Background and Aims: The effect of local anesthetics on myometrial contractility during labor analgesia is debatable. We aimed to compare the effects of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine on rat uterine contractility in an in vivo setting. Methods: Electrical activities of 40 pregnant rat uteruses were recorded on electrohysterogram after dividing the rats into bupivacaine and levobupivacaine groups. Uterine contraction frequencies were recorded at each 5-min interval. The first 5-min recording was considered the control, which was immediately followed by intramyometrial administration of either bupivacaine or levobupivacaine. The recordings were continued for 30 min. The changes in frequencies at each time interval of the groups were compared with each other and the control recording. Results: The frequencies from both groups at each interval were lower than the control values, but not different between the groups. The frequencies of the bupivacaine group during the 5–10 min and 10–15 min intervals were lower than the control time interval, but no significant differences were present between the control and the other time intervals. However, no significant differences were found at any time interval for the levobupivacaine group. Conclusion: Levobupivacaine led to less muscle relaxation compared to bupivacaine and may be a better option for labor analgesia and anesthesia considering uterine contractility.


Behind the utility function, which is the basis for economic and finance theory, is a philosophical and ethical approach based essentially on the Utilitarian and Hedonistic schools. Once qualitative, the utility function's approach shifted to a quantitative one based on the work of the mathematician, D. Bernoulli. This quantitative approach is normative and based on a maximizing agent. In this paper, the "emotional well-being" function is developed which mixes the ethics of a rational economic individual with those of a more complete individual who is simultaneously conditioned by economic, instinctive, social, religious, ethical, and esthetic values. This new utility function of emotional well-being is shown to remain within the envelope function of the Bernoullitype utility function.


Gene expression is a critical process in biological system that is influenced and modulated by many factors including genetic variation. Expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL) analysis provides a powerful way to understand how genetic variants affect gene expression. For genome wide eQTL analysis, the number of genetic variants and that of genes are large and thus the search space is tremendous. Therefore, eQTL analysis brings about computational and statistical challenges. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of recent advances in methods for eQTL analysis in population-based studies. We first present traditional pairwise association methods, which are widely used in human genetics. To account for expression heterogeneity, we investigate the methods for correcting confounding factors. Next, we discuss newly developed statistical learning methods including Lasso-based models. In the conclusion, we provide an overview of future method development in analyzing eQTL associations. Although we focus on human genetics in this review, the methods are applicable to many other organisms.


As smart surveillance becomes popular in today's smart cities, millions of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are ubiquitously deployed that collect huge amount of visual information. All these raw visual data are often transported over a public network to distant video analytic centers. This increases the risk of interception and the spill of individuals' information into the wider cyberspace that causes privacy breaches. The edge computing paradigm allows the enforcement of privacy protection mechanisms at the point where the video frames are created. Nonetheless, existing cryptographic schemes are computationally unaffordable at the resource constrained network edge. Based on chaotic methods we propose three lightweight end-to-end (E2E) privacy-protection mechanisms: (1) a Dynamic Chaotic Image Enciphering (DyCIE) scheme that can run in real time at the edge; (2) a lightweight Regions of Interest (RoI) Masking (RoI-Mask) scheme that ensures the privacy of sensitive attributes on video frames; and (3) a novel lightweight Sinusoidal Chaotic Map (SCM) as a robust and efficient solution for enciphering frames at edge cameras. Design rationales are discussed and extensive experimental analyses substantiate the feasibility and security of the proposed schemes.


Research usually analyzed the relationships between acculturation or perceived discrimination and immigrants' well-being, but few studies used an integrative perspective. Framed from a person-oriented approach, the current paper tried to advance the literature examining how acculturation profiles and perceived (group and personal) discrimination were associated with psychosocial well-being in a sample of 348 Tunisian adolescents (females = 48.28%; mean age = 15.72) living in southern Italy. Cluster analytic methods on the scores of acculturation strategies, ethnic and national identities, ethnic and national languages, ethnic and national peer social contacts produced three acculturation profiles: integrated, ethnic, and national. Adolescents of both integrated and national profiles reported higher levels of psychosocial well-being than those of the ethnic profile in terms of self-esteem and socio-cultural competence, whereas Tunisian adolescents of ethnic profile reported higher levels of perceived personal discrimination than the others. Also, the acculturation profile moderated the relationships between perceived discrimination and adolescents' psychosocial well-being. Specifically, across integration and national profiles perceived group discrimination significantly predicted decreases in psychosocial well-being, but there was no significant association considering the ethnic profile group. The association between perceived personal discrimination and psychosocial well-being was moderated since it was more negative for adolescents of an ethnic profile than the others. Findings are discussed in the light of theoretical expectations, research context, and limitations as well as suggesting implications for the practitioners in the field.


Loved by students like you for its visual and flexible approach to building computer skills, the ILLUSTRATED COURSE GUIDE: MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 & WORD 2016: INTERMEDIATE is the ideal resource for learning more complex Microsoft Word 2016, regardless of your experience level. Each two-page spread focuses on a single skill, ensuring that information is easy to follow and absorb. The ILLUSTRATED COURSE GUIDE divides important Microsoft Word 2016 concepts and skills into three manageable levels -- Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced -- making it perfect for mastering the skills you need in any learning environment.


We examined the feeding habits of the 2 dominant myctophid larvae, Diaphus garmani and Myctophum asperum, in the transition region of the western North Pacific. The incidence of feeding by these 2 species was ~10 times higher during the day than at night (66 to 71% vs. 5 to 6%), indicating that both larvae are daytime visual feeders. The prey of the 2 species were quite different: D. garmani depended mainly on appendicularian houses and copepod nauplii, while M. asperum fed mainly on ostracods and polychaetes. Prey size ingested increased with larval development, while niche breadth was independent of larval size, and did not change during development for either species. The average number of prey consumed by both larvae was 1 to 2 per gut, although an underestimate of prey number for D. garmani is possible owing to rapid digestion of fragile appen- dicularian houses. The number of prey was positively correlated with body length for D. garmani, but not for M. asperum. Competition for prey among these myctophid larvae and co-existing Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus larvae is unlikely because of their diet and habitat depth segregation.


IPB D-1 chickens were produced from research on the application of molecular genetics with the aim of increasing the productivity and quality of Indonesian local chickens. This study aims to determine the perception of farmers at Sinar Harapan Farm Jampang Tengah Sukabumi about IPB D-1 chickens, which is viewed from the characteristics of innovations in IPB D-1 chickens. The research was conducted at Sinar Harapan Farm (SHF) which was located in Jampang Tengah District, Sukabumi Regency. Data collection was carried out in August 2020. Data collection was carried out by interviewing all 18 member farmers of Sinar Harapan Farm. SHF farmers' perceptions of IPB D-1 chickens were measured from five characteristics of innovations in IPB D-1 chickens which included: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. The results showed that the perception score for the aspect of relative advantage was 4.34, compatibility was 4.38, compatibility was 4.25, trialability was 4.13, and observability was 4.15. The farmers of Sinar Harapan Farm Jampang Tengah Sukabumi showed a good perception about IPB-D1 chickens.


This useful and practical book provides the college student, seminarian, church study group, and interested lay person with a much-needed introductory guide on the "how" (method) and the "what" (message) of Jesus' teachings. In this revised edition, Robert Stein updates his classic work, adds a new bibliography, and introduces use of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, bringing this important text to a new generation of students.


Negative age-related stereotypes often entail the perception that older adults have a lower social status than middle-aged adults. We hypothesized that older adults are perceived to have lower social status because they are less likely to be seen in prestigious occupational positions. People tend to infer general assumptions about group characteristics from exemplars. According to this, presenting a stereotype-inconsistent exemplar (i.e., older person in a high-status position) should change perceptions of older adults' social status. Study 1 (60 countries, N = 86,026, 18–99 years) showed that people in countries with an older relative to a younger political leader do not perceive as great a decline in social status from middle-aged to older adults. Study 2 (N = 131; 19–74 years) tested the causal link demonstrating that participants exposed to older exemplars holding a prestigious occupational position were significantly more likely to rate older adults as having a relative higher social status. We discuss implications for future interventions to change negative age-related stereotypes.


Background High-dose myeloablative conditioning prior to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT) in pediatric patients is usually highly emetogenic. The antiemetic neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist fosaprepitant was safe and effective in children receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy. Data on fosaprepitant during autoHSCT in children are currently not available. Methods A total of 35 consecutive pediatric patients, who received an antiemetic prophylaxis with fosaprepitant (4 mg/kg; single dose, max. 1 x 150 mg/kg BW) and ondansetron (24-hours continuous infusion; 8–32 mg/24h) or granisetron (2 x 40 µg/kg∙d−1) during highly emetogenic conditioning chemotherapy before autoHSCT were retrospectively analyzed, and their results were compared with a control group comprising 35 consecutive pediatric patients, who received granisetron or ondansetron only. The antiemetic efficacy and the safety of the two prophylaxis regimens were compared with respect to three time periods after the first chemotherapy administration (0–24h, >24–120h, >120–240h). Results Clinical adverse events and clinically relevant increases/decreases of laboratory markers were similarly low and did not significantly differ between the two study groups (p>0.05). The registered number of vomiting events was significantly higher in the control group in the time periods of 0–24h (64 vs 22 events; p<0.01), >24–120h (135 vs 78 events; p<0.0001), >120–240h (268 vs 105 events; p<0.0001), and the whole observation period 0–240h (467 vs 205 events; p<0.0001). The percentage of patients experiencing vomiting was higher in the control group during the time period of >24–120h (100% vs 74.3%) but not the other analyzed time periods (p>0.05). Conclusion The fosaprepitant-based antiemetic prophylaxis was safe, well tolerated and significantly reduced vomiting in children undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy prior to autoHSCT. Prospective randomized trials are necessary to confirm these results.


