Purpose: To investigate microbiologic trends and role of biofilm on periorbital biomaterials surgically explanted for recalcitrant infection. Methods: A search of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine microbiology laboratory electronic database was conducted from 1980 to 2010. Culture results were analyzed from submitted periorbital biomaterials explanted for nonresolving infections or exposure. Random select samples cultured during the study were sent for electron microscopy. Results: Twenty-one explanted biomaterials were identified from 18 patients. Five orbital plate implants included 2 made of nylon, 1 of porous polyethylene, 1 of silicone, and 1 metallic. Of 4 anophthalmic socket sphere implants, 2 were silicone, 1 was porous polyethylene, and 1 was poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Lacrimal intubation devices included 10 silicone stents and 2 pyrex glass Jones tubes. All biomaterials were culture positive with 40 total isolates identified. The most common organisms overall were Mycobacterium chelonae (N = 9), Staphylococcus aureus (N = 8), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (N = 3). One hundred percent of orbital spheres had Gram-positive organisms, 90% of lacrimal silicone stents grew atypical mycobacterium, and 60% of orbital plates were culture positive for yeast species. Mixed organism growth was documented on 58% of the specimens. Ten of 12 implants (83%) examined with electron microscopy exhibited organisms encased in glycocalyx, suggestive of biofilm. Conclusions: A diverse array of microorganisms can colonize biomaterials implanted within the orbit and lacrimal drainage system. The authors' study showed that the majority of infected periocular and orbital alloplastic implants display biofilm when studied with electron microscopy (83%). The cultured organism type depended on the implant location and composition. Most infected silicone lacrimal stents grew atypical mycobacterium, whereas infected orbital fracture repair plates demonstrated yeast species. Biofilms are known to be antibiotic resistant, explaining the need to explant most infected alloplastic implants. Further research concerning treatment of biofilms may prevent explantation and improve surgical outcomes.


Sable antelope numbers in the Kruger National Park have declined substantially since the mid‐1980s and have shown little recovery despite improved rainfall conditions. We used aerial survey records to investigate how changes in herd numbers, herd sizes, calf proportions and consequent changes in the distribution range of breeding herds contributed to this situation. Both herd sizes and herd numbers decreased in the drier northern half of the park, coupled with low calf proportions, especially during and following a severe drought, while declines in these measures became evident later in the wetter southern half. Herd extirpations led to a 25% contraction in the local distribution range of sable antelope, although some of these herds had only become established during the high rainfall period in the late 1970s. Local population trends were not related to increases in zebra numbers potentially attracting more predators. Compensatory density dependence in the population growth rate was no longer evident after 1986 during the period of the population decline. The population trajectory modelled from rainfall relationships indicated that the depressed population growth rate relative to rainfall apparent after 1986 has persisted, implicating either enduring habitat degradation or continuing high predation pressure. The pattern of the population decline and subsequent lack of recovery raises the possibility that an Allee effect could be operating, mediated through the consequences of reduced herd sizes for exposure to predation. Our findings suggest how delays in responding to declining population numbers could prejudice population recovery well before the overall population size drops to levels threatening population viability.


The punitive authorities of independent administrative bodies and their role in the widening circle of criminality have been the main focus of the study. The study has evaluated the criminal justice agencies, such as the French Constitutional Council and the European Court of Human Rights. Some domestic courts have been playing a vital role in enhancing the criminal proceedings for administrative offences. The role of penal legislation is essential to find, so the study reviewed the role of punitive authorities of independent administrative bodies in widening the circle of criminality. The independent administrative bodies in the economic activity lack legal guarantees and consecration that may be deliberated, and practiced under the guise of flexibility and speed to ensure effective economic state. Penal legislator should punish the offenders following the acts of disciplinary sanctions and administrative bodies. It has been observed that there are still some differences and imperfections in nature among countries concerning the national legislations. Decisions and judgments are issued by the administrative bodies; whereas, some large administrative bodies are found in the areas with greater economic activities. It has been found that there is lack of legal guarantees and consecration, which may be practiced to ensure the efficient economic state. The independent administrative authorities do not violate the legal provisions, which governs the sectors. The study has concluded that the power of punishment is no longer effective to the criminal judge. The independent administrative authorities do not violate the constitution and the legal provisions, governing the sectors.


Oncogenesis induces profound changes to the cellular metabolic network. A number of these cancer-cell metabolic phenotypes have been found to be important for in vivo tumorigenesis. We have utilized liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to globally profile the metabolic network of a genetically-defined experimental model of oncogenesis in an attempt to identify novel metabolic activities induced by transformation. Furthermore, we sought to delineate how common oncogenic mutations contribute to specific metabolic phenotypes. We have analyzed how dominant negative p53 and constitutively active Ras expression, either independently or in concert, impacts the metabolic activity of non-transformed parental colon crypt epithelial cells. In addition to measuring steady-state metabolite concentrations, we have employed isotope tracer analysis to measure the impact of oncogenic mutation on metabolic pathway kinetics. We find that combined p53 and Ras oncogenic mutation synergistically activates numerous aspects of central carbon metabolism including glycolysis, glutamine catabolism, and pyrimidine and purine biosynthesis. Our data indicate that many well-defined oncogenic metabolic phenotypes are the result of a cooperative effect of combinatorial mutation highlighting the importance of identifying the interaction between oncogenic signal transduction and metabolic regulation for understanding the etiology of the cancer-cell metabolic state. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1249. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1249


Experimental investigation of sound absorption characteristics of aluminium foam is carried out under laboratory test conditions. The studies revealed that the developed aluminium foam have excellent sound absorption properties and is comparable with other sound absorbing materials. Excellent sound absorption property coupled with good mechanical properties makes this material ideal for sound absorption under difficult situations. Experimental results revealed that the thickness of the specimen affects the sound absorption properties of the material, and there exists an optimal thickness, at which sound absorption coefficient is maximum. Experimental evidence showed that presence of damaged cell edges, open and/or semi-open cells in the specimen surface, enhances the sound absorption capability of the material.


Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: transmission data acquisition section configured to acquire transmission data including program data and EPG data including program information for a predetermined period of time; EPG extraction section configured to extract the EPG data from the transmission data; program selection section configured to select a given program as a selected program; search word extraction section configured to extract a search word from the program information of the selected program; search word transmission section configured to transmit the search word to a program server; program information reception section configured to receive, from the program server, the program information including a program identification ID configured to identify a related program related to the selected program; program information storage section configured to store the program information; and processing section configured to identify the program by using the program identification ID, and perform a process targeted at the identified program.


We have carried out spectroscopic observations in four cluster fields using Subaru's FOCAS multislit spectrograph and obtained spectra for 103 bright disc field and cluster galaxies at 0.06 ≤ z ≤ 1.20. 77 of these show emission lines, and 33 provide reasonably secure determinations of the galaxies' rotation velocity. The rotation velocities, luminosities, colours and emission-line properties of these galaxies are used to study the possible effects of the cluster environment on the star formation history of the galaxies. Comparing the Tully-Fisher relations of cluster and field galaxies at similar redshifts we find no measurable difference in rest-frame B-band luminosity at a given rotation velocity (the formal difference is 0.18 ± 0.33 mag). The colours of the cluster emission line galaxies are only marginally redder in rest-frame B - V (by 0.06 ± 0.04 mag) than the field galaxies in our sample. Taken at face value, these results seem to indicate that bright star-forming cluster spirals are similar to their field counterparts in their star formation properties. However, we find that the fraction of disc galaxies with absorption-line spectra (i.e. with no current star formation) is larger in clusters than in the field by a factor of ∼3-5. This suggests that the cluster environment has the overall effect of switching off star formation in (at least) some spiral galaxies. To interpret these observational results, we carry out simulations of the possible effects of the cluster environment on the star formation history of disc galaxies and thus their photometric and spectroscopic properties. This allows us to create mock samples of unperturbed 'field' galaxies [with approximately constant star formation rates (SFRs)] and perturbed 'cluster' galaxies with different star formation histories, including star formation truncation, with or without an associated starburst. We show that, if we select only bright galaxies with current star formation (i.e. with emission lines strong enough for rotation-curve measurements), the average colours and luminosities of the 'cluster' galaxies may not be very different from those of galaxies in the 'field' sample, even though their star formation histories may be significantly different. However, the fraction of emission and absorption-line galaxies would change significantly. We also use these simulations to estimate the size of field and cluster galaxy samples that would allow us to differentiate the different star formation scenarios considered. Finally, we find that the rest-frame absolute B-band magnitude of the field galaxies in our sample shows an evolution of -1.30 ± 1.04 mag per unit redshift at fixed rotation velocity. This indicates that the average SFR of bright disc galaxies evolves more slowly than the universal SFR as determined from ultraviolet, Hα, far-infrared and radio studies. This suggests the evolution of the universal SFR density is not dominated by bright star-forming disc galaxies, in agreement with previous studies.


