packages. Numerical results show that the proposed coordinated precoding outperforms the non-coordinated one.


Applying elastic-hydrodynamic lubrication theory, oil film thickness of tooth surface was studies in accordance with the quasi-steady state. This paper focused on the influence of gear parameters such as gear ratio, module and center distance on the thickness of oil film of tooth flank. The results show, as speed ratio increases, oil film thickness increases significantly. When the number of teeth is fixed, oil film thickness increases significantly with the increase of module. When center distance is fixed, oil film thickness declines greatly with the increase of module in both into meshing and out of meshing points. Therefore when center distance is fixed, less module and more teeth are selected,on the condition that gear intensity is met. By results analyzing, the minimal oil film thickness may occur in the single tooth meshing area and into meshing or out of meshing points.


Soil moisture retrieved from satellite microwave remote sensing normally has spatial resolution on the order of tens of kilometers, which are too coarse for many regional hydrological applications such as agriculture monitoring and drought prediction. Therefore, various downscaling methods have been proposed to enhance the spatial resolution of satellite soil moisture products. The aim of this study is to investigate the validity and robustness of the simple vegetation temperature condition index (VTCI) downscaling scheme over a dense soil moisture observational network (REMEDHUS) in Spain. First, the optimized VTCI was determined through sensitivity analyses of VTCI to surface temperature, vegetation index, cloud, topography, and land cover heterogeneity, using data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer~(MODIS) and MSG SEVIRI (METEOSAT Second Generation – Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager). Then the downscaling scheme was applied to improve the spatial resolution of the European Space Agency's Water Cycle Multi-mission Observation Strategy and Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) soil moisture, which is a merged product based on both active and passive microwave observations. The results from direct validation against soil moisture observations, spatial pattern comparison, as well as seasonal and land use analyses show that the downscaling method can significantly improve the spatial details of CCI soil moisture while maintaining the accuracy of CCI soil moisture. The accuracy level is comparable to other downscaling methods that were also validated against the REMEDHUS network. Furthermore, slightly better performance of MSG SEVIRI over MODIS was observed, which suggests the high potential of applying a geostationary satellite for downscaling soil moisture in the future. Overall, considering the simplicity, limited data requirements and comparable accuracy level to other complex methods, the VTCI downscaling method can facilitate relevant hydrological applications that require high spatial and temporal resolution soil moisture.


208 Abstract Improvement of per capita income will boost the demand for outpatient care and lead enhanced expectation of service quality of hospital. People perceived that private hospital has better services than public hospital. Based on these, we assumed that private hospital users have particular characteristics. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with utilization of private hospitals for outpatient care and who get the benefits, the rich or the poor. This study used data of 42,540 respondents from IFLS-4 collected in 2007. Analyses showed the higher the income the higher the demand. Insured's groups have higher demand than uninsured. Demand analyses revealed that increased price of private hospital caused higher demand. This evidence indicated that outpatient care of private hospital was perceived as luxuries goods. However increased price of public hospital did not influence the demand of private hospital. It is indicate that private hospital has different type with patients of public hospital. It means that the two types of hospital comprise different segment of patients. The rich benefited more outpatient care in private hospital than the poor. It implies that the government should enforced Ministry of Health's regulation on hospital social function.


Building upon the fundamental partial compositeness framework we provide consistent and complete composite extensions of the standard model. These are used to determine the effective operators emerging at the electroweak scale in terms of the standard model fields upon consistently integrating out the heavy composite dynamics. We exhibit the first effective field theories matching these complete composite theories of flavour and analyse their physical consequences for the third generation quarks. Relations with other approaches, ranging from effective analyses for partial compositeness to extra dimensions as well as purely fermionic extensions, are briefly discussed. Our methodology is applicable to any composite theory of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking featuring a complete theory of flavour.


Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is now routinely performed on any hospitalized patients who suffer cardiac, or respiratory arrest. Children with irreversible, or progressive terminal illness may benefit temporarily from CPR, only to deteriorate later on. Painful and invasive procedures may be performed unnecessarily, and the child could be left in a poorer condition. A do not resuscitate (DNR) order indicates that the treating team has decided not to have CPR attempted in the event of cardiac or pulmonary arrest. While there is relatively ample literature on this topic in general, there is comparatively little focus on DNR orders as they pertain to pediatric patients. In this paper, various aspects related to the DNR decision making in children will be discussed, and a summary of the published guidelines by the Royal College of Pediatrics & Child Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics will be presented.


The objectives of research were to determine the effect of different composition of Taiwanese mussel powder-supplemented feed on absolute growth, daily growth, relative growth, feed efficiency and food conversion ratio for carp fingerling; and to determine the best composition of Taiwanese mussel powder-supplemented feed that gave the best response on carp fingerling.  The research was conducted at Laboratory of Aquaculture Technology by means of 15 aquaria with a density of 10 fishes (3-5 cm in length) per aquarium. The research implemented Complete Randomized Design with five treatments, each with three replications.  The treatments included A= 0, B= 10, C= 20, D= 30, and E= 40% Taiwanese mussel carcass powder.  The fish were fed three times a day at 6% of body weight. Research result showed the best absolute,  daily, and relative growth,  feed efficiency and food conversion ratio was observed at treatment E.  It was concluded that feed supplemented with 40% of Taiwanese mussel carcass powder demonstrated the best response on  and growth, feed efficiency and food conversion ratio. Keywords :  Taiwanese mussel powder, growth, feed efficiency, feed conversion ratio


Design features and some past experimental results are presented for a sub-THz wave source employing the Advanced Photon Source's RF thermionic electron gun. The setup includes a compact alpha-magnet, four quadrupoles, a novel radiator, a THz transport line, and THz diagnostics. The radiator is composed of a dielectricfree, planar, over-sized structure with gratings. The gratings are integrated into a combined horn antenna and ~90° permanent bending magnet. The magnetic lattice enables operation in different modes, including conversion to a flat beam for efficient interaction with the radiating structure. The experiment described demonstrated the generation of narrow bandwidth THz radiation from a compact, laser and undulator-free, tabletop system. This concept could be scaled to create a THzsub-THz source capable of operating in long-pulse, multibunch, and CW modes. Additionally, the system can be used to remove unwanted time-dependent energy variations in longitudinally compressed electron bunches or for various time-dependent beam diagnostics. Plans for future experiments and upgrades are also discussed.


Two groups of osteoarthritis patients had their ground reaction forces measured during a sit-to-stand task at three months post-operation. One group had a 32mm femoral head fitted during a total hip replacement procedure and the other group had a hip resurfacing procedure. Three validated orthopaedic score questionnaires and an activity questionnaire were completed prior to surgery and at three months post-operation. This pilot study showed that there were no significant differences in the ground reaction forces in the operated and non-operated limb between the groups although both groups exhibited significantly higher ground reaction forces on the non-operated limb compared to the operated one. None of the orthopaedic scores showed any significant differences between the groups, despite the resurfacing group reporting higher levels of sporting activity at three months postoperation.


The transport of photogenerated minority carriers (photocarriers) across the heterointerface of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and crystalline silicon (c-Si) in a-Si/c-Si heterostructure solar cell is shown in this work to critically depend on the non-Maxwellian energy distribution function of those carriers impinging on the heterointerface. A theoretical model is presented that integrates the effect of the high electric field inversion region upon energy distribution function of the impinging carriers with the transmission probability of those carriers across the heterointerface. The transport of the photocarriers across the high electric field inversion region is simulated by the full solution of the Boltzmann transport equation by Monte Carlo technique while the transmission probability of carriers across the heterointerface is calculated through the percolation path technique. The results are discussed under two different condition of band bending; strongly inverted and weakly inverted c-Si surface. The results comparing different conditions of band bending show that the energy distribution of the carriers impinging on the heterointerface is non-Maxwellian and the integrated photocarrier collection increases with the strength of the inversion field since the carrier population is weighted towards higher energy where the transmission probability through the barrier is higher. Thus we demonstrate that hot carriers play an important role in heterostructure cell operation.


The present paper aims to find out the influence of birth order and maternal age on sex ratio at birth in Greater Bombay [India] by considering 1.5 million births during the period 1970-78. The relationship sex ratio at birth has [with] birth order and maternal age follows a quadratic model. The percentage variation explained by a linear model is less than that explained by the quadratic model. (EXCERPT)


Institutional arrangements are a key issue for sustainable natural resource management. Recent water and fisheries management projects in Bangladesh have established new local institutions for floodplain management based on community organizations. Although the Flood Action Plan (FAP) was the culmination of an earlier emphasis on technical and structural 'solutions' to managing floods and water in Bangladesh, the expected large engineering works were never built. One legacy of FAP lies in a contested process that accelerated emphasis on public participation, smaller scale hazard adjustments and maintaining a wider range of floodplain resource values including conserving and restoring fisheries. This paper compares institutional arrangements and outcomes in two fisheries and two water management projects taken up after FAP. Local organizations appeared generally successful in sustaining themselves and continuing floodplain resource management. Facilitation, the extent of consensus among different stakeholders, and fit between institutional arrangements and scale of resource were all important influences on effectiveness. Local organizations have sustained in smaller floodplains, but in larger areas co-management bodies were a key to effective coordination and troubleshooting among a series of linked community organizations. Local leaders tend to dominate after projects end, especially where planning was less participatory and organizational structures were determined from above. Participants stressed that for continued success formally recognized well-run organizations are needed with accountable and adaptable decision-making processes and good leaders. This process built on participatory guidelines from FAP but the local institutions have not addressed hazard risks. Community resource management institutions could develop a more integrated approach that internalizes the interactions between water, land and fishery management. So far, local planning for floods has been a notable gap in the activities of community institutions, but the enhanced social capital could be a basis for adaptation to climate change. For this, an enabling policy environment is needed, which could be facilitated by the open high-profile debate on floodplain issues that characterized FAP.