There is an emerging pairing between the grassroot hip hop movement and urban sustainability initiatives that I call hip hop ecology. The synergy between hip hop and environmentalism defies stereotypes of the whiteness of the environmental movement and the forms of discourse that are used to raise awareness of the ecological crisis. This dissertation builds from my work in the Boston Public Schools, where for four years, I have taught environmental science using environmentally‐themed (green) hip hop. In these classes I have asked students to express their learning in their own creative verse. I present three studies that situate the connection between hip hop and environmentalism in social and educational contexts. The first is a comparative content analysis of environmental science textbooks and green hip hop tracks that will help define the sociotextual scene of the urban environmental classrooms where I worked. The second research site is the community, where I interviewed "hip hop ecologists," activists and emcees who work directly on urban sustainability and environmental justice while producing hip hop with green themes. The second study provides an in‐ depth look at how these young environmental activists of color navigate the racial dynamics of the movement and try to sustain their careers as leaders and artists. The third study is an ethnography where I synthesize four years of classroom teaching and analyze the various cases where constructs of race and nature intersected, deconstructing both the social interactions in the classroom as well as the green hip hop lyrics written by the students. The implications of a hip hop ecology are that we as environmental practitioners actively rethink what counts as an environmental text and what part of our own creativity we tap as educators who endeavor to promote a more racially diverse and powerful movement for sustainability.


BACKGROUND
 Schwartz Rounds are a unique, organisation-wide interdisciplinary intervention aimed at enhancing staff wellbeing, compassionate care, teamwork, and organisational culture in healthcare settings. They provide a safe space wherein both clinical and non-clinical health staff can connect and share their experiences about the social and emotional aspects of health care.

 OBJECTIVE
 Although Schwartz Rounds have been assessed and widely implemented in the United States and United Kingdom, they are yet to be formally evaluated Australian healthcare settings. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of Schwartz Rounds on staff wellbeing, compassionate care and organisational culture, in a tertiary metropolitan hospital in Brisbane, Australia.

 METHODS
 This mixed methods repeated measures pilot study will recruit 24 participants in two groups from two departments, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the gastroenterology department. Participants from each group will take part in three unit-based Schwartz Rounds. Primary outcomes will include the study and intervention feasibility measures while secondary outcomes will include Maslach Burnout inventory, the Schwartz Centre Compassionate Care Scale, and Culture of Care Barometer. Primary and secondary outcomes will be collected at baseline, post-round, and three-month follow-up. Two focus-groups will be held approximately two months after completion of the Schwartz Rounds. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used to compare quantitative data across time points and groups. Qualitative data from focus groups and free-text survey questions will be analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach.

 RESULTS
 The study was approved by the Mater Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (reference number: HREC/MML/71868) and recruitment commenced in July 2021; study completion is anticipated by May 2022.

 CONCLUSIONS
 The study will contribute to the assessment of feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Schwartz Rounds in a tertiary Australian hospital, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 CLINICALTRIAL
 Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Id is ACTRN12621001473853.


Manganese compounds have a high potential for treating wastewater, both for utilizing its oxidation, flocculation ability and catalyst ability in anaerobic nitrification. The promising use of manganese compounds (such as permanganate and manganese dioxide) is regarded as an effective method of treating organic compounds in wastewater from municipal and industrial wastewater. Now it is newly realized possibilities to combine manganese compounds with Microbial Fuel Cell technology. Aiming at reusing the biomass in anaerobic digested sludge for degrading organic pollutants and simultaneously recovering electric energy, Single-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (SMFC) system was developed and investigated during the main experimental part. Considering the electricity generation rate and characteristics of cathode, MnO2 was used as the reactant on the cathode electrode; meanwhile, the substrate types in anode compartment also were investigated and then extra sodium acetate was added to investigate the power generation performance. Two parts of the research were carried out during the whole project. The chemical treatment part was mainly designed to find out the best dosage of KMnO4 in flocculation when concurrent reacted with magnesium and calcium compounds when treating reject wastewater from digester at Hammarby Sjostadsverk. The other part was studied to see whether it is possible to improve electricity generation by degrading organic pollutants when MnO2 was used as a cathodic reactant in sediment microbial fuel cell which consisted of anaerobic digested sludge from UASB.


1. Brown trout, Salmo trutta, exhibit one of the most highly variable and polytypic life-history strategies of all salmonids. Populations may be wholly freshwater-resident or almost exclusively migratory (anadromous), or fish of a single population may exhibit varying proportions of the two life-history strategies. Both anadromous and freshwater-resident trout freely interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
2. We quantify maternal reproductive provisioning by anadromous and freshwater-resident brown trout to their offspring and assess relative parental fitness (in terms of number, size and time of emergence of offspring). Newly emerged juvenile trout (fry) were sampled (n = 119) over the emergence period in March–April 2007 in a lowland English chalk stream; samples of adult trout [anadromous (6F : 12M) and freshwater-resident (22F : 56M)], river-resident trout parr and macroinvertebrate prey were also collected.
3. Using a novel combination of stable isotope analysis and microsatellite genotyping we demonstrate the overwhelming contribution of anadromous parents (both female and male) to fry production, despite the obvious presence and numerical dominance of resident adults. We unambiguously identify the maternal origins of 78% of juveniles sampled and show that maternal reproductive contribution to juvenile production in the river was higher for anadromous females (76%) than freshwater-resident fish (2.5%). Offspring of anadromous females emerged earlier and at a larger body size than offspring of resident females. Similarly, while the relative contribution of resident males (37%) was higher than that of resident females, anadromous males sired considerably more offspring (63%) than resident males. This is the first study of its kind to accurately assess the reproductive contribution of anadromous male trout.
4. Overall, this study suggests that anadromous maternal traits provide offspring with an adaptive advantage and greater fitness in early ontogeny, and that a small number of anadromous females (six of 96 adults sampled) are the main drivers of reproduction in this system.


The first volume was hailed as a cornerstone volume in fascilitating research.' This revision, appearing all at one time, deserves that designation even more. . . . essential for large public and academic libraries. Reference Books Bulletin Eight new articles describing business, catalogs, computers, dance, fashion, gardening, graffiti, and musical theater. Several other chapters are essentially new since they have new authors. There is a superb article on pornography from Joseph Slade, an expanded article on magic from Steve Tigner, and a new article on science from Elizabeth Keeney. Richard Nelson's article on propaganda, the longest in the first edition, is now greatly expanded and provides one of the most detailed treatments of the subject anywhere. Library Journal This essential tool for the study of American popular culture serves as introductory textbook; bibliographic guide; bibliography; and, through its index, an informal survey of that discipline's concerns. Wilson Library Bulletin


Background In situations of increased need, such as mass casualty incidents (MCIs) and COVID-19, donated blood products are in shortage across the United States. Medical students are a potential pool for blood donors. The aim of this study was to determine overall attitudes of medical students at a single academic institution toward blood donation during times of increased need. Methods Three anonymous REDCap surveys were administered to all medical students at a rural academic institution. Surveys 1 and 2 were administered preceding and after an institution-wide MCI drill, in September and November 2019, respectively. Survey 3 was administered following a student-organized COVID-19 blood drive in June 2020. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine if factors, ie, experience with MCI drills and emergency medical services (EMS) training, were associated with willingness to donate blood. Furthermore, barriers to donation among those not willing to donate were assessed. Results Overall response rate for MCI surveys (surveys 1 and 2) was 38% (mean age 25.2 years and 50% women). 91% (n = 210) of respondents were willing to donate blood. Previous participation in MCI drills and EMS training was not associated with higher willingness to donate blood. Response rate for survey 3 was 15.6% (59.4% women), and 30 (31.3%) respondents indicated they did not volunteer to donate blood during the COVID-19 drive. Most common reasons for not donating were "other," medical concerns, and being out-of-town. Conclusions Majority of medical students are willing to donate blood during times of increased need and offer a possible solution to increase blood donor pool.


CC49 is a "second generation" monoclonal antibody to B72.3, which reacts with the pancarcinoma antigen TAG-72. CC49 has been shown to efficiently target human colon carcinoma xenografts and is currently being evaluated in both diagnostic and therapeutic clinical trials. We describe here the construction and characterization of a recombinant single-chain Fv (sFv) of CC49. The sFv was shown to be a Mr 27,000 homogeneous entity which could be efficiently radiolabeled with 125I or 131I. Comparative direct binding studies and competition radioimmunoassays using CC49 intact IgG, F(ab')2, Fab', and sFv revealed that the monomeric CC49 Fab' and sFv had relative binding affinities 8-fold lower than the dimeric F(ab')2 and intact IgG. Nonetheless, the 131I-labeled sFv was shown to bind biopsies of TAG-72-expressing tumors. Metabolism studies in mice, using radiolabeled CC49 IgG, F(ab')2, Fab', and sFv, demonstrated an extremely rapid plasma and whole body clearance for the sFv. CC49 sFv plasma pharmacokinetic studies in rhesus monkeys also showed a very rapid plasma clearance (T1/2 alpha of 3.9 min and T1/2 beta of 4.2 h). Tumor targeting studies with all four radiolabeled Ig CC49 forms, using the LS-174T human colon carcinoma xenograft model, revealed a much lower percentage injected dose/g tumor binding for the CC49 monomeric sFv and Fab' as compared to the dimeric F(ab')2 and intact IgG. However, tumor:normal tissue ratios (radiolocalization indices) for the sFv were comparable to or greater than those of the other Ig forms. High kidney uptake with 125I-labeled Fab' and F(ab')2 was not seen with 125I-sFv. Gamma scanning studies also showed that 131I-CC49 sFv could efficiently localize tumors. The CC49 sFv may thus have utility in diagnostic and perhaps therapeutic applications for a range of human carcinomas.