Promoting fruit and vegetable consumption is one of the main objectives of food and nutrition policy interventions worldwide. Public institutions, non-governmental organizations, research and health agencies together with market stakeholders undertake integrated initiatives to inform consumers about the health benefits of everyday fruit and vegetable intake. In the European Union several campaigns aimed at increasing produce demand have been launched in the nineties to improve the dietary patterns of the general population or specific consumer groups, such as children. However statistics show that fruit and vegetable intake in most EU states including new members is much below the recommended level. School-aged children, women and employees are currently the main target groups of "5 a day' information and promotion activities aimed at increasing f&v consumption. In order to secure long-term effectiveness of such programs the main determinants of consumer choice in the food market should be monitored. Broad public-private partnerships, including producers and distributors seem to be the key to strengthening the efforts at "pushing' market demand. Some of the campaigns developed and implemented in the European Union countries can be described as "5 a day' best practices. The involvement of fruit and vegetable chain participants, cooperation and evaluation of undertaken interventions are further needed in order for the programs to become more efficient and widespread.


Family membership and household composition do not always coincide. Joint legal custody after divorce formalizes the relationship between fathers and children who live apart. Policymakers hope that explicit acknowledgment of nonresident fathers' rights and responsibilities will increase their involvement with their children. I use prospective data from the National Survey of Families and Households to examine the association between joint legal custody and two aspects of nonresident fathers' contributions to their children—the frequency of visits between fathers and children and child-support payments. The analysis examines approximately 160 families in which parents divorced between interviews conducted for Wave 1 (1987–1988) and Wave 2 (1992–1994) of the survey. I investigate the effects of joint legal custody holding constant physical custody or placement by restricting the analysis to children who live with their mothers most of the year. Controlling for socioeconomic status and the quality of family relationships before separation, fathers with joint legal custody see their children more frequently and have more overnight visits than do other fathers. The positive effect of joint legal custody on frequency of visits persists once unobserved differences among families are taken into account. Although fathers with joint legal custody pay more child support than those without joint legal custody, this difference lacks statistical significance when other family characteristics are taken into account. These findings support the view that joint legal custody may encourage some aspects of paternal involvement after divorce.


The research described in this article aimed to analyze the perception of accountants and federal and state tax auditing bodies in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, on the adoption of the Public Digital Bookkeeping System (SPED). Data collection was done through a survey type research, based on a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed questions. The results arising from the information of 98 respondents were subjected to quantitative and qualitative analysis, performed by the technique of content analysis. Our findings expand the knowledge on the subject helping to identify that the SPED increased the tax efficiency of the government and brought significant organizational impacts. This required that companies innovate in their corporate and business processes. All in all, the research findings show that SPED: (i) can be considered a milestone of the 'digital age', (ii) represents a technological breakthrough which modernized the system of fiscal controls, (iii) led innovation in the practices of taxing and accounting bookkeeping, (iv) increased government access to business information, (v) caused cultural changes, (vi) required learning new methodologies and technologies, (vii) promoted improvements in compliance with accessory tax obligations, (viii) reduced the tax evasion and (ix) increased the revenues of the Government. It was also found that accountants and regulatory agencies need to better prepare for the use of SPED, which is an organizational and business innovation that is here to stay.


Avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV) is an important pathogen of poultry and is classified as a member of picornaviridae. Nearly all chicken flocks eventually become infected with the virus, but the incidence of clinical disease is very low unless a breeder flock is not vaccinated and becomes infected after the commencement of egg production. This report describes an outbreak of avian encephalomyelitis (AE) in broiler chicken farms around Shiraz, Iran. This survey included 60,000 birds (18-23 days of age), with 5% mortality. Characteristic clinical symptoms including ataxia, tremor of the head, and stretching of the legs were seen. Pathologically, lesions in the central nervous system (CNS) consisted of gliosis, lymphocytic perivascular infiltration, and neuronal degeneration. Lesions in other tissues involved foci of infiltrating leukocytes in the muscle layer of the gizzard, and lymphoid aggregations in the submucosal muscle layer of the proventriculus. There was an increase in serum encephalomyelitis virus antibody titer in affected flocks. These findings showed an AE infection in broiler flocks around Shiraz, Iran.


The present studies were designed to obtain further information concerning the chemical interrelationships of the fractions of glucagon-like immunoreactivity (GLI) present in gastrointestinal tissues, their biologic activity, and their immunochemical and electrophoretic properties. Chromatography of canine jejunal extracts on a Bio-Gel P-10 column separated GLI into two fractions; one, designated Peak II, eluted with the glucagon-I-131 marker (molecular weight 3,500), while the other, designated Peak I, appeared before the insulin-I-131 marker (molecular weight >6,000). Neither rechromatography, nor incubation in 8 M urea, acetic acid, or mercaptoethanol changed the elution volume of Peak I; however, trypsin caused a major loss of immunoreactivity and a shift of residual immunoreactivity to the postglucagon-I-131 zone. Peak I was devoid of glycogenolytic activity in the perfusedrat liver, as was its tryptic product, while Peak II was consistently as active as pancreatic glucagon. Immunoprecipitated Peak II was also active, proving that the immunoreactive fraction was responsible for its biologic action. Unlike pancreatic glucagon, Peak I, Peak II, and the tryptic product of Peak I diluted disproportionately with the less specific antiserum; however, Peak II could not be differentiated from pancreatic glucagon by means of polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. It is concluded that (1) Peak I does not consist of Peak II bound noncovalently either to itself or to another protein; (2) Peak I and its tryptic product are devoid of glycogenolytic activity while Peak II has the approximate activity of pancreatic glucagon; (3) the glycogenolytic and immunoreactive components in the eluate containing Peak II are probably on the same molecule; (4) both Peak I, its tryptic product, and Peak II are immunologically different from pancreatic glucagon.


Cephalopagus is a rare variety of conjoined twins. They are fused with their heads, thoracic and upper abdominal cavities. The exact mechanism for development of conjoined twins cannot be clearly explained. It appears that there is an alteration in the normal developmental process of monozygotic twins, which fail to separate from each other. We present the morphology of a cephalothoracopagus, revealed through anatomical dissection, emphasizing the arrangement of the viscera in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. They are fused with their heads, thoracic and upper abdominal cavities. The lower abdomen and pelvic cavities are free. Each twin has two upper and lower limbs, normally shaped. Each twin has a heart and two lungs. There is a single pharynx, esophagus and stomach, but normal lower abdominal systems. The genital and urinary systems are apparently normal. Due to the fusion of the heads and abnormal arrangement of the superior central nervous system, surgery is not attempted in these cases, the prognosis being very poor.


This paper evaluates the strength of policy coordination in Southern African Development Community (SADC) as well as real effective exchange rate stability as indicative of sensible monetary integration. The underlying hypothesis goes with the assertion that countries meeting OCA conditions face more stable exchange rates. The quantitative analysis encompasses 12 SADC member states over the period 1995-2012. Correlation matrixes, dynamic pooled mean group (PMG) and mean group (MG) estimators, and real effective exchange rate (REER) equilibrium and misalignment analysis are carried out to arrive at the conclusions. The PMG model shows that there are common policy variables that influence REERs in the region. However, the REER equilibrium misalignment analysis reveals that SADC economies are characterised by persistent overvaluation at least in the short term. This calls for further improvement of policy coordination in the region. The findings in this paper have important policy implications for economic stability and policy coordination as SADC proceeds with monetary integration.


The purpose of this study is to analyze and specify the characteristics of servicescapes in the hotel industry and its role when building a brand. Further, the aim is to put forward how Management in this sector strategically utilizes the location to manage the staff in order to help build a strong lasting brand. To fulfill our purpose we have targeted one overall question - What purpose does servicescape have when building a solid brand name in the hotel sector?In today's society brands play an integral part in influencing our buying behavior and are now considered to be a new business tool to communicate a business trough. Also services have become a widespread phenomenon, which is seen as a competitive tool not only for companies in the service sector. The literature regarding brands are more often using production companies as examples rather than service companies, which is why we found it interesting to make clear how service brands develop, keeping in mind the dynamics and intangible aspects. This study has been taking on a qualitative method as the idea was to gain a deeper understanding about the subject. The empirical material has been gathered from seven interviews with respondents holding important knowledge either about the hotel sector or brand management. The material has made out the basis for our analysis and final conclusion which you will find in the last chapters of this thesis.Keywords: Brands, Servicescape, Service Management, Interaction and Meetings.


