In this publication, possible ways to promote security cooperation in the Wider Black Sea Area are being addressed. The area holds major importance for Euro-Atlantic security. Strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, the region, after the dual NATO-EU enlargement in 2004-2007, became part of the periphery of the common Euro-Atlantic security system, with critical value for European energy security and the war on terrorism. The region faces a variety of security challenges, including regional conflicts, ethnic strife, terrorism, and powerful organized crime, while many of the countries have weak institutions, turbulent political systems, unstable economies and a lack of democracy.In addition, the traffic of drugs to the West, the steady stream of militancy from the Middle East, and the energy lines from the oil and gas-rich regions of the East to an energy-hungry Europe gradually define the Wider Black Sea Area as a region urgently requiring political attention and investment in its security. This publication is intended to provide fresh ideas on the possible areas of security cooperation, even as the authors agreed that comprehensive, far-reaching policies are hard to attain in the near future.


Taxidermy is an organised craft which synthesises preserved animal skins with man-made materials to recreate a resemblance of living animals. As products of a cultural practice, displayed and interpreted in museums for the public, taxidermied animals are material manifestations of contingent value judgements. Despite the now widely held view in museum studies that the meanings of museum objects are constructed through their interpretation and reception, and therefore can have a multiplicity of meanings, many museums today continue to present and interpret taxidermied animals as objective species representatives. Although scientific themes continue to be privileged by many museums which maintain natural science as a discrete discipline, various social, ethical and political themes relating to the environment and to relationships between people have become more pronounced in recently redeveloped museums. Using Leeds City Museum, the Great North Museum: Hancock, and Museums Sheffield: Weston Park as case studies, this thesis investigates these changes to trace wider cultural shifts in politics, ethics, education and science. By analysing the frameworks within which museums and their staff operate, this investigation is concerned with the relationship between discourse and social practice in the form of museum exhibitions as a means of creating knowledge. It highlights how the public understanding of the natural world is more mutable than some of the enduring traditions of science may suggest, and how the discourses on science, and the objects through which they are articulated, are subject to cultural shifts which put their meanings in flux.
This study is both part of, and a response to, an expanding field in museum studies and material culture studies which re-frames taxidermy objects as culturally contingent and therefore reflective of the subject positions of their makers, and the broader contexts of their making. In collating and investigating a diverse collection of archival material, this study recovers some of taxidermy's histories, and contributes to the historical discourse on the display and interpretation of museum collections.


characteristics and economic importance. The acerola (Malpighia emarginata Sesse y Mocino ex DC) is a wild plant grown in zones of tropical and subtropical climate. Acerola is origin from South of Mexico, Central America and Septentrional area of South America. Its scientific name was adopted in 1986 by the International Council of Vegetable Genetic Resources. Malpighia emarginata has a subglobulose drupa fruit with three seeds which account between the 19 - 25% of the total weight. The diameter and weight of the fruit varies between 1 - 4 cm and 2 - 15 g, respectively. The fruit shows green color when it is developing, which changes to yellow and red tones when it is mature. Each plant produces annually 20 -30 kg of fruits.This fruit contents macro and micronutrients: proteins (0,21-0,80 g/100 g), fats (0,23-0,80 g/100 g), carbohydrates (3,6-7,80 g/100 g), mineral salts (iron 0,24, calcium 11,7, phosphorus 17,1 mg/lOOg) and vitamins (thiamine 0,02, riboflavine 0,07, piridoxine 8,7 mg/100 g). Its high content in vitamin C (695 a 4827 mg/100 g) is remarkable, therefore acerola has an increasing economic value by its great consume during last years. Acerola also presents carotenoids and bioflavonoids which provide important nutritive value and its potential use as antioxidant. Brazil has a climate and soil appropriate for the culture of acerola, thus this country is the main mundial productor. Acerola is commercialised as juices, jams, ices, gelatins, sweets or liquors. Bibliographical data have been mainly supplied by Electronic Resources of the University of Seville and the University do Vale do Itajai (Santa Catarina, Brazil).


Ionomer glasses are certain glass compositions that have been used as the glass component in glass ionomer cements. The term "ionomer" was traditionally related with the use of polyacrylic acid as the polymeric component of glass ionomer cements that incorrectly was characterized as an ionomer polymer. The name has been retained and therefore the glass compositions used in these materials are called ionomer glasses. A typical ionomer glass molar composition is 4.5SiO\(_2\)-3Al\(_2\)O\(_3\)-1.5P\(_2\)O\(_5\)-3CaO-2CaF\(_2\). The glass can be made by a melt-quench route at 1450°C. This glass composition has been extensively studied. Substitution of other divalent cations for calcium can offer a range of different properties in the glass including radiopacity. Sr, Ba and Mg substitutions lead to the conclusion that the cation size plays a very important role on the microstructure of the amorphous glass and the glass ceramic. This work focuses on zinc substitution for calcium. Zinc compared to calcium is a smaller cation with an atomic radius of 1.34 A against 1.97 A for calcium. Zinc has been proven to be bactericidal and has shown ability to stimulate osteogenesis. A series of zinc substituted glasses were produced by replacing Zn for Ca in 25mol% (LG26 25%Zn), 60mol% (LG26 60%Zn), 75mol% (LG26 75%Zn) and 100mol% (LG26 100%Zn). The new glasses were characterized by Helium Pycnometer, DSC, TGA, FTIR, Raman, ESEM and EDX. The density of the resulting glass ceramics was measured also by Helium pycnometer and X-ray diffraction was conducted to identify the crystal phases formed. The density of zinc substituted glasses and glass-ceramics increased with increasing the zinc content. However, the oxygen density did not change significantly indicating a rather stable network that was not affected by zinc substitution. The glass transition temperature decreased with zinc substitution whereas the crystallization temperature was affected by the particle size of the glasses and although when coarse particles 5 were studied crystallization was not recorded, when fine particles were studied the crystallization temperature generally increased with substitution and above 60% of substitution only one crystallization temperature was recorded. Isothermal studies for the coarse glass particles were conducted in order to study the crystallization process that was believed to be very slow. The crystallization temperatures recorded had an increasing tendency with zinc substitution. An endothermic transition appeared at a relatively low temperature (ca 1200oC) was interpreted as a crystal dissolution temperature that decreased with zinc substitution. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy showed an increase in bridging oxygens with zinc substitution. The crystallized materials exhibited sharper and more distinct peaks that corresponded to new bond formation due to different crystal phases formed. While the calcium base glass composition crystallized to Fluorapatite and mullite, zinc substitution led to the formation to a gahnite (ZnAl\(_2\)O\(_4\)) and calcium zinc phosphate (CaZn\(_2\)(PO\(_4\))\(_2\)) phases. ESEM and EDX analysis showed changes in the morphology of glass ceramics with zinc substitution.


In the paper, the SF polymer water lubricated bearings is taken as the research objects. Both material testing and bearing simulation testing are carried out to research the tribological properties of bearings including water swelling properties, friction coefficient, and wear-resistant properties mainly. The results show that the SF material, which is a new type of material used in water lubricated tail bearing, has the characteristics of low friction coefficient, high load capacity, good wear-resistance, excellent self-lubricating properties, and low water swelling, which has a broad application in the shipbuilding industry.


Background: Lengthened pregnancy after the 41st week will create problems for mother, fetus and newborn. Assessing the outcomes of prolonged pregnancy are research priorities. Objective : To determine the maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes of prolonged pregnancy. Design: This was a case -control study in which the data were collected through record sheets. Sample: There were 1800 samples in this research of which 600 women (prolonged pregnancy) made the case group and were selected through continuous sampling. Control group included 1200 women (normal pregnancy) which were chosen by simple random sampling. Result: The findings indicated there was significant relationship between maternal outcomes (i.e. such as induction of labour, responding to induction in the 1st and 2nd days, spontaneous and cesarean child birth, postpartum hemorrhage, and duration of second stage of delivery) and prolonged pregnancy (P<0.05). There were also significant relationship between prolonged pregnancy and fetal outcomes such as fetal distress, meconium passage, decreased fetal movements in admission time, and decreased volume of amniotic fluid (P<0/05). Regarding to neonatal outcomes, there was a significant relationship between prolonged pregnancy and admission in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and infant weight at birth (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings, increased labour induction, responding to induction in the second day, preference of child birth through cesarean, increased postpartum hemorrhage, prolonged second stage of delivery, fetal distress, meconium passage, decreased fetal movements in admission time, decreased volume of amniotic fluid, and increased infant birth weight were known adverse outcomes of prolonged pregnancy. Therefore, the termination of prolonged pregnancy after 41st is recommended. This termination is recommended to be done at areas equipped with special cares and facilities (i.e. child birth, after child birth, infant resuscitation, and NICU facilities).


Hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') has enabled the recovery of previously inaccessible resources and rendered new areas of the underground 'productive'. While a number of studies in the US and UK have examined public attitudes toward fracking and its various impacts, how people conceptualise the deep underground itself has received less attention. We argue that views on resources, risk and the deep underground raise important questions about how people perceive the desirability and viability of subterranean interventions. We conducted day-long deliberation workshops (two in each country), facilitating discussions among diverse groups of people on prospective shale extraction in the US and UK. Themes that emerged in these conversations include seeing the Earth as a foundation; natural limits (a greater burden than the subsurface can withstand versus simply overuse of natural resources); and ideas about the fragility, instability and opacity of the deep underground. We find that concerns in both countries were not limited to specific, localised impacts but also addressed ecosystem links between surface and subsurface environments and broader questions about the use, identification and value of natural resources.


Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar have received much attention in recent years and large amount of renewable generation is being integrated to the electricity networks. A fundamental challenge in power system operation is to handle the intermittent nature of the renewable generation. In this paper we present a stochastic programming approach to solve a multiperiod optimal power flow problem under renewable generation uncertainty. The proposed approach consists of two stages. In the first stage operating points for conventional power plants are determined. Second stage realizes the generation from renewable resources and optimally accommodates it by relying on demand-side flexibility. The benefits from its application are demonstrated and discussed on a 4-bus and a 39-bus systems. Numerical results show that with limited flexibility on the demand-side substantial benefits in terms of potential additional re-dispatch costs can be achieved. The scaling properties of the approach are finally analysed based on standard IEEE test cases upto 300 buses, allowing to underlined its computational efficiency.


Saturation characteristics, polarization, and wavelength dependences of the stimulated Raman gain in polarization-preserving fibers have been studied to construct an active transmission line. In a backward-pump configuration, a Raman gain coefficient of 1.1 × 10−11 cm/W and a gain as high as 25 dB have been attained with a combination of a 1.34-μm pump and a 1.42-μm signal pulse, where the pump power is 35 W and the interaction length is 100 m. A 3-dB Raman gain at 1.51 μm has also been obtained under the same conditions. It was also found that there is a nonlinear polarization mode coupling that couples the vertical axis to the pump axis. This type of nonlinear coupling seems to be large when the linear mode-coupling coefficient of the fiber is large.


In the modern era, any action of the entrepreneur must be rational. This is an axiom. Especially if its concern the use of energy resources. In this article, some behavioral aspects of this action are examined. It also focuses on the disclosure of the essence and place of contractual relations in energy consumption; classification of contracts; the selection of possible options for the behavior of the entrepreneur depending on the objectives of the firm.
The theoretical part of the work is based on the provisions of the energy-consuming theory of the firm (Burganov and Yudina, 2018), and in the research methodology, generalization and comparison, abstraction and systematization of data on the behavior of the entrepreneur in the use of various types of energy are used.
The main conclusion is that an entrepreneur should rationally approach the selection and solution of problems in the field of energy consumption and energy efficiency.


In this paper, we propose a Switchable Deep Network (SDN) for pedestrian detection. The SDN automatically learns hierarchical features, salience maps, and mixture representations of different body parts. Pedestrian detection faces the challenges of background clutter and large variations of pedestrian appearance due to pose and viewpoint changes and other factors. One of our key contributions is to propose a Switchable Restricted Boltzmann Machine (SRBM) to explicitly model the complex mixture of visual variations at multiple levels. At the feature levels, it automatically estimates saliency maps for each test sample in order to separate background clutters from discriminative regions for pedestrian detection. At the part and body levels, it is able to infer the most appropriate template for the mixture models of each part and the whole body. We have devised a new generative algorithm to effectively pretrain the SDN and then fine-tune it with back-propagation. Our approach is evaluated on the Caltech and ETH datasets and achieves the state-of-the-art detection performance.


Twenty-two cases of open neural tube defect were found in a population of 17,703 unselected pregnancies (1.2 per 1000) within the Long Island, New York, region. Voluntary screening of maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels identified 20 of the 22 cases (91%). Six hundred ninety-two participants demonstrated serial elevations in maternal serum α-fetoprotein. Of this group, which was designated at increased risk for open neural tube defect, 24% had underestimated gestational age, 13% had multiple gestations, and 53% were candidates for amniocentesis. In the amniocentesis group, the detection yield of neural tube defect was 20 per 365 (5.5%). Neither false-negative amniotic fluid evaluations nor termination of normal pregnancy due to false-positive amniotic fluid levels occurred. Perinatal outcome data, including pregnancy complications, date, mode of delivery, sex, birth weight, Apgar score, and congenital malformations of the neonate other than neural tube defect, are reported for the first 9300 consecutive participants of the 17,703 population study. These data identify a correlation between rate of perinatal loss and maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels.


An analytical expression for a lower bound of average symbol error rate (ASER) for Amplify and Forward cooperative systems with best-relay selection over Rayleigh fading channels is derived for general order rectangular quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). A comparison of numerical values of the derived lower bound with Monte Carlo simulation results suggests that the obtained bound is suitable for less number of relays. Numerically evaluated ASER results are plotted and the effect of system parameters on the ASER is studied.


In the fourth month of fetal development, there is a maximum of about 6-7 million follicles present in the ovaries. Thereafter, follicle numbers decline slowly. The progressive loss of quality and quantity of oocytes is called ovarian ageing. During the process of ovarian ageing, different phases can be discerned with about 10 year intervals: optimal fecundity, infertility, sterility and menopause. Consequently, if menopause occurs early in life, a woman's fecundity has been compromised decades before. Therefore, accurate prediction of the rate of ovarian ageing and the associated fecundity is desirable. Estimation of ovarian reserve is possible by a wide array of endocrine, ultrasound and genetic tests currently available. This thesis discusses the value of genetic, vascular and other factors in the prediction of menopause and the clinical applicability of ovarian reserve tests is evaluated. The results of the various studies in this thesis underline the complexity of ovarian ageing and the difficulties that prediction of menopause entails. Based on its relationship with age and the antral follicle count, its cycle stability and longitudinal decline with age, anti-Mllerian Hormone (AMH) seems currently the best ovarian reserve test to predict age at menopause. Future longitudinal studies should confirm its accuracy and clinical applicability. The plausibility of vascular factors determining age at menopause is based primarily on indirect evidence. Since there is no consensus about the definition and mode of measurement of vascular ageing, future research should be interpreted cautiously. Diverse ovarian reserve tests are integrated in fertility work-up worldwide, although their capacity to predict pregnancy is poor. Moreover, current research involving ovarian reserve tests often ignores female age and past treatment outcomes as predictive factors of pregnancy. Identification of women with an adequate prognosis seems possible based on strict test cut-offs. Future research should focus on improving the accuracy of prediction models, possibly by incorporating AMH, familial age at menopause and cycle regularity into these models. Currently, there is no single ovarian reserve test able to predict age at menopause with enough certainty in individual women. Future research should focus on combining various ovarian reserve tests to improve the predictive accuracy.


Fracture of the capital femoral epiphysis occurred in two sheep. Both fractures were repaired via open reduction and lag screw fixation. A craniolateral approach to the hip (modified Watson-Jones) afforded good exposure and allowed manipulation with minimal soft tissue trauma. Rigid internal fixation in each case resulted in good long-term results. It was concluded that repair of this type of fracture in sheep is feasible if the animal is valuable.


Impulsivity and anxiety are traits often found in many psychiatric disorders ranging from ADHD and bipolar disorder to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social phobia and generalised anxiety disorder. Recent advances in both clinical and preclinical research propose further division of these two traits into distinct subconstructs. Specific cognitive tasks used across species suggest differing neurobiology underlying these processes, advocating their sub-division. The further categorisation of these two traits is hoped to lead to specific treatments which can then be given in combination to the patient, rather than trying to treat a single disorder in its entirety. This is beginning to be explored with the use of complementary cognitive tasks in both animals and humans.

Key Concepts:

Psychiatry is advancing to treat defined symptoms rather than single disorders.

Impulsivity and anxiety are two traits thought to be distinct entities both in neural and psychological terms.

Division of these traits into subforms has been shown to correlate better with symptom diagnosis and therapeutic potential.

Establishment of these subforms is achieved with cross-species tasks that model cognitive processes.

Future research using this approach aims to elucidate neurocognitive endophenotypes that may be symptomatic of more than one psychological disorder but readily treatable due to their defined characteristics.

Keywords:

impulsivity;
anxiety;
cognitive tasks;
animal models;
neurocognitive endophenotypes;
cortico-striatal circuits


There is a need to monitor the existence and effects of damage in structural materials. Bulk components provide a much publicized example, but the need exists in a variety of other structures, such as layered materials used in food packaging industries. While several techniques and models have been proposed for characterization and condition monitoring of bulk materials, less attention has been devoted to thin films having no bending rigidity. This study is therefore devoted to the development of a new method for remote acoustic non-destructive testing and characterization of thin films used in food packaging materials or similar structures. A method for assessing the strength in the presence of crack of thin layers used in food packaging is first presented using a modified Strip Yield Model. Resonance frequency measurement is then introduced and it is shown, at low frequency range, less than 2kHz, that a change in the physical properties such as a reduction in stiffness causes detectable changes in the modal properties, specifically in the resonance frequency. This observation leads to the implementation of a method for damage severity assessment on sheet materials, supported by a new theory illustrating the feasibility of the detection of inhomogeneity in form of added mass, as well as damage severity assessment, using a measurement of the resonance frequency shift. A relationship is then established between the resonance frequency and the material's elastic property for single layers as well as for laminates, which yields a new modality for sheet materials remote characterization. Further, the method has allowed demonstrating that thin sheets having no bending stiffness exhibit a slow non-equilibrium dynamics when slightly loaded within their elastic region and monitored at constant strain. We found that the resonance frequency shifts downward in response to a conditioning strain and to the number of cycles. This is an indication of a long-time slow dynamics relaxation, similar to that observed on bulk materials of many types. Differences and similarities in the setup as well as features observed are pointed out in this work. This type of measurement is important for the fundamental understanding of material dynamics and for further development of theories on thin sheets dynamics. The result of this study is the foundation of a method, based on low-frequency acoustic excitations and laser detection, for non-contact nondestructive testing and characterization of sheet materials.