7.1 CAD Tools There are numerous genres of computer-aided design (CAD) tools. They offer a
variety of metrics in a range from simple illumination calculations to complex
wave propagation. It is important to remember that every tool has its limitations.
Mastery of these tools requires education and practice. Various CAD tools are demonstrated in Secs. 7.2—7.9 through application to
a doublet with a 40-mm focal length. The doublet functions as a 5X objective in
combination with a 200-mm tube lens. The object field height at 1.2 mm
translates into a 6.0-mm image height, which accommodates the 11.3-μm
diagonal of a 1000 × 1000 array of 8-μm pixels. The projected pixel at the object
is 0.8 μm. The ensuing metrics employ the object side of the lens as the image. The
effective object distance (or tube length) is infinite. The entrance pupil is 10 mm.
The image NA is 0.0125. The Airy radii are 2.37 μm for the F line (486 nm),
2.86 μm for the d line (588 nm), and 3.20 μm for the C line (656 nm). Some metrics require sampling of the image. Sampling normally occurs at
2 N × 2 N , where N is an integer. Errors due to insufficient sampling must be
considered. The shape of the ray-intercept plot should predict any calculations
based on sampling. 7.2 Wavefront Error The wavefront error is probably the most physically significant metric of a CAD
tool. A convergent wavefront should be spherical. A collimated wavefront should
be flat. A reflecting telescope with 0.05 NA can easily maintain a wavefront error
at λ/10. Unfortunately, such quality is not easily achieved in a refractor at 0.12
NA or higher. Figure 7.1 displays the wavefront of the 5X doublet. The optical path
difference indicates the optical path length from a perfect sphere around the
image. The optical path length is specified in the wavelengths. The abscissa
indicates the position within the pupil or lens stop. The wavefront error is
independent of the direction of travel through the lens. On reversal of the
direction of travel, the optical path difference indicates the optical path length in
wavelengths from a perfectly flat wave in collimation. The wavefront error is an
effective measure of collimated wavefronts.


Unsupervised extraction of objects from low-level visual data is an important goal for further progress in machine learning. Existing approaches for representing objects without labels use structured generative models with static images. These methods focus a large amount of their capacity on reconstructing unimportant background pixels, missing low contrast or small objects. Conversely, we present a new method that avoids losses in pixel space and over-reliance on the limited signal a static image provides. Our approach takes advantage of objects' motion by learning a discriminative, time-contrastive loss in the space of slot representations, attempting to force each slot to not only capture entities that move, but capture distinct objects from the other slots. Moreover, we introduce a new quantitative evaluation metric to measure how "diverse" a set of slot vectors are, and use it to evaluate our model on 20 Atari games.


This article investigates the maximum spreading of ferrofluid droplets impacting on a hydrophobic surface under nonuniform magnetic fields. A generalized model for scaling the maximum spreading is developed. It is observed that, if the magnetic field strength is zero, a ferrofluid droplet not only demonstrates similar spreading dynamics as the water droplet but also obeys the same scaling law for the maximum spreading factor. Therefore, this article emphasizes the effects of magnetic field strength. In this regard, a dimensionless parameter (Nm) is introduced as the ratio between inertial force and Kelvin force, with an assumption that the kinetic energy mainly transforms to thermal energy. This parameter allows us to rescale all experimental data on a single curve with the Padé approximant, which is applicable to a wide range of impact velocities and magnetic field strengths.


Three Zn-triazolate-dicarboxylate frameworks, namely, [Zn2(atz)2(ipa)] (1, Hatz = 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, H2ipa = isophthalic acid), [Zn2(datz)2(ipa)] (2, Hdatz = 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole), and [Zn2(atz)2(oba)] (3, H2oba = 4,4′-oxobisbenzoic acid), have been synthesized by solvothermal reactions. Crystal-structure analyses demonstrated that 1–3 are isoreticular three-dimensional porous structures consisting of Zn-triazolate layers and dicarboxylate pillars. The major differences of three compounds are the lengths and orientations of the pillars. Thermogravimetry analyses and powder X-ray diffraction measurements showed that 1–3 have high thermal stability and good water stability. The adsorption properties of 1–3 were investigated by N2, CO2, and CH4 sorption experiments. Because 3 has exposed amino groups and distinct pore shape, it has the highest CO2 uptake and CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivities at 273 K.


Sources of ionising radiation in the environment are mainly naturally occurring radionuclides, such as potassium-40 (40K) and carbon-14 (14C) and man-made radionuclides, such as caesium-137 (137Cs) and iodine-131 (131I). Both sources increase radiation dose to human beings and other living organisms and have the same biological effects. Exposure to these radionuclides creates a demand for feasible methodologies to measure their body burdens. Whole body counters (WBC) are well-established instruments to detect, identify and quantify radioactivity in the human body. In order to perform reliable measurements of the body burden of radionuclides, a whole body counter should be calibrated with applicable phantoms whose sizes are similar to those of human subjects.
The Cardiff WBC in the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department at the University Hospital of Wales, is composed of six large-volume thallium-doped sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)) scintillation detectors in a shielded room. In this work, the counter was calibrated empirically for three radionuclides, namely 40K, 137Cs and 131I, using an anthropomorphic phantom technique.
Prior to the calibration experiments, preliminary work was done to characterise the performance of the Cardiff WBC. Optimum photopeak counting windows were determined by various methods, and a window of twice the FWHM was chosen as the best one. Energy resolution was determined for the three radionuclides, and it was found that for 137Cs, the value was consistent with the British Standard for scintillation detector-based instruments. The theoretical minimum detectable activity (MDA) of the counter for the three radionuclides was determined and shown to increase linearly with phantom mass. The effect of varying the scan speed was measured and it was found that count rate increased significantly (p<0.05) with increase in speed. Background count rate inside the counter room was studied in terms of its stability and the effect of phantom mass. Stability was determined over a two-month period at five different positions along the length of the room, with and without the patient bed. It was found that background count rate was less at the closed end of the room that at the centre or near the doors. Furthermore, it was greater with the
iii
bed in place than in the absence of the bed. Phantom mass had a significant influence on the background count rate for the 40K and 137Cs counting windows. Finally, the counting efficiency of the WBC decreased logarithmically with photon energy.
As regards calibration of the WBC, the Department has three sets of Bush phantoms, the compartments of which were arranged to produce phantoms with a wide range of height and weight. Potassium-40 was calibrated using uniformly distributed and point source techniques, whereas only the point source technique was used for 137Cs and 131I. The measurement of 131I count rate was corrected for overlap of the Compton region with the photopeak in the pulse height spectrum.
There was a significant negative correlation (P<0.01) of the calibration factor F (sensitivity) with phantom mass for the three radionuclides, whereas phantom height had very little impact on F. The ratio of count rate in the Compton energy band to that in the photopeak was considered as an index of size. This ratio had a significant positive correlation (P<0.01) with phantom mass and the variation of F with the Compton to photopeak count rate ratio was used as an alternative method for determining the total body radioactivity for the three radionuclides. In general, this alternative method gave satisfactory results compared with the conventional approach. It has the advantage of being a self-contained technique that makes a correction for subject size based on just information from the gamma pulse height spectrum, with no need for additional measurements such as height and weight.


'Poetry, always foremost of the arts in traditional Africa, has continued to compete for primacy against the newer forms of prose fiction and theatre drama.' This wonderfully comprehensive anthology of African poetry has been expanded to include ninety-nine poets from twenty-seven countries, thirty-one of whom appear for the first time. Equally wide-ranging is the content of the poetry itself: war songs and political protests jostle with poems about human love, African nature and the surprises that life offers; all are represented in these rich and colourful pages.


Russian industrial enterprises, examined by the Russian Economic Barometer are grouped according to two criteria: the level of capacity utilization rate, as well as the level of debts to banks. This grouping allows you to see how key characteristics of enterprises differ depending on how their production capacities are loaded and what level of debts to banks they have. Data are presented for the fourth quarter of 2019.


The structure of the English school system has been the subject of almost continuous change since the late-1980s. The most recent was commenced by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat Coalition government, which was elected in May 2010. This policy set in train, very quickly, processes through which all schools have been encouraged, and in some cases required, to become independent of local authorities (LAs) and funded directly by central government, the government's vision being to create a complete system of publicly funded 'independent' schools. This article considers some of the implications of these aspirations and the ways in which they have been translated into policy and implemented. It begins by setting the policies of the Coalition government within a context of trends in education policy since 1988, showing how these can be related to three dominant themes: school autonomy, central control and diversity of provision. It then proceeds to consider how these developments can be theorized, suggesting that diversity of governance, legitimacy and agency provide a suitable framework for analysing the emerging English experience. These ideas are then used to examine this experience and draw conclusions about key issues for the future.