Pine wood crib fires (4.6 kg) were investigated in a 1.6 m fire compartment with air ventilation between 3 and 40 air changes per hour (ACH). The cribs were 380 mm tall and 300 mm square. The fires rapidly self extinguished at 3ACH and struggled to continue to propagate at 5 ACH, where only 15 % of the initial crib mass was burnt. For 11, 21 and 37 ACH the cribs burned completely and the oxygen consumption HRR increased with ventilation. All three fully burned fires had rich equivalence ratios for most of the fire duration and associated high CO yields. Extremely toxic levels of CO, acrolein, formaldehyde and benzene were generated and the total toxic N on an LC50 basis was over 30. The combustion efficiency was very low due to the very high CO and total hydrocarbon emissions and this led to a major difference in the HRR by mass loss and that by oxygen consumption. The results demonstrate the severe toxic conditions that occur in ventilation restricted fires with wood as the main fire load.


There has been an increasing emphasis in narrative inquiry on "small" stories (i.e., those derived from everyday social exchanges) rather than "big" stories (i.e., those derived from interviews, clinical encounters, autobiographical writing, and other such interrogative venues). The latter, it may be argued, inevitably entail a problematic distance from everyday reality and may thus be said to embody life "on holiday." On one level, this is surely true: big stories, insofar as they entail a significant measure of reflection on either an episode, a portion of a life, or the whole of it, are a step removed from those everyday goings-on that are the focus of small stories. Far from necessarily being a liability, however, the distance that is intrinsic to big story narrative reflection creates opportunities for understanding that are largely unavailable in the immediacy of the moment. Big stories and small stories thus complement one another; taken together, they represent a promising integrative direction for narrative inquiry.


This thesis presents an analysis of the conflict which arose between two groups of people in Rwanda, before it achieved independence from colonial rule in 1962. I have set out to demonstrate that the conflict cannot be understood unless it is seen in relation to the traditional Rwanda social system and the impact of colonial influence on the traditional principles of social organisation. The analysis demonstrates why violent conflict erupted between two major groups of people at that particular moment rather than unifying them in a common attempt to reach independence. It further demonstrates why these two groups aligned themselves in ethnic terms. I have firstly made a functional analysis of traditional Rwanda society as it was operative at the moment it became subject to western colonial rule. Although Rwanda is essentially a social and political unit, I have developed the considerable intracultural and regional variations of an ecological, demographic, political, socio-economic and religious nature to be found within Rwanda. The analysis shows how these variations are reflected in the different social institutions of Rwanda society. The functional analysis demonstrates the existence of elements of competition and conflict in Rwanda society despite a highly complex but centralised political structure. However in the traditional system processes and mechanisms for containing conflict were provided through institutions making for cohesion in different ways. Secondly, I have made a diachronic analysis of the impact of new pressures, during the period of colonial rule, on the principles of social organisation, especially in the political and socio-economic fields. Lastly, I have analysed the ultimate conflict situation and correlated the form it took with the effect of these new pressures on the traditional system.


The relationship between a venture capitalist and an entrepreneur is modeled to investigate the impact of public subsidies on venture capital investments in start-up enterprises. In this model, the venture capitalist only finances start-up enterprises if he has sufficient expertise to make high-risk investments in new technology profitable in terms of their expected value. It is shown that a venture capitalist who already has sufficient expertise reduces his management support in the start-up enterprise under a public subsidy. Moreover, venture capitalists who do not have sufficient expertise may finance start-up enterprises if future losses of the start-up investment are partly covered by the government.


Business and civil society benefit equally from strong civic institutions (such as an independent judiciary and media), the rule of law and the freedoms of expression, association and assembly. These elements of accountability are all critical to stable, profitable and sustainable business environments in which companies thrive and economies prosper. Civic space has been shrinking in democratic and autocratic countries alike for some time. The reduction of civic space presents not only political but also legal, ethical, reputational and financial risks for investors and companies. But, for investors to demonstrate geopolitical corporate responsibility and match their rhetoric on social purpose with action, there needs to be a shift in awareness, culture and process. This research paper identifies the risks to investors associated with shrinking civic space and recommends actions that investors, regulators and civil society organizations can take to better identify and mitigate those risks.


: Dilution of thrombocyte-rich blood plasma (down to 2.5 x 10(8) thrombocytes/ml) enabled to avoid an irreversible phase of the ADP-induced thrombocyte aggregation; the reversible phase of aggregation was followed by deaggregation. The reversible aggregation of thrombocytes was studied in healthy persons and patients with diabetes mellitus within wide ranges of ADP concentrations (including 10 microM) using the diluted blood plasma. Thrombocytes of the patients with diabetes mellitus of the I and II types were found to be 1.6- and 2.33-fold more sensitive to the ADP aggregating effect as compared with thrombocytes of healthy persons. The elevated rate of thrombocytes aggregation in diabetes mellitus appears to be related to early decrease in activity of thrombocyte guanylate cyclase and to its ability to be activated.


This thesis examines the ways in which the later-generation Insh-Amencan diaspora have engaged with and performed their ethnic identity in the latter half of the twentieth century. It particularly focuses upon the ways in which this identity is negotiated and formed through an interaction with Ireland itself, rather than within an entirely American context. The thesis concentrates upon Insh-Amencan popular culture and practices, arguing that it is through these texts that the complex processes of later-generation ethnic identification and performance can best be analysed. The thesis uses a wide vanety of cultural texts for this analysis, including films, novels, news media, tounst practices, family history research and political activism. These texts are examined predominantly within the theoretical framework of discourse analysis, arguing that they should be understood as both reflecting and informing a wider cultural discourse of diasponc ethnicity and identity within the United States. To further highlight the ways in which this occurs, the thesis also discusses the ways in which different academic disciplines, such as history, Irish studies, anthropology and diaspora studies itself, have approached the subject of diasporic identity. The thesis goes on to argue that a multidisciplinary approach is essential to understanding the complex processes of identity construction involved m the formation of a diaspora such as iater-generation Insh-Amenca.


Two ice-nucleating-active (INA) bacteria (isolates C and 6) were isolated from poh-pohan ( Pilea glaberina ), an Indonesian edible leafy plant ( lalaban ) . The maximum nucleation temperature of aqueous suspensions of the two isolates is -5 °C. They were classified as a type II ice nucleator. Microscopic and morphological determination showed that these isolates had yellow pigmentation, rod shape, and were Gram negative. Biochemical analysis indicated that the isolates were exhibited catalase activity, but negative in oxidase and indole assays. DNA sequencing of 16SrRNA gene of isolate A3 showed a 94% similarity to Pseudomonas sp. while isolate A4 showed a 97% similarity to Xanthomonas campestris . To our knowledge, this is the first report of INA bacteria isolated from a tropical edible leafy plant.


Land-use practices surrounding a wetland may be as important for maintaining wildlife populations as the wetland itself. Although imperiled species may appear to be more impacted than ubiquitous species from changes in the landscape surrounding wetlands, studies of common wetland species are useful for conservation because they provide insight into why some species persist despite landscape changes. We therefore investigated the relationship between connectivity, measured as the wetland distance to other wetlands; connectivity quality, implied by wetland distance to roads and forest area within 30, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 m buffer zones around the wetland; and patch size as indicated by wetland size with northern watersnake Nerodia sipedon sipedon abundance. Our results suggest that both upland and wetland characteristics influence the abundance of N. s. sipedon, as wetland size and wetland connectivity to other wetlands were significantly associated with abundance. Abundance was positively correlated with increasing wetland size and wetland connectivity. We were not able to find a significant relationship between abundance and connectivity quality, and wetland distance to road or forest area within 30, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 m buffer zones. We conclude that wetland conservation should focus on wetland complexes as well as individual wetlands. In addition, common wetland species such as the northern watersnake do not appear to be negatively impacted by modifications to nearby terrestrial habitats, such as deforestation and roads, and may benefit from the creation of larger, permanent wetlands.


The covariance approximation (CA) multiple signal classification (MUSIC) is a novel near-field direction-of-arrival (DoA) estimation method for uniform linear array. In this paper, we showthattheCA-MUSICsuffersfromsignificantperformance degeneration caused by coherent sources. The CA-MUSIC with coherent sources generates the image sources (IS), which cannot be distinguished from the real sources. To solve this problem, we propose a CA-based near-field coherent sources localization algorithm, which is robust to the IS effect. The proposed CA al- gorithm avoids errors caused by coherence between sources using searching radius restriction and zero-forcing MUSIC. Simulation results shows that the proposed CA algorithm offers superior root mean square error (RMSE) performances for near-field coherent sources.


