No single information systems development method (ISDM) suits to all information systems development (ISD) projects. Despite of this, ISDM selection has received limited attention in earlier research. This raises the question are ISDM selection decisions rare in practice as well, and if so, what are the reasons. We used the bounded rationality and functional stupidity theories to investigate ISDM selection decision-making behavior, and interviewed 31 IS professionals working in the borderline between IS clients and suppliers. We examined their experiences about ISDM selection within both types of organizations. We discovered that the ISDM selection decisions of ISD projects are seldom discussed, that the ISDM selection behavior of client and supplier organizations differ, and that the bounded rationality and functional stupidity theories are descriptively useful. In addition to these research contributions, our study shows that there are theoretical and practical reasons to develop better ISDM selection guidelines for ISD projects.


Background Computed tomography (CT) perfusion has been studied as a tool to predict delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and clinical outcome in spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of the study was to determine whether quantitative CT perfusion performed within 72 hours after admission can predict the occurrence of DCI and clinical outcome as measured with a modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months after ictus. Methods Cerebral perfusion was assessed in a prospective cohort of patients with acute SAH. CT perfusion parameters at <72 h post SAH were quantitatively measured in the main vascular territories and represented as whole-brain means. Spearman rank correlation coefficient and generalized additive regression models for binary outcome were used. Results A total of 66 patients underwent CT perfusion at <72 h. Poor clinical grade on admission was correlated with worse cerebral perfusion in all parameters. Multivariable analysis yielded an association of time to peak (TTP; odds ratio (OR) = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77, 1.02; p = 0.083) with the occurrence of DCI. We also found an association of TTP values with poor outcome, with an 8% increase in the odds of mRS > 3 for each one second increase in TTP at admission (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.17; p = 0.061). Conclusions We identified an association of early TTP changes with DCI and poor clinical outcome. However, there were no associations with cerebral blood flow or mean transit time and DCI/clinical outcome. CT perfusion still remains to be validated as a tool in predicting outcome in SAH.


This paper extends models of renewable resources to an economy with two sectors, resource extraction and production. In contrast to one sector models, we show that the optimal strategies in the single-firm model are essentially different from those in the two-player model. In the single-player model, the optimal strategy is to keep the resource extraction a constant multiple of production labor. In the two-player model, the optimal strategy for each player is to keep extracting labor a constant multiple of production labor. It is also shown that the extraction-to-production labor ratio is increasing with the wage and the interest rate and is decreasing with the production TFP, the extraction TFP, and the stock level in the single-player model, but not in the two-player model. Finally, I show that another way for each firm to maximize profit is to raise its zero-profit stock level by maximizing its geometric average TFP.


The interest in biodiesel as an alternative fuel is ever increasing due to recent legislation requiring fuel manufacturers to add a set percentage of biofuel in their products. The present EU's biofuel policy introduces a blending target involving reaching a mandatory 6% reduction in the greenhouse gas intensity of fuels by 2020. Thus, biodiesel production that is sustainable in terms of feedstock, as well as of employment of clean, safe, and efficient manufacturing processes, is becoming urgent. In the past decade, many industrial processes have shifted toward the use of solid acid catalysts as a 'green tool' to replace traditional catalytic systems to efficiently produce biodiesel from low-cost biomass feedstock, i.e., resources with high free fatty acid content. Heterogeneous systems, indeed, enable their easy separation and recovery, recycling and reuse, possibly leading to waste-minimized protocols. Moreover, there is an ever-growing interest in exploiting the synergy between heterogeneous catalysis and continuous flow technology as a viable integrated sustainable solution to process intensification. In this chapter, we focus on the recent advances in the use of tuneable and versatile organic polymer-supported solid acid catalysts to produce biodiesel fuel in batch and in continuous mode. We restrict the discussion to the most widely employed members of this class, i.e., cation-exchange resins. Trends are identified between physico-chemical and morphological properties of the catalysts and their performance, while their recyclability aspects are also examined. Finally, a survey and brief discussion on these catalysts' performance in batch and continuous flow production of levulinates – biofuel additives structurally related to biodiesel – are also provided.


As a result of the increased interest in metaphor research in the last three decades and the need for a formal, systematic method to identify metaphors in discourse, the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP) was developed (Pragglejaz Group, 2007). This procedure aims to identify metaphors in an objective way by using a dictionary as a work of reference instead of the intuition of analysts. The procedure was originally developed on the basis of (British) English.The present study investigates to what extent it is possible to directly use this procedure for the identification of linguistic metaphors in French. An almost 40,000 word corpus was analyzed with the help of the MIP and this study discusses both dictionary related and language specific issues that arose during the annotation process. It is shown that the MIP can quite easily be applied to French, but that for some issues adaptations to the procedure are needed.


ISSN 2277-5099 | © 2016 Bonfring Abstract--Whether you're using wireless internet in a coffee shop, stealing it from the guy next door, or competing for bandwidth at a conference, you have probably gotten frustrated at the slow speeds you face when more than one device is tapped into the network. As more and more people and their many devices access wireless internet, clogged airwaves are going to make it. One germen phycist. Harald Haas has come up with a solution he calls "data through illumination" –taking the fibber out of fiber optic by sending data through an 1LED light bulb that varies in intensity faster than the human eye can follow. It's the same idea band behind infrared remote controls but far more powerful. Haas says his invention, which he calls DLIGHT, can produce data rates faster than 10 megabits per second, which is speedier than your average broadband connection. He envisions a future where data for laptops, smart phones, and tablets is transmitted through the light in a room. And security would be snap – if you can't see the light, you can't access the data.


The pasta phases are calculated for warm stellar matter in a framework of relativistic mean-field models, including the possibility of light cluster formation. Results from three different semiclassical approaches are compared with a quantum statistical calculation. Light clusters are considered as point-like particles, and their abundances are determined from the minimization of the free energy. The couplings of the light-clusters to mesons are determined from experimental chemical equilibrium constants and many-body quantum statistical calculations. The effect of these light clusters on the chemical potentials is also discussed. It is shown that including heavy clusters, light clusters are present until larger nucleonic densities, although with smaller mass fractions.


OBJECTIVE
Firstly, to describe pulmonary venous flow patterns in various grades of mitral regurgitation and secondly, to determine effect of mitral valve surgery on these flows.

DESIGN
Descriptive study for the first objective and open randomised intervention for the second objective.

SETTING
Mater Misericordiae Hospital Heart Unit, Nairobi (1996-1997).

PATIENTS
Thirty eight consecutive patients referred to the unit with various grades of mitral regurgitation from any cause.

INTERVENTION
Sixteen patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation underwent mitral valve surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Peak forward flow systolic velocity and peak forward flow diastolic velocity plus their velocity time integrals (VTI). Atrial contraction peak reverse flow velocity and its VTI.

RESULTS
Seventy eight per cent of patients with mild (2+) mitral regurgitation (MR) had normal pulmonary venous flow. All patients with moderate (3+) MR had blunted forward systolic flow. Eighty eight per cent of patients with severe (4+) MR had reversal of the normally forward systolic flow. For the patients who had mitral valve surgery, reversed systolic flow of severe MR converted to blunted flow in 12 out of 14 patients.

CONCLUSION
Pulmonary venous flow by Doppler echocardiography has potential of being a useful additional index in the grading of MR.


Background & Objective: Invasive aspergillosis is a fatal infection in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction of infectious with aspergillus and tumor on immune response and cytokine network in Aspergillus infected tumor-bearing mice. Materials & Methods: Mice were implanted by sterile pieces of mouse mammary tumor and then infected by Aspergillus fungi conidia by IV injection. Control groups mice were infected with Aspergillus conidia or implanted by sterile funga pieces of mouse mammary tumor. Seven days after Aspergillus infection, cytokine production of extracted splenocytes was analyzed by ELISA method. Results: Tumor bearing mice which were infected with Aspergillus conidia showed remarkable increase in IL-4 production. Conversely, the levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 were decreased and TNF-α was increased moderately. Conclusion: Probably, Aspergillus infection could change cytokine production from CD4+ T helper cells and acquired immunity of tumor bearing mice. This point may be considered for better management of Aspergillus-infected patients suffering from cancer.


This article seeks to deepen the debate about violent war-to-peace transitions through a comparative case study between two rebel movements that became integrated in considerably different ways in post-war Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The political marketplace brought about by Congo's war-to-peace transition substantially influenced the bargaining power of non-state armed actors in the country's eastern borderlands. In such violent environments, non-state actors like militias, try to become recognized as alternative taxing authorities opposed to state governments, while they simultaneously collaborate with them to gain access to the dividends of international peacebuilding efforts. A decisive factor for the legitimacy of these violent agencies is their ability to transform from coercion- to capital-based organizations: militias, like state governments, need to actively organize local production while embedding their authority in rapidly transforming idioms of political power. This article argues that the 'symbiotic' relationships emerging between rebel rulers, capitalist brokers and state government in the context of protracted armed conflict have far-reaching consequences for the political order of post-war states, with varying results depending on the coercion- and capital-based rule of these emerging complexes in the world's violent peripheries.