ABSTRACT Gas6 is a growth factor related to protein S that was identified as the ligand for the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. In this study, we show that Gas6 induces a growth response in a cultured mammalian mammary cell line, C57MG. The presence of Gas6 in the medium induces growth after confluence and similarly causes cell cycle reentry of density-inhibited C57MG cells. We show that Axl RTK but not Rse is efficiently activated by Gas6 in density-inhibited C57MG cells. We have analyzed the signaling required for the Gas6 proliferative effect and found a requirement for PI3K-, S6K-, and Ras-activated pathways. We also demonstrate that Gas6 activates Akt and concomitantly inhibits GSK3 activity in a wortmannin-dependent manner. Interestingly, Gas6 induces up-regulation of cytosolic β-catenin, while membrane-associated β-catenin remains unaffected. Stabilization of β-catenin in C57MG cells is correlated with activation of a T-cell factor (TCF)-responsive transcriptional element. We thus provide evidence that Gas6 is mitogenic and induces β-catenin proto-oncogene stabilization and subsequent TCF/Lef transcriptional activation in a mammary system. These results suggest that Gas6-Axl interaction, through stabilization of β-catenin, may have a role in mammary development and/or be involved in the progression of mammary tumors.


In order to study the mechanism of glutamic acids involved in the metabolisms of pyruvate and α-ketoglutaric acid in blood, spinal fluid of lumbar region, and ventricle fluid, the author gave oral administration of dailydosage of 15 g sodium glutamate for five days to schizophrenic patients without any apparent disorders of organs, and determined the amounts of both acids in blood when the patients were at rest both before and after the sodium glutamate administration. Then after lobotomy, blood, spinal fluid of lumbar regions and ventricle Fluid were drawn and the contents of both acids in these fluids were determined in the same manner as mentioned above. As the results: 1. In the estimations of both acids in the blood drawn both before and after the administration of sodium glutamate to the patient at rest, no fixed tendency suggestive of the effect of this drug could be recognized. 2. In the cases where lobotomy had been performed after administration of sodium glutamate and the contents of both acids were determined, and the following results were obtained: 1. The amount of pyruvate in blood=1.00±0.06 mg/dl; the amount of α-ketoglutarate in blood=0.41±0.06 mg/dl; the amount of pyruvate in spinal fluid of lumbar region=0.69±0.02 mg/dl; the amount of α-ketoglutaric acid in spinal fluid of lumbar region=0.35±0.03 mg/dl; pyruvate in ventricle fluid=0.80±0.02 mg/dl; and α-ketoglutaric acid in ventricle fluid=1.83±0.13 mg/dl. On comparing each of these values with respective values of the control reported in Part 1, both amounts of pyruvate and α-ketoglutaric acid in blood and spinal fluid of lumbar region show a decreasing tendency. This phenomenon seems to be due to the tranquilizing effect of sodium glutamate on the central nervous system or to improved liver function due to this drug. On the other hand, in the case of the ventricle fluid the pyruvate content was less than that in the control, and the content of α-ketoglutaric acid was somewhat increased. This fact seems to indicate that glutamic acid is involved in the metabolism of ketoacid in the cerebral fluid and is also associated with the glutamic acid metabolism in the brain, and also it is suggestive of some significance relative to the supply of glutamic acids in the brain.


Large pituitary tumors are still a common problem. Thirty consecutive patients underwent operative decompression and radiation therapy for large sellar and suprasellar tumors. They were studied prospectively in terms of their endocrine outcome. Ten of the patients had panhypopituitarism both before and after treatment. The other 20 patients had partial hormonal deficits prior to treatment. Ten (50%) of the 20 patients who had partial preoperative deficits went on to develop delayed onset of worsening in their endocrine function; 9 of the 10 developed panhypopituitarism, and 1 patient developed decreased thyroid function. The mean time from surgery until the onset of delayed worsening in endocrine function was 26.1 months. The mean age of those patients who developed delayed onset of worsening in pituitary function was significantly higher than that of those who did not develop further hormonal loss (40.5 +/- 3.1 years versus 52.0 +/- 4.1 years, P less than 0.05). None of the 10 patients with delayed onset of worsening in pituitary function had anatomical evidence by computed tomographic scan of tumor recurrence. Delayed onset radiation effect is the most likely cause of the late onset of worsening in endocrine function.


In 2012, I characterized the enactment and enforcement of contemporary attorney advertising regulations as an endless pursuit to capture technology at the intersection of attorney advertising and the First Amendment. I invoked the image of Wile E. Coyote and his ongoing pursuit of the evasive Road Runner. Four years later, I have concluded that the pursuit is indeed endless and the "chase" should be abandoned in deference to both the First Amendment and the public's ability to identify the proverbial wheat from the chaff in the world of Internet driven advertising. While professionalism remains a concern, the courts have found that professionalism concerns alone are not sufficient to chill commercial speech. In lieu of a detailed set of professional conduct advertising rules, state bars should apply a general standard that prohibits advertising that is misleading or fraudulent. Most states and the American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct provide such a standard in Rule 8.4(c), which states that [i]t is professional misconduct for a lawyer to…engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. The 8.4(c) standard should enable the state bars to protect the public while simultaneously permitting attorneys the flexibility required to advertise in the digital age.This article explores the premise that state regulation that governs attorney advertising by employing a standard that prohibits false and misleading advertising is the fair, efficient, and logical approach to advertising in the digital age. The article first provides a brief history of attorney advertising from the nineteenth century to the seminal Bates decision through today. Next, the article reviews a few of the recent court decisions and state bar ethics opinions that attempt to apply detailed advertising rules and guidelines to constantly changing technology. Then, the article reviews the tenor of the current national debate about attorney advertising and the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL) recent proposals to reform the advertising rules. Finally, the article concludes that streamlining the regulation of attorney advertising to require honest advertising that does not mislead the public is an approach that both adheres to the commercial speech doctrine and provides the public with access to information about legal service.


ABSTRACT Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.) is a major weed competitor to rice production in Indonesia. In order to develop integrated weed management program, a research to select competitive rice lines to E. crus-galli was conducted in a green house of Indonesian Centre of Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resource Research and Development Bogor. The research design was split plot with four replications, E. crus-galli was designed as the main plot (rice without E. crus-galli compared  rice with four E. crus-galli per pot), and the sub-plots were 25 genotypes (23 lines, 1 tolerant variety and 1 sensitive variety). Level of tolerance was determined by the reduction percentage of grains weight, the number of productive tillers and dry matter weight. The results showed that rice competition with E. crus-galli reduced plant height, productive tiller numbers, filled spikelet numbers per panicle, dry matter weight and dry grain weight. Three lines, i.e., IR10L-155, IR10L-133 and BIO-R84-1 were classified as tolerant, 19 lines were moderate and 3 lines were sensitive to E. crus-galli competition. Keywords: Barnyard grass, competition, sensitive line, yield reduction


: Possible mechanisms of peculiarities in the population distribution of idiopathic and symptomatic epilepsy are analyzed. The insufficiency of inhibition systems in the prefrontal cortex due to the later maturation in children and progressive involution in old age is a basic mechanism of idiopathic epilepsy. This factor explains the therapeutic resistance to antiepileptic drugs in the old age. Cerebrovascular diseases are the main factor of symptomatic epilepsy that has a benign prognosis in aged people.


In this paper, an asynchronous layered space-time architecture is proposed to realize the spatial multiplexing over the Ricean multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. Based on reducing the correlation of spatial shaping pulses between the multiplexed streams, this approach can be used to solve the problem of detection in the ill-conditioned channel matrix. It is shown that at the receiver, the reduction of the correlation enables the requirement on the number of the receive antennas to be removed by the zero forcing (ZF) detector compared with the conventional synchronous layered space-time architecture. First, this paper presents how to exploit the correlation of spatial shaping pulses between the multiplexed streams. Then deriving the exact closed-form expression of error rate for the proposed scheme, this paper finds that the maximum possible diversity gain can be achieved based on the independent layered architecture by the ZF detector at the cost of limited multiplexing gain.


In this paper, stress distribution is examined in the case where infinite length co-phase periodically curved two neighboring hollow fibers are contained by an infinite elastic body. The midline of the fibers is assumed to be in the same plane. Using the three-dimensional geometric linear exact equations of the elasticity theory, research is carried out by use of the piecewise homogeneous body model. Moreover, the body is assumed to be loaded at infinity by uniformly distributed normal forces along the hollow fibers. On the inter-medium between the hollow fibers and matrix surfaces, complete cohesion conditions are satisfied. The boundary form perturbation method is used to solve the boundary value problem. In this investigation, numerical results are obtained by considering the zeroth and first approximations to calculate the self-equilibrium shear stresses and normal stress at the contact surfaces between the hollow fibers and matrix. Numerous numerical results have been obtained and interpreted about the effects of the interactions between the hollow fibers on this distribution.


ABSTRACT The present work was designed to determine the potential genotoxicity at the vicinity of a solid waste incinerator in the metropolitan area of Sâo Paulo, using the Tradescantia stamen-hair bioassay. Experiments were carried out between December 1998 and April 1999 in four regions (40 pots of plants per site) selected on the basis of their pollution levels predicted by theoretical modeling of the dispersion of the incinerator's plume. The exposure sites were defined as follows: highest level (incinerator); a high level (museum) located 1.5 km from the emission point; a moderate level (school, at a distance of 3.5 km from the incinerator); and a control (at Jaguariuna countryside). The difference in genotoxicity among the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The frequency of mutations observed in the countryside was significantly lower [2.25 ± 1.55, mean ± SD (standard deviation)] than that of the sites close to the incinerator. The frequency of mutations measured at the school (3.70 ± 1.36) was significantly lower than that measured at both the museum (4.89 ± 1.12) and the incinerator (5.69 ± 1.34). In conclusion, we found a positive correlation between the spatial distribution of the emissions of the incinerator located in an urban area and the mutagenic events measured by the Tradescantia stamen-hair assay. The in situ approach employed in this study was simple, efficient, and of low cost. No air or chemical extraction of pollutants was necessary for genotoxicity testing as required by other assays.