The growth and application of mobile devices in accessing multimedia contents, including mobile video calls and distribution of images among people globally is constraining the wireless network resources. Due to dynamic nature of wireless network and limited networking resources, adaptation scheme for improved multimedia communication is proposed. Considering the impact of channel errors on received mobile video quality performance, the scheme employs adaptation process in the design process. The scheme improves received video quality performance by systematically adapting the encoding parameters for efficient delivery of video streams. Performance of the proposed scheme is tested using simulated wireless model. The result shows that the proposed scheme can improve the quality of multimedia communication over error prone wireless channel.


Huangbai River, including four enchained reservoirs, is located in a phosphate-rock watershed in Yichang City, Central China. Previous studies showed that pollution levels due to activities of phosphate mining (PM) were extremely high and the water quality of reservoirs was severely affected by sedimentation. Yet, detailed knowledge of the sediment is lacking at that high phosphorus (P) concentration basin. Therefore, the different P fractions and its diffusion fluxes at the water-sediment interface of four deep reservoirs have been investigated for the first time to understand the internal P loading. The results indicated that the concentrations of total P , ranging from 9,631.5 to 581.6 mg kg −1 , exhibited an apparent spatial trend from the upstream to the downstream reservoirs, which corresponded with the activities of P mining in this basin. The P-fraction concentrations obtained from the sites were mainly ranked in this order: P associated with calcium (Ca-Pi) > organic P (Po) > P bound to aluminum (Al), ferrum (Fe) and manganese (Mn) oxides and hydroxides (Fe/Al-Pi). The orthophosphate diffusion fluxes ranged from −0.40 ± 0.09 to 0.95 ± 0.14 mg m −2 d −1 which were positively related to P fraction concentrations while negatively related to oxidation–reduction potential and dissolved oxygen values. These results implied the dynamics role of internal P loading. The principle component analysis suggested that PM activities and internal P loading were the most reactive factors in this river system.


1 Forrest P. Breast cancer screening. Report to the health ministers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by a working group chaired by ProfessorSir Patrick Forrest. London: HMSO, 1986. 2 Verbeek ALM, Hendriks JHCL, Holland R, Mravunac M, Sturmans F, Day NE. Reduction in breast cancer mortality through mass screening with modem mammography. (First results of the Nijmegen project, 1975-1981.) Lancet 1984;i: 1222-4. 3 Tabar L, Fagerberg CJG, Gad A, et al. Reduction in mortality from breast cancer after mass screening with mammography. Lancet 1985;i:829-32. 4 Hobbs P, Smith A, George WD, Sellwood RA. Acceptors and rejectors ofan invitation to undergo breast screening compared with those who referred themselves. J Epidemiol Community Health 1980;34:19-22.


Mycoflora of maize (Zea mays L.) grain (Variety: Bako Hybrid-660) stored in two traditional storage containers (Gombisa and Sacks) for 180 days was studied for mycoflora in two agro-ecologies, that is Intermediate and Lowland, with altitude ranges of 1500-2500 meters above sea level, and 1000-1500 meters above sea level, respectively, in Jimma zone, Ethiopia. The temperature and relative humidity were observed for identifying fungi species which can flourish and cause maximum deterioration to maize grains. Significant (P<0.05) decreases in germination rate of the grains were observed with time under each storage method for both the low and intermediate altitude ranges. Germination percentage reduced from 98% and 97.5% to 68.5% and 80.5% for grains stored in Gombisa and Sacks, respectively. Storage type significantly (p<0.05) affected seed germination under intermediate agro-ecology whereas no significant (p>0.05) effect was observed under lowland agro-ecology due to storage container type. One sterile white mycelium and a total number of eight species of fungi viz., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tereus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Drechslera halodes, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium chrysogenum were identified from maize grain at the beginning and during storage. The most common fungi recorded from both agroecologies in the two storage structures were A. flavus, A. niger, D. halodes and F.oxysporum. These fungi were recorded from 90, 51, 72 and 44 percentage of the seed samples, respectively. In the districts of both intermediate and lowland agro-ecology these fungi were consistently recorded throughout 180 days, during storage. A. fumigatus was detected in3.6% of samples while C. cladosporioides observed in 15% of the samples. Fungal species A. tereus and Penicillium were recorded in 0.5% of samples in selected districts of Jimma. These fungal species were known to cause deterioration of maize and are a health risk to humans and animals due to the toxins they potentially produce.


The purpose of this study was to elicit preferences and reasons behind preferences for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement in an older African-American sample. Five focus groups were conducted with subjects invited from the Geriatric Clinic of an urban tertiary care hospital. Thematic and latent content analyses were used. Five broad themes emerged as reasons behind the acceptance or rejection of a PEG tube, namely: the nature of the illness; the quality of life at the time of the decision; the concern about dependency; experiences; and religion (including issues of death). The issue of proxy also arose and contained three themes: fear of loss of decision-making ability; trust in family or caregivers as proxy even when the proxy choices differed from their own choices; and trust in the doctor and family to respect personal decisions. Use of a qualitative approach enabled potentially sensitive issues to be discussed. Preferences and the reasons behind these preferences may not always b...


Experiments were conducted on dogs; a study was made of the effect of cranio-cerebral hypothermia on the circulatory blood volume and its respiratory surface. A reduction of body temperature from 36 to 30 degrees C led to the increase of the circulating blood volume from 62.4 +/-2.18 ml/kg to 65.2 +/- 6.95 ml/kg, of the circulating erythrocytes from 27.3 +/- 1.43 ml/kg to 33.8 +/-3.78 ml/kg. Further cooling reduced these indices to 40.7 +/- 3.12 ml/kg and 24.2 +/- +/-2.14 ml/kg, respectively. Plasma starts to leave the vascular bed simultaneously with the beginning of cooling. Its volume decreases with the fall of temperature from 36 to 24 degrees C from 34 +/- 1.07 ml/kg to 16.6 +/-1.19 ml/kg.


Background Cancer survivorship is an international priority and mortality from cardiac damage is one of the greatest concerns. Anthracycline chemotherapy is cardiotoxic but remains highly effective against cancer. Methods This translational project involved the development of a pre-clinical rat model of progressive anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (1.25mg/m2 doxorubicin weekly for 8 doses) and a concurrent clinical study of 30 cancer patients receiving 6 cycles of curative anthracycline therapy (doxorubicin 50mg/m2). A bespoke cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) protocol was developed which included longitudinal T1 mapping (modified look-locker) to estimate extracellular volume (ECV), T2 mapping (to quantify oedema) and strain analysis. A panel of circulating biomarkers (including inflammatory, ischaemic and fibrosis markers) was evaluated by multiplex ELISA. Longitudinal histological analysis was performed in the rats and correlated with imaging and biomarker findings. Results Left ventricular function (LVEF) declined steadily during treatment in rats and humans. Persistent LV dysfunction was seen in 23% of patients 12 months after therapy. Peak Troponin I levels correlated with fall in (LVEF) and circulating levels translated well between rat and humans. However, levels did not peak until the final cycle of chemotherapy when significant LV decline had already occurred. There was no significant change in the other circulating biomarkers. ECV did not change significantly during treatment but lower baseline ECV correlated with a greater fall in LVEF. Microscopic changes were seen in the rat myocardium after 6 doses of doxorubicin but electron-microscopy revealed mitochondrial damage after just one dose. Conclusions This translational approach enabled forward and back translation leading to the development of a clinically relevant pre-clinical cardiotoxicity model. Troponin I was the most informative circulating biomarker but peaked at the end of therapy too late to modify treatment and prevent LV decline. The model has the potential to be used to identify earlier biomarkers and evaluate cardioprotective strategies. The imaging findings showed that fibrosis cannot be detected on CMR within one year of chemotherapy but generated a new hypothesis that patients with 'healthier hearts' may be a greatest risk of drug-induced cardiotoxicity.


In the Classical world, the language of cosmology was a means for framing philosophical concerns. Among these were issues of time, motion, and soul; concepts of the limited and the unlimited; and the nature and basis of number. This is no less true of Indian thought—Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Ājivika—where the prestige of the cosmological idiom for organizing philosophical and theological thought can not be overstated. This essay focuses on the structural similarities in the thought of Plotinus and Buddhist cosmological/philosophical speculation. It builds on research concerning the Buddha-field (buddhakṣetra), which identified two discrete numerologies central to this speculation: the thousands of worlds (sāhasralokadhātu) comprising the field of single Buddha (buddhakṣetra), characteristic of the Hīnayāna, and the innumerable or incalculable (asaṃkhyeya) Buddha-fields filling the ten regions of space, characteristic of the Mahāyāna. The Enneads of Plotinus serve as lens through which to view in fresh way broad range of difficult issues associated with Buddhist cosmology in three general areas. First, it asks whether Plotinus' understanding of Intellect and his treatment of infinite and essential number afford an understanding of the innumerables and thousands central to the concept of the Buddha-field. This analysis involves a consideration of the Hindu creator god, Brahmā, as 'demiurge.' Second, it suggests analogies between the One, Intellect, and Soul of Plotinus and the three Buddhist Realms—the Formless Realm,the Realm of Form, and the Realm of Desire. Finally, it explores the possibility that an understanding of the Enneads can provide model for relating the cosmologies of the Hīnayāna and the Mahāyāna.


Some experiments are performed in several kinds of discharged plasma to investigate the influence of a magnetic field upon the saturation electron current of an electrostatic probe. The apparent electron density Ne' and the positive ion density N+ are calculated from the saturation electron current and the positive ion saturation current respectively and the ratio Ne'/N+ is plotted against ωτ (ω: the angular cyclotron frequency of electrons, τ: the mean collision time between electrons and molecules). The curve is found to show a clear dependence on the gas pressure, and when the ratio is log -log plotted against the magnetic field, it gives a nearly straight line, showing Ne'/N+ to be 0.1 at about 1,000 gauss. Since the positive ion saturation current is hardly influenced by the magnetic field of the order of several kilogauss, it is apparent that these properties are based upon the behavior of the electrons around the probe. A theory developed by Bohm and others is applied here to explain the experimental results.