Food quality has received attention by hoteliers because of its effect on customer choice of dining destination in Kenya. Achieving food quality (FQ) management standards across the hospitality industry presents a challenge for governments worldwide and Kenya in particular. The specific objective of this study was to determine the effect of food quality on customer's choice of dining destination in Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey design where 1058 guests were sampled based on 2016 data provided by the Kenya Tourism Board on bed occupancy calculated at 49%. Additionally, 54 Hotel staffs (managers and sous chef) were randomly selected from 4-star and 5-star hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa. Self-administered questionnaires and interview schedules were employed to collect data. Qualitative data collected through interview schedules was analyzed thematically. Quantitative data collected was coded in SPSS version 21 and analyzed using multiple regression. The results revealed that the top three aspects that were considered to be highly important while referring to food quality included taste (n = 426), freshness (n = 393) and good condition (n = 330). Results of the study indicated that the odds ratio of a restaurant with good food quality being selected over that with average food quality was 3.387 to 1, while the odds of a restaurant with poor food quality had the odds of 0.091 to 1 of being selected over a restaurant with average food quality. The overall effect of food quality was found to be significant since the corresponding –value for was 0.025, which was less than 0.05 (P-value = 0.005< 0.05).
Keywords: Food Quality, Food Safety, Monitoring, Customer Choice, Dining Destination


OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that insulin-mediated glucose uptake is enhanced in light-to-moderate alcohol consumption. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This is a case-control study of healthy volunteers, divided into nondrinkers and light-to-moderate drinkers based on their history of alcohol consumption. The study was performed at the General Clinical Research Center at Stanford University Medical Center and involved 40 volunteers, 20 men and 20 women. Measurements were made of the plasma glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose challenge, fasting plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, and steady-state plasma insulin (SSPI) and steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations in response to a continuous infusion of somatostatin, insulin, and glucose. RESULTS Light-to-moderate drinkers (10-30 g/day) had lower integrated plasma glucose (17.8 ± 0.8 vs. 19.8 ± 0.9 mM/h, P < 0.02) and insulin (600 ± 65 vs. 1,075 ± 160 pM/h, P < 0.01) responses to the glucose challenge and higher fasting plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations (1.46 ± 0.08 vs. 1.25 ± 0.08, P ± 0.02). Despite similar SSPI concentrations of ∼300 pM, SSPG concentrations were lower (P ± 0.01) in light-to-moderate drinkers (6.7 ± 0.8 vs. 10.7 ± 1.2 mM). Results were independent of age, body mass index, ratio of waist-to-hip girth, and estimates of level of habitual physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption in healthy men and women is associated with enhanced insulin-mediated glucose uptake, lower plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in response to oral glucose, and a higher HDLcholesterol concentration. The changes in glucose and insulin metabolism may contribute to the lower risk of coronary heart disease described in light-to-moderate drinkers.


This paper examines the applicability of a triple layer of thermochromic liquid crystals (TLCs) for the determination of local heat transfer coefficients using the transient liquid crystal (LC) technique. The experiments were carried out in a narrow impingement channel, typically used for turbine blade cooling applications. Three types of narrow bandwidth LCs (1 _C range) of 35 _C, 38 _C, and 41 _C were individually painted on the target plate of the cooling cavity and the overall paint thickness was accurately determined with an integral coating thickness gauge. The 1D transient heat conduction equation is then implicitly solved for each individual TLC layer on its realistic depth on the painted surface. Local heat transfer coefficients are therefore calculated three times for the same location in the flow improving the measurement accuracy, especially at regions where the LC detection times are too short (stagnation points) or too long (wall-jet regions). The results indicate that if multiple LC layers are used and the paint thickness is not considered, the heat transfer coefficients can be significantly underestimated.


Objective measurements were carried out to determine the effect of stimulus size on fusional and vergence amplitudes. It was shown that increasing the stimulus size to include peripheral retinal regions results in significant increases in horizontal and vertical fusional amplitudes. This increase is realized by proportionate increases in both motor (vergence) and nonmotor components.


A novel coronavirus was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in China on 31 December 2019. The WHO named the disease COVID-19 on 11 February 2020. As of 26 February 2020, the disease has been detected on all continents, except for Antarctica. Daily updates on COVID-19 since early February 2020 have made headline news worldwide for much of 2020. This editorial evaluates risk management based on the Global Health Security (GHS) Index of global health security capabilities in 195 countries. The GHS Index lists the countries best prepared for an epidemic or pandemic. COVID-19 is compared with two related coronavirus epidemics, SARS and MERS, in terms of the number of reported human infections, deaths, countries, major country clusters, timelines, and the likelihood of discovering a safe, effective, and approved vaccine.


In pulmonary function tests (PFT), the selection of prediction equation for lung diffusing capacity for carbonmonoxide (DLco), remains a problem. If a single equation is selected and used by all laboratories, the variation in percent predicted values would be large enough to cause numerous diagnostic errors. The present study involved 36 healthy adolescents (20 boys and 16 girls aged 13-19 years) with body height (157-170 cm) and body weight (38-63 Kg). Normal values were reported for lung volumes, ventilation and diffusing capacity using spirographic, helium dilution and carbon monoxide single-breath techniques. Values observed in the present study were comparable to Asians studies but lower than those of Westerns. All pulmonary function parameters were significantly higher in boys, mainly due to larger lung volume, in addition to differences in the level of physical activity and social patterns of life. Regardless to sex, indices of lung volume and diffusion increased with age, body height, and surface area, however, best correlation was observed with body height. Gender specific prediction equations were generated for lung diffusing capacity. Lung diffusion corrected for volume (DLco/VA) seemed independent to sex or body size. In conclusion, it is not appropriate to rely on prediction equations derived from western populations who had higher levels of normality for DLco. Furthermore, height was the best single predictor for lung diffusion in adolescence age group.


This paper describes the approach to and experience of the deregulation and liberalisation of the Norwegian electricity sector from 1991. The Norwegian electricity market was subsequently integrated with the Swedish, Finnish and Danish markets to become the Nordic electricity market: the first common, integrated, intercountry electric power market in the world. The article discusses the background to electricity market reform, the analytical and legal foundations for reform and the chosen market and regulatory design. It finds that the market has performed well in terms of economic efficiency and market functionality, even when exposed to severe supply shocks because of water shortages for a power system that relies heavily on hydropower. However, it also identifies issues and challenges that must be addressed to improve the performance of the Nordic electricity market and its regulatory system.


Konzo is a permanent spastic para/tetraparesis occurring in undernourished populations in Africa relying on insufficiently processed bitter cassava, which contains cyanogenic compounds, as staple food. Its pathogenetic mechanism is unknown. Our studies aimed at clarifying the lesion in konzo.A preliminary survey on an outbreak of spastic paraparesis in the Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed that it was compatible with konzo. High cyanogenic exposure and low urinary excretion of sulfate were found i.e. mean (±SD) urinary concentration of thiocyanate 1128 (± 670) μmol/L and 4.0 (± 3.30) mmol/L respectively. No antibodies against HIV-1-2 and HTLV- I- II were detected. Patients with konzo (Group I, 21 patients, in 1998; Group II, 15 patients, in 2000) underwent electroencephalography (EEG, 1998), motor evoked potentials (MEPs) using transcranial electrical stimulation (TES, 1998) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS, 2000), and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) with 2- and 4-channel equipment in 1998 and 2000 respectively. Most subjects (12/21) showed generalized slowing of background activity at EEG. TES-MEPs were absent in 9/21 subjects, 10 had prolonged central conduction time (CCT, range 5.9 - 14.9 ms). TMS-MEPs with muscles at rest were absent in 9 and 13 of 14 subjects in arms and legs respectively. Median-SEPs showed absence of scalp responses in 2/21 subjects and 3/15 in 1998 and 2000 respectively. Tibial SEPs showed absence of scalp responses in 15/21 (in 1998) and 7/12 (at left or right side, in 2000). Tibial SEP latencies were prolonged in 6/21 in 1998 (latencies 41.6 - 53.5 ms) and in 6/12 (at any side in 2000, latencies 38.8 - 48.3 ms). Subjects with delayed SEP responses had prolonged CCT (range 23.7 - 29 ms). Most subjects showed normal conduction time to the spinal level i.e. C2 and L1 for median and tibial SEPs respectively.Our findings support involvement of intracranial pathways in konzo. New criteria of konzo are suggested.


In recent years there has been an increasing demand to recycle wastes produced by the agricultural and industrial processing. The aim of this paper is to investigate the suitability of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) as lignocellulosic materials for the production of wood-cement composite boards, in addition to enhance their compatibility with cement using physical pretreatment processes and accelerated carbonation curing. Experiments were performed to assess the physical properties (as density, flexural strength, toughness and E-modulus), and micro structural properties (as determined by scanning electron microscopy) of the produced cement boards. The results show an improvement in the physical and microstructural properties of cellulosic fiber-cement composites by using accelerated CO 2 curing method. In addition, excessive carbonation rate associated with pure gas carbonation does not necessarily lead to high strength and even detrimental strength development was found, which was shown by cement paste.