Prostate cancer is characterised by significant global disparity; mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa are double to quadruple those in Eurasia1. Hypothesising unknown interplay between genetic and non-genetic factors, tumour genome profiling envisages contributing mutational processes2,3. Through whole-genome sequencing of treatment-naïve prostate cancer from 183 ethnically/globally distinct patients (African versus European), we generate the largest cancer genomics resource for Sub-Saharan Africa. Identifying ~2 million somatic variants, Africans carried the greatest burden. We describe a new molecular taxonomy using all mutational types and ethno-geographic identifiers, including Asian. Defined as Global Mutational Subtypes (GMS) A–D, although Africans presented within all subtypes, we found GMS-B to be 'African-specific' and GMS-D 'African-predominant', including Admixed and European Africans. Conversely, Europeans from Australia, Africa and Brazil predominated within 'mutationally-quiet' and ethnically/globally 'universal' GMS-A, while European Australians shared a higher mutational burden with Africans in GMS-C. GMS predicts clinical outcomes; reconstructing cancer timelines suggests four evolutionary trajectories with different mutation rates (GMS-A, low 0.968/year versus D, highest 1.315/year). Our data suggest both common genetic factors across extant populations and regional environmental factors contributing to carcinogenesis, analogous to gene-environment interaction defined here as a different effect of an environmental surrounding in persons with different ancestries or vice versa. We anticipate GMS acting as a proxy to intrinsic and extrinsic mutational processes in cancers, promoting global inclusion in landmark studies.


BACKGROUND
 Virtual humans (VH) are computer-generated characters that appear humanlike and simulate face-to-face conversations using verbal and nonverbal cues. Unlike formless conversational agents, like smart speakers or chatbots, VH bring together the capabilities of both a conversational agent and an interactive avatar (computer-represented digital characters). Although their use in patient-facing systems has garnered substantial interest, it is unknown to what extent VH are effective in health applications.

 OBJECTIVE
 The purpose of this review was to examine the effectiveness of VH in patient-facing systems. The design and implementation characteristics of these systems were also examined.

 METHODS
 Electronic bibliographic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles with relevant key terms. Studies were included in the systematic review if they designed or evaluated VH in patient-facing systems. Of the included studies, studies that used a randomized controlled trial to evaluate VH were included in the meta-analysis; they were then summarized using the PICOTS framework (population, intervention, comparison group, outcomes, time frame, setting). Summary effect sizes, using random-effects models, were calculated, and the risk of bias was assessed.

 RESULTS
 Among the 8,125 unique records identified, 53 articles describing 33 unique systems, were qualitatively, systematically reviewed. Two distinct design categories emerged — simple VH and VH augmented with health sensors and trackers. Of the 53 articles, 16 (26 studies) with 44 primary and 22 secondary outcomes were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of the 44 primary outcome measures revealed a significant difference between intervention and control conditions, favoring the VH intervention (SMD = .166, 95% CI .039-.292, P=.012), but with evidence of some heterogeneity, I2=49.3%. There were more cross-sectional (k=15) than longitudinal studies (k=11). The intervention was delivered using a personal computer in most studies (k=18), followed by a tablet (k=4), mobile kiosk (k=2), head-mounted display (k=1), and a desktop computer in a community center (k=1).

 CONCLUSIONS
 We offer evidence for the efficacy of VH in patient-facing systems. Considering that studies included different population and outcome types, more focused analysis is needed in the future. Future studies also need to identify what features of virtual human interventions contribute toward their effectiveness.


Rechargeable lithium batteries (RLBs), including lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), are accelerating the electrification of transportation and grid energy storage. This transformation of the transportation and energy sector could bring more clean energy into our energy security. The RLB technology is growing rapidly in these sectors due to substantial cost reductions and mobility needs. Yet, the durability, reliability, and safety issues of RLB remain concerns due to the nature of high-energy content in RLB. The concern of limited resources of the critical materials to sustain the RLB use is also escalated. Reuse and recycling of RLB to extend the useful life and recovery of the critical materials become important. Here, we provide a critical review of these topics to give a timely assessment of the status and gap of the RLB technologies and their supply chain. A key concept to use a quantitative failure mode and effect analysis is proposed to help advance RLB design, development, manufacturing, and deployment. The approach can be a viable method to enable physical principle-based technology assessment, failure identification, quantification, and verification of reliability and safety issues in the RLB supply chain.


BACKGROUND
The combination of intravenous sodium phenylacetate and sodium benzoate has been shown to lower plasma ammonium levels and improve survival in small cohorts of patients with historically lethal urea-cycle enzyme defects.

METHODS
We report the results of a 25-year, open-label, uncontrolled study of sodium phenylacetate and sodium benzoate therapy (Ammonul, Ucyclyd Pharma) in 299 patients with urea-cycle disorders in whom there were 1181 episodes of acute hyperammonemia.

RESULTS
Overall survival was 84% (250 of 299 patients). Ninety-six percent of the patients survived episodes of hyperammonemia (1132 of 1181 episodes). Patients over 30 days of age were more likely than neonates to survive an episode (98% vs. 73%, P<0.001). Patients 12 or more years of age (93 patients), who had 437 episodes, were more likely than all younger patients to survive (99%, P<0.001). Eighty-one percent of patients who were comatose at admission survived. Patients less than 30 days of age with a peak ammonium level above 1000 micromol per liter (1804 microg per deciliter) were least likely to survive a hyperammonemic episode (38%, P<0.001). Dialysis was also used in 56 neonates during 60% of episodes and in 80 patients 30 days of age or older during 7% of episodes.

CONCLUSIONS
Prompt recognition of a urea-cycle disorder and treatment with both sodium phenylacetate and sodium benzoate, in conjunction with other therapies, such as intravenous arginine hydrochloride and the provision of adequate calories to prevent catabolism, effectively lower plasma ammonium levels and result in survival in the majority of patients. Hemodialysis may also be needed to control hyperammonemia, especially in neonates and older patients who do not have a response to intravenous sodium phenylacetate and sodium benzoate.


The authors describe several fundamentally useful primitive operations and routines and illustrate their usefulness in a wide range of familiar version processes. These operations are described in terms of a vector machine model of parallel computation. They use a parallel vector model because vector models can be mapped onto a wide range of architectures. They also describe implementing these primitives on a particular fine-grained machine, the connection machine. It is found that these primitives are applicable in a variety of vision tasks. Grid permutations are useful in many early vision algorithms, such as Gaussian convolution, edge detection, motion, and stereo computation. Scan primitives facilitate simple, efficient solutions of many problems in middle- and high-level vision. Pointer jumping, using permutation operations, permits construction of extended image structures in logarithmic time. Methods such as outer products, which rely on a variety of primitives, play an important role of many high-level algorithms. >


This study explored the impact of resumption of former top executives on stock prices based on market model for the listed corporations in Taiwan stock market. Top executives nowadays confront great challenges in acquiring new corporate accounts to meet agreed targets and drive rapid, profitable growth. Accordingly, corporations commonly decide to reinstate former top executives since their managerial experience is expected to improve corporate performance. The aim of this study is to provide practical guidelines for companies that are considering such decisions and favorable information that can help investors to adjust their portfolios in response to such potential decisions.


The United Nations' 2001 Millennium Development Goals and 2015 Sustainable Development Goals are of major importance for worldwide development. This article explores the construction of poverty and development within and across these documents, specifically focusing on the influence of dominant economic discourses – Keynesianism and neoliberalism – in the development paradigm. It assesses the failures of the Millennium Development Goals, as articulated by oppositional liberal feminists and World Social Forum critics, who embody competing values, representations and problem-solution frames that challenge and resist the dominant economic discourses. Finally, it evaluates responsiveness of the UN in the constitution of the Sustainable Development Goals.


Worker centres are community-based mediating institutions that organize, advocate and provide direct support to low-wage workers. Moving into the void left by the decline of labour unions, local political parties and other groups, these centres are addressing issues that low wage, largely immigrant workers face at the workplace. In 1992, there were five such organizations, but by 2003, there were at least 137 worker centres in the United States rooted in communities where immigrant populations had settled. I estimate there to be more than 200 worker centres in 2011. Worker centres attract labourers who are often the hardest-to-organize and, because the organizations are unencumbered by the Wagner Act and subsequent Taft Hartley amendments which stripped unions of some of their most potent tactics, they can sometimes act as "organizing laboratories" creating and testing new and innovative strategies. Centres have had some significant organizing and public policy successes and have placed labour standards enforcement on the public policy agenda at the state and national levels. During their formative years, these organizations displayed important strengths but also exhibited weaknesses that appeared to limit their ability to get to scale. Over the last five years, they have moved into a new phase of development. Centres have shown institutional resilience. Not only have new centres emerged, but there has been a growing trend toward federation in which strong individual centres have joined existing national networks or formed new ones which have in turn helped to establish new organizations or affiliate existing ones. While some early worker centres were rejectionist toward the mainstream labour movement, the over-arching trajectory has been in the opposite direction with worker centres seeking cooperation. In fact, there is a growing trend toward institutional partnerships with unions and government. Finally, centres and their national networks are playing strategic roles in broader movement building around immigrant rights, global justice and the right to organize.


. Automated testing frameworks are widely used for assuring quality of modern software in secure software development lifecycle. Sometimes it is needed to assure quality of specific software and, hence specific approach should be applied. In this paper, we present an approach and implementation details of automated testing framework suitable for acceptance testing of static source code analysis tools. The presented framework is used for continuous testing of static source code analyzers for C, C++ and Python programs.