When people generate responses during a divergent thinking task, some responses are "old" (retrieved from memory) and some are "new" (generated on the spot). K.J. Gilhooly, E. Fioratou, S.H. Anthony, and V. Wynn (2007) suggested that old and new responses stem from different cognitive strategies and differ in key ways. The present research explored the old/new scoring method in a sample of 143 young adults. After completing unusual uses tasks, the participants classified each response as old or new. The creativity of each response was also rated by three judges and by the participants themselves. As in past research, "old" responses appeared significantly earlier in the task and were rated as significantly less creative by both the judges and the participants. Old and new responses, however, correlated equally strongly with predictors of creative ability, such as openness to experience and its facets. Overall, the old/new scoring approach appears promising as a way of illuminating the diverse mental strategies people use to generate ideas.


Nanotechnology is currently the new hot topic in dermatology and nutraceutical/cosmeceutical delivery, owing to the advantages it provides in terms of enhancing the skin permeation of drugs, as well as increasing their therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of different dermatological diseases. There is also a great interest in the topical delivery of nutraceuticals; which are natural compounds with both therapeutic and cosmetic benefits, in order to overcome the side effects of topically applied chemical drugs. Quercetin is a key nutraceutical with topical antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which was reported to be effective in the treatment of different dermatological diseases, however, its topical therapeutic activity is hindered by its poor skin penetration. This review highlights the topical applications of quercetin, and summarizes the nanocarrier-based solutions to its percutaneous delivery challenges.


Inadequate capital and low liquidity level in recent times within the banking sector has created room for financial crises negatively affecting investments and limiting banks' ability to finance transactions that requires huge investment outlay especially in multinational arena. This study investigated the association between consolidation and business valuation and their effect on capital and liquidity level of banks in Nigeria. The population of the study consists of twenty-two (22) banks with randomly selected staff strength of 220 who are independent of age and sex. Data were collected through structured questionnaire and analyzed. Person product moment correlation "r" was employed to validate the research questions and hypotheses of the study. Results revealed that consolidation exercise increased bank capital without liquidity due business valuation methods used. The result obtained confirmed that there is significant positive association between consolidation and business valuation but could not influenced liquidity. This is contrary to the already established banks risk absorption hypothesis and risk-transformation role that stated which that higher capital enhances banks' ability to create liquidity. The study concluded that consolidation did not positively influenced liquidity level in Nigeria banks.


The article provides an assessment of the effectiveness of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in elderly patients with pneumonia in the early stages of acute respiratory failure (ARF). A total of 83 elderly patients with pneumonia were examined. By the method of randomization, patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group consisted of patients treated by the method of NIV, the second one of patients receiving standard oxygen therapy. The results of the study show that the use of NIV in the treatment of pneumonia, complicated by the ARF in elderly patients resulted in a significant improvement of arterial blood gas as well as hemodynamic and respiratory systems, in comparison with those of patients receiving oxygen therapy.


In this work the Hoff model for microbubble oscillations was used together with bifurcation diagrams to investigate microbubble behavior for a range of the system control parameters (driving frequency and pressure, microbubble size and shell parameters). We have shown that if the microbubble sizes are optimized so that their resonance frequency is a fraction of the sonication frequency (1/3, 1/4...), above a certain pressure threshold, the microbubbles can emit higher order subharmonics at (1/3, 2/3...) of the sonication frequency. Experimental results (using Artenga and in-house made lipid microbubbles with a 25 MHz, 30 cycle pulse using 0.1-2.5 MPa pressures) showed subpopulations of the microbubbles that were able to show this behaviour by scattering ultrasound according to the theoretical predictions (e.g. having two frequency maxima for subharmonics at f/3 and 2f/3). The ring-down analysis of the natural free oscillations of these microbubbles confirmed the theoretical resonance predictions.


The function of organic solar cells is based upon charge photogeneration at donor/acceptor heterojunctions. In this paper, the origin of the improvement in short circuit current of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/6,6‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) solar cells with thermal annealing is examined. Transient absorption spectroscopy is employed to demonstrate that thermal annealing results in an approximate two‐fold increase in the yield of dissociated charges. The enhanced charge generation is correlated with a decrease in P3HT's ionization potential upon thermal annealing. These observations are in excellent quantitative agreement with a model in which efficient dissociation of the bound radical pair into free charges is dependent upon the bound radical state being thermally hot when initially generated, enabling it to overcome its coulombic binding energy. These observations provide strong evidence that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level offset of annealed P3HT/PCBM blends may be only just sufficient to drive efficient charge generation in polythiophene‐based solar cells. This has important implications for current strategies to optimize organic photovoltaic device performance based upon the development of smaller optical bandgap polymers.


Models of residential and workplace location choice prevalent in the literature often assume that one choice dimension is exogenous to the other. But a broad and uniform assumption that one choice dimension is exogenous and influences the other may be too strong to use as the foundation for current behavioral research or applied policy analysis. This paper examines the interdependence of residence and workplace choices and develops a novel approach to modeling these choice dependencies. Two problems related to such joint modeling efforts are addressed. First, through a latent market segment modeling approach, the paper offers a methodology for accommodating different sequential decision-making processes that may be present in the population–for example, residential location may be chosen first and may influence workplace location for one segment and vice versa. Second, the modeling approach offers a means of overcoming the exploding choice set problem when attempting to model multidimensional choice phenomena. The overall aim of the work is to model the structure of the interdependency between the choices that a household makes about residence location and the workplace choices of the workers in the household in the context of an integrated activity location and travel forecasting framework. This paper presents a joint model of residence location and workplace using activity-based travel survey data collected in the Puget Sound region of Washington state in 1999, with novel adaptation of recent methods for incorporating latent market segmentation within discrete choice models.


Today, businesses have to respond with flexibility and speed to ever-changing customer demand, market opportunities and external threats. Service oriented architecture (SOA) is a special way to look a IT systems, focusing on their adaptability - the ability to respond to changing and new requirements. It is more than evident that agile approaches to software development seem to be a natural fit for developing such systems. In this article, we try to harden this evidence. We take a look on the fundamentals of agile software development and assess their suitability for SOA-based systems.


The Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the KIP International School began their collaboration several years ago for the organization and promotion of the Rene Cassin Prize, which currently allows three young graduates to do an internship in the field of human rights with the Universitas Programme. On the issue of participatory democracy, in 2010 the Emilia-Romagna Region adopted the Regional Law 3/2010 which promotes the active participation of citizens and regional civil organizations in government decisions. In September 2014, the International Training Seminar on "Participatory Governance and Territorial Development" took place in the Region, with the participation of a Senegalese delegation. The goal of the seminar was to learn about and analyze innovative practices and policies of participatory governance of territorial development. Attention to human rights, local development and participatory governance are the key elements that led KIP International School to invite the Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region in a day shared with Senegal, to the KIP pavilion at Expo Milan on July 30th 2015. The day at Expo was opened by a press conference in the room where panels, dedicated to the fight against hunger taken from Maestro Alberto Manzi's work, were exhibited. The day continued with a role-playing game on participation, in which administrators of the municipalities of Emilia-Romagna and Senegal discussed how to access public financing according to a scheme of work that simulated the functioning of local committees of participatory development. At the end of the day, the Tree of Participation, made of cardboard, was symbolically planted, on which any visitor could hang their own ideas on the theme "Food, rights and participation". In preparation for the event at Expo, we wondered if our experience was in line with the theme of the Universal Exposition and its declination chosen by KIP, "attractive territories for a sustainable world", if Maestro Manzi and his educational challenge and the Rene Cassin Prize could be effective in other contexts and if participatory governance can contribute to the development of the territory. In particular, we asked ourselves if, indeed, participatory processes can help increase the social capital of the community, making policies more pertinent to citizens, leading to a sustainable, inclusive and attentive development of local territories. We examined concrete cases, realized on our territory, and not hypothetical participatory processes. The analysis of the case studies on participation indicates a valuable path, which, without presuming to offer global solutions but rather from the perspective of "small is beautiful", shows that it is possible for participatory processes to "contaminate" many sectors of public policy and suggests that the development of the territory, supported by actions shared by citizens, is possible. This "dissemination" of participation in the territory is already a small success, beyond the concrete results of its influence on local policies. ----- Full text available in Italian only. To view, please select "Italiano" in the language box.


The current approach for text binarization proposes a clustering algorithm as a preprocessing stage to an energy-based segmentation method. It uses a clustering algorithm to obtain a coarse estimate of the background (BG) and foreground (FG) pixels. These estimates are used as a prior for the source and sink points of a graph cut implementation, which is used to efficiently find the minimum energy solution of an objective function to separate the BG and FG. The binary image thus obtained is used to refine the edge map that guides the graph cut algorithm. A final binary image is obtained by once again performing the graph cut guided by the refined edges on Laplacian of the image.


Patients treated for melanoma are advised to have lifelong full body skin examinations. Extended intervals between examinations have been proposed, but although this may be clinically effective, psychosocial aspects of follow‐up are not well understood. This systematic review summarised patient and clinician preferences, experiences and adherence with recommended follow‐up of stage I/II melanoma.