This article describes the investigation of molecularly imprinted fluorescent polymer membranes as sensing receptors for Hg2+ detection by an optical approach. The polymers were synthesized with 4-vinylpyridine as a functional monomer and Hg2+ as a template; 9-vinylcarbazole was used as both a complex-forming agent and a fluorescence probe. The free-radical polymerization was performed within a semicylindrical Teflon mold and was initiated by 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile at 60°C. The template, ion-bonded to pyridine and carbazole groups in the polymer membrane, was removed by acid treatment. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic measurements and scanning electron microscopy images were used to compare the chemistry and surface morphology, respectively, of both imprinted and nonimprinted polymer materials. The final polymer membranes with semicylindrical shapes were used directly to determine Hg2+ concentration in aqueous solutions by the monitoring of the fluorescence intensity of the carbazole groups quenched upon complex formation with metal ions. The values of the Hg2+ binding ratio for the imprinted and nonimprinted polymeric membranes were compared, and the results indicate the superior sensitivity and selectivity of the imprinted membranes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010


This paper analyzes how changes in the enforcement of labor regulations impact on the compliance rate in a context where the labor rules and the characteristics of the labor inspection system differ by firm size. In addition to the channels analyzed in the existing literature –the deterrence effect of labor inspections and the movement of displaced workers into the informal sector, this paper adds a margin of adjustment not analyzed before: firms can reduce their size to take advantage of lower penalties for violating the labor rules and/or less stringent regulations. I analyze empirically which forces have dominated for workers employed in firms of different size in Peru during 2008-2013. I measure the enforcement of labor regulations as the number of labor inspections per hundred workers at the regional level, and I instrument it using a measure of the arrival cost of labor inspectors to the firms. The findings reveal that the degree of enforcement had little impact on the compliance with labor regulations. The effect of firms reducing their size to enjoy lower fines and/or less stringent regulations was small in magnitude and the direction of the effect was not clear. The general lack of effect of the enforcement measure on the compliance with the labor rules indicates that the labor inspection system is not effective in Peru, either because it is not able to generate the incentives to comply with labor regulations (e.g. because of lack of resources) or because it fails to overcome the consequences of the adjustment process associated to an increase in the compliance level (e.g. displaced workers moving into the informal sector of the economy).


An investigation of a 10 x 10 km area near an axial high of the rift valley of the northern Gorda Ridge by using bathymetry, side-scan sonar, and bottom photography where prior water-column surveys indicated ongoing high-temperature hydrothermal discharge reveals that the discharge is localized by specific tectonic and volcanic conditions. The discharge occurs where faults having a predominant ridge-parallel and an anomalous subsidiary ridge-oblique tectonic trend intersect at the southern end of a linear ridge on the east wall and at another site at the base of the east wall of the rift valley. Hydrothermal alteration of basalt talus and stratiform hydrothermal precipitates produced by past activity occur where faults and fissures with the same two tectonic trends intersect near a fault having a third ridge-transverse trend at a 1 x 1 km zone of sheet flows on the floor of the rift valley. Present and past hydrothermal discharge in this area is controlled by the intersection of an axis-parallel tectonic trend common to all spreading centers having axis-oblique trends related to the regional stress field near the shallowest and volcanically most productive part of the ridge segment.


This Article considers one aspect of the ongoing debate about the moral limits of markets – namely, the purported harmful effects of market transactions on particular relations, goods, services, or society at large, due to an inappropriate valuation. In other words, the argument is that some markets are 'repugnant' because they degrade and corrupt a variety of nonmarket values and relations, not just to the willing parties to the exchange, but to larger segments of society. This objection contains both a (frequently unacknowledged) empirical component and a moral component. This Article critiques these empirical claims on two grounds. First, market skeptics fail to provide evidence of the negative effects they hypothesize, despite widespread variation over time and across legal regimes. Second, these objections fail to account for the well-documented human tendency to fashion repugnant exchanges in a manner that reinforces – rather than undermines – deeply held values and relationships.


The effect of calcium pantothenate (CPN)B 4'-phospho-CPN (PCP), pantetheine (PT) and calcium S-sulfopantetheine (SPN) on acute toxicity of kanamycin sulfate was studied on albino mice. The above derivatives of pantothenic acid except PT lowered the antibiotic toxicity. The coefficient of the antitoxic effect (LD50/ED50) of SPN and PCP was 1.3-1.4 times higher than that of CPN. The combined use of kanamycin (1/5 of the LD50) with CPN, PCP or PT (30 mg/kg bw was equivalent to CPN) for 15 days prevented the increase in the total content of CoA and in the content of the fraction of free CoA and the precursors of its biosynthesis participating in the reaction of N-acetylation in the liver and brain. The contents of these substances were within the normal during the whole experiment. A certain increase in the activity of pantothenate kinase in the liver cytosol due to the use of kanamycin was eliminated by the simultaneous use of PCP and PT. The vitamin-containing compounds PCP and SPN were recommended for the clinical trials as agents preventing complications of kanamycin therapy.


Chondrules are high-temperature components of meteorites and are formed during flash heating episodes in the early solar system. From the presence of compound chondrules, which consist of an early formed unit enclosed within a later phase, it has been concluded that the chondrule formation event is repeatable. We report on the chronology of one Al-rich compound chondrule from the Allende meteorite, together with its mineralogy, petrography, and oxygen isotope composition. The earlier formed primary chondrule is rich in 26Al with an initial 26Al/27Al ratio of (2.7 ± 1.0) × 10-5, whereas the later formed secondary chondrule is depleted in 26Al with an initial 26Al/27Al ratio of (9.9 ± 2.0) × 10-6. The difference between the primary and secondary initial ratios corresponds to 1 Myr. We conclude that the primary unit formed during an earlier melting episode and went into a secondary melt that formed 1 Myr later during a later melting episode. The oxygen isotope composition of silicates in the primary and secondary phases shows varying degrees of 16O-depression but is similar to that of single chondrules from Allende meteorite specimens. Therefore, this primary chondrule in Allende stayed in the same dust reservoir for over 1 Myr and experienced multiple heating events, during which secondary and single chondrules were also produced.


Until now, no study has investigated the effects of masticatory muscle training on chewing function in people with dementia. This study aimed to investigate whether physiotherapeutic exercises for the masticatory muscles have an influence on chewing efficiency and bite force in people with dementia. In a clinical trial with stratified randomization subjects were assigned to three groups based on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE: group 1—28–30, group 2—25–27, group 3—18–24). Each group was divided into an experimental (ExpG, intervention) and control group (ConG, no intervention). As intervention a Masticatory Muscle Training (MaMuT) (part 1: three physiotherapeutic treatments and daily home exercises, part 2: daily home exercises only) was carried out. Chewing efficiency and bite force were recorded. The MaMuT influenced the masticatory performance regardless of the cognitive state. Bite force increased in ExpG 1 and 2. Without further training, however, the effect disappeared. Chewing efficiency increased in all ExpG. After completion of the training, the ExpG 2 and 3 showed a decrease to initial values. Subjects of ExpG 1 showed a training effect at the final examination, but a tendency toward the initial values was observed. ExpG 3 seemed to benefit most from the physiotherapeutic exercises in terms of improving chewing efficiency by the end of the intervention phase. ExpG 1 showed the greatest gain in bite force. The MaMuT program is a potential method of improving masticatory performance in people with cognitive impairment or dementia when used on a daily basis.


BACKGROUND
Neighbourhood inequalities in psychological distress are well reported, but underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The main purposes of this study were to investigate associations between structural neighbourhood conditions and psychological distress, and to explore the potential mediating role of neighbourhood social cohesion.

METHODS
Cross-sectional questionnaire study on a random sample of 18,173 residents aged ≥ 16 years (response 49%) from the four largest cities in the Netherlands. Psychological distress was measured with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Structural environmental factors under study were neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES), neighbourhood green, urbanity and home maintenance. Neighbourhood social cohesion was measured by five statements and aggregated to the neighbourhood level by using ecometrics methodology. Multilevel linear regression analysis was used to investigate associations of neighbourhoods characteristics with psychological distress, adjusted for individual level characteristics.

RESULTS
High neighbourhood SES and neighbourhood social cohesion were associated with decreased psychological distress. Adjusted for individual level characteristics and neighbourhood SES, only neighbourhood social cohesion remained significantly associated with psychological distress. Neighbourhood social cohesion accounted for 38% of the differences in the association between neighbourhood SES and psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS
High neighbourhood social cohesion is significantly associated with decreased psychological distress among residents of the four largest cities in the Netherlands. Reducing neighbourhood inequalities in psychological distress may require increasing social interactions among neighbourhood residents.


There is growing evidence of a differential etiological basis for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), with ascending (As) TAAs being genetically mediated and descending (Des) TAAs more strongly related to acquired pathologies. A comprehensive literature review of this hypothesis has not been carried out. We carried out a systematic literature review based on the latest guidelines on TAA endorsed by the American Heart Association. The etiologies were classified as genetic and inherited, the studies were tabulated accordingly, and Hill's epidemiological criteria of causality were applied. We found 38 studies addressing the etiology of TAAs. Out of these, 17 were about genetic causes, 9 about acquired causes, and 4 had information regarding both etiologies. Multiple genetic studies showed a strong association of As TAA with different genetic mutations. Contrary to commonly held beliefs, acquired causes, that is, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, were negatively associated with As TAA and positively associated with Des TAA. Hypertension was only associated with Des TAA and dissections (TAAD), not with As TAA. Multiple studies fulfilled the criteria of strength of association (n = 4), consistency (n = 9), specificity (n = 5), temporality (24), biological gradient (n = 3), plausibility (n = 38), biological coherence (n = 25), experiment (n = 4), and analogy (n = 6). Our literature review supports the hypothesis that As TAA is genetically mediated and Des TAA is predominantly an acquired pathology, and supports the argument for genetic testing in all cases of As TAA.


If one is rolling through any major bookstore in the U.S. today one will encounter a prominently placed set of shelves labeled "Graphic Novels." This is a relatively recent phenomenon. Fifteen years ago, most comic books were sold in specialty stores in the U.S.. but since the turn of the century, comics have made a resurgence. This trend has been fueled by new marketing tactics such as the use of the term "graphic novel" in order to combat the connotations of geeky adolescent boys, and by the promotion of a succession of Hollywood blockbusters based on traditional American comics—X Men, Batman, Spiderman, Iron man, the Hulk, the Shadow, Watchmen, etc, and the end is not yet in sight. However, as you start to peruse the "Graphic Novel" section of your local bookstore you will notice that roughly three quarters of the shelf space is devoted to manga (Japanese comics). Manga sales in the US have escalated in the past decade, from $60 million in 2002 to $200 million in 2007. In fact, the explosive popularity of manga along with the cross-promotion of American comics through Hollywood are the driving forces behind the increasing prominence of graphic novels in the United States overall.