Two studies examined sex differences in the same-sex friendships of college men and women. In a questionnaire study, self-reports were obtained of number o f friends and frequency of interaction, typical and preferred kinds o f interactions with friends, and emotional intimacy. A role-play study provided more direct information about conversations between friends. Men and women did not differ in quantitative aspects o f friendship such as number o f friends or amount of time spent with friends, nor in the value placed on intimate friendships. However, clear sex differences were found in both studies in the nature of interactions with friends. Women showed emphasis on emotional sharing and talking; men emphasized activities and doing things together. Results are discussed in terms of life-cycle constraints on friendship, and the possibility of sex differences in standards for assessing intimacy in friendship is considered.


The main body of this thesis presents the results of research examining two major urban policies operating on Tyneside, a conurbation in the North East of England, in the early 1990s - Urban Development Corporations (UDCs) and City Challenge. The research examines in detail the ways in which Tyne and Wear Development Corporation and North Tyneside City Challenge have addressed the twin issues of community participation and community benefit. Examination of the Tyneside area demonstrates the long term effects of industrial decline and central government's continued public policy response; UDCs and City Challenge are significant recent examples. There is a large body of literature which focuses on the related issues of industrial decline, urban deprivation and public policy response. Some of this literature has highlighted the limited ability of urban policy to ameliorate many of the problems found within the inner city. More recently, commentators have argued that urban policy should address the social needs of local communities directly and not, as many recent urban initiatives have, concentrate almost exclusively on the physical regeneration of derelict areas. Whilst official output measures published by the Department of Environment suggest, in general, that UDCs and City Challenge authorities are successful in meeting their objectives, meaningful evaluation must examine the outcomes of policy and not concentrate solely on the physical 'outputs'. With this in mind, a framework has been adopted which incorporates two key concepts required to evaluate urban policy in a meaningful way - community participation and community benefit. This framework focuses analysis on people and local communities, rather than simply the physical outputs of policy. By using the concepts of community participation and community benefit in evaluating urban policy initiatives, this thesis demonstrates the limitations of the UDC and City Challenge models when addressing the needs of deprived local communities.


: Historadioautographic and biochemical studies were undertaken on the transport of 14C-labelled serum very low density and low density lipoproteins (VLDL and LDL respectively) into the aortic wall. Aortas from normal and atherosclerotic rabbits were perfused in vitro with a medium containing VLDL and LDL for 6 hours. Historadioautography revealed the label in all the layers of the perfused aorta. The gradient in the distribution of this label from the inner layers of the aortic wall dawn to the outer part of the media demonstrated that lipoprotein infiltration of the vessel wall is due to uptake of lipoproteins from the aortic lumen. The non-uniform pattern of the distribution of lipoproteins taken up by the atherosclerotic aorta was considered as a result of atherogenesis induced changes in the aortic connective tissue. Both morphological and biochemical studies revealed the increased permeability of the atherosclerotic aortic wall to VLDL and LDL, which appeared to penetrate the walls of blood vessels in the form of intact particles.


In this title the works of the early period (1958-1969) of artistic activities by Christo and Jeanne-Claude are united to show how their exceptional career developed. From the very early small packages to wrapped barrels and other wrapped objects like chairs, tables, typewriters, bottles, flowers and telephones to the period of storefronts - some of them life-size - and the first proposals to wrap entire buildings, the experience of this art-form is presented. Already in the sixties the artists moved their work out of the studio into open space to confront the general public with their art. Early examples like the "Dockside Packages" at Cologne Harbor in 1961, the "Iron Curtain-Wall of Oil Barrels" blocking the Rue Visconti in Paris in 1962 and the "Wrapped Fountain" and "Wrapped Medieval Tower" in Spoleto finally led to the "5,600 Cubicmeter Package, Documenta 4, Kassel" an Air Package 280 feet high and to the first wrapped buildings, the wrapping of the "Kunsthalle Bern" in 1968 and the "Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago" in 1969. The book concludes with the work "Wrapped Coast, Little Bay, One million square feet, Sydney, Australia" when the wrapping of a whole coastline provided a taste of things to come in the following decade.


The great density and structural complexity of pulmonary vessels and airways impose limitations on the generation of accurate reference standards, which are critical in training and in the validation of image processing methods for features such as pulmonary vessel segmentation or artery–vein (AV) separations. The design of synthetic computed tomography (CT) images of the lung could overcome these difficulties by providing a database of pseudorealistic cases in a constrained and controlled scenario where each part of the image is differentiated unequivocally. This work demonstrates a complete framework to generate computational anthropomorphic CT phantoms of the human lung automatically. Starting from biological and image-based knowledge about the topology and relationships between structures, the system is able to generate synthetic pulmonary arteries, veins, and airways using iterative growth methods that can be merged into a final simulated lung with realistic features. Visual examination and quantitative measurements of intensity distributions, dispersion of structures and relationships between pulmonary air and blood flow systems show good correspondence between real and synthetic lungs.


Background and aims: Independent component analysis (ICA) of the electroencephalogram (EEG) overcomes many of the classical problems in EEG analysis. We used ICA to determine the brain responses to painful stimulation of the oesophagus. Methods: Twelve subjects with a median age of 41 years were included. With a nasal endoscope, two series of 35 electrical stimuli at the pain threshold were given to the distal oesophagus and the EEG was subjected to ICA. The sessions were separated by 30 minutes. For each component head models, event related images, spectral perturbation, coherence analysis, and dipoles were extracted. The most valid components were found according to time/frequency information and reliability in both experiments. Results: Reliable components with the most valid dipoles were found in the thalamus, insula, cingulate gyrus, and sensory cortex. Time locked activities were consistent with upstream activation of these areas, and cross coherence analysis of the sources demonstrated dynamic links in the β(14–25 Hz) and γ(25–50 Hz) bands between the suggested networks of neurones. The thalamic components were time and phase locked intermittently, starting around 50 ms. In the cingulate gyrus, the posterior areas were always firstly activated, followed by the middle and anterior regions. Components with dipoles in the sensory cortex were localised in several regions of the somatosensory area. Conclusions: The method gives new information relating to the localisation and dynamics between neuronal networks in the brain to pain evoked from the human oesophagus, and should be used to increase our understanding of clinical pain.


Gross and microscopic examination of equivalent segments of abdominal aortas obtained at autopsy from 39 male patients aged 10 to 30 years (mean, 20.5 years) and 37 female patients aged 9 to 30 years (mean, 20.9 years) revealed no significant difference in the prevalence of aortic pre-atherosclerotic lesions in male v female patients. The prevalence of fatty streaks and early and late fibromusculoelastic lesions did not change significantly with increasing age, suggesting that in the abdominal aorta, the majority of precursor lesions for atherosclerosis are already present by 15 years of age. These findings suggest that the reduced severity of atherosclerosis in female patients is not due to the presence of smaller numbers (or extent) of precursor lesions, but rather to slower progression of these lesions in female patients.


It is becoming important to verify the relationship among knowledge management (KM) practices, knowledge management system (KMS) and organizational performance. Yet little is known of how KMS supports knowledge management processes and affects the improvement of organizational performance. In order to close this gap, we conducted an empirical study in which 176 organizations with KM practices were involved. One research model is built up in which a mediated variable - KM Capability (KMC) is introduced. The SEM is applied to analyze the model. We found knowledge creation, knowledge organization and knowledge transfer process can promote knowledge management capability. KMS can improve the KMC and organizational performance indirectly through supporting KM processes.


The aim was to study the polymorphisms in GH, GHR, IGF-I and IGFBPII genes and their association with productive and reproductive traits. DNA was extracted from blood samples of 380 breeder hens of Mazandaran native fowls breeding station by modified salting out method. For genotyping, PCR products of GH, GHR, IGF-I and IGFBPII loci were digested with specific restriction enzymes. We found six genotypes of AA, BB, CC, AB, AC and BC with the frequency of 0.10, 0.01, 0.36, 0.07, 0.34 and 0.12 in GH, two haploid alleles and genotypes of B+ and B- with the frequency of 0.72 and 0.28 in GHR, three genotypes of BB, Bb, bb with the frequency of 0.49, 0.44 and 0.07 in IGF-I and three genotypes of CC, CT and TT with the frequency of 0.14, 0.62 and 0.24 in IGFBPII loci, respectively. Significant associations were found between SNPs in IGF-I locus and egg number at 120-270 and 345-375 days of age, egg weight at puberty and percentage of hatchability traits (P<0.05). We also found significant effects of GHR and IGFBPII loci on egg number at 345-375 days of age and average egg weight at 345-375 days of age traits, respectively (P<0.05). Mean comparisons analysis between different genotypes of GH gene for body weight at day one and puberty, age at sexual maturity, egg weight at puberty and 30 weeks of age, average egg weight and egg number at 345-375 days of age and also percentage of fertility traits and IGFBPII genotypes for laying intensity trait were observed to be significant (P<0.05). Regarding the significant effects of GHR, IGF-I and IGFBPII genes on egg production traits, it could be resulted that these candidate genes may be used as the candidate markers in poultry breeding programs to improve productive and reproductive traits in this population.


In this paper we report the results from a survey among all publicly listed Nordic firms on their policy decisions concerning their capital structure. We find that more than 60 percent of the companies have rather or relatively flexible debt target, whereas a strict target or no target at all is approximately equally common. We also study the determinants for the strictness of the debt target, and find support for both firm characteristics as well as behavioral variables. We also study the link between capital structure policy and dividend policy, and find that dividend paying firms - firms with a definite dividend policy are more likely to have a stricter debt target. These results indicate that more research should be done on the joint setting of capital structure and dividend policies.