Background: With the recent development of next-generation sequencing technology, the microbiome in the body is being revealed in detail. It is also possible to describe the normal vaginal microenvironment and, more specifically, any changes in pregnancy. Moreover, we present the hypothesis that the microbiome is a contributing factor to preterm birth (PTB).Current Concepts: High estrogen status stimulates the maturation and proliferation of vaginal epithelial cells and the accumulation of glycogen, which promotes lactic acid production and maintains the vaginal environment at an acidic pH. The vaginas of most premenopausal women are predominantly colonized by Lactobacillus which plays an important role in local defense. Recently, it has also been reported that there are several specific types of Lactobacillus species, while other anaerobes, including Gardnerella and Atopobium also coexist in the vagina. Vaginal dysbiosis is defined as various expressions of microorganisms, secretion of specific metabolites, and changes in pH. During pregnancy, a multitude of microbiome changes occur in the oral cavity, gut, vagina, and placenta. The risk of PTB increases if the microbiome changes to one of dysbiosis. It is possible to analyze the characteristic microbiome composition related to PTB and to develop biomarkers predicting PTB. It is necessary to educate patients based on these findings.Discussion and Conclusion: Microbiome analysis has contributed significantly to understanding the association between women's vaginal health and PTB. Continued research will also contribute to public health by assisting in the prediction and prevention of PTB.


From May 2016 to April 2017, Chichi-jima in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands suffered a severe drought. After an absence of 37 years from 1980, the ratio of effective water storage at four dams supplying drinking water on Chichi-jima dropped below 20%. Atmospheric conditions during the drought are studied and compared to those of severe drought years in 2011 and 1980. In comparison with the long-term mean from 1981 to 2010, a negative precipitation anomaly was apparent from May to July 2016, and from September to December 2016. It was also apparent in March and April 2017. From May to July 2016, the Indo⊖western Pacific ocean capacitor mode was responsible for less precipitation. From September to October 2016, the P⊖J (Pacific⊖Japan) pattern brought about less precipitation. After November 2016, similar atmospheric conditions did not continue for more than one month; however, Chichi-jima was covered with an anticyclonic circulation anomaly, except in March 2017 when a winter pressure pattern intensified. Less precipitation was also observed from January to July 2011 and from May to October in 1980. The former was attributable to an intensification of convective activity in the tropical western Pacific, accompanied by a sea surface temperature anomaly greater than +0.5°C. In the tropical western Pacific, a cyclonic circulation anomaly was found, while an anti-cyclonic circulation anomaly prevailed around Chichi-jima. In 1980, precipitation from the Bai-u frontal zone was rarely observed from May to June. From July to September, the Okhotsk High was extremely strong, so the Pacific High remained in the southern part rather than in the usual summer position. Fine weather continued until October, which together brought about the severe drought in 1980.


In September 2008, Oxford Archaeology carried out building recording and watching brief works within the Home Park North Boundary Wall at Hampton Court Palace.
The work was commissioned by Historic Royal Palaces in advance of some alterations to the historic structure. The proposed alterations involved the removal of part of the
wall, both above and below the ground, in order to open a new gateway to provide an easier access to this part of Home Park and preserving an older gateway to the west.
The foundation of the wall was exposed using a mechanical digger and the recording and archaeological investigation produced a record of the wall including the
foundations, comprising of elevations, section, description and photographic archive.
The land forming Home Park was originally enclosed by Cardinal Wolsey, probably using timber palings, to form parkland for the new palace. Documentary evidence
tells us how Henry VIII used the area surveyed as part of a course for hunting hares. Later bricks walls replaced the timber palings and the wall surveyed was constructed
in the mid 18th century, probably as part of ongoing works enclosing and maintaining the Royal Stud. Later small structures were built onto the wall forming paddocks for
the Royal stud complex. These have since been removed, however the adjacent wall south face has scars and holes showing their location. Hampton Court Palace is clearly among the most significant historical sites in the
country and the current project has provided an opportunity to carry out recording of one of the lesser known parts of the estate.
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In this work, novel graphitic sheets with ripple-like folds (GSRFs) are synthesized from cheap resin via a facile route. The obtained GSRFs are used as a cladding layer for LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) particles to construct a GSRF@NCA composite cathode. Electrochemical testing for GSFR@NCA exhibits better cycling and C-rate performance than those of original NCA. Moreover, the capacity retention (85%) of the full-cell (GSFR@NCA versus graphite) is much higher than that (79%) of the full-cell (NCA versus graphite) after 400 cycles. Most importantly, this approach allows the preparation of GSFR@NCA with highly promising applications as a cathode for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries, since in this contribution just simple equipment and a precursor with low cost are involved.


The efficacy and side effects of 3% sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STD) and 5% ethanolamine oleate (ETH) were compared in 95 patients admitted with variceal bleeding. The patients were allocated in a randomised fashion to one of the treatment groups when varices were identified which were either actively bleeding or had signs of recent haemorrhage. Endoscopic examination was performed within 24 hours of admission. The endoscopist had no knowledge of which sclerosant was used. Intravariceal injections of 2 ml aliquots up to a maximum of 20 ml were made in a double-blinded manner. Repeat injections were performed at weekly intervals until all oesophageal varices were obliterated. Bleeding was successfully controlled in 42/48 (87.5%) patients in the STD group and 41/47 (87.2%) patients in the ETH group after one session of therapy. Variceal obliteration was achieved after 3.3 +/- 1.3 sessions of STD and 4.5 +/- 1.9 sessions of ETH (p < 0.05 Student's t-test). Post-injection pyrexia was significantly more common in the STD group (42% vs 30% p < 0.05, chi-square test). There was no difference in the rates of subsequent oesophageal ulceration, stricture formation or perforation of the oesophagus. It is concluded that STD and ETH are both effective in controlling variceal haemorrhage, but STD obliterates the varices in significantly fewer sessions.


Decision making is more complex and more critical today in Zimbabwe, considering that the disposal income among the citizens has gone done as a result of more than 10 years of economic and political incongruence among important stakeholders in the country. Most people are earning below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) and this makes the decision making even more difficult on what to buy with their limited incomes. This is compounded by the use of multi-currency system which is dominated by the use of the US dollar and SA rand. This study is an investigation into the decision making styles among female students in tertiary institutions in Bulawayo, in their process of what products and services to buy. Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) Model suggested by Sproles and Kendall, (1986) has been used to find out the characteristics of these styles among the tertiary female students in Bulawayo. A survey design was adopted in form of a structured questionnaire, which was used to collect data from a sample of 100 female students. The study reveals the following consumer decision making styles among female tertiary students: Confused by over choice, Novelty and fashion consciousness, Brand consciousness and prices equals quality, Perfectionism and high quality consciousness, Habitual and brand loyalty orientation, and Recreational and hedonistic. However the study did not confirm Price Consciousness and value for money and Impulsiveness and carelessness. Also the study reveals that consumer decision making styles are affected by the sudden increase range of products, and increased in retail shops especially the proliferation of Chinese shops. Analysis took the form of computation of means and frequency distributions. The study recommends that manufacturers should try to brand their goods if they are targeting this group.


We present an approach to evaluate argument search techniques in view of their use in argumentative dialogue systems by assessing quality aspects of the retrieved arguments. To this end, we introduce a dialogue system that presents arguments by means of a virtual avatar and synthetic speech to users and allows them to rate the presented content in four different categories (Interesting, Convincing, Comprehensible, Relation). The approach is applied in a user study in order to compare two state of the art argument search engines to each other and with a system based on traditional web search. The results show a significant advantage of the two search engines over the baseline. Moreover, the two search engines show significant advantages over each other in different categories, thereby reflecting strengths and weaknesses of the different underlying techniques.


We use the rhizome metaphor to approach the highly elusive and contingent field of alternative media. We explore the multiplicity of alternative media practices employed by diverse social actors, critically reflecting on the rhizome's capacity to foster cooperation and synergy, building alliances. At the empirical level, the article maps the Greek alternative mediascape; highlights the multiple paths that lead participants into it and explains the heterogeneity of the field; evaluates the diverse ways in which alternative media projects challenge hegemonic power; and explores connections within the alternative mediascape, revealing the presence of both cooperation/solidarity and isolationism/fragmentation. Last, we discuss how these findings feed back into the concept of the rhizome in the context of alternative media.