Several models of user churn, resilience, and link lifetime have recently appeared in the literature; however, these results do not directly apply to classical Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) in which neighbor replacement occurs not only when current users die, but also when new users arrive into the system, and where replacement choices are often restricted to the successor of the failed zone in the DHT space. To understand neighbor churn in such networks, which we call switching DHTs, this paper proposes a simple, yet accurate, model for capturing link dynamics in structured P2P systems and obtains the distribution of link lifetimes for fairly generic DHTs. Similar to, our results show that deterministic networks (e.g., Chord, CAN) unfortunately do not extract much benefit from heavy-tailed user lifetimes since link durations are dominated by small remaining lifetimes of newly arriving users that replace the more reliable existing neighbors. We also examine link lifetimes in randomized DHTs equipped with multiple choices for each link and show that selecting the best neighbor in these scenarios is rather complicated as it depends on the desired load balancing, link resilience, and overhead. We offer insight into the various selection algorithms, their performance, and possibilities for improvement.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

The tumor suppressor 2A (PP2A) is a multi-enzyme complex that targets a variety of oncogenic signaling cascades such as Raf, MEK and AKT. Numerous reports have now emerged indicating that the inhibition of PP2A leads to the development of tumors including breast, gastric and lung and a range of hematological malignancies such as chronic and acute myeloid leukemia (CML and AML, respectively). We and others have shown that inhibition of PP2A is crucial for the oncogenic effects of leukemia associated receptor tyrosine kinases such as BCR/Abl, c-KIT and FLT3. Importantly when PP2A is reactivated using pharmacological agents (FTY720 and AAL(S)), growth and survival of these cells is inhibited. This approach targets molecules downstream of these oncogenic kinases and thus PP2A reactivation is designed to avoid resistance associated with kinase inhibitor therapy. As the mechanism of action of these PP2A activators is unknown, it is essential that we now determine the molecular targets of these compounds to generate more effective drugs. Using a chemical proteomics approach incorporating click chemistry linking the drugs to beads, unbiased pull down assays were performed in myeloid leukaemia cells and protein isolates were identified by mass spectrometry. Using this approach we have identified a novel cellular target, which is known to be overexpressed in a range of cancers, including leukemias. We have also shown that this protein associates with PP2A complexes in these cells, and thus may act as an endogenous inhibitor of PP2A activity. We have also performed phospho-proteomics and co-immunoprecipitation studies to identify protein changes in myeloid leukemia cells in response to PP2A activators. In addition to identifying known PP2A targets, such as Akt and ERK, we have also identified a number of novel protein changes, including altered expression of the SET oncoprotein. SET is a known inhibitor of PP2A, suggesting that FTY720 may act via inhibition of SET. Other PP2A regulatory proteins such as CIP2A, PME-1 and PP2A-B56alpha are also affected by FTY720/AAL(S) treatment. Our research findings are thus providing the vital clues necessary for determining the mechanism of action of clinically relevant PP2A activators, thereby moving us towards the provision of novel anti-cancer treatment regimes.

Citation Format: Matthew D. Dun, Amanda M. Smith, Richard G. S. Kahl, Nathan D. Smith, Anchit Khanna, Anthony S. Don, Hanish F. Toop, Jonathan C. Morris, Nicole M. Verrills. Unraveling the mechanism of action: drugs that activate the tumor suppressor 2A . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2038. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2038


Trilobite development has been intensively explored during the past decades, but information on ancestral character combinations in the early developmental stages of trilobites remains unknown. Trilobites of the superfamily Olenelloidea are one of the earliest diverging groups. Study of their development coupled with the development of other early diverging trilobite groups can provide information on the ancestral morphology of trilobite early stages. Herein we describe numerous well‐preserved specimens of the olenelloid trilobite Fritzolenellus lapworthi. The earliest stages have circular cephala bearing intergenal spines and lacking genal spines. During subsequent development, morphological changes involve the modification of the cephalic shape from circular to semicircular, expansion of the frontal glabellar lobe, gradual shortening of intergenal spines and origin and prolongation of genal spines. Trunk development of Fritzolenellus suggests that macropleurae and macrospine development are two independent processes and that the origin of the opisthotrunk is linked with the onset of phase 5 of cephalic development. The morphology of the early developmental stages of Fritzolenellus and of some related taxa differs in many aspects from the morphology of equivalent stages of some other members of Olenelloidea. Consequently, two basic morphotypes are recognized during the early development of Olenelloidea: the Fritzolenellus and the Olenellus morphotypes. Comparison with Fallotaspidoidea and Redlichiina indicates that early developmental stages of these taxa share character combinations that are typical for the Fritzolenellus morphotype. Such a comparison suggests that characters defining the Fritzolenellus morphotype are ancestral for Trilobita. The Olenellus morphotype is probably a derived condition within Olenelloidea and might be related to predator deterrence.


ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the leading pathogens causing hospital-acquired infection. The success of A. baumannii as a pathogen has to a large extent been attributed to its capacity to remodel its genome. Several major epidemic clonal complexes of A. baumannii spread across different health care facilities around the world, each of which contains a subset of diversified strains. However, little is known about the population dynamics during colonization of A. baumannii within hosts. Here, whole-genome sequencing was used to analyze population dynamics of A. baumannii strains isolated from a group of patients at different time points as well as from different sites of a particular patient. Seven out of nine of the sampled A. baumannii strains belonged to the international clone II (CC92 clonal complex). While the A. baumannii strains were found to be stable in three patients, there was a change of A. baumannii strains in one patient. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the accessory genome of these strains contained a large set of virulence-encoding genes and these virulence factors might play a role in determining population dynamics. Microscale genome modification has been revealed by analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between A. baumannii strains isolated from the same patient. Parallel evolutionary traits have been observed during genome diversification when A. baumannii colonize in different patients. Our study suggested that both antibiotic usage and host environment might impose selective forces that drive the rapid adaptive evolution in colonizing A. baumannii.


The rapid increase of non-linear loads in the last three decades has caused electrical quantities such as voltages and currents in 3-phase distribution systems to become distorted waveforms. This paper reviews, explains and discusses some new concepts, definitions and new available theory in the unbalanced and distorted systems. The usefulness of the proposed practical definitions is investigated by means of applying them to the real-world measurements of a three-phase electric arc furnace voltages and currents. Finally, the main power terms such as fundamental and non-fundamental power components, harmonic pollution, phase unbalance, active, reactive; nonactive and distortion components are evaluated for a 3-phase arc furnace.


The optimum treatment for steroid resistant ulcerative colitis (SRUC) is not clear and a range of options can be considered. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative importance of different treatment characteristics to clinicians and understand their preferences for benefit-risk trade-offs.

 A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted in the UK via online survey of clinicians with expertise in inflammatory bowel disease. This involved 12 tasks where respondents selected a preferred treatment option when presented with two competing, hypothetical treatment profiles for a SRUC scenario. Profiles described five treatment characteristics focusing on clinical outcomes and safety, identified from qualitative interviews with clinicians and evidence from systematic reviews. DCE responses were analysed using conditional logistic regressions. Regression coefficients were used to calculate benefit-risk trade-offs, to find the rate at which clinicians are willing to trade levels of risks in exchange for the preferred levels of clinical outcomes. Regression coefficients were also used to predict uptake rates for selected drugs currently prescribed to patients with SRUC.

 116 clinicians completed the survey (age 46y; female 42%; consultant 60%; nurse 26%; mean experience 11y). Figure 1 shows the treatment characteristics that make respondents more likely (positive coefficient) or less likely (negative coefficient) to choose a treatment. One unit increase in both lymphoma risk and serious infection risk were strongly considered when clinicians were choosing a treatment compared to one unit increase in the symptom improvement characteristics. Clinicians would accept a higher lymphoma risk of 5 per 10,000 patient years for a 10% improvement in remission rate compared to 4 and 2 cases per 10,000 patient years for 10% better rates of clinical response and mucosal healing respectively. Clinicians at secondary hospitals accepted a lymphoma risk of 4 cases per 10,000 patient years for a 10% improvement in remission vs 7 per 10,000 patient years at tertiary centres. Similar trade-off results were found for serious infection risks. Predicted uptake comparing preferred characteristics to existing treatments was infliximab (62%), tofacitinib (18%), vedolizumab (15%) and adalimumab (5%).

 Clinicians are willing to make difficult trade-offs and tolerate elevated safety risks in exchange for therapeutic benefits. Risk tolerance was highest if the treatment improved long term remission rate, lowest for mucosal healing and higher in clinicians at tertiary centres. The results help to better understand treatment decisions and identify outcomes that might be considered in choosing agents to evaluate in clinical trials.


Dyslipidemias are major risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Abnormalities of fibrinolytic and coagulation components are considered useful predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adults. This study examined whether fibrinolytic and coagulation components are abnormal in children with dyslipidemia. Thirty-six children with asymptomatic dyslipidemia, and 26 control subjects underwent venous occlusion stress testing with collection of preocclusion and postocclusion blood samples. All samples were assayed for tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, α2-antiplasmin, α2-macroglobulin, D-dimer, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor. Children with dyslipidemia had significantly decreased levels of tissue plasminogen activator in both preocclusion and postocclusion samples compared with control subjects, reflecting decreased fibrinolytic activity. Children with dyslipidemia also had significantly increased levels of plasminogen, α2-macroglobulin, and fibrinogen in preocclusion and postocclusion samples compared with control subjects. In conclusion, decreased fibrinolytic activity is present in asymptomatic children with dyslipidemias, potentially reflecting endothelial dysfunction and increased risk of cardiovascular disease in early adult life. Further studies are required to determine the usefulness of this marker in predicting disease progression or response to therapy.