Abstract Previous research has identified the complexity of cross-country skiing and the importance of finding test parameters that reflect the sport-specific performance. The purpose of the present study was to investigate relationships between body composition and physiological variables and performance in young cross-country skiing women. Ten 22,6 (±2,7) year old trained, Swedish, female cross-country skiers volunteered to participate in a specific test battery. Participants completed a test battery consisting of VO2max, standing long jump (SLH), squat jump (SJ), counter movement jump (CMJ), counter movement jump with arm swing (CMJ-arm), isometric leg strength (ISO-leg), ball throw (kast), isometric arm strength (ISO-drag), Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA-scan) and anthropometric measurements (weight, height, BMI). The physiological test variables obtained were correlated with participants FIS-points (International Ski Federation's ranking points for distance and sprint performance) used as performance data. Correlations were performed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient test. The results show that SJ and FIS-points (distance) were significantly correlated. However, no significant correlations were found between any of the other physiological test variables (VO2max, DXA-scan, CMJ, CMJ-arm, ISO-leg, kast, ISO-drag, SLH) and FIS-points. These findings highlight the importance of sport-specific tests which reflect actual performance in cross-country skiing. Furthermore, as physiological demands will vary depending on the competition, it may also be of importance to reflect on the definition of performance used, as this in turn should reflect the required specific demands. Key words: Ski ranking, Test battery, Cross-country skiing, FIS-points, Physiological tests


PURPOSE
The main purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of cochlear implant experience on prelinguistic vocal development in young deaf children. Procedure A prospective longitudinal research design was used to document the sequence and time course of vocal development in 7 children who were implanted between 10 and 36 months of age. Speech samples were collected twice before implant activation and on a monthly basis thereafter for up to 2 years. Children's vocalizations were classified according to the levels of the Stark Assessment of Early Vocal Development--Revised (SAEVD-R; S. Nathani, D. J Ertmer, & R. E. Stark, 2006).

RESULTS
The main findings were (a) 6 of 7 children made advancements in vocal development after implantation; (b) children implanted between 12 and 36 months progressed through SAEVD-R levels in the predicted sequence, whereas a child implanted at a younger age showed a different sequence; (c) milestones in vocal development were often achieved with fewer months of hearing experience than observed in typically developing infants and appeared to be influenced by age at implantation; and (d) in general, children implanted at younger ages completed vocal development at younger chronological ages than those implanted later in life. Specific indicators of benefit from implant use were also identified.

CONCLUSION
The time course of vocal development in young cochlear implant recipients can provide clinically useful information for assessing the benefits of implant experience. Studies of postimplantation vocal development have the potential to inform theories of spoken language development.


Purpose – The aim of this paper is to profile the casino gaming industry in Niagara Falls Canada, home to Canada's largest and busiest casino infrastructure. The research also investigated the larger role played by casino gaming to the overall tourism industry and economy of the greater Niagara Falls region. Design/methodology/approach – Research methods included a comprehensive literature review combined with a structured interview with a leading executive in Niagara casino resort operations. Findings – The Canadian gaming industry has experienced significant growth in revenues, participation rates, and employment in the last decade. Major shifts in the core customer base of Canadian Niagara casino resorts have occurred in the past decade as a result of major valuation changes between US and Canadian currencies, significant challenges in border crossings for US visitors to Canada and the growth and development of new casino resorts operated by the Seneca Indian nations in neighboring New York State. Originality/value – An up‐to‐date synopsis of current operating challenges and opportunities for the casino gaming sector in the Niagara region is provided. Results should be of interest to academics, gaming and tourism officials and potential investors.


Systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a category of T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which can be further subdivided into two distinct entities (ALK+ and ALK−) based on the presence or absence of ALK gene rearrangements. Among several pathways triggered by ALK signaling, constitutive activation of STAT3 is strictly required for ALK-mediated transformation and survival. Here we performed genome-wide microRNA profiling and identified 48 microRNA concordantly modulated by the inducible knock-down of ALK and STAT3. To evaluate the functional role of differentially expressed miRNA, we forced their expression in ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma cells, and monitored their influence after STAT3 depletion. We found that the expression of the microRNA-17~92 cluster partially rescues STAT3 knock-down by sustaining proliferation and survival of ALK+ cells. Experiments in a xenograft mouse model indicated that forced expression of microRNA-17~92 interferes with STAT3 knock-down in vivo. High expression levels of the microRNA-17~92 cluster resulted in down-regulation of BIM and TGFβRII proteins, suggesting that their targeting might mediate resistance to STAT3 knock-down in anaplastic large cell lymphoma cells. We speculate that the microRNA-17~92 cluster is involved in lymphomagenesis of STAT3+ ALCL and that its inhibition might represent an alternative avenue to interfere with ALK signaling in anaplastic large cell lymphomas.


We report flow tube measurements of the effective sulfuric acid diffusion coefficient at ranges of different relative humidities (from ∼4 to 70%), temperatures (278, 288 and 298 K) and initial H2SO4 concentrations (from 1 × 106 to 1 × 108 molecules·cm−3). The measurements were carried out under laminar flow of humidified air containing trace amounts of impurities such as amines (few ppt), thus representing typical conditions met in Earth's continental boundary layer. The diffusion coefficients were calculated from the sulfuric acid wall loss rate coefficients that were obtained by measuring H2SO4 concentration continuously at seven different positions along the flow tube with a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS). The wall loss rate coefficients and laminar flow conditions were verified with additional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model FLUENT simulations. The determined effective sulfuric acid diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing relative humidity, as also seen in previous experiments, and had a rather strong power dependence with respect to temperature, around ∝ T5.6, which is in disagreement with the expected temperature dependence of ∼T1.75 for pure vapours. Further clustering kinetics simulations using quantum chemical data showed that the effective diffusion coefficient is lowered by the increased diffusion volume of H2SO4 molecules via a temperature-dependent attachment of base impurities like amines. Thus, the measurements and simulations suggest that in the atmosphere the attachment of sulfuric acid molecules with base molecules can lead to a lower than expected effective sulfuric acid diffusion coefficient with a higher than expected temperature dependence.


Minimizing surface and deep tillage operations for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production may promote soil quality, but productivity and nitrogen (N) rate requirements need to be examined for these systems across Alabama Coastal Plain soils. A three-year experiment was conducted at three locations to (1) compare noninversion and no-tillage wheat production and (2) determine if N requirements across tillage systems should be modified. Each experiment (nine site-year comparisons) consisted of a split-plot design with tillage as the main plot and six fall and spring applied N fertilizer combinations as subplots, replicated four times. Tiller densities, tiller N concentrations, tiller biomass, wheat yields, grain crude protein, grain N use efficiency, and net returns were evaluated. Tillage system and fall N had no effect on tiller density or tiller N concentrations, except for 8% greater tiller N concentrations (P = 0.0842) for noninversion tillage compared to no-tillage at one location. Noninversion tillage also produced 23% more tiller biomass (P = 0.0040) compared to no-tillage at only one location. At two of the three locations, wheat yield response (P = 0.0764; P = 0.0313) varied up to 12%, but was inconsistent between tillage systems, while tillage system had no effect on grain crude protein and grain N use efficiency. The 134 kg N ha−1 rate produced 17% (P ≤ 0.0001) and 30% (P ≤ 0.0001) yield increases, averaged over tillage systems, for the 67 and 101 kg N ha−1 rates at the tillage responsive locations. No-tillage produced 11% greater net returns (P = 0.0238) than noninversion tillage for one location, while noninversion tillage produced net returns nearly six times greater (P = 0.0434) than no-tillage for the other location. Although net returns for the 101 and 134 kg N ha−1 rates were equivalent, net returns were nearly double for the 134 kg N ha−1 rate compared to the 101 kg N ha−1 rate at one location. No-tillage produced equivalent yields compared to noninversion tillage at two of the three locations, but net returns for no-tillage were only positive for one location. The 134 kg N ha−1 rate was required to maximize wheat production, but net returns indicated no advantage for additional N at the responsive locations, despite differences between N rates. No-tillage may enhance soil quality benefits, but yield increases and net returns were negligible compared to noninversion tillage across the Coastal Plain of Alabama.


Abstract Adjustable-rate mortgages in the United States and comparable mortgages in other countries generally use an additive risk markup over the pricing base. For example, the interest rate might be "cost of funds to the lender" plus 3% or the Treasury bond rate plus 2%. In all cases the number after the "plus" serves as a risk premium or markup, whereas the pricing base is a proxy for the riskless rate or the cost of the funds. The question here is why each formula uses an additive risk markup. The question is interesting because under an additive markup, the lenders′ return to risk is not constant across states of nature. Specifically, the return to risk falls as interest rates rise. It can be shown that a constant return to risk requires an alternative pricing formula of the sort 1 + R = (1 + base) · (1 + markup) = 1 + base + markup + markup · base. That is, nonvarying returns on risk require both additive and multiplicative components in the pricing formula. While multiplicative or multiplicative-cum-additive pricing is not uncommon in commercial lending, it is virtually nonexistent in mortgage pricing. In this paper an explanation for the practice of additive pricing is offered. It is based on the hedging qualities of the various pricing formulas for lenders and borrowers. We show that additive mortgage pricing is generally preferred by home-buyers because of the cyclical relationship between housing and interest rates. When market rates rise, housing prices tend to fall (or at least rise less rapidly). Hence a pricing formula that results in a drop in the risk component paid by the borrower (in those states of nature) possesses natural hedging advantages. For the lender, there is also an advantage to such an arrangement. In effect, the additive formula causes the risk component to rise and fall together with the cyclical value of the collateral. Thus the overall risk of default may be lower for any given expected return or markup. In addition, the additive formula may be superior in terms of hedging other risks stemming from other items in the lender′s portfolio. These hedging implications hold for all choices of index base, although the base choice itself also has implications for risk exposure and hedging.