Traveling-wave analysis of long Yagi antennas is reviewed briefly. The method of designing a Yagi antenna from this viewpoint is discussed and some experimental results are given in order to verify the analysis. A long Yagi antenna, when designed according to the Hansen and Woodyard condition, has a sidelobe ratio of 9.32 db in its radiation pattern, irrespective of the length of the antenna. It is shown that by varying the propagation constant linearly along the length of the antenna, the sidelobe ratio can be improved considerably without sacrificing much of the antenna gain. This linear variation of the propagation constant may be obtained by slowly tapering the element lengths and/or element spacings along the length of the antenna. An approximate theory is developed for the linearly tapered long Yagi antenna and it is verified by actual measurements. A comparison between the radiation patterns of the uniform and the tapered long Yagi antennas clearly shows the advantage of tapering.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy is an effective surgical treatment in selected cases of cervical radiculopathy caused by posterolateral herniated discs or foraminal stenosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the surgical techniques, rates of complications, long-term outcomes, advantages, and disadvantages of keyhole foraminotomy retrospectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Keyhole foraminotomy was performed in 83 patients. In 51 patients (61.5%) soft disc herniation was removed, and in 32 of them (38.5%) osteophytes were evident. The clinical data were evaluated according to Odom's criteria, and the mean follow-up time was 6 months.

RESULTS
Postoperative results were classed as excellent in 66 patients (79.5%), good in 13 patients (15.7%), fair in 3 patients (3.6%), and poor in only 1 patient (1.2%). Radiculopathy symptoms regressed in 79 patients (95%). Among the 83 patients, surgical complications (dural injury and level error) were noted in 2 patients (2.4%).

CONCLUSION
Posterior laminoforaminotomy is applied to selected patients with a low complication rate. The advantages of this surgery are suitable visualization of the nerve root, preserved motion of the operated segment, avoidance of cervical instability, and a decrease in the length of hospital stay.


This commentary highlights the mission of the Journal of Extension as a scholarly space for Extension professionals to publish intellectual and creative work that enhances and advances the profession of Extension. I explore broadly the complex nature of the publishing process from the perspective of author, reviewer, and Extension Journal, Inc. (EJI) board member. I also focus on the ways in which the EJI board is working to streamline the publication process and suggest ways in which authors can contribute to the process through the careful preparation of high-quality manuscripts.


The ability of a modified covariance method "maximum entropy" spectral estimator to estimate the frequencies of several sinusoids in additive white Gaussian noise is studied. Analytical expressions for the variance of the spectral estimate peak positions at high signal-to-noise ratios ate derived. The calculated variance is compared to the Cramer-Rao lower bound and to the results of similar variance calculations for the more familiar covariance method. It is shown that performance approaching the Cramer-Rao bound can be obtained. Simulations demonstrate substantial agreement with the analytical results over a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios.


This study aimed to find out the effect of five light spectra (white, LDW; blue, LDB; green, LDG; red, LDR and yellow, LDY) on the visual development and growth performance of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) larvae. The number (per 100 μm) of cone cells, outer nuclear cells, ganglion cells, the ratio of outer nuclear to cone and ganglion cells, lens diameter and the minimum separable angle were determined. Variations in growth performance in total length, body mass, and body color were also examined. The results showed that the LDB group underwent metamorphosis faster than did the other groups and attained the greatest total length, body mass, and light sensitivity. The LDB group also completed the body color variation prior to the other groups. The LDG group exhibited a high mortality rate since 25 dph (days post-hatching). We arrived at the conclusions that the spectra could affect the vision and body development of turbot larvae specifically and the blue light had the enhancing efficiency during this process, followed the white and yellow light. The red light imposed an inhibiting effect on these variations.


"This paper is an attempt to analyze the process of rural-urban migration based on the data relating to the ¿Place of Birth' for Andhra Pradesh [India]. The specific objective of this study is to present a rigorous economic analysis of the process of inter-district rural-urban male migration as seen from 1971 migration data. With the help of a simple model...the direction and magnitude of relationships between selected explanatory variables and migration have been identified."


Estimates from the World Wind Energy Association assert that world total wind power installed capacity climbed from 18 Gigawatt (GW) to 152 GW from 2000 to 2009. Moreover, according to their predictions, by the end of 2010 global wind power capacity will reach 190 GW. Since electricity is a unique commodity, this remarkable expansion brings forward several key economic questions regarding the integration of significant amount of wind power capacity into deregulated electricity markets.The overall dissertation objective is to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework that enables the modeling of the performance and outcome of wind-integrated electricity markets. This is relevant because the state of knowledge of modeling electricity markets is insufficient for the purpose of wind power considerations. First, there is a need to decide about a consistent representation of deregulated electricity markets. Surprisingly, the related body of literature does not agree on the very economic basics of modeling electricity markets. That is important since we need to capture the fundamentals of electricity markets before we introduce wind power to our study. For example, the structure of the electric industry is a key. If market power is present, the integration of wind power has large consequences on welfare distribution. Since wind power uncertainty changes the dynamics of information it also impacts the ability to manipulate market prices. This is because the quantity supplied by wind energy is not a decision variable. Second, the intermittent spatial nature of wind over a geographical region is important because the market value of wind power capacity is derived from its statistical properties. Once integrated into the market, the distribution of wind will impact the price of electricity produced from conventional sources of energy. Third, although wind power forecasting has improved in recent years, at the time of trading short-term electricity forwards, forecasting precision is still low. Therefore, it is crucial that the uncertainty in forecasting wind power is considered when modeling trading behavior.Our theoretical framework is based on finding a symmetric Cournot-Nash equilibrium in double-sided auctions in both forwards and spot electricity markets. The theoretical framework allows for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a model of electricity markets that explain two main empirical findings; the existence of forwards premium and spot market mark-ups. That is a significant contribution since so far forward premiums have been explained exclusively by the assumption of risk-averse behavior while spot mark-ups are the outcome of the body of literature assuming oligopolistic competition.In the next step, we extend the theoretical framework to account for deregulated electricity markets with wind power. Modeling a wind-integrated electricity market allows us to analyze market outcomes with respect to three main factors; the introduction of uncertainty from the supply side, ownership of wind power capacity and the geographical diversification of wind power capacity.For the purpose of modeling trade in electricity forwards one should simulate the information agents have regarding future availability of aggregate wind power. This is particularly important for modeling accurately traders' ability to predict the spot price distribution. We develop a novel numerical methodology for the simulation of the conditional distribution of regional wind power at the time of trading short-term electricity forwards.Finally, we put the theoretical framework and the numerical methodology developed in this study to work by providing a detailed computational experiment examining electricity market outcomes for a particular expansion path of wind power capacity.


In this paper, we investigate the stationary probability distribution and mean first passage time in a vegetation ecological system, which is driven by cross-correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic colored noises as well as the nonzero cross-correlation in between. The impacts of the self-correlation time τ1 and τ2, the cross-correlation time τ3 and intensity k on the stationary probability distribution and mean first passage time are discussed, respectively. Our main results show that:(i) the self-correlation time τ1 can induce regime shifts from the desert state to the sustainable vegetation state, while the self-correlation time τ2, cross-correlation time τ3 and intensity k can induce regime shifts from the sustainable vegetation state to the desert state; and(ii) the self-correlation time τ1 or τ2 can enhance the stability of the sustainable vegetation biomass, while the cross-correlation time τ3 or strength k weakens the stability of the sustainable vegetation biomass.


Polymerized hydrocarbons occurring in the gold-uranium conglomerates of the Witwatersrand System (South Africa) show δC13 values between —22.4 and —32.8 per mille, their isotopic composition thus falling into the range of sedimentary organic carbon. Accordingly, organic derivation of the material seems very probable. This conclusion is consistent with a model of the existence of organic evolution and biologic activity in times certainly older than 2.15 x 109 years.


We present the validation of a transiting low-density exoplanet orbiting the M2.5 dwarf TOI 620 discovered by the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. We utilize photometric data from both TESS and ground-based follow-up observations to validate the ephemerides of the 5.09 day transiting signal and vet false-positive scenarios. High-contrast imaging data are used to resolve the stellar host and exclude stellar companions at separations ≳0.″2. We obtain follow-up spectroscopy and corresponding precise radial velocities (RVs) with multiple precision radial velocity (PRV) spectrographs to confirm the planetary nature of the transiting exoplanet. We calculate a 5σ upper limit of M P < 7.1 M ⊕ and ρ P < 0.74 g cm−3, and we identify a nontransiting 17.7 day candidate. We also find evidence for a substellar (1–20 M J ) companion with a projected separation ≲20 au from a combined analysis of Gaia, adaptive optics imaging, and RVs. With the discovery of this outer companion, we carry out a detailed exploration of the possibilities that TOI 620 b might instead be a circum-secondary planet or a pair of eclipsing binary stars orbiting the host in a hierarchical triple system. We find, under scrutiny, that we can exclude both of these scenarios from the multiwavelength transit photometry, thus validating TOI 620 b as a low-density exoplanet transiting the central star in this system. The low density of TOI 620 b makes it one of the most amenable exoplanets for atmospheric characterization, such as with the James Webb Space Telescope and Ariel, validated or confirmed by the TESS mission to date.


The extent of human influence on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is controversial but is essential to understand the environmental parameters of "healthy" inshore coral reefs before European settlement and the agriculturally-modified adjacent land catchments. To provide this evidence, core samples were taken from massive Porites corals from Magnetic Island and their annual skeletal growth bands were analysed for trace elements and oxygen isotope composition at sub-annual, 2 and 5 yearly sampling resolutions. This geochemical database was exploited to develop proxies of sea surface temperature (SST), seawater salinity, terrestrial runoff, land practices, sedimentation and turbidity. Data were obtained from four long-lived (~100 years) fossil mid-Holocene corals (~6,000 years old) and three modern coral cores, including one with a growth record from 1812-1986, a record which pre-dates European settlement in the region (c. 1850). In addition, the Holocene evolution of the Nelly Bay (Magnetic Island) reef was examined from C-14 dated sediment cores and biological sea-level indicators to construct a stratigraphic model of Nelly Bay. This model helps to investigate cause of the death for the fossil corals.