Film-hole can be often blocked by thermal-barrier coatings (TBCs) spraying, resulting in the variations of aerodynamic and thermal performances of film cooling. In this study, a numerical study of the blockage effect on the film cooling effectiveness of inclined cylindrical-holes was carried out on a concave surface to simulate the airfoil pressure side. Three typical blowing ratios (BRs) of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 were chosen at an engine-similar density ratio (DR) of 2.0. Two common inclination angles of 30 deg and 45 deg were designed. The blockage ratios were adjusted from 0 to 20%. The results indicated the blockage could enhance the penetration of film cooling flow to the mainstream. Thus, the averaged effectiveness and coolant coverage area were reduced. Moreover, the pressure loss inside of the hole was increased. With the increase of BR, the decrement of film cooling effectiveness caused by blockage rapidly increased. At BR = 1.5, the decrement could be acquired up to 70% for a blockage ratio of 20%. The decrement of film cooling effectiveness caused by blockage was nearly nonsensitive to the injection angle; however, the larger angle could generate the higher increment of pressure loss caused by blockage. A new design method for the couple scheme of film cooling and TBC was proposed, i.e., increasing the inlet diameter according to the blockage ratio before TBC spraying. In comparison with the original unblocked-hole, the enlarged blocked-hole not only kept the nearly same area-averaged effectiveness but also reduced slightly the pressure loss inside of the hole. Unfortunately, application of enlarged blocked-hole at large BR could lead to a more obvious reduction of effectiveness near hole-exit, in comparison with the original common-hole.


Among 1205 mid-Norwegian patients who underwent colorectal biopsies during 1990, 30 cases (2.5%) with human intestinal spirochaetosis (HIS) were found. In only two cases were the spirochaetes mentioned in the biopsy reports. Cases with HIS showed a 7:3 male preponderance, but the mean age did not differ from that in the whole material. The spirochaetes were slightly more frequent in the rectum than in other parts of the large bowel. There was no indication of seasonal or geographical clustering of HIS and no association with occupation, use of certain drugs or underlying diseases. Most cases had HIS as the only positive biopsy finding, but the condition was also seen in connection with adenocarcinomas, Crohn's disease, and metaplastic and granulation polyps. The predominant symptoms of patients with HIS were faecal blood, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and constipation.


Background: Over the last two decades it has become increasingly urgent to rethink current hurdles and opportunities for higher education, not just in the Global North, but in the effects of Northern policies globally. Aim: For the last 6 years a team of European scholars worked on a book entitled, Academia in Crisis (Donskis et al. 2019 ), AiC as it will be referred to in the article, inspired by the works of our late colleagues Zygmunt Bauman and Leonidas Donskis. Setting: Tamara Shefer from the University of the West Cape (UWC) was invited to provide a foreword to AiC , providing a perspective from the Global South. Method: This served to question underlying dimensions of mutual influence: neo-coloniality in times where the demand for decolonization from South African colleagues is strong and justified. Results: It seems urgent, in the light of recent cooperation and mutual support between these two parts of the world, to reflect on recent developments in and around higher education. What currently 'neo-colonises' higher education? More or less parallel to AiC , Rob Pattman and Ronelle Carolissen produced Transforming Transformation in 2018 with the promising subtitle 'South African offerings'. Conclusion: Combining insights from those two works leads to renewed inspiration, at least in terms of new debates and questions about the present and future of higher education, especially following the current pandemic with all the effects it has had on collegial cooperation, locking down of universities, and perhaps some thinking time over managerialisms and other power processes in academic work.


In theory, accurate assessments of offender risk can save money, promote efficient allocation of correctional resources, and better protect the public. In pursuit of these goals, some jurisdictions have begun using structured means of assessing relative risk. This article briefly describes modern risk assessment instruments, the reasons why they might be preferred over traditional means of assessing risk, and three principles—the fit, validity and fairness principles—that should govern their use. It then contends that, when limited by these or similar principles, criminal justice dispositions can justifiably be based on assessments of risk, despite concerns about their reliability, consistency and legitimacy. Inaccuracy and disparity is as prevalent in desert-based sentencing as it is in risk-based sentencing. More importantly, desert-based sentencing is not as consistent with, and risk-based sentencing is not as inimical to, autonomy and dignity values as is commonly thought. The overall goal of these arguments is to defend modern risk-based sentencing against abolitionist proposals that could do more harm than good, both to offenders and to a punishment system that, at least in the United States, is obscenely harsh.


The Pebble Cu-Au-Mo deposit in southwest Alaska is one of the world's largest porphyry deposits. The deposit contains over 80 billion pounds (Blbs) Cu, 107 million ounces (Moz) Au, and 5.6 Blbs Mo in all resource categories. Copper and gold grades vary across diverse hydrothermal alteration assemblages with higher grades associated with sericite- and pyrophyllite-rich assemblages in an advanced argillic alteration zone. Moderate grades are associated with the potassic and sodic-potassic alteration assemblages that dominate the deposit and low grades are found in quartz-illite-pyrite assemblages. These variations reflect fluctuations in both the temperature and composition of the magmatic-hydrothermal fluids in time and space. QEMSCAN scanning electron microscope-based mineral mapping and in situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry methods designed to document the spatial and temporal variations in metal deportment across alteration zones show that gold occurs as inclusions of electrum and high-fineness gold in chalcopyrite and pyrite and as free grains hosted by silicate minerals, with the proportion of each related to the principal host alteration assemblage. Gold associated with the earliest high temperature sodic-potassic and potassic assemblages occurs as electrum inclusions in chalcopyrite and to a lesser extent pyrite, and pyrite trace element signatures have high gold, silver, and copper concentrations (pyrite-1). During cooling of the hydrothermal system lower temperature illite and illite-kaolinite alteration overprinted the earlier assemblages with varying degrees of recrystallization and precipitation of more pyrite-rich assemblages with pyrite having a gold-poor trace element composition (pyrite-2). Gold released during recrystallization formed high-fineness gold inclusions in newly formed pyrite and narrow gold-rich pyrite rims (pyrite-3). A second magmatic-hydrothermal event resulted in a sericite- and pyrophyllite-rich advanced argillic overprint, which introduced more copper and gold to the system and recrystallized preexisting sulfides into both high and low sulfidation assemblages with high-fineness gold inclusions in pyrite and chalcopyrite and solid solution gold in bornite. A second generation of pyrite-1 with elevated palladium concentrations is associated with this hydrothermal fluid pulse and also possibly high arsenic pyrite (pyrite-4). Understanding the controls on gold deportment provides genetic constraints on ore deposit genesis. Alteration and sulfide assemblages and gold compositions provide information on the hydrothermal fluid compositions, pH, and temperature evolution of the magmatic-hydrothermal system. The presence of electrum inclusions in chalcopyrite and pyrite in potassic and sodic-potassic alteration is consistent with these zones forming from early high-temperature magmatic fluids because both gold and silver are transported together in such fluids. High-fineness gold inclusions in younger pyrite related to low-temperature clay alteration are evidence that the gold in early electrum was partially remobilized and reprecipitated. The low-temperature clay alteration most likely formed from a mixture of H2S-rich vapor with meteoric waters, conditions where gold is transported as a bisulfide complex and silver is not, resulting in the separation of the two metals. A second, structurally controlled pulse of magmatic fluids formed a well-mineralized advanced argillic alteration assemblage containing high-fineness gold inclusions in chalcopyrite and pyrite, the only part of the deposit where high-fineness gold is hosted by chalcopyrite. In the pyrophyllite stability field acidic fluid compositions transport gold and silver as different complexes and gold solubility is significantly lower than silver leading to the precipitation of highfineness gold inclusions. Palladium is transported by the same complex as gold under these conditions, consistent with the elevated palladium content of pyrite in the advanced argillic alteration assemblage. The temporal and spatial studies of variations in gold deportment across the Pebble deposit provide critical inputs to optimization of mineral processing design. The greatest influence on metallurgical gold recovery at Pebble is the proportion of gold that is hosted by pyrite. Pyrite-hosted gold may require different mineral processing methodologies compared with gold hosted by chalcopyrite. Therefore, defining domains of consistent hydrothermal alteration, and sulfide mineralogy and gold deportment is the key to the geometallurgical characterization of the deposit.


The conversion of other types of land to uses concerned chiefly with population growth and increase in economic activities is the main cause of land use land cover changes in human history. Urban expansion has therefore been identified as one of the most evident examples of human modification of the Earth and has therefore become a very important element in world environmental studies. For effective monitoring of environmental changes and proper management of natural resources to be carried out, studies on urban growth patterns needs to be carried out. This makes urban expansion studies extremely important. The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana has been experiencing fast urban growth over the past two decades. Forest and agriculture lands are being converted to uses concerned chiefly with population growth and increased in economic activities. This research sought to assess urban expansion in the metropolis using an integrated remote sensing and GIS approach. Several remote sensing techniques were used to carry out land-use-land-cover change detection using two multitemporal Landsat images of the years 1991 and 2008. This assisted in determining the changes that have taken place over the 17 year period. Urban growth pattern was also analysed using GIS techniques. The results showed that there has been a significant urban growth in the study area. The annual rate of change of land cover within the 17 year period was determined to be 1.77%. The results further showed that urban expansion was uneven in different part of the metropolis and that there is a negative correlation between the density of urban expansion and distance to a major road. The results further showed that the annual rate of change of urban/built-up land is 4.88%. This urban development has therefore altered the land cover of the metropolis significantly.