In 2006 the Ministry of Health declared to empower the health by Islamic boarding schools or Pos Kesehatan Pesantren (Poskestren). The one of activities poskestren is education about reproductive health for teenagers because almost all members of the islamic boarding schools are teenagers. On the other hand, information on the reproductive health is difficult to get for teenagers because many think that it is a "taboo". The article presents about islamic boarding school, definition of poskestren, the activities of poskestren, the definition of teenagers, problems of reproductive health for teenagers, and the activities of PHBS that suitable health reproductive for teenager. The Poskestren could function as to enhance theinformation on reproductive health for teenagers by counseling. Although the reproductive health for teenagers is concerned as a "taboo" but some islamic boarding schools in Pemalang District, Central of Java Province and in Lampung Province have developed the health education methods on the reproductive health for teenagers by discussion and counseling to peers. By the peer education method it is expected that all tenageers in islamic boarding schools could get the right information and knowledge about health reproductive through santri cadres which have been developed by health workers from health center. Key words: poskestren, teenagers, reproductive health, health education


Digital video content via broadcast television, Internet and other content distribution networks provide limited interaction for fitness and wellness activities. The content delivery is one-way only and provides no personalization to the pace, programming and progress of the user's exercise routine. Furthermore, the content is to be viewed only on a screen which makes it awkward and incompatible with full-body activities such as yoga, pilates and T'ai chi. We present Cloud Mat, a system for context-aware personalization of fitness content with cloud-enabled connected surfaces. CloudMat provides real-time closed-loop feedback between the state of the user on the physical mat and the state of the content in the cloud service. Content is tagged with actuation signals where events are delegated from the screen to display on an electroluminescent lighting layer on the mat, which provides spatial guidance to the end-user. Through the sensor-layer embedded in the mat, the physical interface captures the pose and timing of the user activity and relays it to the Context-aware Personalization cloud service. This service coordinates sensing and actuation between the content stream and mat by generating pose templates and metadata files about the exercise routine to be delivered to the user. Through this interactive process between the physical mat and the content service, the feedback provided by the user performing the routine continuously adapts the pace and programming to maintain the desired user experience. We demonstrate the utility of the system and evaluate the system performance with a case study on interactive yoga.


Among the light metal alloys, magnesium is the lightest structural material with a density of 1.74 g/cm 3 and many attractive physical and mechanical properties combined with processing advantages. Therefore, it represents a very attractive material for a large amount of applications from main user automotive industry up to other industry fields like sport, robotic and electronic industry. But the usage of magnesium alloys in more complex applications is limited by insufficient properties regarding the ductility, corrosion and creep resistance. Additionally, the high reactivity of magnesium alloys leads to an increased tendency of contamination. In this regard, the paper deals with some general aspects of magnesium alloy development and casting as well as some other production technologies for magnesium alloys with improved properties and for several applications. An emphasis is put on new magnesium-lithium alloy systems with lower density, improved ductility and corrosion resistance. The basic component of metallurgical processing is a magnesium-suitable furnace system which is designed modularly with universal, adaptable components and automatic pressure metering technology. It is used in a wide range of casting processes like chill casting, cold chamber die casting, continuous casting and break-mould casting. Further applications are methods of rapid solidification technology. In the powder metallurgy and spray casting a microstructure with fine and homogenous phase distribution is generated. Based on the represented processing technology new magnesium alloy systems with lower density, improved ductility and corrosion resistance will be shown. A special peculiarity of magnesium alloys is their application in the medicine sector where they are used as implant materials for surgery.


The effect of hyperthermia on cognitive function remains equivocal, perhaps because of methodological discrepancy. Using electroencephalographic event-related potentials (ERPs), we tested the hypothesis that a passive heat stress impairs cognitive processing. Thirteen volunteers performed repeated auditory oddball paradigms under two thermal conditions, normothermic time control and heat stress, on different days. For the heat stress trial, these paradigms were performed at preheat stress (i.e., normothermic) baseline, when esophageal temperature had increased by ∼0.8°C, when esophageal temperature had increased by ∼2.0°C, and during cooling following the heat stress. The reaction time and ERPs were recorded in each session. For the time control trial, subjects performed the auditory oddball paradigms at approximately the same time interval as they did in the heat stress trial. The peak latency and amplitude of an indicator of auditory processing (N100) were not altered regardless of thermal conditions. An indicator of stimulus classification/evaluation time (latency of P300) and the reaction time were shortened during heat stress; moreover an indicator of cognitive processing (the amplitude of P300) was significantly reduced during severe heat stress (8.3 ± 1.3 μV) relative to the baseline (12.2 ± 1.0 μV, P < 0.01). No changes in these indexes occurred during the time control trial. During subsequent whole body cooling, the amplitude of P300 remained reduced, and the reaction time and latency of P300 remained shortened. These results suggest that excessive elevations in internal temperature reduce cognitive processing but promote classification time.


Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis infection caused by Gram-negative
bacteria from the genus of Leptospira. Eight pathogenic species of Leptospira have
been identified and there are more than 250 serovars that can cause leptospirosis to
human and animals. Due to the indistinguishable symptoms of the disease, leptospirosis
is often misdiagnosed, resulting to death if antibiotic treatment is not given
immediately. Prophylactic vaccine can reduce the mortality rate resulting from the late
treatment. However, the existing vaccines for leptospirosis are serovar-specific and can
only provide limited protection to human. Therefore, a new and more effective vaccine
is urgently needed. The vaccine can be developed in shorter time with reduced cost
through rational design and in silico approach by maximizing the use of the abundant
information on the sequences of leptospiral antigenic proteins and the growing number
of bioinformatics tools. The objective of this research is to perform an in silico analysis
to develop a vaccine from the peptide sequence of leptospiral outer membrane protein,
LigB. The predicted peptide-based vaccine, which requires experimental validation in
the future, is hoped to be effective against all pathogenic serovars of Leptospira and
ultimately provide us immunity to leptospirosis.


Sum frequency generation imaging microscopy has been developed and implemented in different systems from self-assembled monolayer on metal surfaces to reaction of a metal surface upon exposure to a corrosive material (cyanide solution). It also helped the fundamental issues of heterogeneity to be understood by using mapping analysis that considers an acquired spectrum in a chosen region-of-interest to be independent of its neighboring ROIs. The construction of the microscope has been utilized and modified to accommodate the improvement of its spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and faster accumulation time. The latter aspect is more dependent toward the kind of sample to be analyzed. Finally, the current resolution of this diffraction-limited microscope is ∼2 μm and there is still some room for improvement to reach its ultimate resolution of ∼800 nm. The main and final goal of this study is to provide chemical sensitivity, interfacial specificity, and a two-dimensional image based on the chemical p...


The interactions between equatorial convection and humidity as a function of height, at a range of time scales, remain an important research frontier. The ability of surface-based microwave radiometry to contribute to such research is assessed using retrievals of the vertical structure of atmospheric humidity above the equatorial Indian Ocean, developed as part of the Dynamics of Madden–Julian Oscillation field campaign. The optimally estimated humidity retrievals are based on radiances at five frequencies spanning 20–30 GHz and are constrained by radiometer-derived water vapor paths that compare well to radiosonde values except in highly convective conditions. The moisture retrievals possess a robust 2 degrees of freedom, allowing the atmosphere to be treated as two independent layers. A mean bias of 1 g kg−1 contains a vertical structure that is removed in the assessments. The retrieved moisture profiles are able to capture humidity variability within two layer averages at intraseasonal, synoptic, and daily time scales. The retrieved humidity profiles at hourly scales are qualitatively correct under synoptically suppressed conditions but with an exaggerated vertical bimodality. The retrievals do not match radiosonde profiles within most of the day prior to/after convection. This analysis serves to better delineate applications for radiometers. Radiometers can usefully augment more expensive radiosonde networks for longer-term monitoring given careful cross-instrument calibration. At shorter time scales, a synergism with additional instruments can likely increase the realism of the retrievals.


The global financial crisis led some investors to question the benefits of real estate as a risk diversifier in mixed asset portfolios as falling real estate capital values coincided with the bear market in equities: private real estate appeared not to deliver diversification when it was most needed. An analysis of UK private real estate returns, corrected for appraisal effects using a regime-based filtering process confirms that the relationship between real estate and other financial assets is time-varying: but suggests that there remain strong benefits from including commercial real estate in the mixed asset portfolio.


Abstract.
 A Silurian (Llandovery, Aeronian) Lagerstätte in Kalana, Estonia, has revealed exceptionally preserved noncalcified thalli of dasycladalean (divison Chlorophyta) algal fossils. The siphonous, serially segmented fossils of Palaeocymopolia silurica n. sp. are closely similar to P. nunavutensis, a Ludlovian species from the Arctic Canada. The occurrence of closely related species at Baltica and Laurentia paleocontinents indicates a wide distribution of noncalcified algal flora on both sides of the Iapetus Ocean in the Paleozoic. The exceptionally well-preserved specimens from the Kalana Lagerstätte show similarity to extant species Cymopolia barbata, with lack of a calcium carbonate skeleton being the major observable difference from the latter.


Solitary species often employ chemocommunication to facilitate mate localization. In the solitarily foraging, nocturnal mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.), females advertise their short period of estrus acoustically and by increased scent marking, whereas males search widely for receptive females. Both sexes can be trained by operant conditioning to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific urine scent. However, it is not known, if males during and outside the reproductive season show different spontaneous interest in conspecific female urine, and if urine from estrous females elicits a higher investigation response than that from diestrous females. We established a spontaneous discrimination paradigm and quantified olfactory investigation responses of 21 captive male mouse lemurs of M. lehilahytsara and M. murinus when presenting one conspecific and one heterospecific female urine odor sample simultaneously. Overall, M. murinus investigated stimuli significantly longer than M. lehilahytsara. Moreover, males of M. murinus showed significantly longer olfactory investigation at conspecific urine samples during but not outside the reproductive season. This indicates that female urinary cues are spontaneously discriminated by male M. murinus and that this discrimination is more relevant during the reproductive season. However, males of both species did not show different responses towards urine samples from estrous versus diestrous females. Finally, male age did not correlate with the overall duration of olfactory investigation, and investigation levels were similar when testing with fresh or frozen urine samples. In conclusion, this new spontaneous discrimination paradigm provides a useful additional tool to study olfactory communication of nocturnal primates from the receiver's perspective.