Transportation infrastructure is a major factor determining land use forms. As global changes in this factor are the most important for biodiversity, roads fundamentally influence wildlife. The effect of roads on wildlife has been categorized in several ways resulting in six to ten categories with road kill as an obvious and important component, and amphibians are greatly affected by this factor. As this animal group has been documented to decline from multiple threats worldwide, the study and mitigation of their deaths on roads has become an important conservation priority. It was also detected as a single cause of decline, and data have accumulated on related population fluctuations, isolation, decline, and extinction in several countries. Genetics studies greatly improve our insight into these processes, e.g., by repeatedly proving significantly low heterozigocy in populations of several species living near roads. Amphibian road kills have been long documented and described due to their spectacular nature, but the overall effect of transportation infrastructure on amphibians was often underestimated due to contrasting research results. The speed of transport and the duration and timing of the surveys in which information was collected turned out to be decisive factors, causing differences of 5.5-16 times the number of road-killed amphibians recorded, mainly in connection with the low visibility and retention time of amphibians on roads. In light of such amphibian-related differences, the often cited national road kill estimates may well be considerably higher in practice, as well. Amphibian road mortality studies have been conducted almost exclusively in developed countries, mostly in Europe and North America, and under temperate zone conditions. In general, all terrestrial and semi-aquatic amphibian species can suffer from road kills where they have populations near roads. However, different amphibian species are threatened to a different extent by traffic because of their specific life history characteristics. Besides amphibian- specific factors (amphibian movement types, length and direction of movement, velocity, temporal movement pattern, behavioural changes on roads), the spatio-temporal pattern of amphibian road kill is also influenced by habitat and transportation characteristics (especially aquatic habitats and vegation, road density, traffic intensity, vehicle speed, position and structure of roads, and awareness of drivers, respectively) and weather conditions (precipitation, temperature, wind). The effect of these factors must be understood before the need for mitigation can be evaluated and measures designed and built. Many mitigation measures have been built since the first amphibian tunnels were created in 1969 near Zurich, Switzerland, and a high diversity of technical solutions successfully reduced amphibian road kills under different conditions. New research results have shown that amphibian tunnels can also be permeable for reptiles, such as snakes and small mammals. However, the lack of maintenance and construction deficiencies are common problems, which lower the efficiency of these measures worldwide. Road kills also have socio-ecological importance. Successful road-kill related projects have the potential to improve the understanding of decision-makers regarding road-related problems, also leading to their support of more complex conservation projects, including, for example, habitat restoration or compensatory developments near roads. Using the media to educate the general public about conservation efforts to reduce road kill, such as setting up frog fences in the USA and toad saving campaigns in Europe, clearly helps to realise this aim by influencing support provided by various authorities.


Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in degrading heme to form bilirubin, and thus serves as an ideal therapeutic target for preventing neonatal jaundice. Understanding the regulatory pathways of HO is crucial for developing strategies for this disorder. Statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, have been reported to induce HO-1. Our objective was to characterize the effects of statins with different structures and lipophilicities on in vivo induction of HO-1 expression. Adult FVB mice (6-8 weeks old) were orally administered 100 mg/kg body weight of simvastatin, lovastatin, atorvastatin, or rosuvastatin. 24 hours after treatment, mice were sacrificed, and tissues were harvested, sonicated, and then analyzed for HO activity [carbon monoxide (CO) formation] by gas chromatography and HO proteins by Western blot. HO activity was calculated as pmol CO produced/hour/mg fresh weight. HO protein levels were measured by densitometry. All values were then expressed as mean ± SD percent of control levels (*p ≤ .03) as follows: Simvastatin did not affect brain HO activity. Liver HO activity was not induced by atorvastatin or rosuvastatin. Lovastatin increased HO activity in all tissues. Interestingly, all statins significantly increased HO activity in the heart and lung. When HO protein levels were measured in atorvastatin-treated mice, corresponding significant increases in HO-1 protein in the heart (132 ± 39%; n = 6) and lung (136 ± 13%; n = 4) were found, whereas no changes in HO-2 protein levels were observed in either tissue. We conclude that the induction of HO activity is statin- as well as tissue-specific. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the exact mechanism by which statins differentially induce HO expression in various organs. This work was study was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grant #HD58013.


Sarcoidosis is a multi-system inflammatory disease characterized by the development of inflammation and noncaseating granulomas that can involve nearly every organ system, with a predilection for the pulmonary system. Cardiac involvement of sarcoidosis (CS) occurs in up to 70% of cases, and accounts for a significant share of sarcoid-related mortality. The clinical presentation of CS can range from absence of symptoms to conduction abnormalities, heart failure, arrhythmias, valvular disease, and sudden cardiac death. Given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with CS, timely diagnosis is important. Traditional imaging modalities and histologic evaluation by endomyocardial biopsy often provide a low diagnostic yield. Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as a leading advanced imaging modality for the diagnosis and management of CS. This review article will summarize several aspects of the current use of PET in CS, including indications for use, patient preparation, image acquisition and interpretation, diagnostic and prognostic performance, and evaluation of treatment response. Additionally, this review will discuss novel PET radiotracers currently under study or of potential interest in CS.


Due to the requirements of high positioning accuracy, small swing angle, short transportation time, and high safety, both motion and stabilization control for an overhead crane system becomes an interesting issue in the field of control technology development. In this paper, a nonlinear control scheme which incorporates both the cart motion dynamics and sway angle dynamics is devised to ensure the overall closed-loop system stability. To cope with parametric uncertainty, an adaptive version has also been presented for the nonlinear controller. In the developed control laws, the position error will be driven to zero while the sway angle is also rapidly damped to achieve minimal swing of the pendulum. Besides, stability proof of the overall system is also given.


[1] In bedded sedimentary or mechanically anisotropic rocks, joints often occur in laterally persistent, parallel sets with distinctive spacing attributes. Three of those attributes include a positively skewed distribution of joint spacings, a positive correlation between median spacing and mechanical layer thickness, and the tendency for rocks to appear saturated with joints and to show a ratio of layer thickness to median joint spacing near one. We identify total applied strain, mechanical interaction, joint propagation velocity, and flaws as key variables in the progressive jointing process, and we use a one-dimensional model of mechanically interacting joints to characterize the specific influence on joint spacing, of the number, sizes, and size distributions of flaws in rock. For a given flaw size distribution, the mode flaw size has no effect on spacing distribution shape, median spacing, or saturation. Layers with fewer flaws approach saturation more slowly and reach it with fewer joints and larger median joint spacing. The joint spacing distributions in these layers have variance and skewness that may be 1–3 orders of magnitude larger than in layers with greater numbers of flaws. Flaw size range affects the rate at which a jointing layer approaches saturation but not the number of joints at saturation. Resulting spacing distributions are similar, although narrow flaw size ranges tend to promote greater numbers of closely spaced joints. The skewness of a flaw size distribution affects the rate at which layers approach saturation, as well as the shape of the resulting joint spacing distribution at saturation. Negatively skewed flaw size distributions promote close joint spacing and create spacing distributions with greater variance and skewness.


This article examines the notion of humanity and personhood in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the Christian perspective. In general view, humanity is the human race collectively, while personhood is the state or fact of being a person, while for the Christian, personhood is an exhibition of the unity of the spiritual and corporeal in human existence that represents an essential characteristic of a human being. The concept is rooted in the Book of Genesis chapters one and two where God created man in His Image (Imago Dei) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. AI on the other hand is a machine, but not a mere machine, since it has a purpose like a human being and also can evolve autonomously and unimaginably when it plugs into a network. Realizing this fact leaves a question of whether AI could hypothetically have personhood in the future, or if it already has since the beginning of its creation, even if it is only a minimal version of personhood. This exploration shows criteria of minimal personhood qualities equal to humanity according to the Christian perspective, through the literature study of the church fathers' writings about the body, soul, free-will, and the possibility of the personhood of AI. From the Christian perspective, the current available AIs do not meet the minimal criteria of personhood. If hypothetically there will be an AI that can meet a few of the criteria, the Christian perspective sees that AI cannot supersede the image of God in which human beings are created.


In a way few predicted only weeks ago, reality is knocking at the G20â??s door: the European debt crisis has taken a turn that threatens the global economy. The plans for the next meeting of heads of state or government, convened for November 3 and 4 at Cannes, need rethinking. Still today, the G20â??s agenda focuses on the â??oldâ?? priorities, dictated by the 2008 US-centred banking crisis and the resulting recession. It continues to rest on two pillars, financial regulation and macroeconomic governance (aggregate demand rebalancing in particular), plus institutional reform in various areas (primarily the IMF, and more recently, under French guidance, the international monetary system). These lines of action have progressed usefully and should not be forgotten, but are increasingly inadequate to tackle todayâ??s paramount problem, the risk of financial contagion from the sovereign sectors. The epicentre of this risk is in Europe. Events have accelerated sharply. Until June this year, one could still hope that the euro-debt crisis could remain confined to a handful of small countries, financially distressed but on the whole manageable. After all, Greece, Portugal and Ireland combined represent a mere 6 percent of euro area GDP. The European rescue fund and the existing political resolve seemed sufficient to provide a backstop. Even some policymakersâ?? hesitations â?? for example, in deciding the mix between fiscal adjustment and private sector involvement â?? did not seem excessively threatening, given the small amounts involved. With two large countries (Italy and Spain) under fire, the risks have taken a globally relevant proportion. There are at least three transmission channels. First, distressed sovereigns will implement harsh fiscal adjustment packages â?? this is already happening â?? with direct consequences on aggregate demand. Uncertainty and precautionary spending behaviour will likely extend to more stable countries. In Germany, in spite of the recent export-driven expansion people are increasingly concerned by financial and political developments they do not understand and perceive as deeply damaging for their country. Second, financial institutions will come under renewed stress, not only in Europe. The extent of this is difficult to foresee given the potential for second-round effects. Third, as the process unfolds, new bouts of exchange rate and financial market instability are possible. On August 8, the G20 expressed its â??commitment to take all necessary initiatives in a coordinated way to support financial stabilityâ?? and its readiness to â??take action to ensure financial stability and liquidity in financial marketsâ??. An impressive battle warning, but transforming words into effective communication will require more. Two avenues could usefully be pursued. The first is to enhance the macro-coordination framework in the making (see other articles in the G20 Monitor this year) by bringing intra regional imbalances explicitly to the fore, if and when they acquire (or risk acquiring) a global dimension. So far there has been ambiguity in this respect. While Europe insists that its currency zone be treated as a single entity, at least as far as the external position is concerned, the G20 surveillance mechanism is organised on a country-by-country basis. For example, the â??systemicâ?? countries singled out as for second round examination in the global imbalances procedure include, reportedly, Germany and France and not the eurozone or the EU; this excludes, for now, all countries whose sovereigns have come under market pressure. A G20 debate in this area would not only be highly relevant to its mandate, but also useful to step up peer pressure leading to policy actions. Second, there is no reason why the emerging block represented in the G20 should not contribute to provide market support in conditions of stress. This is implied by the August communiquA© and would also be consistent with the fact that instabilities that have adverse global spillovers are of common concern in the G20. It is in the interest of all members, particularly the large debtors and exporters, that global bond markets remain stable. Undoubtedly, a support mechanism for European debt markets that included, in addition to the existing EU actors, the large G20 creditors, would convey a strong and possibly decisive signal to market participants. Support should be accompanied by adequate conditionality, consistent with IMF and EU practices. The G20 was created in 1998, and reshaped in 2008, with a marked crisis management imprint. As the winds of financial instability resume it may need to revert to that mode after some time of tranquil sailing. The more pre-emptive its action is the better. Cannes offers an opportunity.