This chapter presents an adaptive predictive model for a student modeling prediction task in the context of an adaptive educational hypermedia system (AEHS). The task, that consists in determining what kind of learning resources are more appropriate to a particular learning style, presents two issues that are critical. The first is related to the uncertainty of the information about the student's learning style acquired by psychometric instruments. The second is related to the changes over time of the student's preferences (concept drift). To approach this task, we propose a probabilistic adaptive predictive model that includes a method to handle concept drift based on statistical quality control. We claim that our approach is able to adapt quickly to changes in the student's preferences and that it should be successfully used in similar user modeling prediction tasks, where uncertainty and concept drift are presented.


The development of a linear mixed model to describe the degradation of friction on flexible road pavements to be included in pavement management systems is the aim of this study. It also aims at showing that, at the network level, factors such as temperature, rainfall, hypsometry, type of layer, and geometric alignment features may influence the degradation of friction throughout time. A dataset from six districts of Portugal with 7204 sections was made available by the Ascendi Concession highway network. Linear mixed models with random effects in the intercept were developed for the two-level and three-level datasets involving time, section and district. While the three-level models are region-specific, the two-level models offer the possibility to be adopted to other areas. For both levels, two approaches were made: One integrating into the model only the variables inherent to traffic and climate conditions and the other including also the factors intrinsic to the highway characteristics. The prediction accuracy of the model was improved when the variables hypsometry, geometrical features, and type of layer were considered. Therefore, accurate predictions for friction evolution throughout time are available to assist the network manager to optimize the overall level of road safety.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Introduction: RNA interference technology is underway in clinical trials for limited diseases. RNAi technology for solid tumors, especially in systemic administration, still faces hurdles and has not emerged on the clinical stage. Here we introduce an in vivo pH sensitive delivery system of siRNA and microRNA using super carbonate apatite (sCA) nanoparticles (mean size: 10 nm), which simply consist of inorganic ions. In order to show the therapeutic superiority of the sCA system over currently available in vivo siRNA delivery systems, we perform further experiments comparing the sCA system with Invivofectamine 2.0 (IF) and Atelocollagen (Atelo). Finally we examine the toxicity of sCA nanoparticle system in mice and monkeys.

Methods: To assess the bio-distribution of fluorescently labeled siRNA in normal organs and tumor tissues, we used the IVIS Spectrum CT system (PerkinElmer) and fluorescence microscopy. In addition, the multiphoton live imaging system (SP5; Leica) and light sheet fluorescence microscopy (Carl Zeiss) were employed for detailed analysis and clear visualization of extravasation and intracellular distribution of fluorescent siRNA in tumor cells. To examine therapeutic potential of the sCA system, we administered survivin siRNA in pre-established HCT116 tumor mice models.

Results & Discussions: Ex vivo imaging analysis using IVIS Spectrum CT showed that the fluorescence of sCA-siRNA was highly accumulated into the tumors as early as 90 min. Light sheet fluorescence microscopy revealed that sCA-siRNA accumulated in the cytoplasm of HCT116 cells with considerable green fluorescence signals at 4 h after intravenous injection. On the other hand, IF-siRNA and Atelo-siRNA did not accumulate in tumor cells. sCA-survivin-siRNA exhibited anti-tumor effects on day 11 and the tumor volume of mice treated with sCA-survivin-siRNA was significantly smaller than in mice treated with sCA-control-siRNA (P = 0.0008), IF-survivin-siRNA (P = 0.0028), or Atelo-survivin-siRNA (P = 0.0046) on day 18. For in vivo safety, we carried out a toxicity study by intravenous injection of sCA to mice. Blood chemistry tests and HE stained sections of the liver, kidney and spleen showed no physiologically significant difference between the saline and sCA treated groups. To aim the final goal of therapy and diagnosis of human tumors, we made up approximately 70-fold sCA of that administered in mouse per injection and administered it to monkeys on 4 consecutive days (n = 3). Consequently intravenous administer of sCA did not cause any serious adverse events in monkeys.

Conclusion: We have demonstrated a highly efficient in vivo siRNA delivery system targeting solid tumor models, which is characterized as 10 nm minimal particle size and quick accumulation in tumors, thus it can realize to deliver abundant intact siRNA into tumor cells.

Citation Format: Hirofumi Yamamoto, Xin Wu, Susumu Miyazaki, Mamoru Uemura, Taishi Hata, Junichi Nishimura, Ichiro Takemasa, Tsunekazu Mizushima, Yuichiro Doki, Masaki Mori. Super carbonate apatite as simplified systemic nanoparticle carrier for therapy of solid tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4460. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4460


Islands play an important conservation role due to high rates of speciation as well as providing a predator‐free refuge environment for species that are vulnerable to terrestrial predation on the mainland. Many animals show marked 'island tameness' on predator‐free islands, reducing costly escape responses in the absence of predation threat. Island tameness also translates to altered responses toward humans, making many island species attractive for wildlife tourism. We explored temporal and spatial differences in behavioral responses in the Rottnest Island quokka Setonix brachyurus. This marsupial is an excellent species to test for the effects of ecotourism, as well as of being conservation significance (IUCN‐listed as vulnerable). Comparing escape responses for n = 339 individuals in high tourism and low tourism seasons, quokkas at tourism sites allowed a person to approach closer before moving away compared with non‐tourisms sites, and two‐thirds of individuals around tourism sites allowed a person to approach within 1 m (compared with 14% of individuals at non‐tourism sites). For n = 67 ad hoc interactions with tourists, quokkas would only move away from an interaction with a tourist when the tourist group was noisy or there was an attempt to touch the animal. Time budgets (n = 379 individuals) showed that quokkas spent more time in group behavior and locomotion, but less in vigilance and feeding for tourism sites compared with non‐tourism sites. Understanding the impact of ecotourism on animal behavior will help to frame conservation management actions to ensure persistence of threatened wildlife species. We propose two models describing animal responses toward ecotourism: spatial separation according to animal temperament or temporal adjustment due to learned habituation. These models are not mutually exclusive and we suggest that both spatial separation and habitation are likely evident for Rottnest quokkas. We discuss the implications of these results for protection of animals on the island as well as for species conservation.


BACKGROUND
Blood pressure (BP) control is crucial in arterial hypertension (AH).

OBJECTIVE
To determine the percentage of patients requiring specific BP control goals treated in medical offices throughout Brazil.

METHODS
Each researcher, from a total number of 291, had to evaluate, through conventional BP measurement performed during five consecutive days, the two first patients treated on that day. We determined the number of hypertensive patients treated for at least four weeks who presented BP control, according to the goals established for the risk group they belonged to.

RESULTS
A total of 2,810 patients were assessed in 291 centers. The individuals were divided in groups as follows: A (AH stages 1 and 2, low and moderate additional risk) = 1,054 (37.51%); B (AH and borderline BP, high additional risk ) = 689 (24.52%); C (AH and borderline BP, very high additional risk, including diabetic patients) = 758 (26.98%) and D (AH with nephropathy and proteinuria > 1 g/l) = 309 (11%). The BP means in the population were: 138.9 +/- 17.1 and 83.1 +/- 10.7 mmHg. Factors associated with a worse BP control were: age, abdominal circumference, diabetes, smoking and coronary disease. The BP control percentages in each of the groups were, respectively: 61.7; 42.5; 41.8 and 32.4%.

CONCLUSION
The low BP control according to the predefined goals, as demonstrated in the results, reinforces the necessity to establish measures to promote better control rates.


Automatic mesh optimization algorithms suffer from the problem that humans are not uniformly sensitive to changes on different parts of the body. This is a problem because when a mesh optimization algorithm typically measures errors caused by triangle reductions, the errors are strictly geometrical, and an error of a certain magnitude on the thigh of a 3D model will be perceived by a human as less of an error than one of equal geometrical significance introduced on the face. The partial solution to this problem proposed in this paper consists of detecting the faces of the 3D assets to be optimized using conventional, existing 2D face detection algorithms, and then using this information to selectively and automatically preserve the faces of 3D assets that are to be optimized, leading to a smaller perceived error in the optimized model, albeit not necessarily a smaller geometrical error. This is done by generating a set of per-vertex weights that are used to scale the errors measured by the reduction algorithm, hence preserving areas with higher weights. The final optimized meshes produced by using this method is found to be subjectively closer to the original 3D asset than their non-weighed counterparts, and if the input meshes conform to certain criteria this method is well suited for inclusion in a fully automatic mesh decimation pipeline


For a knot K in S 3 , Kakimizu introduced a simplicial complex whose vertices are all the isotopy classes of minimal genus spanning surfaces for K. The first purpose of this paper is to prove the 1-skeleton of this complex has diameter bounded by a function quadratic in knot genus, whenever K is atoroidal. The second purpose of this paper is to prove the intersection number of two minimal genus spanning surfaces for K is also bounded by a function quadratic in knot genus, whenever K is atoroidal. As one application, we prove the simple connectivity of Kakimizu's complex among all atoroidal genus 1 knots.


Abstract. Surface-collected dust from three different locations around the world was
examined with respect to its ice nucleation activity (INA) with the ETH
Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber (PINC). Ice nucleation experiments were conducted with particles of 200
and 400 nm in diameter in the temperature range of 233–243 K in both the
deposition nucleation and condensation freezing regimes. Several treatments
were performed in order to investigate the effect of mineralogical
composition, as well as the presence of biological and proteinaceous, organic
and soluble compounds on the INA of mineral and soil dust. The INA of
untreated dust particles correlated well with the total feldspar and
K-feldspar content, corroborating previously published results. The removal
of heat-sensitive proteinaceous and organic components from the particle
surface with heat decreased the INA of dusts. However, the decrease in the
INA was not proportional to the amount of these organic components,
indicating that different proteinaceous and organic species have different
ice nucleation activities, and the exact speciation is required in order to
determine why dusts respond differently to the heating process. The INA of
certain dusts increased after the removal of soluble material from the
particle surface, demonstrating the low INA of the soluble compounds and/or
the exposition of the underlying active sites. Similar to the proteinaceous
organic compounds, soluble compounds seem to have different effects on the
INA of surface-collected dusts, and a general conclusion about how the
presence of soluble material on the particle surface affects its INA is not
possible. The investigation of the heated and washed dusts revealed that
mineralogy alone is not able to fully explain the observed INA of
surface-collected dusts at the examined temperature and relative humidity
conditions. The results showed that it is not possible to predict the INA of
surface-collected soil dust based on the presence and amount of certain
minerals or any particular class of compounds, such as soluble or
proteinaceous/organic compounds. Instead, at temperatures of 238–243 K the
INA of the untreated, surface-collected soil dust in the condensation
freezing mode can be roughly approximated by one of the existing surrogates
for atmospheric mineral dust, such as illite NX. Uncertainties associated
with mechanical damage and possible changes to the mineralogy during
treatments, as well as with the BET surface area and its immediate impact on
the number of active sites (ns,BET), are addressed.


Efficient and effective Product Lifecycle Management, as an evolution and enhancement of Product Data Management, is of strategic importance for virtually any company. Hence, it is crucial for companies to analyze and evaluate recent trends in information technology (IT) and their implications on Product Lifecycle Management. In this paper, the results of an interdisciplinary study conducted by Siemens AG, a major international technologies firm, and two universities are presented. The study identifies four current trends in IT and then evaluates their potential implications on Product Lifecycle Management. Finally, the IT trends are ranked according to their short and medium term effects on Product Lifecycle Management.


Abstract. A survey of Lepidoptera reared from seeds and fruits primarily on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, yielded 444 specimens of Tortricidae representing 20 species. Nearly 90% of reared tortricids and 65% of the species are members of the tribe Grapholitini, a group that includes numerous economically important pests of fruit worldwide. We present host records for the following species: Histura panamana Brown, Platynota obliqua Walsingham complex, Platynota subargentea Walsingham, Spinipogon triangularis Brown, Cryptaspasma perseana Gilligan and Brown, Steblopotamia streblopa (Meyrick), Cydia pyraspis (Meyrick) complex, Eriosocia guttifera (Meyrick), Riculorampha ancyloides Rota and Brown, Grapholita mabea Razowski, Ricula croceus Brown, Ricula lacistema Brown, Ricula sp. 1, Ricula sp. 2, Talponia sp. 1, Talponia sp. 2, and four unidentified Grapholitini. In a comparison of studies focused on fruit- and seed-feeding insects in Thailand, Panama, and Kenya, Grapholitini represented 73% (in Thailand) to 90% (in Panama) of the total number of reared specimens of Tortricidae, and 45% (in Kenya) to 65% (in Panama) of the total number of tortricid species. However, a similar survey in Papua New Guinea produced considerably different results, with Grapholitini representing 46% of the tortricid specimens and only 20% of the species.


Author(s): Perry, Michael W. | Advisor(s): Levine, Michael; Patel, Nipam | Abstract: Modification of cis-regulatory sequences is an important means by which developmental processes can evolve and generate changes in patterning and morphology. Understanding how these cis-regulatory enhancer sequences control gene expression is critical not only for understanding the mechanistic basis of development, but also for understanding how the systems are modified or evolve over time. In this work I describe the discovery and characterization of many new enhancers that regulate genes for which a similar enhancer driving a similar expression pattern was previously known; these are "shadow" enhancers. The genes examined are critical developmental control genes responsible for the patterning and subdivision of the early Drosophila embryo. At first glance, many of these enhancers seem redundant, but are found to be evolutionarily conserved, suggesting a role in fitness and specific developmental function. Sufficiently controlled tests of shadow enhancer function required the development and use of techniques such as bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) recombineering and quantitative confocal imaging. Recombineering allowed the precise modification of large genomic regions and an unprecedented level of control in evaluating enhancer function when combined with the use of reporters and genetic rescue experiments. The ability to accurately quantify gene expression was aided by the development of a reporter gene containing an intron, allowing clear visualization of sites of active transcription. These tools facilitated the evaluation of shadow enhancer function. Evidence is presented which shows that in some cases one enhancer of the shadow enhancer pair can be removed without disrupting core function of the associated gene under normal developmental conditions. The system breaks down, however, under stress such as elevated temperatures during development, but only when one enhancer is missing. These results suggest that shadow enhancers represent a novel mechanism for the canalization of gene expression in varying environmental conditions and genetic backgrounds. It is shown that in several cases shadow enhancers help ensure complete patterns of transcriptional activation across domains of gene expression. We present a mechanistic model in which increasing the number of enhancers for a given pattern helps ensure proper transcriptional state even allowing for stochastic interruptions of underlying molecular interactions such as enhancer/promoter looping or activator/repressor binding. It is suggested that shadow enhancers play a key role in ensuring robustness and reliability of gene expression patterns in development. We propose a model whereby cryptic duplication events lead to the birth of shadow enhancers. Such enhancers can provide immediate value for fitness, for example, by ensuring robustness in response to environmental or genetic variations. The second enhancer might facilitate the evolution of novel patterns of gene expression, or become incorporated into the core developmental machinery to produce precise and rapid patterns of gene expression.


This study aimed to evaluate the vase life of floral and vegetative stems of Costaceae and describe their morphological characteristics. To evaluate the vase life of floral and vegetative stems, four and six species were used, respectively. Three cutting stages were established for floral stems. Stems were cut a few days before flower opening at stage 1, upon opening of the first flower(s) (anthesis) at stage 2, and when floral stems showed more than 15 opened flowers at stage 3. However, only two different stages were applied for each species. Floral stems were standardized with 50 cm in length, while vegetative stems were standardized with 70 cm in length. The morphological characteristics determined for floral stems included diameter of the floral stem, length of inflorescence, diameter of inflorescence and fresh mass of floral stem. For vegetative stems, we considered diameter and fresh mass. After the first evaluation, stems were maintained at 22 ºC and 53% of humidity. The total number of post-harvest days (global longevity) in which the quality of floral and vegetative stems was acceptable were evaluated. The highest vase life for floral stems at stage 1 was observed for Costus woodsoni, Costus arabicus x Costus spiralis (Costus Tropicales), and Costus scaber. Hellenia  speciosa showed higher vase life at stage 3. H. speciosa showed the highest vase life and C. woodsonii the lowest values for morphological characteristics. The vase life of vegetative stems for the six species was satisfactory. Costus scaber (orange) showed the shortest longevity and Costus arabicus (yellow) longest longevity. Dimerocostus strobilaceus showed the highest values of morphological characteristics, and Costus arabicus (pink) showed lowest values. Based on the results, both floral and vegetative stems of Costaceae can be used for cutting.


MPTCP has been proposed recently as a mechanism for supporting transparently multiple connections to the application layer. It is under discussion at the IETF. We show, however, that the current MPTCP suffers from two problems: (P1) Upgrading some TCP users to MPTCP can reduce the throughput of others without any benefit to the upgraded users, which is a symptom of not being Pareto-optimal; and (P2) MPTCP users could be excessively aggressive towards TCP users. We attribute these problems to the linked-increases algorithm (LIA) of MPTCP and, more specifically, to an excessive amount of traffic transmitted over congested paths.
 The design of LIA forces a tradeoff between optimal resource pooling and responsiveness. We revisit the problem and show that it is possible to provide these two properties simultaneously. We implement the resulting algorithm, called opportunistic linked increases algorithm (OLIA), in the Linux kernel, and we study its performance over our testbed, by simulations and by theoretical analysis. We prove that OLIA is Pareto-optimal and satisfies the design goals of MPTCP. Hence it can avoid the problems P1 and P2. Our measurements and simulations indicate that MPTCP with OLIA is as responsive and non-flappy as MPTCP with LIA, and that it solves problems P1 and P2.


For pt.I see ibid., vo.39, no.4, p.1214-25, 2003. Experience has shown that the demand for electricity imposes excessive peaks for short periods of time. On a yearly basis, these "needle peaks" exist for less than 200 h cumulatively. However, meeting them has produced excessively high costs of electric energy or rolling blackouts when the additional energy was not available. A viable alternative to this excessive cost or blackout is the use of installed emergency and standby capacity for these short intervals of time. To meet the challenges of orchestrating a safe and acceptable interface of the varied power sources, utility companies and state regulators are struggling with the development of suitable interconnect requirements. While there are different strategies for bringing this installed base into service during such periods, this discussion centers on those issues concerned with the parallel operation and interconnection of emergency and standby synchronous generation resources with the electric power system.


The tensile ductility of the Ti-23Al-17Nb (at.%) alloy laser welded joints is very low at 650°C, so the embrittlement of the joints at high temperature was investigated. The metastable coarse B2 phase of the as-welded metal transformed into coarse O phase in the weld zone when the joints were heated up to 650°C. This type of phase transformation was based on shear transformation. Coarse orthorhombic O phase has lower ductility compared with body-centered cubic B2 phase. Meanwhile, the shear transformation from B2 to O phase could induce stress-strain concentrations in the grain boundary, which seriously weakened the grain boundary of the columnar grains and led to the brittle fracture characteristics in the weld zone during tensile test at 650°C.


Remote Area Power Supply systems, or (RAPS), are increasingly being used to supply energy to remote areas not connected to the utility grid. Technological advances in recent years have made the inclusion of photovoltaics, wind turbines, batteries and inverters a more cost effective option to the traditionally used diesel generator systems. In RAPS the use of such renewables involves a large initial capital cost. Frequent mismatch between the changing load demand and renewable supply may result in low system efficiency and wastage of renewables. For renewables to prove viable the operation of the system must maximise the use of the renewable component. Such an optimisation problem requires accurate short term forecasts of the load, together with the solar and wind resource.

This thesis describes a novel method of incorporating Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to provide load forecasts to optimise the operation of larger hybrid RAPS systems. The key inputs to the ANN are investigated and identified for short term load forecasting. The forecasts are then compared to traditional statistical methods of load forecasting. The ANN is modified to make it adaptive to seasonal data and used to forecast the load for up to 24 hours ahead in three RAPS systems in Western Australia over a one year period. The accuracies of the ANN forecasts are analysed for each location.

A new predictive control strategy, known as the Predictive Control Strategy, is developed to improve the operation of a parallel hybrid RAPS system. An existing RAPS simulation model, RESIM, which utilises conventional control, is modified by incorporating predictive control algorithms into its structure. Initially, perfect forecasts of the load and weather are applied in a hypothetical operating environment created by RESIM. The system control actions and component performances are compared to the simulation results using a conventional control strategy without forecasts. The perfect simulation forecasts may be used to determine the theoretical upper limit of the benefits of the performance and cost savings that may be possible using such predictive control methods.

The ANN is then incorporated into the simulation model to provide the load forecasts. The control actions of this predictive control strategy are subsequently analysed by simulating over one year of data from two of the three locations, Yalgoo and Gascoyne Junction, and comparing the results to the conventional approach.

The results of the work in this thesis indicate that, compared to an equivalent RAPS system using conventional control, the Predictive Control has a potential to decrease operating costs of the diesel generator, while incurring a penalty in the form of increased battery replacement costs. However, an appropriately sized RAPS system using conventional control is shown to be very efficient in itself, and the benefits gained using this predictive approach are modest. Application of a life cycle cost methodology and a cost sensitivity analysis show that the overall economic benefit of such a predictive approach is dependent largely on the cost values used for the diesel fuel and battery components of the RAPS system.


Nanotechnology has immensely contributed towards the advancement of almost all the fields where it has been used. The fascinating properties such as small size, high surface area, mechanical strength etc. have been widely exploited for its specific applications. In medicine, several nanotechnology-based devices and formulations have been developed for point of care diagnosis and targeted treatment. The properties of metal nanoparticles such as surface plasmon resonance, conductivity, magnetic field have been used in enhancing the sensitivity of bionanosensors. Thus, the bionanosensor with enhanced sensitivity has been used in diagnosis to detect various analytes up to picomolar concentrations. Polymeric nanoparticles are biocompatible and biodegradable and therefore have been used in drug delivery. Ligand decorated nanocarriers loaded with various drugs have been used for target specificity. Additionally, response to stimuli such as pH, the temperature has allowed the use of nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery and improved the bioavailability of drug at the site. The nanocarriers with a combination of metal and polymers have been used for the dual purpose of diagnosis and treatment. Nanovaccines have also been produced wherein nanoparticles with low immunogenicity and good adjuvant property have enhanced the delivery and immunogenicity of antigen for immunization. Tuberculosis (TB) is among the deadliest communicable diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (m.tb). Due to the complicated pathophysiology of m.tb, the diagnosis is extremely difficult during the early stages of infection and therefore the treatment prolongs. Several nanotechnology-based approaches for diagnosis and treatment of TB have been discussed in this review. Also, several approaches in other diseases and its potential application in TB have been discussed. A R T I C L E H I S T O R Y Received: August 14, 2018 Revised: September 10, 2018 Accepted: September 27, 2018 DOI: 10.2174/2405461503666181011142949


If the size of firms is measured correctly, small firms do not necessarily earn higher returns than larger firms. Yet, this finding is not inconsistent with the empirical fact that firms with small market values earn higher returns. Modern financial theory predicts that when firm size is economically unrelated to return, the relation between firm market value and return will be negative; that is, firms with small market values will have higher expected returns than other firms.


In order to define design criteria for CO2 refrigeration systems to be used for agricultural products and foodstuff storage, a variable geometrical system was realized, with the goal of meeting a wide range of environmental and process conditions, such as producing low environmental impact and maintaining the highest Coefficient of Performance (COP), at the same time. This test-bench, at semi-industrial scale, was designed as a result of experimental tests carried out on Arugula. The storage tests showed that all samples stored in cold rooms with R.H. control showed a slight increase of weight but also small rot zones in all the boxes due to an excessive accumulation of water condensation; thus, the system may not have achieved conditions that RH requires in a given range, without reaching saturation condition. At the same time, the use of CO2 must be adequately tested along its thermodynamic cycle, during steady state and/or transient conditions, imposing variable working conditions that can simulate plant starting phase or some striking conservation process, like those that characterize sausages. The designed plant will allow studying these specific performances and evaluate COP variation, according to environmental and plant operating conditions.


Abundant new ichthyosaur material has recently been documented in the Slottsmøya Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation from the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. Here we describe a partial skeleton of a new taxon, Janusaurus lundi, that includes much of the skull and representative portions of the postcranium. The new taxon is diagnosed by a suite of cranial character states including a very gracile stapedial shaft, the presence of a dorsal process on the prearticular and autapomorphic postcranial features such as the presence of an interclavicular trough and a conspicuous anterodorsal process of the ilium. The peculiar morphology of the ilia indicates a previously unrecognized degree of morphological variation in the pelvic girdle of ophthalmosaurids. We also present a large species level phylogenetic analysis of ophthalmosaurids including new and undescribed ichthyosaur material from the Upper Jurassic of Svalbard. Our results recover all Svalbard taxa in a single unresolved polytomy nested within Ophthalmosaurinae, which considerably increases the taxonomic composition of this clade. The paleobiogeographical implications of this result suggest the presence of a single clade of Boreal ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs that existed during the latest Jurassic, a pattern also reflected in the high degree of endemicity among some Boreal invertebrates, particularly ammonoids. Recent and ongoing descriptions of marine reptiles from the Slottsmøya Member Lagerstätte provide important new data to test hypotheses of marine amniote faunal turnover at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary.


Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly recognized as a condition that may progress to chronic liver disease. Most cases of fatty liver are asymptomatic and often are detected during routine medical or laboratory examinations. There also are some rare genetic diseases such as abetalipoproteinemia and familial hypobetalipoproteinemia that may cause fatty liver disease. Both are inherited disorders of lipoprotein metabolism. Although abetalipoproteinemia and homozygous familial hypobetalipoproteinemia patients present with severe manifestations, heterozygotes are usually asymptomatic. In the last several years, case reports or studies indicating a relationship between hepatosteatosis and familial heterozygote hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) have been reported. Here, we report three cases of FHBL with characteristic lipid profile, mildly elevated liver enzymes and hepatosteatosis confirmed by ultrasonography.


Virtual Reality (VR) content production is now a flourishing industry. The specifics of VR, as opposed to videogames or movies, allow for a content format where users experience, at the same time, the narrative richness characteristic of movies and theatre plays with interactive engagement. To create such a content format some technical challenges still need to be solved, the main being the need for a new generation of animation engines that can deliver interactive characters appropriate for narrative-focused VR interactive content. We review the main assumptions of this approach and recent progress in interactive character animation techniques that seems promising to realise this goal.


Purpose: To develop a software program that accurately calculates the composite planned dose when combination of different modalities and/or radiation treatment plans, produced by the same or different treatment planning systems (TPS), is used for the patient's treatment. Methods: MATLAB programming environment was used to develop an in‐house software that calculates the total dose from a combination of CT‐based treatment plans from the same or different TPS. Through a graphical interface, the software imports up to five DICOM‐RT dose files, as exported by commercially available software such as Pinnacle or TomoTherapy TPS. Selecting the coordinate system of an input 3D‐dose file as reference, solid body transformations are applied to the rest and necessary dose normalizations are performed for partially treated plans before the full dose is calculated. The produced 3D‐dose is re‐sampled according to user‐defined resolution parameters and exported in binary format, along with a script file containing necessary resolution and positioning information with reference to the patient's CTimage set. It is then imported into Pinnacle TPS, as a new trial in a previously existing patient's plan, for clinical evaluation. Results: For demonstration purposes, two TomoTherapy treatment plans developed for a prostate case to treat the lymphatics and prostate to 54Gy, followed by a field reduction to the prostate alone for an additional dose of 24Gy, were exported and the composite dose was calculated using our software. Isodose evaluation of the total calculated dose, as displayed in Pinnacle TPS, showed the expected distribution, in very good agreement with the individual plans. Conclusions: An in‐house software was developed for quick and easy calculation and evaluation of composite 3D‐dose for patients previously treated with radiation or undergoing treatment through a combination of different treatment plans. It has been successfully used clinically in our institution for the past six months.