Summary: In this video, New Mandala's Dr Ross Tapsell interviews Associate Professor Greg Fealy and political analyst Usman Hamid about the results of the Indonesian parliamentary elections. The three discuss why the 'Jokowi effect' was over-estimated by pollsters and pundits alike, why the favourites, the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle, won only 19 per cent of the vote, and the surprisingly strong showing of Islamic parties. They also examine what will happen next, with a focus on what a likely PDI-P led coalition might look like, and the impact of this vote on the presidential elections on 9 July.


The motivation behind this master thesis is to develop an application for Interior Design based on Augmented Reality (AR) techniques. AR systems add virtual computer-generated material to the surrounding physical world. 3D modelling software is in common use within architecture and interior design. These types of software tools make it possible to develop electronic 3D solid objects rather than just 2D drawings, and can in certain situations replace the overall physical prototyping process. But what these tools don't do is visualising the objects in real 3D. The aim for this thesis is visualising virtual interiors within a room, and enable a real-time interaction with the interiors. Implementations use the Open Scene Graph and VR Juggler frameworks for visualization and abstraction of tracking devices respectively. Results show that the quality of an AR system is highly dependent on the accuracy of the tracking system, in addition to the types of head mounted displays used.


1. Recurring extensions and flexions of the food-gathering tentacle of Noctiluca miliaris occur spontaneously. Identical movements can be evoked by appropriate electrical stimulation. 2. Spontaneous recurring potential wave forms (TRPs) were recorded from the vacuole of the luminescent form of Noctiluca during movements of the tentacle. The basic TRP wave form consists of a characteristic negative-going spike which arises at -20 to -30 mV. from the slowly redeveloping negativity of a pre-spike depolarization, and is followed by a quasi-stable post-spike d.c. level of relative vacuolar negativity (-45 to -60 mV.). 3. The TRP complex, similar in shape to that which occurs spontaneously, follows an intracellularly applied current pulse of either polarity if the vacuolar potential is at the post-spike level. The duration of the evoked pre-spike wave is related to the current intensity and duration. During the pre-spike state outward current is ineffective, although a TR spike occurs in response to inward current. 4. The TRP is distinct in its behaviour and wave form from the flash-triggering potential, which can be evoked in the same cell, even though both exhibit all-or-none spikes. 5. Simultaneous recordings of intracellular potentials and movements of the tentacle showed a consistent temporal relationship between potential changes and subsequent movement. Extension of the tentacle begins 1-2 sec. after the spike and flexion begins within 1 sec. after beginning of the pre-spike wave. 6. Tentacle movement ceased in Ca-free sea water even though the cyclic potential changes continued normally. 7. Electron micrographs of the tentacle showed longitudinal aggregations of microtubules near the outer surface of the peripheral cytoplasm. It is proposed that contraction of these microtubules is the immediate cause of tentacle movements.


The study was carried out using the sample of 40 full-term and 138 premature newborns at 1 - 15th day of live and 20 adult donors. The thromboflexograph TEG 5000 was applied. The study used citrate stabilized venous blood. In full-term newborns the activation of thrombin and fibrin formation (decreasing of constant of coagulation, increasing of velocity of fibrin formation) was detected as compared with adults. In premature newborns shortage of time period of development of reactions of enzyme cascade, shortage of time period of achievement of ultimate amplitude of forming clot and increasing of fibrinolysis were detected as compared with adult donors. The differences in hemostatic system of full-term and premature newborns are characterized by lower functional activity of thrombocytes, decreased strength of forming clots and lower blood coagulation index of premature newborns.


This article argues that despite traditional skepticism among most specialists on the history of English that Brythonic Celtic languages could have had any significant structural impact on English's evolution, the source of periphrastic do in Cornish's equivalent construction is virtually impossible to deny on the basis of a wide range of evidence. That Welsh and Cornish borrowed the construction from English is impossible given its presence in Breton, whose speakers left Britain in the fifth century. The paucity of Celtic loanwords in English is paralleled by equivalent paucity in undisputed contact cases such as Uralic's on Russian. Traditional language-internal accounts suffer from a degree of ad hocness. Finally, periphrastic do is much rarer cross-linguistically than typically acknowledged, which lends further support to a contact account.


Based on a recent empirical project on 'the Bengal diaspora', the paper explores the construction and contestation of meanings around the iconic East London street, Brick Lane. Taking the 2006 protests around the film Brick Lane as its starting point, the paper draws on original interviews conducted in 2008 with a range of Bengali community representatives, to examine the narratives of space, community and belonging that emerge around the idea of Brick Lane as the 'cultural heartland' of the British Bangladeshi community. By exploring the representation, production and contestation of 'social space' through everyday practices, the paper engages with and contests the representation of minority ethnic 'communities' in the context of contemporary multicultural London and examines the process of 'claiming' and 'making' space in East London. In so doing, the paper contributes to a critical tradition that challenges essentialising and pathologizing accounts of ethnic communities and racialized spaces, or that places them outside of broader social and historical processes - redolent, for example, in contemporary discussions about 'parallel lives' or 'the clash of civilizations'. By contrast, this paper views social space as made through movement and narration, with a particular emphasis on the social agency of local Bengali inhabitants and the multiple meanings that emerge from within this 'imagined community'. However, rather than simply stressing the unfinished and processual nature of spatial meanings, the paper insists on the historical, embodied and affective dimensions of such meaning making, and a reckoning with the broader social and political landscape within which such meanings take shape. The focus on Brick Lane provides an empirically rich, geographically and historically located lens through which to explore the complex role of ethnicity as a marker of social space and of spatial practices of resistance and identity. By exploring Bengali Brick Lane through its narratives of past, present and future, these stories attest to the symbolic and emotional importance of such spaces, and to their complex imaginings.


An accurate method is needed for determining cell temperature when measuring CPV modules outdoors. It has been suggested that cell temperature can be calculated through a procedure that shutters sunlight to the cells while measuring the transients in open-circuit voltage (Voc) and heat sink temperature. This paper documents application of this shutter procedure to multiple CPV modules at NREL. The challenges and limitations are presented along with an alternate approach to measuring CPV cell operating temperature.


Summary

1. The ovigeny index, previously identified as both a significant fitness variable in parasitoid wasps and an important factor in parasitoid–host population dynamics, is the proportion of the maximum potential lifetime complement of eggs that is mature when the female emerges into the environment following pupal development. We tested the hypothesis that ovigeny index varies with female body size in parasitoid wasps. Body size measurements were obtained for 40 species in 13 families, representing a broad taxonomic and morphological diversity of parasitoid wasps. There was an almost 18-fold difference in size between the smallest and the largest species.

2. Ovigeny index is shown to be negatively correlated with body size across species – smaller wasps have a higher proportion of eggs mature at emergence than do larger wasps – a result supporting the hypothesis. This relationship has previously been observed within species.

3. The previously reported cross-species negative correlation between life-span and ovigeny index is robust, as it still holds when variation in body size is controlled for.

4. We discuss the likely selective factors in the evolution of a link between ovigeny index and body size across species.


X chromosome inactivation is a program of gene silencing on one of two female mammalian X chromosomes to equalize X-linked gene expression to XY male counterparts. This developmentally-regulated chromatin change is initiated on either the maternal or paternal X chromosome early in embryonic development and, once established, is maintained on the chosen chromosome for the lifetime of the female. The onset of X chromosome inactivation is regulated by the long noncoding transcript Xist and an open question is the field is how embryonic developmental cues trigger expression of Xist and onset of X chromosome inactivation. The correlation of pluripotency with repression of Xist in the mouse system has led to a model where pluripotency transcription factors repress X chromosome inactivation by binding to a region within the first intron of Xist gene. Thus differentiation would release the repression of Xist. We rigorously tested this intron1 hypothesis in a transgenic mouse model and refute that intron1 binding is responsible for the developmental regulation of X chromosome inactivation.A second set of studies focused on the maintenance phase of X chromosome inactivation with the goal of discovering novel chromatin factors that contribute to the remarkable stability of gene silencing on the entire X chromosome. We took an unbiased screening approach, designing a high throughput assay with primary mouse cells bearing reporters on the inactive X, and screened genome-wide siRNA and chemical libraries. We report that knockdown of chromatin-associated protein Atf7ip or its previously characterized interactors reactivates silenced genes of the inactive X chromosome. From chemical screening, we found that the compound Resveratrol can lead to reactivation of silenced genes as part of a novel drug combination. We show evidence that Resveratrol inhibits the dNTP biosynthetic enzyme ribonucleotide reductase in this context. This finding has spurred a collaboration investigating Resveratrol as part of a rationale drug combination for cancer therapy. In summary, these studies demonstrate that X chromosome inactivation is powerful and flexible model for the interrogation of mammalian chromatin regulation mechanisms with relevance for disease therapy.


A database management system (DBMS) is a software package with computer programs that control the creation, maintenance, and use of a database. It allows organizations to conveniently develop databases for various applications by database administrators (DBAs) and other specialists. Information retrieval emerged as independent research area from traditional database management system more than a decade ago. This was driven by the increasing functional requirements that modern full text search engines have to meet. Current database management systems (DBMS) are not capable of supporting such flexibility. However, with the increase of data to be indexed and retrieved and the increasing heavy workloads, modern search engines suffer from Scalability, reliability, distribution and performance problems. We present a new and simple way for integration and compare the performance of our system to the current implementations based on storing the full text index directly on the file system.