The mid-Holocene corals died around 5,790-6,150 calibrated (cal) years BP most probably from burial by terrigenous and biogenic sediments (sedimentation) due to a prograding reef flat. The fossil mid-Holocene corals contained sediment trapped within their final growth bands that was evident from elevated Th concentrations (>3 ppb), lower Y/Ho ratios (< 40) and progressively "flatter" rare earth element and Y (REY) distributions. REY distributions indicate that the sediments within the fossil coral's skeleton came from the local (Nelly Bay) area rather than the Burdekin River catchment.

Sea level rapidly transgressed to + 1.0-1.5 m around 7,000-7,500 cal years BP and may have then oscillated up to four times before settling to its current position approximately 1,250 cal years BP. Sea-level in the region was reconstructed from C-14 ages of a fossil oyster bed from Magnetic Island and by compiling previous sea-level data from eastern Australia. Average climate variability during the mid-Holocene was similar to the 1812-1986 coral record from the coral proxies of SST (Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, U/Ca ratios and δ18O composition). The Sr/Ca ratios in the 1812-1986 coral record were significantly correlated with the instrumental dataset from the central GBR at a 2 yearly sampling resolution, while the long-term averages of the other SST proxies agreed with the instrumental record. In addition, there were significant correlations between the coral Sr/Ca ratio and the coral calcification rate (a physical coral SST proxy) at the 2 and 5 yearly sampling resolutions.

Average seawater salinity (coral Δ¹⁸O) during the mid-Holocene was also similar to the 1812-1986 coral record. The Δ¹⁸O record for the 1812-1986 coral showed relatively wetter conditions persisted from 1885-1935 and post-1970, while drier conditions prevailed between 1830-1885 and 1935-1970. These long-term trends agreed with the coral luminescence and the rainfall records and coincide with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. However, correlations between the coral Δ¹⁸O record and luminescence, rainfall and Burdekin River discharge were not significant, although the coral luminescence record was significantly correlated with rainfall in the Burdekin catchment and Burdekin River discharge records. The lack of correlation between coral Δ¹⁸O and luminescence records indicates these proxies are recording different environmental signals. The 5 yearly resolution coral Δ¹⁸O record reveals subtle, long-term variations in seawater salinity, whereas the luminescence record shows large, short-term variations in seawater salinity from rainfall and river discharge events.

The study supports the finding that sediment and colloidal export to the GBR have increased by 4-5 times in the Burdekin River catchment since the arrival of Europeans, based on coral Ba/Ca ratios, Y, Pr, Sm and Ho concentrations as well as REE distribution patterns in the 1812-1986 record. The Ba/Ca ratios and the Y, Pr, Sm and Ho concentrations were significantly correlated with cattle numbers in the Burdekin River catchment. However, previous claims that the additional sediment exported to the inshore GBR has resulted in an increase in turbidity levels are not supported by the coral Y/Ho ratio, a potential proxy of turbidity. In addition, negligible sediment has been trapped within the 1812-1986 coral skeleton, which was evident from low coral Th concentrations. This finding indicates that the threat of sedimentation to the Magnetic Island's fringing reefs is low.

An excellent record of historical land-use in the adjacent Burdekin River catchment is provided by coral Mn concentrations. Mn levels in the corals record the establishment and growth of the sheep and cattle industries and provide an exceptional historical account of the development of land since European settlement.

This study has helped to establish a record of natural climate and environmental change on inshore coral reefs to provide a baseline of water quality conditions for "healthy" reef ecosystems. From this baseline, the study has been able to separate the natural variability on Magnetic Island's fringing reefs from the human influence and may assist decisions to manage land runoff to inshore reefs of the GBR.


CONTEXT
Influenza virus neuraminidase is thought to be essential for virus replication in humans; however, to date, available neuraminidase inhibitors are limited to zanamivir, which is topically administered.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the safety, tolerability, and antiviral activity of oral neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir (GS4104/Ro64-0796) for prevention and the early treatment of influenza in experimentally infected humans.

DESIGN
Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials conducted between June and July 1997.

SETTING
Individual hotel rooms; 2 large US university medical schools.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 117 healthy adult volunteers (aged 18-40 years; median age, 21 years) who were susceptible (hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titer < or =1:8).

INTERVENTIONS
All subjects were inoculated intranasally with influenza A/Texas/36/91 (H1N1) virus. For the prophylaxis study, oral oseltamivir (100 mg once daily [n = 12], 100 mg twice daily [n = 12], or matching placebo [n = 13], starting 26 hours before virus inoculation) was administered. For the treatment study, the same drug was given (20 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg twice daily, 200 mg once daily, or matching placebo [n = 16], in each group starting 28 hours after inoculation). All regimens were continued for 5 days.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Comparing placebo groups with pooled treatment groups, for prophylaxis, outcomes included frequency of infection and viral shedding; for treatment, viral shedding in titers.

RESULTS
In the prophylaxis study, 8 (67%) of 12 placebo and 8 (38%) of 21 oseltamivir recipients became infected (P = .16; efficacy, 61%); 6 (50%) placebo compared with 0 oseltamivir recipients shed virus (P<.001; efficacy, 100%), and 33% of placebo but no oseltamivir recipient had infection-related respiratory illness (P<.01). Among infected subjects in the treatment study (n = 69), the viral titer area under the curve of the combined oseltamivir groups (n = 56) was lower (median [interquartile range [IQR]], 80 [23-151] vs 273 [79-306] log10 tissue culture-infective doses50 per milliliter x hour; P = .02) than the placebo group (n = 13), and the median (IQR) duration of viral shedding with therapy was reduced from 107 (83-131) to 58 (35-59) hours (P = .003). Oseltamivir treatment also reduced symptom scores (median [IQR] score-hours, 225 [97-349] vs 400 [189-645]; P = .05), and nasal proinflammatory cytokine levels. Transient mild to moderate nausea after dosing was observed in 15 (17%) of 88 oseltamivir and 2 (7%) of 29 placebo recipients (95% confidence interval for difference, -11% to 68%), which was largely prevented by ingestion with food.

CONCLUSIONS
In these trials, prophylaxis and early treatment with oral oseltamivir were both associated with significant antiviral and clinical effects in experimental human influenza.


Researchers have been interested in media and their impact on spoken and written language prior to the rise of the internet and Web 2.0. Plato already discussed the relationship between written and spoken language more than 400 BC. The chances that came with the beginning of digitalization are technical possibilities of detection, analysis, and evaluation of language. Academic disciplines such as linguistics and digital humanities are dedicated not only to dealing with digitalization and language but also to exploring their interrelationship, opportunities, and occurring (linguistic) phenomena. This paper critically questions Big Data practices in corpus linguistics research. I examine the Big Data corpus GloWbE (Corpus of Global Web-based English) as a linguistic research tool by highlighting advantages, emphasizing critical aspects, and presenting constructive approaches and concepts in the context of this paper. I make some suggestions on how researchers can deal with the mentioned issues of ethics, geographical boundaries and non-native speakers, technological challenges, access and participation, and various authors. Finally, I then summarize the results as chances and challenges in working with Big Data corpora as linguistic research tools and propose topics for further research. As always, I am happy about constructive criticism.


High-throughput construction of multivalent binders and subsequent screening for biological activity represent a fundamental challenge: A linear increase of monovalent components translates to the square of possible bivalent combinations. Even high-efficiency cloning and expression methods become limiting when thousands of bispecific binders need to be screened for activity. In this study, we present an in vitro method for the efficient production of flexibly linked bispecific binding agents from individually expressed and purified monovalent binders. We established a sortase A–mediated coupling reaction to generate bispecific designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins), with an optimized reaction maximizing the bivalent coupling product with low levels of monovalent side-products. These one-pot reaction mixtures could be used directly, without further purification, in cell-based assays. We generated a matrix of 441 different bispecific DARPins against the extracellular domains of the cancer-associated receptors EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, ErbB4, EpCAM, and c-MET and screened on two different ErbB2-positive cancer cells lines for growth-inhibitory effects. We identified not only known but also novel biologically active biparatopic DARPins. Furthermore, we found that the cancer cell lines respond in a highly reproducible and defined manner to the treatment with the 441 different bivalent binding agents. The generated response profiles can thus be used for functional characterization of cell lines because they are strongly related to the cell line–specific surface receptor landscape. Thus, our method not only represents a robust tool for screening and lead identification of bispecific binding agents, but additionally offers an orthogonal approach for the functional characterization of cancer cell lines.


Environmental protection is typically cast as a tax on the labor market and the economy in general. Since a large body of evidence links pollution with poor health, and health is an important part of human capital, efforts to reduce pollution could plausibly be viewed as an investment in human capital and thus a tool for promoting economic growth. While a handful of studies have documented the impacts of pollution on labor supply, this paper is the first to rigorously assess the less visible but likely more pervasive impacts on worker productivity. In particular, we exploit a novel panel dataset of daily farm worker output as recorded under piece rate contracts merged with data on environmental conditions to relate the plausibly exogenous daily variations in ozone with worker productivity. We find robust evidence that ozone levels well below federal air quality standards have a significant impact on productivity: a 10 ppb decrease in ozone concentrations increases worker productivity by 4.2 percent.


Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of Finnish pharmacists working on hospital wards about their current tasks and the relative importance of different tasks. Methods Pharmacists who work on wards (n=193) were asked to complete an electronic questionnaire about the tasks they perform and their relative importance from a list of 23 tasks. Results Over half, that is 99 out of 193 pharmacists invited, responded. The most common tasks in the respondents' job descriptions were stock management (93%), providing drug information and guidance to ward personnel and students (91%), and monitoring the consumption and bookkeeping of narcotics (90%). Pharmacists considered that their most important tasks were checking for drug interactions (94%), providing drug information and guidance to ward personnel and students (89%), and detecting drug related problems in patients' medications (87%). Conclusions Pharmacists working on wards of Finnish hospitals spend most of their time conducting logistical tasks, whereas they believe their expertise should be used in clinical tasks.


The term "viewing stones" is primarily associated with two traditions of stone appreciation: Chinese Gongshi (or scholar's rocks) and Japanese suiseki. Today, viewing-stone associations around the world take inspiration from these traditions and are creating new ways of displaying stones. Petraphiles, whether ancient or contemporary, are often drawn to express their appreciation of favored stones in writing. The Petraphiles represented in this virtual exhibition are diverse in their expressions of geo-affection. They are, by turns, both scholarly and poetic. In each entry there is a sense of discovery. Thomas Elias finds his Liaoshan Green Stone talking to him about the vicissitudes of life. Kemin Hu's research on a Kun stone led her unexpectedly to the original owner of the stone. Joseph Roussel's Wen stone reveals its elusive character in the play of light falling across its convoluted surface over the course of a day. Go And Catch A Falling Star (Odessa, Texas), Rick Stiles's tiny meteorite fragment, speaks to him of the vast scale of the space/time of our universe. Richard Strassberg finds new meaning in a stone that has been in his possession for decades when he recontextualizes it in an antique Chinese stone basin. In the course of a stream-of-consciousness rant about an ungainly stone in his collection, Richard Turner begins to understand the Chinese standards of stone appreciation: zhu (clumsy), chou (ugly) and guai (grotesque).


Whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing approaches are rapidly becoming mainstream tools accessible to both basic researchers and clinical teams. Likewise, technological advances in genome editing, such as the CRISPR/Cas system, are poised to revolutionise model system research, making it more feasible to create animal models that truly recapitulate the human condition. However, procedures for identifying disease-associated sequence variants are still far from robust and there are many biological variables that need to be considered when attempting to functionally validate disease-associated variants. In this article, we highlight the many limitations and issues that should be considered at different stages throughout this process – from the filtering of sequencing data to the selection of variants, and from the selection of the model organism to the appropriate means of phenotyping.

Key Concepts

Researchers must appreciate the limitations of exome sequencing when considering candidate gene variants.
Researchers using sequencing services should ensure they receive the original BAM files of their sequencing data.
Common bioinformatic algorithms used to process sequencing data are predictive tools only.
Bioinformatic tools should not be used in isolation or their outputs taken as proof of disease causation of a variant.
Gene expression in a tissue consistent with that affected in patients can be used to help prioritise candidate genes but is not evidence for causation.
Demonstration of a functional impact of a given variant in an in vitro assay is useful but does not necessarily mean it is responsible for the disease of interest.
Genetic background of the mouse strain(s) can significantly influence the phenotypic presentation.
Researchers using animal models should consider the composition of animal chow when modelling a disease with considerable phenotypic variability.

Keywords:

mouse model;
CRISPR;
exome sequencing;
SNP;
genetic background


Desktop analyzers and single-test meters used in primary healthcare are mainly calibrated to measure whole blood. To minimize matrix effects of control materials in external quality assessment schemes, we stabilized fresh human EDTA-treated blood with sodium iodoacetate (1.8 mmol/L). The whole-blood based control material was useful for control of hemoglobin and glucose, the two most common analyses in primary care, even after storage at room temperature for at least 10 days and at 5 degrees C for 3 weeks. The material was also useful for control of cholesterol and creatinine analyses for samples stored as long as 3 days at ambient temperature.


Populations of locally adapted honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) have adaptive traits in their native habitat to take maximum advantage of the local flora. In this study, the annual brood production and colony population development of the Yığılca local honeybee colonies in their natural habitat were determined and compared with the other commonly used honeybee hybrids to expose adaptation to local ecological conditions. A total of 34 colonies headed by naturally mated queens were used in the experiment; 10 colonies of Yığılca local honey bee, 12 colonies of A. m. caucasica hybrid and 12 colonies of A. m. anatoliaca hybrid. The present results demonstrated that the Yığılca local honeybee colonies adapted to their local ecological conditions and regulated the brood production and population development according to regional flora. Although there were no differences in the worker populations between the genotype groups at the end of the winter, Yığılca honeybee colonies produce more broods before the main nectar flow and had a larger worker population during period of nectar flow than A.m. anatoliaca and A.m. caucasica hybrids. The results demonstrated that Yığılca local honey bee is a valuable genotype in their native habitat. However, experiments should be repeated at different locations for their use in breeding programs.


Annual growth of semiarid tree species is generally limited by a period of water deficit and this relationship can be reflected in interannual variation in tree-ring width of semiarid species such as Pinus edulis, a piñon pine that is widely distributed across the southwestern United States. Tree-ring width of P. edulis and other semiarid tree species is most frequently related to annual precipitation amount alone or to the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI). But water deficit and associated variation in moisture can also be described using numerous other indices such as the standardized precipitation index (SPI), and a comparison of the performance of several indices that relate historical climate data to treering variation in P. edulis is lacking. We compared abilities to predict radial tree-ring growth of P. edulis using five metrics of water availability: PDSI, two indices based on precipitation alone (total precipitation and SPI), and two indices that factor in temperature to determine water deficit (based on Walter climate diagrams that use monthly precipitation and temperature). Each metric was evaluated over three commonly used time periods (water year, calendar year, and June–August) using the limited available data from P. edulis sites in the southwestern USA where co-located tree-ring and weather data were available. Our results indicate that PDSI was the best predictor of P. edulis ring widths, regardless of time period, and provide a first comparative test of PDSI with SPI and Walter indices that can be further tested as larger data sets become available. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


To examine the molecular basis of ligand‐stimulated intramolecular β‐subunit autophosphorylation, hybrid receptors composed of wild‐type and mutantinsulin and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (lGF‐l) half‐receptor precursors were characterized. Previous studies have demonstrated that assembly of the IGF‐I wild‐type half‐receptor (αβWT) with a kinase‐defective half‐receptor (αβA/K) produced a substrate kinase‐inactive holoreceptor in vitro [Treadway et al. (1991): Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:214–218]. To extend these studies, the vaccinia virus/ bacteriophage T7 expression system was used to generate various hybrid receptor complexes in cultured cells. As was observed for hybrid receptors assembled in vitro, the wild‐type/mutant hybrid receptors formed in situ were also incapable of phosphorylating several peptide substrates. However, ligand‐stimulated β‐subunit autophosphorylation was still observed. To determine the molecular basis for this discrepancy, hybrid receptors were assembled from a truncated β‐subunit insulin half‐receptor (αβδ43). and a kinase‐defective half‐receptor (αβA/K). Under these conditions, insulin‐stimulated autophosphorylation primarily oc‐curred on the full‐length kinase‐inactive β‐subunit (αβA/K) without significant labeling of the kinase‐active truncated β‐subunit (αβδ43). A similar IGF‐I hybrid receptor species was characterized, and the same pattern of autophosphorylation was observed in response to IGF‐I. These data demonstrate that both insulin and IGF‐I stimulate an intramolecular trans‐autophosphorylation reaction between two adjacent β‐subunits within the holoreceptors. Furthermore, our data suggest that trans‐phosphorylation between two functional β‐subunits is required for substrate kinase activation of the insulin and IGF‐I holoreceptors. These results suggest a molecular basis for the dominant‐negative phenotype observed in heterozygous, insulin‐resistant patients possessing one kinase‐defective insulin receptor allele. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a challenging, debilitating disorder that develops from the frequent use of medications taken for the treatment of migraine headache pain. MOH affects an estimated 3-5% of the general population. The mechanisms underlying the development of MOH remain unknown. Opiates are one of the major classes of medications used for the treatment of migraine at least in some countries, including the USA. Although the effects of repeated opiate use for headache are unknown, it is possible that opiate use may contribute to increased frequency and occurrence of such headaches. Recent preclinical studies exploring the neuroadaptive changes following sustained exposure to morphine may give some insights into possible causes of MOH. Peripherally, these changes include increased expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in trigeminal primary afferent neurons. Centrally, they include increased excitatory neurotransmission at the level of the dorsal horn and nucleus caudalis. Critically, these neuroadaptive changes persist for long periods of time and the evoked release of CGRP is enhanced following morphine pretreatment. Stimuli known to elicit migraine, such as nitric oxide donors or stress, produce hyperalgesia in morphine- but not in saline-pretreated rats even long after the discontinuation of the opiate. CGRP plays a prominent role in initiating vasodilation of the intracranial blood vessels and subsequent headache. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated increased excitability of the nociceptive pathway in migraine sufferers, and CGRP receptor antagonists have been shown to be efficacious in migraine pain. Thus, such persistent neuroadaptive changes may be relevant to the processes that promote MOH.


Watching pornography online is a deeply personal, if not secretive act, yet the ease with which a near-infinite supply of adult content is shored up by networks of shared experiences. In fact, the persistent assumption that consuming adult content is a 'closed' experience has largely stunted efforts to reconceptualize online pornography as a "network experience." As Wendy Chun asks, "Why are networked devices described as 'personal,' when they are so chatty and promiscuous?" This article, therefore, attempts to 'pornify the network' by tracing the movement, flows, and processual emergence of networks that have been crucial to the formation and continued proliferation of online pornography. Two case studies are used to illustrate the persistence of this framework: the first theorizes 'edging' in early online pornography, while the second puts into question the politics of the world's largest porn website deploying user data for titillating effect. Theorizing a pornified network ultimately reroutes persistent technological imaginaries of the network through affect, sensation, and the entanglements of desire.


The death of a loved one is ultimately a universal experience. However, conventional interventions employed for people suffering with uncomplicated grief have gathered little empirical support. The present study aimed to explore the potential effects of ayahuasca on grief. We compared 30 people who had taken ayahuasca with 30 people who had attended peer-support groups, measuring level of grief and experiential avoidance. We also examined themes in participant responses to an open-ended question regarding their experiences with ayahuasca. The ayahuasca group presented a lower level of grief in the Present Feelings Scale of Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, showing benefits in some psychological and interpersonal dimensions. Qualitative responses described experiences of emotional release, biographical memories, and experiences of contact with the deceased. Additionally, some benefits were identified regarding the ayahuasca experiences. These results provide preliminary data about the potential of ayahuasca as a therapeutic tool in treatments for grief.


Received : 28/01/2020 Accepted : 13/06/2020 Dairy desserts, which have an important place in Turkish cuisine, are mild, more digestible and have high nutritional value than dough and syrup desserts. In recent years, studies for developing these products have increased due to the increase in consumer demand for low and zero fat products for many different reasons such as nutrition, health and weight control. However, the reduction of fat in food products often leads to undesirable changes in the structural properties of foods, which affects consumer preference. Fat in the formulation of such products, affects the appearance, texture, mouthfeel, and especially flavor. To eliminate the problems associated with the reduction of fat content in foods, whey protein-pectin complexes, λ-carrageenan, κ-carrageenan, short and long chain inulin mixtures, starch substitutes are generally used. Changes in fat content of dairy desserts with the use of substitutes affect color, rheology, texture, sensory perception, aroma release and perception. Milk fat content is effective on sensory detection, in vivo flavor and flavor release in semisolid dairy desserts. The milk fat content (whole-fat, low-fat or non-fat) used in the production of dairy dessert affects the rheological and sensory properties of the product, the taste intensity perceived in the mouth, flavor release, flow behavior, flavor and viscoelastic properties. According to the reviewed literature, in dairy desserts with reduced fat content, the thickener type and concentration (starch, κ-carrageenan, carboxymethyl cellulose) have been determined to cause perceptible changes in the product's color, flavor and texture, and may alter the physical and structural properties of the product. In this review, it was aimed to examine the aroma release and rheological properties of dairy desserts with reduced fat content by using fat substitutes.


The friction characteristics and material transfer tendency between metal powder and tool material in metal powder compaction have been evaluated using a new tribo test method. The method is based on controlled scratch testing using a commercial scratch tester but instead of the commonly used Rockwell C diamond stylus a sample holder with a small green body of compacted powder particles is drawn over the surface in a well controlled multi pass linear reciprocating sliding contact. In the present study a number of combinations of metal powder and tool materials have been evaluated with respect to the friction characteristics and the sticking and cladding tendency at the sliding interface. Post test scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in combination with 3D white light interferometry were used to analyse the tool material surfaces and material pick-up tendency. The tribological performance of potential powder compacting tool materials is discussed in relation to the identified friction and wear mechanisms.


In this paper, we describe the semantic content, which can be automatically generated, for the design of advanced dialog systems. Since the latter will be based on machine learning approaches, we created training data by annotating a corpus with the needed content. Given a sentence of our transcribed corpus, domain concepts and other linguistic levels ranging from basic ones, i.e. part-of-speech tagging and constituent chunking level, to more advanced ones, i.e. syntactic and predicate argument structure (PAS) levels are annotated. In particular, the proposed PAS and taxonomy of dialog acts appear to be promising for the design of more complex dialog systems. Statistics about our semantic annotation are reported.


The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of developing cellulose acetate (CA) membranes to partially immobilize Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 49451) and to evaluate the inhibitory effect of phenol on the immobilized bacteria by monitoring their growth in partially immobilized and free-suspension systems. The cellulose acetate membranes used in this study were wet spun from 20 wt % of CA in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/acetone (30 : 70) solvent using water as the bore fluid as well as the external coagulant. Scanning-electron microscopy (SEM) characterization of the newly developed CA hollow fibers suggests that the fiber cross section consists of multilayer microporous structures useful for cell immobilization. Experiments were conducted using the bacteria to degrade phenol at initial phenol concentrations of 300 mg/L and 1000 mg/L. In a free suspension (no membrane) system, it was observed that the bacteria were able to grow optimally at 300 mg/L of phenol, and degraded phenol almost completely in about 26 h. However, neither cell growth nor phenol degra- dation occurred when initial concentration of phenol was increased to 1000 mg/L. In a cell-immobilized membrane system, the cell growth and phenol concentration profiles in the medium were very similar to those obtained in a free suspension culture if phenol concentration was 300 mg/L. However, when the initial phenol concentration was increased to 1000 mg/L, data obtained in a cell-immobilized membrane system were discernibly different from that obtained in the suspension culture. In the former case, phenol concentration decreased in the beginning of test, indicating that the carbon source has been consumed and immobilized cells within the membrane had begun to multiply. As soon as the phenol concentration decreased to about 700 mg/L (at which concentration, substrate inhibition was not as severe as 1000 mg/L),partial immobili- zation occurred when some cells diffused out of the membrane into the medium and optical density became measurable in the medium. It was found that cell growth contin- ued for the next 32 h, reaching an optical density in the medium of 0.42 absorbance units and a significant amount of phenol was degraded. q 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


One of the main goals in transforming the Army is the process of moving away from the use of paper maps and grease pencils into more embedded and computer orientated forms of command and control. There are currently many weapons platforms trying to achieve this function; however, each platform is developing their own solution that meet individual needs. The Army as a whole needs to standardize on a single path forward to ensure that all systems can communicate across the digitized battlefield, allow for each platform will have a "common picture", and promote software reuse across the Army. Once this "common picture" is achieved, our armed forces will have the information needed to continue our domination of the battlefield.


There is growing recognition that the overall client-vendor relationship, and not only the contract, plays a critical role in Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) success. However, our understanding of how ITO relationships function is limited. This paper contributes to this understanding by reviewing empirical literature on ITO success in terms of relationship satisfaction. A key finding is that the majority of reviewed studies concentrates on client satisfaction, thus neglecting the vendor perspective. We argue that this raises questions about the construct validity of these studies. Consequently, concerns exist about the validity and reliability of their empirical findings. Some scholars have acknowledged the problem and use a dyadic perspective. However, a review of these studies reveals that the authors have underestimated their contributions and do not explain why there is a problem. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to highlight their contributions by comparing the findings of the dyadic perspective studies with those of the "client perspective" research. In doing so, we assess whether the dyadic studies produce better explanations for ITO success than the client-oriented studies. We argue that this is indeed the case, by producing a better view on how underlying mechanisms of ITO relationships work.


Background: The anterolateral thigh perforator flap is increasingly being used for trauma and reconstructive surgical cases. With the thinned flap design, greater survivability and a decrease in donor-site morbidity are observed. To increase our knowledge of the vascular territories in these flaps, an anatomic study was performed to determine pedicle number, location, and diameter; accompanying veins; vascular territory; and where surgical incisions can be made safely during thinning, as opposed to the "danger zone." Methods: Thirteen anterolateral thigh perforator flaps were harvested from seven adult cadavers. The largest perforator arteries were cannulated, and flaps were thinned to a thickness of 6 to 8 mm, with a 2.5-cm radius from the perforator retained. Vascular territories were quantified before and after thinning by nonradiographic and radiographic methods. A series of dyes were injected: red dye for skin (photography) followed by Omnipaque for the whole flap (radiography) before thinning, and blue dye for skin (photography) and lead oxide for the whole flap (radiography) after thinning. Pedicle locations were determined by ratios of anatomical landmarks. Danger zone measurements were derived at specific thicknesses using lateral radiographs of each flap. Results: In anterolateral thigh perforator flaps, the mean perforator artery diameter at the fascia level was 1.00 ± 0.08 mm (range, 0.84 to 1.11 mm) and the mean number of perforator arteries was 1.69 ± 1.03 (±SD). Perforator pedicles were located near the midpoint of the line between the anterior superior iliac spine and the lateral aspect of the patella in the vertical axis. The mean vascular territories were 256 ± 52.5 cm2 (photography) and 351 ± 72.8 cm2 (radiography) in unthinned flaps and 211 ± 65.7 cm2 (photography) and 289 ± 106.6 cm2 (radiography) in thinned flaps. Differences in overall vascular territories after thinning were 83.3 percent (photography) and 81.8 percent (radiography) compared with unthinned flaps. Four respective vascular territory maps were drawn showing surgical territories using percentile confidence intervals (98th and 90th) and averages. From the skin at thicknesses of 4, 6, and 8 mm, the 98th percentile danger zones were 33 to 37 mm (proximal to distal), 30 to 35 mm, and 27 to 31 mm from the pedicle in the vertical axis, respectively; in the horizontal axis, they were 30 to 34 mm (medial to lateral), 28 to 31 mm, and 25 to 29 mm. Conclusions: These data define anterolateral thigh perforator flap pedicle location, number, and diameter before harvesting, surgical danger zones during thinning, and vascular territories after thinning. The authors' guidelines provide surgeons with anatomical vascular territory maps to design and harvest specific flaps for optimal results.