Consumption of a Mediterranean diet (MD) and genetic variation in the glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) gene have been reported to be associated with TAG and glucose metabolism. It is uncertain whether there is any interaction between these factors. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to test the association of adherence to a MD and rs780094 (G>A) SNP in the GCKR gene with the markers of cardiometabolic risk, and to investigate the interaction between genetic variation and MD adherence. We studied 20 986 individuals from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study. The relative Mediterranean Diet Score (rMED: range 0–18) was used to assess MD adherence. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between the rMED, genotype and cardiometabolic continuous traits, adjusting for potential confounders. In adjusted analyses, we observed independent associations of MD adherence and genotype with cardiometabolic risk, with the highest risk group (AA genotype; lowest rMED) having higher concentrations of TAG, total cholesterol and apoB (12·5, 2·3 and 3·1 %, respectively) v. those at the lowest risk (GG genotype; highest rMED). However, the associations of MD adherence with metabolic markers did not differ by genotype, with no significant gene–diet interactions for lipids or for glycated Hb. In conclusion, we found independent associations of the rMED and of the GCKR genotype with cardiometabolic profile, but found no evidence of interaction between them.


OBJECT
While most meningiomas are benign, 1%-3% display anaplastic features, with little current understanding regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying their formation. In a large single-center cohort, the authors tested the hypothesis that two distinct subtypes of anaplastic meningiomas, those that arise de novo and those that progress from lower grade tumors, exist and exhibit different clinical behavior.

METHODS
Pathology reports and clinical data of 37 patients treated between 1999 and 2012 for anaplastic meningioma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into those whose tumors arose de novo and those whose tumors progressed from previously documented benign or atypical meningiomas.

RESULTS
Overall, the median age at diagnosis was 59 years and 57% of patients were female. Most patients (38%) underwent 2 craniotomies (range 1-5 surgeries) aimed at gross-total resection (GTR; 59%), which afforded better survival when compared with subtotal resection according to Kaplan-Meier estimates (median overall survival [OS] 3.2 vs 1.3 years, respectively; p = 0.04, log-rank test). Twenty-three patients (62%) presented with apparently de novo anaplastic meningiomas. Compared with patients whose tumors had progressed from a lower grade, those patients with de novo tumors were significantly more likely to be female (70% vs 36%, respectively; p = 0.04), experience better survival (median OS 3.0 vs 2.4 years, respectively; p = 0.03, log-rank test), and harbor cerebral hemispheric as opposed to skull base tumors (91% vs 43%, respectively; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS
Based on this single-center experience at MSKCC, anaplastic meningiomas, similar to glial tumors, can arise de novo or progress from lower grade tumors. These tumor groups appear to have distinct clinical behavior. De novo tumors may well be molecularly distinct, which is under further investigation. Aggressive GTR appears to confer an OS advantage in patients with anaplastic meningioma, and this is likely independent of tumor progression status. Similarly, those patients with de novo tumors experience a survival advantage likely independent of extent of resection.


The molecules's behavior in edge plasma is very important in understanding the phenomena near plasma-facing materials. In this paper, various processes of deuterium molecules are discussed and most recent data are applied in the evaluation of molecules' vibrational excitation. For the excitation of the molecules to triplet states, complete sets of vibrationally-resolved cross sections are not available from the literatures. Semi-classical Gryzinski method is used to calculate these cross sections and rate coefficients. Finally, The vibrational distribution of deuterium molecules is calculated by applying a quasi-steady state model for the balance of the vibrational populations. The dependence on the plasma parameters is discussed.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
To determine the impact on survival and clinical correlates of pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurring in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

SETTING
Tertiary care, referral medical center.

PATIENTS
Among 487 consecutive patients with IPF, we identified 136 patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography within 3 months of their initial evaluation at our institution. Patients with left ventricular dysfunction, valvular heart disease, incomplete follow-up, and those in whom pulmonary artery pressures could not be assessed were excluded; the remaining 88 patients were included in this study. Correlations were performed between echocardiographic measures of PH and clinical variables including survival.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
The mean (+/- SD) estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) for the 88 patients was 48 +/- 16 mm Hg (range, 28 to 116 mm Hg). Among pulmonary function parameters, SPAP correlated best with diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D(LCO)), to which it was inversely related. For survival analysis, patients were stratified into three groups: < or = 35 mm Hg (14 patients), 36 to 50 mm Hg (47 patients), and > 50 mm Hg (27 patients). Using the Kaplan-Meier method, the median survival rates for these three groups were 4.8 years, 4.1 years, and 0.7 years, respectively. Those patients with SPAP > 50 mm Hg had significantly worse survival compared to other subgroups (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION
In patients with IPF, PH correlates inversely with D(LCO) and has a significant adverse impact on survival, particularly when SPAP is > 50 mm Hg.


Introduction. Risk stratification is an important part in the management of patients with an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) to avoid overtreatment or undertreatment. Although Simple Risk Index (SRI) and Evaluation of Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events (EMMACE) have been validated in other countries, no study of its applicability has been performed in Indonesia with different patients' characteristics. This study aims to obtain the calibration and discrimination performance of SRI and EMMACE to predict 30 days mortality in ACS patients in ICCU of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Methods. A retrospective cohort study with consecutive sampling was conducted in ACS patients hospitalized in the ICCU Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital between the period of 2003 up to 2010. Data analyzed performed by SPPS program for Windows Version 17. The discrimination performance was explained using a value of area under the receiver-operator curve (AUC) while calibration performance was evaluated using hosmer lemeshow and plot calibration. Results. A total of 922 patients were included in this study consisted of 453 STEMI patients, 234 NSTEMI patients and 235 UAP patients. Simple Risk Index (SRI) score for STEMI had presentable discrimination and calibration performance (AUC= 0,92; R2= 0,98; and p value= 0,01). Simple Risk Index (SRI) score for overall ACS also showed sufficient performance and calibration discrimination (AUC= 0,87; R2= 0,99; and p value= 0,52). Meanwhile, EMMACE score in ACS patients showed satisfactory performance discrimination (AUC= 0,87), but the calibration perfomance was not as satisfactory as the SRI score with the calibration plot (R2)= 0,54 (p value= 0,52). Conclusions. Simple Risk Index (SRI) score shows a satisfactory discrimination and calibration performance both in STEMI and overall ACS patients in predicting mortality of ACS patients in ICCU Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Evaluation of Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events (EMMACE) score, nonetheless, displays sufficient discrimination performance, but poor performance of calibration.


This thesis revolves around Chicana lesbian feminist Gloria Anzaldúa and one of her more important theories, El Mundo Zurdo. El Mundo Zurdo was a theory that focused on the marginalized people and the need for unity amongst them; however, up to this point, no historical analysis has been done on this theory. Through piecing together information from interviews and Anzaldúa's literature, this thesis serves as a biography of her first forty years of life to address from where the theory came, and becomes a bridge to link Anzaldúa to the wider Chicana, Third World feminist, and gay and lesbian theories. Thesis Mentor:________________________ Dr. Christina Abreu Honors Director:_______________________ Dr. Steven Engel April 2017 Department Name University Honors Program Georgia Southern University


Theophylline has two distinct actions in the airways of patients with reversible obstruction; smooth muscle relaxation (i.e., bronchodilation) and suppression of the response of the airways to stimuli (i.e., non-bronchodilator prophylactic effects). While the mechanisms of action of theophylline are not known with certainty, studies in animals suggest that bronchodilatation is mediated by the inhibition of two isozymes of phosphodiesterase (PDE III and, to a lesser extent, PDE IV) while nonbronchodilator prophylactic actions are probably mediated through one or more different molecular mechanisms, that do not involve inhibition of PDE III or antagonism of adenosine receptors. Some of the adverse effects associated with theophylline appear to be mediated by inhibition of PDE III (e.g., hypotension, tachycardia, headache, and emesis) and adenosine receptor antagonism (e.g., alterations in cerebral blood flow).


Adequate nutrition is necessary in head and neck surgery. Enteral feeding via a nasogastric tube is often required due to the altered anatomy and to allow sufficient intraoral healing. Insertion of a nasogastric tube is commonly performed without complication and confirmation of its position by a number of different methods. Incorrect positioning can cause significant morbidity with associated mortality. This case report describes the inadvertent placement of a nasogastric tube in a patient with a mandibular squamous cell carcinoma, into the abdominal cavity following a failed traumatic nasal tube intubation. Chest radiography and auscultation failed to identify the abnormal position with subsequent commencement of feeds for a number of days. Following a laporotomy and insertion of abdominal drains, the patient recovered and was discharged from hospital. To prevent recurrence, it is suggested that direct laryngoscopy or direct visualisation of the upper aspect be performed.


The purpose of this research is 1) to identify the economic and non economic problems (technical and managerial) which become the constraint of local coconut sugar producer with local wisdom in Kasegeran Village, Cilongok District, 2) To find the strategy of coconut sugar entrepreneurs development in Kasegeran Village, Cilongok District The research method is conducted by survey which take sample from population and use questioner as data collecting tool (Singarimbun, 2008). Research activities in the form of descriptive research quantitative and qualitative, that aims to find facts with interviewing techniques, observation and documentation . Research location in the Village District Kasegeran Cilongok Banyumas regulated purposively (Purposive Sampling) based on the potential of local resources and the existence of entrepreneur entrepreneurs processed palm into coconut sugar superior products. the sample of research was deliberately determined by 20 sugarcane craftsmen. The formulation of coconut sugar coconut development strategy was analyzed through SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Results shows that the strategy that needs to be applied in the form of Aggressive Strategy. From the SWOT matric can be known the strategy of coconut sugar entrepreneurs as follows : experience and entrepreneurial spirit of entrepreneur who owned and supported the potential of local resources as a force in realizing coconut sugar production goes continuously. Increased coconut production potential increase tends to increase especially the existence of partnership relationship between coconut business entrepreneur and business opportunity is still wide open and continuous development from government and related institution


As our understanding of the different physical and chemical aspects of tropospheric processes increases, complex reaction mechanisms are developed and tested in local, regional, and global atmospheric models. These complex mechanisms give rise to nonlinear dynamical processes that depend not only on the additive effects of the reactions that comprise them. In addition to studying kinetics of elementary reactions and unimolecular processes, it is necessary to study mechanisms as a whole. This work utilizes a flow reactor and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) to study the mechanism of ozonolysis of various alkenes in real time. The use of a flow reactor as a cavity for CRDS measurements allows the simulation of concentration profiles of analytes at different reactor segments by modelling the plug-flow behaviour as a series of continuously-stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). Experimental measurements are used to validate ozonolysis mechanisms used for these simulations. Informed by kinetic modelling, direct measurements of formaldehyde oxide (CH2OO) produced in situ from ozonolysis of ethene and direct measurements of vinoxy radicals (∙CH2CHO) from ozonolysis of 2-butenes are carried out under various reaction conditions. New insights on the mechanisms of ozonolysis of ethene and 2-butenes are obtained by comparing measurements of these reaction intermediates and formaldehyde with simulations from mechanisms containing current kinetic information of elementary reactions, pointing out to the importance of existing and new reaction pathways. Yields of the fraction of stabilized carbonyl oxides produced from ozonolysis of several alkenes are also measured at low pressures, and nascent yields are determined by extrapolation to the zero-pressure limit, providing benchmarks for theoretical and master equation calculations.


This study was designed to develop a project-based digitized learning module to enhance scientific competencies among distance learning Grade 10 students in San Pablo City Integrated High School. The study utilized a descriptive-developmental research design. The researcher developed a digitized learning module based on a project-based learning strategy. This strategy was incorporated within the layout of activities included in the module. The module was created through the kotobee author application. Based on the results, the data revealed that most of the respondents agree that the elements of the project-based approach are integrated into the module. Learners perceived or "agreed" that the developed material is effective in terms of objectives; usefulness; content; presentation; and, format and language. The majority of the learners show agreement that they perceived the effectiveness of the developed Material in terms of usage, ease of use, user satisfaction, and attitude. Between the pretest and post-test scores of the respondent, it can be inferred that there is a significant difference since the p-value of 0.000 is less than 0.05. It can be determined that there is a significant improvement in the level of scientific competency skills of the students that undergoes the project-based digitized module. The overall perception of the incorporation of project-based digitized modules has a significant positive relationship with scientific competency skills. It suggests that crafting digitized modules in the context of project-based learning can be an effective tool in improving learners' scientific competency skills. Since it was found that there is a significant link between project-based learning modules and the scientific competencies of the learners, the aforementioned strategy may be used in the teaching-learning process to strengthen learners' capability to improve their science skills. Keywords: Descriptive-developmental research, Project-Based Learning, Digitized Leaning Module, Scientific Competencies, Distance Learning, San Pablo City, Laguna


Background: The increasing prevalence of obesity in both developed and developing countries is one of the most serious public health problems and has led to a global epidemic. Objective: To assess daytime sleepiness, and sleep architecture and lung function in morbid obese before and after bariatric surgery. Method: Patients were randomly divided into a bariatric surgery group and control group. The clinical evaluation was performed at the Sleep Laboratory of the Nove de Julho University (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and consisted of the clinical data, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), measurements of neck and abdomen circumferences, spirometry, manovacuometry, full standard polysomnography (PSG) and the administration of the Berlin Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Results: Fifty-two patients participated in the present study and performed PSG. Of these, 16 underwent bariatric surgery. After surgery, their BMI decreased from 48.15±8.58 to 36.91±6.67 Kg/m2. Moreover, significant differences were found between the preoperative and postoperative periods regarding neck and waist circumference (p<0.001 and p<0.001), maximum inspiratory pressure ( p= 0.002 and p=0.004) and maximum expiratory pressure ( p= 0.001 and p=0.002) for women and men, respectively, as well as sleep stage N3 (p<0.001), REM sleep ( p= 0.049) and the apnea-hypopnea index ( p= 0.008). Conclusion: Bariatric surgery effectively reduces neck and waist circumference, increases maximum respiratory pressures, enhances sleep architecture and reduces sleep disorders of breathing, specifically obstructive sleep apnea in patients with morbid obesity.


The performance of a plate heat exchanger for using liquid solution the absorption chiller was analyzed. The objectives of this paper are to measure the heat transfer and pressure drop of the plate heat exchanger for absorption system applications. Three types of plate heat exchangers with different chevron angles are tested in the present experiment. The working fluid is H2O/LiBr solution with the LiBr concentration range of 55% in mass. The results show that the overall heat transfer coefficient increases linearly with increasing Re. This work is a basic study of a cycle in which LiB aqueous solution, which has been diluted through the absorption of water vapor in the absorber of an absorption chiller, is made concentrated before reaching the regenerator.


For years, natural polymers have played a significant role in pharmaceutical field due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. In Indonesia, most research in natural polymers focus on application of the polymers as inert pharmaceutical excipients or as drug matrix in micro- and nano- particle. Meanwhile, research about polymers in the world (mostly synthetic polymers) have been progressed to advanced drug delivery system. In this system, the polymer can act as either pharmacologically active molecules, or sophisticated carrier in targeted prodrug delivery system. The latter is called polymer-drug conjugates, a system where the drugs are covalently attached to a polymeric carrier, rather than simply entrapped in polymer matrix. Natural polymers have been one of the materials to use for the carrier due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. This review article emphasizes the opportunity, challenges and strategies to use natural polymers as carrier in polymer-drug conjugates. Moreover, we also discuss some aspects in regards of the synthesis and analysis, to give some perspectives and encouragement for the Indonesian researcher who are interested in exploring this research field.


Roles and Responsibilities of Digital Engagement Managers in Art Museums Julian E. Miller Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Lecturer Angie Ong Museology Digital technology is ubiquitous, inseparable, and permeates all aspects of our lives, but understanding how to use this technology in galleries and online, is not self-evident. As a result, some museums have established professional, salaried positions that focus specifically on delivering compelling content and relevant audience engagement strategies. Through candid interviews with six art museum professionals from across the country, this research paper examines the roles and responsibilities of Digital Engagement Managers (DEM) in developing a digital strategy for their institution. A common theme emerged which was shared by all participants referred to as the "Big Three" which are collaboration, project management, and content balance. The Big Three roles and responsibilities of DEMs shifts the focus away from "digital" as the platform toward more important concepts of content, engagement, and visitor experience. This research paper will suggest how art museums can become pioneers in the digital revolution and offer unique experiences to its audiences.


A novel measurement technique based on phase-stepping microinterferometry is proposed for the refractive-index profiling of planar waveguides fabricated by ion exchange in glass. The sample preparation simplicity and easy instrumental implementation, together with high accuracy and improved resolution, are argued.


In the 2nd part the authors describe in details the main aspects of protective effect of preconditioning of the brain: inhibition of programmed cell death, weakening of phenomenon of excitotoxicity, activation of endogenous antioxidant systems, anti-inflammatory effects, modulation of glial cell function, changes in regional blood flow and vascular reactivity. In addition, data analysis on the impact of preconditioning on brain neurogenesis, the state of the blood-brain barrier, ion homeostasis and metabolism of neurons is presented. Review emphasizes the role of microRNAs in mechanisms of ischemic tolerance of brain. Profound understanding of molecular mechanisms of increased tolerance of brain to ischemic and reperfusion injury requires the implementation of this phenomenon in clinical practice.