The development of low-cost and highly active electrocatalysts for two half reactions: H2 and O2 evolution reactions (HER and OER), is still a huge challenge to realize water splitting. Herein, we report that CoP nanoparticles (NPs) can act as a bifunctional catalyst for both HER and OER. Particularly, ultrafine CoP NPs decorated on N-doped multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) exhibit remarkable catalytic performance for OER in 0.1 M NaOH aqueous solution, with a low onset overpotential of 290 mV, a Tafel slope of 50 mV dec(-1), an overpotential (η) of 330 mV at 10 mA cm(-2), and approximately 100% Faradaic efficiency, paralleling the performance of state-of-the-art Co-based OER catalysts including Co3O4, CoSe2, and Co-Pi. The hybrid catalyst is capable of maintaining a high catalytic current density for at least 10 h without any loss of catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the noble-metal-free catalyst also shows good activity and duarability for HER under the same basic condition.


ABSTRACT Empirical research on the workload of the Supreme Court of India remains restricted by data sources. Existing approaches which adopt the count of cases as their primary measure miss the fact that the capacity of the Court is largely time driven. Stating that a court has a certain number of cases pending is insufficient to make inferences about the court's congestion, capacity or efficiency. Applying a new data collection technique, we develop a dataset which records hearing time for each case in the Supreme Court of India. Using the weighted caseload method, we analyse the disposal rate, pendency and congestion faced by the Court. We find that the Court faces an unsustainable workload given existing resources and efficiency. We further use the model to evaluate the efficacy of common suggestions to reduce pendency. We conclude by discussing avenues for further research utilising time data.


This project work 'The Impact of value Added Tax on the Economic Growth in Nigeria (2000-2014) ' was necessitated by the need to assess the performance of Value Added Tax and ascertain its impact on the Economic Growth in Nigeria. It focused on the impact of l24T on vat able persons especially as it relates to the demand and sales of it product, its mama/m; contribution to the total revenue generated by the Federal Government, the entire economy and finally a comparison of the observed efect relative to what the desired impact should be. This research set to ascertain the impact of Value Added Tax (VAT) on economic growth of Nigerians for the period 20002014. Two research questions were formulated while two hypotheses were tested. Ex-post facta research design was adopted for the study. Secondary data were collected prom National bureau of Statistics and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. Analysis was done using ordinary least Square regression method, it was discovered that VAT has positive relationship with Gross Domestic Product with the conclusion that VAT has significant influence on the level of economic activities in Nigeria. We recommends amongst other things that tax policies relating to VAT should be fully implemented and conducive atmosphere should be provided for implementation of those policies.


We study the effects of model uncertainty in a simple New Keynesian model using robust control techniques. Due to the simple model structure, we are able to find closed-form solutions for the robust control problem, analyzing both instrument rules and targeting rules under different timing assumptions. In all cases but one, an increased preference for robustness makes monetary policy respond more aggressively to cost shocks but leaves the response to demand shocks unchanged. As a consequence, inflation is less volatile and output is more volatile than under the nonrobust policy. Under one particular timing assumption, however, increasing the preference for robustness has no effect on the optimal targeting rule (nor on the economy).


From a cast of a human pulmonary arterial tree, the diameter, length, order, and end branches of all intact branches down to those 0.8 mm in diameter were measured and corrections for broken branches were made. A sample of structures smaller than these (0.8-0.1 mm) was similarly measured. The values for branches less than 0.1 mm in diameter were found by extrapolation and comparison with known data for the precapillary vessels. Therefore, data or estimates for each order of branching in the pulmonary tree were obtained and calculations of cross-sectional area, volume, and flow were made.


Oblivious Random Access Machine (ORAM) enables a client to access her data without leaking her access patterns. Existing client-efficient ORAMs either achieve O(log N) client-server communication blowup without heavy computation, or O(1) blowup but with expensive homomorphic encryptions. It has been shown that O(log N) bandwidth blowup might not be practical for certain applications, while schemes with O(1) communication blowup incur even more delay due to costly homomorphic operations. In this paper, we propose a new distributed ORAM scheme referred to as Shamir Secret Sharing ORAM (S3ORAM), which achieves O(1) client-server bandwidth blowup and O(1) blocks of client storage without relying on costly partial homomorphic encryptions. S3ORAM harnesses Shamir Secret Sharing, tree-based ORAM structure and a secure multi-party multiplication protocol to eliminate costly homomorphic operations and, therefore, achieves O(1) client-server bandwidth blowup with a high computational efficiency. We conducted comprehensive experiments to assess the performance of S3ORAM and its counterparts on actual cloud environments, and showed that S3ORAM achieves three orders of magnitude lower end-to-end delay compared to alternatives with O(1) client communication blowup (Onion-ORAM), while it is one order of magnitude faster than Path-ORAM for a network with a moderate bandwidth quality. We have released the implementation of S3ORAM for further improvement and adaptation.


The study intended to find out the frequency of interaction between Advisors/lecturers and adult learners. The objectives were to find out: the regularity of adult learners talking to an advisor, factors that contributed to the regularity of meeting and how readily they accessed advisors. The study was significance in that faculty members realized that frequent interaction with adult learners was more strongly related to satisfaction than any other type of involvement. The respondents included fourteen academic advisors and three hundred and twenty students sampled in one of Kenya's public university. Stratified and systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The study established that a high percentage of adult learners rarely talked to advisers and 167 (69.0%) considered availability of advisers as scarce and not available. The study recommended that university students should be allocated academic advisors.


Discomfort is a prominent component of illness, but it is difficult to measure on a scale that allows its formal inclusion in a health status index. The authors tested the content validity of defining various discomforts in terms of their quality, duration, and intensity and found no responses that could not be categorized within this conceptual framework. They then analyzed the ability of patients to ascribe preference values to a sample of discomfort statements, based on this characterization of discomfort, and found them able to do this reliably using magnitude estimation. These results show that, although the universe of discomforts cannot be measured directly on a common scale, they can be compared using a scale of social preference. This will allow the formal incorporation of the discomfort component of illness into health status indexes based upon dysfunctions, discomforts, and prognosis.


With Collective Perception, intelligent vehicles and road infrastructure can share and receive sensor data from their road peers to enhance mutual awareness. As traffic situations are incredibly dynamic and because of the potentially large number of objects on the road, the V2X channel can become quickly congested if vehicles choose to broadcast frequently. Even though many redundancy mitigation and congestion control techniques have been proposed, another thought is to only broadcast relevant safety-critical information about traffic situations that nearby drivers should be aware of. In this paper, we attempt to recognize outlying driving behaviors that imperil the safety of nearby road participants. The method is data-driven, does not require hard-coding of traffic rules, thus can be quickly adapted to different markets and scenarios while minimizing the incidence of delay until detection.


Nonprofits play an essential role in society. To realize their important missions, nonprofits
rely on strong and committed leaders at both the organization level as well as the governance level.
Nonprofits are obligated to have an active board of directors to operate. This reliance places the
organization in a vulnerable position where they must recruit and engage with external
stakeholders and identify individuals with the combination of talent needed to succeed as well as
the passion for supporting the organization's vision. Knowing that board members have a long lasting impact on their organizations, this paper looks at the varying models of governance and the
implications for choosing one model over another. Determining the best structure for a governance
model represents one component to setting an organization up for success. Equally, if not more
important, is ensuring that the board of directors is composed of motivated and committed
individuals who are steadfast in their efforts to support the mission of the organization. In order to
find the best people for the role, an organization must understand what drives and motivates an
individual to serve on a board. The topic of motivation as it relates to governance boards, and how
existing boards can use the motivating factors to recruit and retain board members is explored.
Finally, we explore the value of diverse board composition and whether certain criteria of diversity
carry more weight in terms of impact than others.


One of the weaknesses of replicated protocols, compared to centralized ones, is that they are unable to manage concurrent execution of transactions at different isolation levels. In the last years, some theoretical works related to this research line have appeared but none of them has proposed and implemented a real replication protocol with support to multiple isolation levels. This paper takes advantage of our MADIS middleware and one of its implemented Snapshot Isolation protocols to design and implement the SIRC-Rep, a protocol that is able to execute concurrently both Generalized Snapshot Isolation (SI) and Read Committed (RC) transactions. We have also made a performance analysis to show how this kind of protocols can improve the system performance and decrease the transaction abortion rate in applications that do not require the strictest isolation level in every transaction.


Aims
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) redistributes blood flow from poorly ventilated to better aerated areas in the lung, thereby optimizing ventilation-perfusion ratio (V/Q). Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) contraction in response to hypoxia is triggered by Ca2+ influx via transient receptor potential canonical 6 (TRPC6) cation channels that have translocated to caveolae in the plasma membrane. Since phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was suggested to regulate TRPC6 in endothelial cells, we aimed to define its role in the hypoxic response of PASMCs and as a putative mediator of HPV.