The transport of CO2, as a part of the carbon capture and storage chain, has received increased attention in the last decade. This paper aims to evaluate the most promising CO2 liquefaction processes that can be used for port-to-port and port–offshore CO2 ship transportation. The energetic, exergetic, and economic analyses are applied. The liquefaction pressure has been set to 15 bar (liquefaction temperature −30 °C), which corresponds to the design of the existing CO2 carriers. The three-stage vapor-compression process has been selected among closed systems (with propane-R290, ammonia-R717, and R134a as the working fluid) and the precooled Linde–Hampson process—as the open system (with R717). The three-stage vapor-compression process R290 shows the lowest energy consumption, and the CO2 liquefaction cost 21.3 USD/tCO2. Although the power consumption of precooled Linde–Hampson process is 3.1% higher than the vapor-compression process with R209, the lowest total capital expenditures are notable. The CO2 liquefaction cost of precooled Linde–Hampson process is 21.13 USD/tCO2. The exergetic efficiency of the three-stage vapor-compression process with R290 is 66.6%, while the precooled Linde–Hampson process is 64.8%.


: The presence of ocular NAD-linked aldehyde dehydrogenase is demonstrated in four species. The specific activity and Vmax of the enzyme is greater in ocular tissue drained from aqueous fluid and without the lens compared to the intact eye. The apparent Km remained essentially unchanged for both of these ocular preparations in the species studied.


Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) offer new opportunities to address the clean energy challenge, being one of the top candidates for third generation photovoltaics. Like dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), QDSSCs normally use liquid electrolytes that suffer from issues such as evaporation or leakage. In this study a gel polysulfide electrolyte was prepared containing a natural polymer, agar, and was used as a quasi-solid-state electrolyte in solar cells to replace the conventional liquid electrolytes. This gel electrolyte shows almost the same conductivity as the liquid one. The solar cells were fabricated using CuInS2 quantum dots (QDs), previously synthesized, deposited on TiO2 photoanodes by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). CdS was deposited on TiO2 by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Reduced graphene oxide (RGO)–Cu2S, brass, and thin film CuxS were used as counter electrodes. Compared to a liquid polysulfide water based electrolyte, solar cells based on CuInS2 and CdS using gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) exhibit greater incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE = 51.7% at 520 nm and 72.7% at 440 nm), photocurrent density (Jsc = 10.75 and 13.51 mA cm−2), and power conversion efficiency (η = 2.97 and 2.98%) while exhibiting significantly enhanced stability. The solar cells employing the agar-based gel polymeric electrolyte are about a factor of 0.20 more stable than using a liquid electrolyte. The higher photovoltaic performance is due to the good conductivity and high wettability as well as the superior permeation capability of the gel electrolyte into the mesoporous matrix of a TiO2 film.


— We present the design of Symphony, a platform that enables non-developers to build and deploy a new class of search-driven applications that combine their data and domain expertise with content from search engines and other web services. The Symphony prototype has been built on top of Microsoft's Bing infrastructure. While Symphony naturally makes use of the customization capabilities exposed by Bing, its distinguishing feature is the capability it provides to the application creator to combine their proprietary data and domain expertise with content obtained from Bing. They can also integrate specialized data obtained from web services to enhance the richness of their applications. Finally, Symphony is targeted at non-developers and provides cloud services for the creation and deployment of applications.


VPN network is very interesting to be discussed and widely so that many have done research then this research will do the implementation of vpn network using GRE Tunnel technology. This research will answer how this virtual interface can connect more than one router with another router by using GRE protocol to deliver packets, protocols and more so that user needs such as connecting layer 2 between sites can be fulfilled through VPN GRE Tunnel. Finally after the preparation for this research started install simulator GNS3, mikrotik routerOS, virtualbox, operating system. Network administration by writing ip address. Configuration on loopbaack adapter, MikroTik-HeadOffice, MikroTik-Branch and Pc-Branch. Once connected is formed a virtual interface and given ip address as ip binder of two public ip. Then proved by ping and tracert between Pc-Branch can be interconnected, so can also exchange data with sharing files so that can be done mapping drive. With Packet Sniffer and Torch tools on Mikrotik can see traffic passing through the virtual gre tunnel interface. After experimenting with the GNS3 simulator application in such a way with the console script and proven with the image that the vpn network with gre tunnel interface can connect more than 2 MikroTik-Branch routers through MikroTik-HeadOffice as network backbone. With its built vpn gre tunnel network, the data communication is safe because it is inside the tunnel even in the internet network. Further research, combining GRE Tunnel with others.


Feedlot managers make difficult culling decisions using their best subjective judgment together with advice from animal health professionals. Using routinely collected operational feedlot data and five well-known classification methods, we construct mortality predictive models to aid managers in making objective culling decisions. Simulation results suggest that net return per head for calves having been treated at least once for any health incident would increase on average by $14.01 if the best-performing model were used as a culling decision aid. The probability of a positive return is 60.9%. Using cost-sensitive learning, the average value may increase to $45.27/head.


The satellite observations of NO2 acquire the total tropospheric column over an area while the current ground observations lack spatial and temporal coverage. In this study the Dutch Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 (DOMINO) data product v2.0 for 2004 - 2019 period was used to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of NO2 in Turkey. Considering the seasonality characteristics of NO2, we have used pixel based Seasonal Kendall (S-K) test to investigate the trend of the change. The highest values of NO2 has been found at the metropolitan areas and perimeter of the high capacity power plants in the observed period. The monthly average concentrations of NO2 are higher in winter months due to the higher demand of heating and power usage. The S-K trend test results indicate a statistically negative trend at the largest cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. However statistically significant positive trend has been found in some areas and Syrian border provinces in particular. Our results show that there is an abrupt change by 2011 in the tropospheric NO2 concentrations, same period when the first Syrian refugees have arrived after the political disorder. The dramatic change at the emission landscape of the NO2 in the region can be explained by changes in population concentration due to political circumstances.


The morphology and structure of damaged regions (tracks) produced by swift heavy 167, 77, and 46 MeV 132Xe23+ ions in YBCO-based second generation industrial high temperature superconductors wires (2G HTS) were studied using transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that ions produce tracks aligned along the ion trajectory but of morphology depending on their energy: continuous, nearly continuous, or discontinuous tracks like prolate ellipsoids of 10–15 nm in length and spheroids of 5 nm in diameter. The damaged regions of about 5 nm in diameter contain an amorphous material with a lower density compared to the pristine YBCO. The material density drops from 6300 kg m−3 for YBCO matrix to 3600 kg m−3 inside the tracks. Barium enrichment was found in the vicinity of the track at a distance of about 10 nm from the center of the defect. Ion damage tracks with different morphologies showed different effectivenesses as pinning centers. Tracks composed of discontinuous pinning centers—spheroids of about 5 nm in diameter—bring the best enhancement of the critical current density. It occurs for the lowest ion energy (46 MeV) in the range of energy loss of 8.9 keV/nm–4.7 keV/nm for Xe ions. The samples showed highest critical current densities of 56 MA/cm2 (4.2 K) and 3 MA/cm2 (77 K) in self-field, while in magnetic fields of 8 T, the values of 17 MA/cm2 (4.2 K) and 1.6 MA/cm2 (77 K) were achieved. The reduction of the superconducting volume corresponding to the amorphous radiation defects did not exceed 4% from the total sample volume.The morphology and structure of damaged regions (tracks) produced by swift heavy 167, 77, and 46 MeV 132Xe23+ ions in YBCO-based second generation industrial high temperature superconductors wires (2G HTS) were studied using transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that ions produce tracks aligned along the ion trajectory but of morphology depending on their energy: continuous, nearly continuous, or discontinuous tracks like prolate ellipsoids of 10–15 nm in length and spheroids of 5 nm in diameter. The damaged regions of about 5 nm in diameter contain an amorphous material with a lower density compared to the pristine YBCO. The material density drops from 6300 kg m−3 for YBCO matrix to 3600 kg m−3 inside the tracks. Barium enrichment was found in the vicinity of the track at a distance of about 10 nm from the center of the defect. Ion damage tracks with different morphologies showed different effectivenesses as pinning centers. Tracks composed of discontinuous pinning centers—spheroids of about 5 n...


The integument of Tegenaria atrica consists of two chitinous layers, an outer exocuticula and an inner endocuticula. The former is impregnated with protein and pigment and may be birefringent. Its thickness and development of birefringence is related to the hardness of each region. The exocuticula is formed before, and the endocuticula after, the moult. The hypodermis appears to secrete the chitin of both layers. The substances impregnating the exocuticula are probably brought to it by granular blood cells. These granulocytes remain in the hypodermis after the moult. The granulocytes responsible for the exocuticular secretion at the last moult migrate on to the old integument as this separates from the hypodermis at the next one. An ecdysial fluid is present and is absorbed by the time of the actual moult but very little digestion of the old integument occurs. The chromatin of the hypodermal nuclei increases in amount up to the beginning of the secretion of the new integument. It then sharply decreases until after the moult, when the cycle is resumed. There are three types of blood cell—granulocytes, leucocytes, and leberidocytes. The latter have a single large vacuole and are formed from the leucocytes. They only appear in relation to the moult, forming 65 % of the total blood cells immediately after it. The digestive diverticula secrete a fluid which fills most of the alimentary canal at the time of the moult. The above results are discussed. There is evidence that the relative hardness of the exocuticula is due to both impregnation with proteins and phenols and to changes of molecular structure. It is suggested that the leberidocytes absorb water from the food, via the plasma, to increase the blood pressure for moulting and subsequent enlargement of the animal. The filling of the alimentary canal with fluid is associated with this. The possible origin of a moulting hormone is considered.