This study deals with the processing, microstructure and properties of the carbide reinforced copper matrix composites. Powder technology was used to successfully fabricate the composites. NbC particulates were used as reinforcements for copper matrix. The microstructure of the composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructural study revealed that the NbC particles were distributed uniformly in the matrix phase. No interface debonding and micro- cracks were observed in the composite. NbC particles were found in round shape in copper matrix composite. The composite hardness of 78 HRA was found with 60vol% NbC content. Electrical conductivity as high as 7%IACS was achieved. The wear performance and conductivity value predicts that NbC reinforced copper matrix composites can be used as sliding contact applications.


Turbulent mixing is increasingly implicated as a key factor regulating ecological dynamics in coastal planktonic systems. Although photosynthesis is directly fueled by light energy, it has been hypothesized that the 'auxiliary' energy provided by mixing can subsidize or control ecosystem function. Unrealistic mixing has also been cited as one explanation for difficulties in reproducing natural plankton dynamics in enclosed experimental ecosystems (mesocosms). To explore the importance of mixing in shallow planktonic ecosystems, we traced changes over a 4 wk period in population, community, and ecosystem level properties in replicate 1 m3 experimental ecosystems subjected to different mixing regimes. Mixing energy was delivered by slolvly rotating impellers on a cycle of 4 h on and 2 h off to match the sernidiurnal pattern of tidal mixing that characterizes many temperate estuaries. Three mixing levels were generated by altering impeller rotation rates. The intermediate level was scaled to match typical mixing intensities of waters in Chesapeake Bay, the low mixing level approximated calm oceanic surface waters, and the high mixing level approximated the environment withln a tidal front. High and low mixing levels encompassed a 6x range in turbulence intensity, a 9x range in the surface-bottom mixing time and eddy diffusivitv coefficients, and a 230x range in turbulent energy dissipation rates. Mixing had a significant negative effect on copepod and gelatinous zooplankton abundance and also altered the timing of peak copepod densit~es. Chlorophyll a dynamlcs and phytoplankton group composition, as assessed with accessory pigment concentrations, also exhibited modest differences among mixing treatments. Mixing had negligible effects on nutnent concentrations and on community and whole-system productivity and respiration. lmportant caveats in Interpreting the results of this experiment are that system size excluded observation of the effects of large-scale mixing processes, trophic complexity was limited (e.g. no fish), and in thls whole-ecosystem context it was difficult to distinguish direct from indirect effects of mixing. Nevertheless, our results imply that ecosystem-level processes in planktonic systenls may often be less sensitive to differences in small-scale turbulence than population and community dynamics, and also that mixing effects may be strongly dependent on the specific structure of particular ecosystems.


During the last decade Deep Euteutic Solvent (DES) is an alternative solvent and has proven to be effective in removing lignin and hemicellulose bonds, as well as reducing the crystallinity of cellulose in the pretreatment process of lignocellulosic biomass delignification. Until now, it has been reported that DES is a solvent that is widely used in various studies. DES is a solvent consisting of two or three ionic compositions which can be associated through hydrogen bonds, to form a euteutic mixture with a melting point lower than each individual component. In literature and research, these solvents are often referred to as environmentally friendly solvents. It is known that DES has physicochemical properties similar with ionic liquids but is more environmentally friendly and cheaper. Over the years, a number of studies have reported that the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass delignification is carried out chemically and physically, such as the use of dilute acids, alkalis, and steam explosions. It was reported that this method is a process that uses a lot of energy, because it requires high temperature and pressure to remove lignin. However, the proposed method is currently based on the use of DES solvents which require less energy from chemical and physical processes. DES dissolves lignin and increases the availability of cellulose at low temperatures and pressures during the pre-treatment process. In this review it aims to explain the recent progress made regarding the contribution of DES and its potential on lignocellulosic biomass pre-treatment process. It also discussed the advantages of DES solvents that are environmentally friendly, cheap, non-toxic and low energy use.


Few children walk or bike to school. In fact, less than 13% of children in the U.S. walk or bike to school and 85% of trips to school are made by car or school bus (United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2004). Almost 50% of children walked or biked to school in 1969 (United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA], 2003). Did changes in transportation infrastructure contribute to this reduction in walking and biking? What new changes should be made in transportation infrastructure today to reverse this trend and provide a greater likelihood that children will walk or bike to school? Although there is very limited understanding of how pedestrian environments influence children's walking and biking to school, previous research shows that physical environments can foster non-automobile mode choices to school. Landscape buffers and trees add to parents' perceptions of their children's safety and increase their willingness to let their children walk to school (Kweon, Naderi, Maghelal, & Shin, 2004). Ewing (in press) also found that more children walked to school where there were sidewalks. In addition, Safe Routes to School programs increase children's walking to school (Staunton, Hubsmith, & Kallins, 2003). Physical environments can also be a barrier to children walking and biking to school. In fact, in a study completed by the CDC (2002, August 16), distance was found to be the number one barrier to children walking to school. Texas along with many other states established 2 mi school walk zones measured by the nearest practical route from the school attended. However, particularly in the U.S., why distance is the dominant factor in determining walk zone policies and what an appropriate distance might be for walking to school have yet to be consistently documented. In this research we investigated how additional physical attributes (e.g., street pattern, land use, housing density, environmental content) in the pedestrian environment influence children's walking and biking to school. We also measured what school children consider walkable and bikable distances to school. One hundred eighty six parents from four school walk zones in College Station, TX participated in this study. They reported their children's commute modes, routes to school and perceived walking and biking environments to school. Satellite imagery and spatial data from the College Station Geographic Information Services were used to further investigate distances to school, environmental content, surrounding land use, and street patterns. Results indicate that children walk more in older neighborhoods with mature trees while they bike more in newer neighborhoods with more sidewalks. Also children who live on cul-de-sacs walk to school less than those who live on grid streets. Also, children's walking is also significantly related to housing densities and mixed land use. Contrary to the popular 2 mi walk zone guidelines, the mean distance for walking in this study is .71 mi while the mean distance of biking is .93 mi. On average, children who live beyond 1 mi from their school either ride in a car, car pool, or pay a transportation fee to ride a school bus. These findings are being used to shape better school walk zone guidelines in support of active and healthy communities.


The publication of Bob Brenner's long-awaited analysis of the development of post-war capitalism is to be welcomed. Brenner's systematic review of a mass of data on the development of the US, German and Japanese economies finally, and incontrovertibly, destroys the 'profit squeeze' explanation for the tendencies to stagnation and crisis which have afflicted global capitalism over the past thirty years. This once fashionable theory explained the crisis tendencies of capitalism in terms of the ability of workers to restrict profitability through their demands for higher wages and their resistance to the intensification of labour. It is manifestly the case that the struggles of workers over the past thirty years have been predominantly defensive struggles, attempting, at best, to limit the erosion of relative gains of previous years in the spheres of wages, job control and welfare provision. The resistance of workers to a further intensification of their exploitation may have presented a barrier to the resolution of the crisis on the basis of capital, but it is certainly not the struggle of workers that has provoked the crisis.


Magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) is non-colloidal suspension. In this paper, it is introduced that MRF will produce magnetic coagulation at an applied magnetic field by analyzing the interact energy between particles in MRF, and the coagulation is chain-like flocculation. The main reason that MRF produced magnetic coagulation is the direction between chain-like structure and magnetic field is the same. According to the studies above, the formula of yield stress for MRF at an applied magnetic field can be deduced. It can be seen from the formula that there is a square relationship between yield stress of MRF and particle magnetization, and the yield stress of MRF is closely related with volume concentration. The conclusions above match the results of existing experiments very well.


Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of study skills training on the qualitative academic achievement of girl high school students. This study was conducted by using an experimental design with pretest, posttest, and follow-up with the control group. The participants were 32 students from girl high school students of Tehran which were selected by cluster random sampling from girl high schools and then randomly assigned into control and experimental groups (Each group consisted of 16 students). The instruments used were Dortaj Qualitative Academic Achievement Questionnaire and Motevalli Study Skills Training Module. The experimental group received 8 sessions of psycho-educational group therapy and the control group did not receive any training. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was utilized for the analysis of data. Results revealed that there was a significant increase in qualitative academic achievement between pretest with post-test and follow-up among the experimental group. Moreover, there was a significant increase in qualitative academic achievement between post-test and follow-up in the experimental group with the control group. Additionally, the results showed that there is a significant increase in self-efficacy, planning, and motivation and also a significant decrease in emotional effects and lack of outcome control. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that on the basis of deficit theory using learning and study skills training can lead to enhance student's skills to improve qualitative academic achievement. Further studies are required to examine whether exposing students to study skills training programs can lead them to enhance their qualitative academic achievement.

Keyword: Motivation Study Skills Training, Planning, Qualitative Academic Achievement, Self-efficacy.


OBJECTIVE
Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a non-invasive technique used to evaluate the arterial elasticity, which is an early indicator of atherosclerosis. Lately, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) is considered a determiner of arterial stiffness (AS). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between GGT levels and AS with PWV in patients with Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was conducted with 60 patients with FMF and 40 controls. Genetic analysis of the patients were performed. AS was assessed by PWV and, after the measurement of PWV, the presence of AS was determined.

RESULTS
Mean PWV values and AS frequency were significantly higher in patients with FMF compared with the control group (p<0.001 and p=0.004, respectively). Mean GGT levels of FMF patients were higher than in the control group but the difference was not statistically different. In the correlation analysis, PWV and AS were positively correlated with FMF (r=0349, p<0.001; r=0.435, p<0.001, respectively). FMF duration and FMF were associated with GGT (r=0.300, p=0.02; r=0199, p=0.047, respectively).

CONCLUSION
Increased PWV values in FMF patients may indicate arterial stiffness. These patients may be followed closely with PWV as an early indicator of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the cardiovascular risk can be determined in the early stages of disease and it may be possible to take necessary precautions.


This paper investigates the performance assessment of liner shipping industry and presents a multi-dimensional evaluation framework to ensure both financial and non-financial monitoring. The traditional performance assessment approach is based on the financial indicators such as ratio analysis, but it is limited to the fiscal perspective. The meaning of performance has dramatically changed and non-financial (and intangible) assets increased their importance in recent years. Under these circumstances, the multi-attribute performance assessment methods play a critical role to combine many aspects of the business. Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is originally developed for the multi-attribute performance assessment and its philosophy on business process evaluation pioneered the importance of key performance indicators and the quality management issues including the internal customer. Service quality and the business performance assessment are some of the hot issues in the liner shipping industry and the long term competitiveness is a critical concern in the recent liner shipping business. The BSC method is utilized to ensure a cumulative analysis of the short/long and tangible/intangible indicators of performance and computes the weight of each criterion by using Fuzzy-AHP method in the liner shipping industry.


Objectives The foundation of a Society of Neurological Surgeons was Jefferson`s idea. How did this come about? The objective is to research this period of our history and its development. Design A review of papers and articles held in the University of Manchester, The University of Oxford and abstracts from a biography of Jefferson by Peter Schurr, enables an historic presentation to the SBNS and the ABN. Subjects In 1926 Sir Geoffrey Jefferson was closely connected to the leading minds in British neurology and neurological surgery. His friendship and correspondence with Cushing was a major force in his drive for a specialist society. These players on the neurosurgical stage are the subjects of this presentation. Methods As in the design, the author will survey all available material including photography and handwritten manuscripts. Results On the very next day after being appointed a consultant neurological surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Jefferson arranged a meeting at the Athenaeum Club to consider the formation of our society. This was held on December the 2nd 1926 and the first formal scientific meeting was held on the 3rd at Queen Square! Conclusions The formation of this small society was crucial in presenting British neurosurgery as a specialty in its own right to medicine in the United Kingdom. No other neurosurgical society existed in Europe at this stage. Jefferson is indeed the father figure of our society today.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 3D reconstruction of a targeted area ("safe" triangle and Kambin triangle) may benefit the viability assessment of transforaminal epidural steroid injection, especially at the L5/S1 level. However, manual segmentation of lumbosacral nerves for 3D reconstruction is time-consuming. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of deep learning–based segmentation of lumbosacral nerves on CT and the reconstruction of the safe triangle and Kambin triangle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 cases of spinal CT were manually labeled for lumbosacral nerves and bones using Slicer 4.8. The ratio of training/validation/testing was 32:8:10. A 3D U-Net was adopted to build the model SPINECT for automatic segmentations of lumbosacral structures. The Dice score, pixel accuracy, and Intersection over Union were computed to assess the segmentation performance of SPINECT. The areas of Kambin and safe triangles were measured to validate the 3D reconstruction. RESULTS: The results revealed successful segmentation of lumbosacral bone and nerve on CT. The average pixel accuracy for bone was 0.940, and for nerve, 0.918. The average Intersection over Union for bone was 0.897 and for nerve, 0.827. The Dice score for bone was 0.945, and for nerve, it was 0.905. There were no significant differences in the quantified Kambin triangle or safe triangle between manually segmented images and automatically segmented images (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning–based automatic segmentation of lumbosacral structures (nerves and bone) on routine CT is feasible, and SPINECT-based 3D reconstruction of safe and Kambin triangles is also validated.


Recently, several open hypermedia systems (OHS) have proposed solutions for integrating with the World-Wide Web (WWW). The goal is to overcome WWW limitations using more powerful and sophisticated hypermedia data models while exploring the Web large distribution and standards, that permit interoperability and easy-of-use. This paper describes the integration of the HyperProp OHS with the WWW in a platform independent solution based on the Netscape browser. The integration allows: separation of links and presentation information from data content; definition of compositions (in order to structure documents, besides allowing the definition of contextual links and reuse of hypermedia structures); visualization of document structure; user navigation through graphical views; and navigation through guided tours and history trails. Particularly, the graphical views use filtering mechanisms based on extended fisheye view techniques, that avoid user disorientation when navigating through large documents. The integrated system also offers a web-site analysis tool. Based on the file system structure of web servers, the tool automatically generates compositions of HTML documents that, through the use of graphical views, help user navigation and information search on web-sites.


The objectives of this study were to determine if a relationship exists between selected morpho-physiological traits and general combining ability for yield in determinate and indeterminate tomato inbred lines, to determine if a relationship exists between these traits and the average probability that an inbred can produce transgressive segregates, and to determine if the levels of some physiological traits that contribute to yield differ between growth habits. Among determinate inbreds, general combining ability for yield is significantly correlated with yield and fruit number but not with harvest index, photosynthesis, specific leaf weight, or average fruit size. Among indeterminates, general combining ability for yield is significantly correlated only with yield. Regression analysis indicates that inbred yield is the best predictor of general combining ability for yield among determinate inbreds. Inbred yield is also a good predictor of general combining ability for yield among indeterminate inbreds. However, the addition of harvest index, fruit number, and average fruit size as independent variables to the regression model increases the accuracy of this prediction. The predictive model for determinate inbreds accurately estimates general combining ability for yield when tested using four additional determinate inbreds. No test was made of the predictive model for indeterminate inbreds. The average probability that a determinate inbred can produce transgressive segregates when crossed with other lines is significantly correlated with harvest index and fruit number. Although the correlation between this probability and inbred yield is high, it is not significant. It can be concluded from these results that none of the morpho-physiological traits studied can be used to screen large amounts of parental material for possible use in breeding programs. Breeders should continue to select parental inbreds on the basis of their yields when trying to improve yield. It is possible that harvest index may provide an additional criterion for evaluating parental material provided a method is found for reliably measuring this trait. A comparison between determinate and indeterminate inbred lines indicates that the determinate inbreds have, on average, higher photosynthetic rates, higher specific leaf weights, and higher harvest indices than the indeterminate inbreds. Since the determinate and indeterminate inbreds produce the same total yield, these results indicate that the relative efficiencies of some of the physiological processes that contribute to these yields differ between growth habits.


In textile industry many processes require speed synchronization of more than one motors involved in the process. Rolling of cloth should be synchronized with the speed of weaving spindle to avoid damage and motor speed synchronization is vital in conveyor belt driven by multiple motors. Abrupt load variations may cause hunting or oscillatory behavior in d. c. machines. This behavior can be detrimental to the process. The digitally controlled d. c. machines can have much aggravated phenomenon owing to poor sampling period selection. Traditionally processes are synchronized through mechanical transmission system consisting of a line shaft gears, pullers etc. Among the available software mechanisms master-slave synchronization is a widely used technique. Multi-motor applications have become very attractive field in industrial applications replacing in traditional mechanical coupling. Many textile applications involved synchronized speed motors. For example wrapping of clothes should be synchronized with the speed of weaving spindle to avoid damage and Similarly in some cases the speed of long conveyor belt driven by multiple motors is need to be constant. In such types of applications master slave technique is used as a software mechanism to synchronize the speed of different motors to avoid damage. Keywordsproportional (P), proportional integral (PI), proportional derivation integral (PID), adaptive, and fuzzy logic controller (FLCs).


1.1 Introduction Biomedical optical imaging is one of the most rapidly growing and most relied-upon tools in health care for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Optical imaging with human eye visual examination was the first method ever used in disease detection and diagnosis. Optical imaging overcomes some of the deficiencies found in the currently used medical techniques of x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including: • Harmful ionizing radiation, in the case of x-ray imaging, • Lack of specific chemical and dynamic information from MRI, and • Low resolution. Modern biomedical optical imaging utilizes optical contrasts, such as the difference in light absorption, transmission, reflection, scattering, and fluorescence between the region of interest (ROI) and the surrounding area, providing both structural and functional information. The following are some of the benefits offered by optical contrasts: • Ionizing radiation does not exist. • Optical spectra, based on absorption, fluorescence, or Raman scattering, provide information on cellular processes and tissue chemistry as well as detailed chemical and dynamic information. • Optical absorption provides contrast for functional imaging. • Optical scattering spectra provide information about the size distribution of optical scatter. • Optical polarization provides information about structurally anisotropic tissue components. • Optical properties of targeted contrast agents provide contrast for the molecular imaging of biomarkers. • Optical imaging permits simultaneous detection of multiple contrast agents.


An action packed guide for the easy-to-use, high performance, free open source NumPy mathematical library using real world examples The first and only book that truly explores NumPy practically Perform high performance calculations with clean and efficient NumPy code Analyze large data sets with statistical functions Execute complex linear algebra and mathematical computations In Detail In today's world of science and technology, the hype is all about speed and flexibility. When it comes to scientific computing, NumPy is on the top of the list. NumPy is the fundamental package needed for scientific computing with Python. NumPy will give you both speed and high productivity. Save thousands of dollars on expensive software, while keeping all the flexibility and power of your favourite programming language. NumPy 1.5 Beginner's Guide will teach you about NumPy from scratch. It includes everything from installation, functions, matrices, and modules to testing, all explained with appropriate examples. Numpy 1.5 Beginner's Guide will teach you about installing and using NumPy and related concepts. This book will give you a solid foundation in NumPy arrays and universal functions. At the end of the book, we will explore related scientific computing projects such as Matplotlib for plotting and the SciPy project through examples. NumPy 1.5 Beginner's Guide will help you be productive with NumPy and write clean and fast code. What you will learn from this book Installing NumPy Learn to load arrays from files and write arrays to files Work with universal functions Create NumPy matrices Use basic modules that NumPy offers Write unit tests for NumPy code Plot mathematical NumPy results with Matplotlib Integrate with Scipy, a high level Python scientific computing framework built on top of NumPy Approach The book is written in beginner's guide style with each aspect of NumPy demonstrated by real world examples. There is appropriate explained code with the required screenshots thrown in for the novice. Who this book is written for This book is for the programmer, scientist or engineer, who has basic Python knowledge and would like to be able to do numerical computations with Python.


The protein lysozyme was deposited onto a permeable support comprising chemically functionalized glass fiber. The main objective of this study was to set a stable organic net with no effect on the medium bed permeability and a preliminary test the activity of this enzyme under immobilized conditions. The film formation is followed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) surface imaging. The effect on the bacteria Escherichia coli was tested using a simple microfiltration column. The filtration results pointed around 75% removal of bacteria in the effluent when compared to the influent concentration. The removal mechanism is assumed as being essentially due biointeraction. The surface polarity characteristics of the formed film were also considered as playing an important role, suggesting an electrostatic interaction mechanism in the microorganism removal.


ABSTRACT Limestone at Coe's Quarry in North Branford, Connecticut, is characterized by a variety of cross-cutting, discontinuous textural facies. The environmental significance of most textural features is ambiguous, but cellular tufa and abundant spherulite strongly suggest a boiling hot spring setting. The cellular tufa consists of a thin, polygonal framework of micritic calcite which surrounds and interconnects irregular elongate voids. The void space is filled with spherulites and locally derived carbonate detritus cemented by sparry calcite and dolomite. Spherulites nucleated and grew in suspension to diameters of 0.1 mm or more before settling in the cellular tufa and other nearby depositional settings. Spherulites may form distinct geopetal fabrics in the pores of the cellular tufa, dem nstrating that some indistinct layering in tufa had high primary dips. Other important depositional facies are algal/bacterial tufa, micritic and banded travertine, and siliciclastic, limy sandstone. All units are abruptly discontinuous laterally and are also found as intraclasts mixed in with other facies. The spherulites indicate rapid precipitation of carbonate from highly supersaturated bicarbonate waters formed by flash-boiling of CO2-rich water. The cellular textures are similar to microterrace deposits and encrusted organic grains and mats in modern hot springs. Saddle dolomite, which is an important early cement, suggests temperatures of at least 60°C. We infer that the limestone was deposited from a hot spring which periodically flash-boiled in violent, geyserlike eruptions. The Talcott Basalt, which immediately underlies the limestone, is, in places, totally replaced by ferroan carbonates. We infer that the same circulating groundwater, heated by deeper, intrusive equivalents of the Talcott Basalt, locally altered the basalt and reached the surface at hot springs like the one from which the limestone at Coe's Quarry precipitated.


A 2.5 monolayer (ML) thick graphene film grown by chemical vapor deposition of thermally dissociated C2H4 on MgO(111), displays a significant band gap. The apparent six-fold low energy electron diffraction (LEED) pattern actually consists of two three-fold patterns with different 'A' and 'B' site diffraction intensities. Similar effects are observed for the LEED patterns of a 1 ML carbon film derived from annealing adventitious carbon on MgO(111), and for a 1.5 ML thick graphene film grown by sputter deposition on the 1 ML film. The LEED data indicate different electron densities at the A and B sites of the graphene lattice, suggesting that the observed band gap results from lifting the graphene HOMO/LUMO degeneracy at the Dirac point. The data also indicate that disparities in A site/B site LEED intensities decrease with increasing carbon overlayer thickness, suggesting that the graphene band gap size decreases with increasing number of graphene layers on MgO(111).


In recent years, wireless sensor networks have became the effective solutions for a wide range of IoT applications. The major task of this network is data collection, which is the process of sensing the environment, collecting relevant data, and sending them to the server or BS. In this chapter, classification of data collection protocols are presented with the help of different parameters such as network lifetime, energy, fault tolerance, and latency. To achieve these parameters, different techniques such as multi-hop, clustering, duty cycling, network coding, aggregation, sink mobility, directional antennas, and cross-layer solutions have been analyzed. The drawbacks of these techniques are discussed. Finally, the future work for routing protocols in wireless sensor networks is discussed.


Therapeutic Nanoparticles have shown significant impact in the field of medicine, particularly in anticancer drug delivery. Prolonged circulation time, functionalization with tumor-targeting ligands, and encapsulation of multiple drug types are among the key features of nanoparticles that make them desirable anticancer drug carriers. This dissertation will focus on these three major features of therapeutic nanoparticles and provide novel improvements in these areas. The first area of research is multi-drug coencapsulation, where precise control over drug-to-drug ratio has a major impact on the particles' therapeutic efficacy. A drug-polymer conjugate system is used to overcome the intrinsic differences in the physicochemical properties of different drug molecules. By adapting metal alkoxide chemistry, we synthesize highly hydrophobic drug-poly-l-lactide (drug- PLA) conjugates, of which the polymer has the same chain length while the drug may differ. These drug-polymer conjugates are then encapsulated into lipid-coated polymeric nanoparticles through a single-step nanoprecipitation method. Using doxorubicin (DOX) and camptothecin (CPT) as two model chemotherapy drugs, various ratios of DOX-PLA and CPT-PLA conjugates are loaded into the nanoparticles with over 90% loading efficiency. The resulting nanoparticles are uniform in size, size distribution and surface charge. The loading yield of DOX and CPT in the particles can be precisely controlled by simply adjusting the DOX-PLA:CPT-PLA molar ratio. Cellular cytotoxicity results show that the dual- drug loaded nanoparticles are superior to the corresponding cocktail mixtures of single-drug loaded nanoparticles. This dual-drug delivery approach offers a solution to the long-standing challenge in ratiometric control over the loading of different types of drugs onto the same drug delivery vehicle. The second area is nanoparticle functionalization for tumor-targeted delivery. we synthesize anti-CEA half-antibody conjugated lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles and characterize their ligand conjugation yields, physicochemical properties, and targeting ability against pancreatic cancer cells. Under the same drug loading, the half-antibody targeted nanoparticles show enhanced cancer killing effect compared to the corresponding non-targeted nanoparticles. The half- antibody approach offers the advantage of reduced ligand size, site-specific conjugation, and easy accessibility over existing functionalization approaches. The third area of research presented herein is a novel nature-inspired approach to camouflage nanoparticles for long systemic circulation. A top-down approach in coating biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles with natural erythrocyte membranes is reported. The structure, size and surface zeta potential, and protein contents of the erythrocyte membrane-coated nanoparticles were verified using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and gel electrophoresis respectively. Mice injections with fluorophore-loaded nanoparticles revealed superior circulation half-life by the erythrocyte-mimicking nanoparticles as compared to control particles coated with the state-of-the-art synthetic stealth materials. Biodistribution study revealed significant particle retention in the blood 72 hours following the particle injection. The translocation of natural cellular membranes, their associated proteins and the corresponding functionalities to the surface of synthetic particles represents a novel approach in nanoparticle functionalization. The developments on these three areas are compatible with one another and could be integrated as one multifunctional nanoparticle platform. Each of these features aims to target a distinctive barrier in cancer drug delivery


Blockchain, as applied to the health-care domain, is currently a dream or vision of what people want to happen. There are few technologies which offer the potential to disrupt the prevailing biomedical paradigm. The author discusses the existence of the first technology to be based on a precise and sophisticated simulation of how the brain regulates the autonomic nervous system and associated structures which has the potential to significantly disrupt the prevailing biomedical paradigm through the emergent neurological paradigm, i.e., understanding how the brain works and how this can be applied with diagnostic and/or therapeutic effect. Known commonly by the trade name "Strannik" the associated package of Strannik software programs have been shown in initial research, in 15–20 clinical studies conducted over the period 1997–2017, that Strannik Virtual Scanning is able to determine the onset and progression of pathologies 2–23% more accurately than the current plethora of medical tests; screen pathological onset from the presymptomatic level; define each pathology in terms of its genotype and phenotype; determine ca. 5–15 pathologies are determined in each of 30+ organs, provide results in ca. 10–15 min; more safely/non-invasively than contemporary methods of diagnosing and treating disease; achieve therapeutic outcomes with the neuromodulation technique strannik light therapy which initial studies indicate is 75–96% therapeutic effectiveness i.e., which appear to exceed that which is possible using biomedicine; and to do as at considerably lower cost by comparison with biomedical tests and treatments. The author discusses the limitations of biomedicine and how such a neurological approach, in the form of the Strannik technology, could be applied to address such limitations and provide an alternative and cost-effective approach to the provision of health care, in particular (but not exclusively), regarding the management of lifestyle-related