Methods and results
In isolated perfused mouse lungs, smooth muscle specific PTEN deficiency attenuated pulmonary vasoconstriction in response to hypoxia but not to angiotensin II (Ang II). Analogously, siRNA-mediated knock down of PTEN in human PASMC inhibited the hypoxia-induced increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). Co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays revealed increased interaction of PTEN with TRPC6 in human PASMC and murine lungs in response to hypoxia. In hypoxic PASMC, both PTEN and TRPC6 translocated to caveolae, and this response was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) which in parallel prevented PTEN-TRPC6 interaction, hypoxia-induced [Ca2+]i increase, and HPV in PASMC and murine lungs, respectively.

Conclusion
Our data indicate a novel interplay between ROCK and [Ca2+]i signalling in HPV via PTEN, in that ROCK mediates interaction of PTEN and TRPC6 which then conjointly translocate to caveolae allowing for Ca2+ influx into and subsequent contraction of PASMC.


The anatomy of large cetaceans has been well documented, mostly through dissection of dead specimens. However, the difficulty of studying the world's largest animals in their natural environment means the functions of anatomical structures must be inferred. Recently, non‐invasive tracking devices have been developed that measure body position and orientation, thereby enabling the detailed reconstruction of underwater trajectories. The addition of cameras to the whale‐borne tags allows the sensor data to be matched with real‐time observations of how whales use their morphological structures, such as flukes, flippers, feeding apparatuses, and blowholes for the physiological functions of locomotion, feeding, and breathing. Here, we describe a new tag design with integrated video and inertial sensors and how it can be used to provide insights to the function of whale anatomy. This technology has the potential to facilitate a wide range of discoveries and comparative studies, but many challenges remain to increase the resolution and applicability of the data. Anat Rec, 300:1935–1941, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


ABSTRAK Machmud, Fathur Rahman. 2017. Identification of Cross-linguistic Influence of Arabic on English Writing Performance of Students Majoring in Arabic. Thesis. ELT Program. Graduate Program of Universitas Negeri Malang. Advisors: (I) Prof. Dr.Yazid Basthomi M.A., (II) Prof. Dr. Effendy Kadarisman, MA., Ph.D Keywords: Cross-linguistic influence, interference, intralingual error, interlingual error The recent growing interest of research on cross-linguistic (CLI) is nowadays shifting from influence of first language (L1) on second language (L2) acquisition into the influence of any other additional languages (L3). This can be inevitably caused by globalization era in which people learn and interact using various languages. This issue was then brought into EFL teaching context for Arabic department students in Indonesia. The present study is aimedat scrutinizing and investigating the work of students' L2 (Arabic) interference on their English writing production. The present study was conducted in qualitative design, more specifically phenomenology. The data were collected through questionnaire, English proficiency test, students' academic report, free composition writing and translation task. Out of 24 students, 13 students met the requirement of language acquisition order and taken as subjects of the study. The data were then collected from their free composition writing and translation task in the form of errors. After which, the researcher conducted analysis through contrastive analysis by comparing errors with their L1 and L2 properties to pinpoint the source of interference. Finally, the errors were analyzed and classified with due respect of students' L2 proficiency level. This research found that students produced both intralingual and interlingual errors in their writing and translation task. The upmost errors found were intralingual errors instead of interlingual ones. It was also revealed that out of 72 interlingual errors, only 7 of them was affirmatively confirmed negatively transferred from students' L2 (Arabic). These errors were produced by students across proficiency level of Arabic showing that language proficiency factor did not play that really vital role in Indonesian context of Arabic department students. In addition, the researcher revealed that L2 errors produced by the students were occurred in lexical domains instead of grammatical one. One reasonable reason of this interference is that due to psycho (typological) factor of the languages. The researcher then comes to the conclusion that, students' L1 has closer language typology distance with their L3, therefore grammatical and lexical interference was mostly found from their L1 instead of their L2. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
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Contents: Preface. Part I: Complexity Thinking. What Is "Complexity"? What Is "Science"? The Shape of Complexity. The Network of Complexity. Part II: Complexity Thinking, Education, and Educational Inquiry. Descriptive Complexity Research: Qualities of Learning Systems. Descriptive Complexity Research: Level-Jumping. Pragmatic Complexity Research: Conditions of Emergence. Complexity and Education: Vital Simultaneities. Endnotes.


Introduction It is extremely difficult to evaluate the extent to which agricultural workers are exposed to pesticides. This is due to the large number of plant protection products (PPPs) used on a single crop and the variety of active substances (ASs) that have been used over the course of time. Methods PPP Index is a repertoire of pesticides listing the ASs authorised and marketed in France each year. All the data collected between 1961 and 2014 was compiled in CIPA-TOX database. Relevant toxicological iformation was added to 1053 ASs. The method used to is based on European regulations, international classification (IARC and US-EPA for carcinogens) and on the search for toxicological reference values (TRV). One or several health effects was attributed to ASs including carcinogenicity, reprotoxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, etc. Results CIPA-Tox provides information about the use of PPP over time in France. The number of ASs authorised, decreased slightly in the second half of the first decade of the millennium; it then remained stable through 2014. For the toxicological field, more than 70% of the substances authorised in France since 1960 have at least one health effect. Six substances classified as probable or proven carcinogens remain on the market. Endocrine disruptors represent more than 100 authorised ASs. The most affected crops are vinyards and arboriculture. Discussion The advantages of CIPA-TOX are to take into account all the ASs marketed since 1961 and to apply for identifying health effects a clear and rigorous protocol. The limits are that some substances do not show any health effect. This doesn't mean that they are not harmful but only that the data are lacking. The TRV based on a threshold to avoid the first relevant health effect that appears. This does not mean that other effects do not exist.


Proteases, such as urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and prostate specific antigen (PSA), have been used extensively as biomarkers for cancer. A necessary improvement in diagnostics with proteomics is to use the activity levels of proteases as a signal, as opposed to the total protease content. This will provide a better functional insight into the propagation of cancer, and ultimately could allow us to diagnose cancer at earlier stages. Here, we propose a new platform to capture and measure activity of specific proteases in patient samples, with single-molecule sensitivity.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


This paper illustrates the future role of mobile computing for the response in emergencies and mass casualty incidents (MCIs). Furthermore it describes the different components and functionalities which will be needed – in the form of a vision. This vision shows that a mobile system is capable to assist emergency teams and incident commanders in MCI operations. This mobile system has to contain functionalities such as information on patients, information on the scene, information on emergency teams, information on infrastructure, MCI knowledge, technical support, management tools, remote collaboration and flexibility. Due to the fact that various researchers performed research on these challenges a wide-spread overview on the state of the art is presented. Finally this paper points out that a powerful user-interface which considers the unstable, time-critical and life-threatening context is indispensable for the successful introduction of mobile computing in emergencies and MCIs.


1. At 15 degrees , slices of cod islet tissue incorporated [U-(14)C]proline into proteins soluble in acid-ethanol at a linear rate for 6hr. 2. Initially, all the radioactivity was associated with a polypeptide that had a molecular weight of about 10000 and was appreciably more basic than cod insulin. After 1hr. there was also a significant and progressive increase in the radioactivity of insulin and of fractions intermediate in molecular size and basicity between the polypeptide and insulin. 3. O-Ethyl O-p-nitrophenyl phenylpropylphosphonate markedly decreased the radioactivity both of the intermediate fractions and of insulin, but had no significant effect on the biosynthesis of the polypeptide. In contrast, puromycin inhibited the incorporation of radioactivity into all the fractions. 4. The polypeptide had an activity of less than 0.2 international unit/mg. in the epididymal-fat-pad bioassay. Treatment with low concentrations of trypsin caused a progressive increase in the formation of an insulin-like material, judged by bioassay and ion-exchange chromatography of the digest. 5. Gel filtration of the polypeptide after oxidative sulphitolysis indicated that it was a single polypeptide chain. 6. The results suggest that the polypeptide is an insulin precursor whose formation is inhibited by puromycin and that the steps involved in the conversion of precursor into product are sensitive to O-ethyl O-p-nitrophenyl phenylpropylphosphonate.


Squalene based nanoparticles obtained via nanoprecipitation are promising candidates as efficient anti-cancer drugs. In order to highlight their preparation process and to facilitate further clinical translation, the present study enlightens the paramount role of the solvent in the formation of these nanomedicines. Three different squalene-based nanoparticles, i.e. squalenic acid, deoxycytidine squalene and gemcitabine squalene, have been investigated before and after organic solvent evaporation. Size and structural analysis by Small Angle Neutron Scattering revealed that droplets' size was uniquely controlled by the solvent composition (ethanol-water), which evolved during their gradual formation. The particles were preferably swollen by water and the swelling increased when less ethanol was present. Either coalescence or fragmentation was observed depending on the increase or decrease of the ethanol content, supporting an equilibrium control of the size. Moreover, a high water swelling was observed for the three local organization of the nanodroplets (hexagonal for gemcitabine squalene, cubic for deoxycytidine and not structured for squalenic acid) and could be the source of the previously reported efficiency of related anti-cancer squalene based nanomedicines.


Potassium Citrate Mixture is sometimes used to make the urine alkaline but tastes unpleasant. Effervescent tablets (Effercitrate - Typharm) have recently been introduced as a palatable and more convenient alternative. One tablet contains the equivalent of 5 ml of the Mixture BPC 1973 (13.9 mmol potassium) in a lemon-flavoured effervescent base. Effercitrate may prove more acceptable than the mixture when urinary alkalinization is needed as in patients with post-irradiation cystitis,1 in certain urinary infections, and to prevent crystalluria during treatment with high doses of sulphonamides or methotrexate. Both preparations should be avoided in patients with chronic renal failure.