The crosslinking polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) was investigated at a monomer concentration of 5 w/v% in water with N,N0-methylenebis(acrylamide) (BAAm) as the crosslinker. The crosslinker ratio (mole ratio of BAAm to AAm) was set to 1/82. The fractional monomer conversion x, the weight fraction of gel Wg, and the equilibrium weight swelling ratio qw of the hydrogels were measured as a function of the reaction time. Experimental results indicate that the first gel molecule in the reaction system appears after a reaction time tc ˆ 4^ 1 min or after a monomer conversion of xc ˆ 0:07^ 0:02: At this critical point the homogeneous reaction system turned into a heterogeneous one consisting of gel and separated solution phases. The network formation process took place in this heterogeneous system within the first 60 min of the reaction time. Experimental x, Wg, andqw data indicate that, during the gel growth process, the growing hydrogel molecule cannot occupy the entire polymerization system, which is responsible for the observed phase separation. It was shown that the volume of the separated liquid phase decreases as the polymerization and crosslinking reactions proceed and finally, the reaction system becomes homogeneous again due to the decreasing dilution degree of the hydrogel. q 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


This is a research announcement on a theory of Gromov-Witten invariants and quantum cohomology of symplectic or projective orbifolds. Our project started in the summer of 98 where our original motivation was to study the quantum cohomology under singular flops in complex dimension three. In this setting, we allow our three-fold to have terminal singularities which can be deformed into a symplectic orbifold. We spent the second half of 98 and most of spring of 99 to develop the foundation of Gromov-Witten invariants over orbifolds, including the key conceptual ingredient — the notion of good map. In the April of 99, we were lucky to meet R. Dijkgraaf who explained to us the orbifold string theory and the role of twisted sectors. The twisted sector provides the precise topological framework for our orbifold quantum cohomology. Our theory of orbifold quantum cohomology was virtually completed in the summer of 99. Here, we give an over-look of the foundation of orbifold quantum cohomology while we leave its applications in other fields such as birational geometry for future research. The first part of our work has already appeared in [CR1]. The second part [CR2] will appear shortly. We would like to thank R. Dijkgraaf for bringing orbifold string theory to our attention at the critical moment of our project. We are also benefited from many discussions with E. Zaslow. Finally, the second author would like to thank E. Witten for many stimulating discussions about orbifold string theory.


This thesis sets out to examine how feminist struggle can be negotiated, defined and motivated. By using Oral history as a theoretical and methodological framework, three persons narrative are being constructed, explored and discussed throughout the thesis. All the interviewees define themselves as women and feminists and have all practised music in different separatist rock and pop-groups from 1970 to present. Themes as music as political action, and separatism for persons who define themselves as women are discussed. The tree informants agree about some feministic goals such as equality and the right to be able to play and perform music regardless of gender identity, although the means to reach these goals are formulated differently.


Porous calcium metaphosphate granules for bone fillers were prepared by starch consolidation with baking powder and surfactant. Paste for foaming was prepared by the mixing of calcium metaphosphate powder and water with the various amount of starch (10~20㎛ size), where solid contents 30%, 45%, 60% of the paste. In order to obtain the optimum micro/macro porous structure, the appropriate contents of baking powder and surfactant at a fixed content of starch were examined. In order to examine the content of baking powder on pore morphology, the baking powder was added 60, 180, and 300 wt% of the paste at fixed content of starch. And then, in order to investigate the effect of surfactant on porous structure, surfactant was added 0.035, 0.1, and 0.16 wt% of paste weight at fixed content of starch and baking powder. Foaming was conducted using microwave method, and foamed samples were sintered at 900 °C. The sintered porous blocks with starch only showed uneven and closed macro pores without any micro pores. However, the sintered porous blocks with starch, baking powder, and surfactant showed homogeneous micro and macro porous structures ranging 20~60, and 300~1000 ㎛ in pore size, respectively. The porosity was increased with the increase of surfactant up to about 70 %.


Introduction Ultrasound is considered as the first‐line imaging method of choice in gynaecology due to it being a simple, accurate, and safe technique. The quality and diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound depends on the skills of the individual performing the ultrasound scan. Despite the implications that poor ultrasound practice has on patient safety, the role of training and evaluation of ultrasound practice has received limited attention. Aim Ultrasound practice in a general gynaecology clinic was assessed by evaluating the video‐recorded quality of ultrasound images and comparing these to best practice guidelines; Objective Structured Assessment of Ultrasound Skills (OSAUS), Society and College of Radiographers, British Medical Ultrasound Society (SCoR/BMUS), and International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ISUOG). Methods A video recording device was connected to a randomly selected ultrasound machine in gynaecology clinics of a busy teaching hospital. To minimise the Hawthorne effect, staff were notified through email 3 weeks in advance. Data were collected over a three‐week period. The anonymised recordings were analysed against current best practice guidelines. Ultrasound practice was categorised as compliant, partially compliant and noncompliant. Results In total, 43 observations of ultrasound use were recorded and findings with regard to the three categories were recorded as percentage frequencies (%). The study found 41.9% of images were annotated appropriately and 25.6% of clinicians examined bladder, vagina, and cervix when indicated. Assessment of image optimisation was compliant in 23.3% of recorded observations, 11.6% partially compliant, and 65.1% noncompliant. The study also found that the global examination on gynaecology was 20.9% compliant, 18.6% partially compliant, and 60.47% noncompliant. Conclusion The study has shown that ultrasound practice among gynaecologists did not reflect the standards of current guidelines. The results suggest a need for improvement, through supervised training and core knobology. Accuracy and performance of ultrasound examination remains highly operator‐dependent. Video surveillance of ultrasound use was found to be an effective tool for assessing competence and performance of ultrasound examination.


Immediate pre-storm bathymetry is a key input required for numerical models used in coastal hazard Early Warning Systems. However, the expense and challenging nature of hydrographic surveying means that the availability of high-quality data is extremely rare. This study evaluates the extent to which synthetic and representative bathymetry alternatives can be used to obtain reliable predictions of storm induced sub-aerial erosion using the XBeach coastal erosion numerical model. Multiple storm events at 2 contrasting sites are modelled using 6 bathymetry scenarios including pre-storm surveyed bathymetries, an average bathymetry, and Dean profiles. The output is analysed to evaluate the skill of XBeach erosion predictions as a function of the bathymetry used.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/bE3aXVXxZqQ


Background Salbutamol induces stimulation of beta2-receptors resulting in hypokalemia. Corticosteroids also induce plasma electrolytes variations. Aims 1. To identify the relation between pH-Calcium (Ca), pH-Natrium (Na) and pH-Kalium (K) following low dose inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists. 2. To evaluate if concomitant inhaled corticosteroids treatment can modify the relation. Methods We analysed all children admitted for moderate asthma exacerbation during 6 months period. Inclusion criteria: children between 5–18 years of age; PEF >50–75% of predicted value; serum electrolytes normal ranges. Exclusion criteria: previously treated patients with Salbutamol; Salbutamol hypersensitivity; others asthma exacerbation severity levels. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1st group comprised those treated with beta2-agonists and 2nd group is represented by paediatric patients concomitantly treated with beta2-agonists and corticosteroids. Both groups were homogenous regarding age and sex ratio. During hospitalisation, patients received standard low dose of Salbutamol by metered dose inhaler (MDI) and inhaled Fluticasonum propionate using spacer device with mouthpiece. Included patients were assessed for electrolytes serum levels and pH before treatment and 72 h after therapy. Data was analysed statistically using the Pearson correlation. Results Among 269 admitted patients, 164 children fulfilled inclusion criteria. Both groups structure: 85 children in 1st group, 79 in 2nd group. Authors found for both groups a significant relation between serum pH and kalium (p value 0,010) and no signification between pH-Na or pH-Ca (p value >0.05). Conclusions The study demonstrated a single correlation between pH-K, mainly due to the important kalium variability during Salbutamol treatment.


This study presents a showcase for the novel Quantum Chemistry Electron Ionization Mass Spectrometry (QCEIMS) method on five FDA-approved drugs. The method allows a first-principles electronic structure-based prediction of EI mass spectra in principle for any molecule. The systems in this case study are organic substances of nominal masses between 404 and 853 atomic mass units and cover a wide range of functional groups and organic molecular structure motifs. The results demonstrate the widespread applicability of the QCEIMS method for the unbiased computation of EI mass spectra even for larger molecules. Its strengths compared to standard (static) or database driven approaches in such cases are highlighted. Weak points regarding the required computation times or the approximate character of the employed QC methods are also discussed. We propose QCEIMS as a viable and robust way of predicting EI mass spectra for sizeable organic molecules relevant to medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry.