The checkered beetle genera Parvochaetus, n. gen. and Amboakis, n. gen. are described and the genus Ellipotoma Spinola is reviewed. Four new species plus P. linearis (Gorham), which represents a new combination, comprise Parvochaetus: P. albicornis, P. froeschneri, P. fucolatus, and P. sandaracus. Amboakis, a replacement name for the junior homonym Teutonia Opitz, involves four previously described species and 20 new species. The new species are A. anapsis, A. atra, A. barinas, A. binotonis, A. cauca, A. charis, A. epiomidia, A. erythrohapsis, A. funebris, A. incondita, A. katatonis, A. linitis, A. mica, A. micula, A. prolata, A. rudis, A. taruma, A. selva, A. stenosis, and A. vesca. Four previously described species now classified under Amboakis involve new combinations; they are Epiphloeus capitatus Gorham, Epiphloeus nitidus Gorham, Phlogistosternus flavicollis Zayas, and Teutonia nova Opitz. The bitypic Ellipotoma contains E. tenuiformis Spinola and E. turmalis, n. sp. Lectotypes are designated for Epiphloeus capitatus Gorham, Apolopha linearis Gorham, Epiphloeus nitidus Gorham, and Ellipotoma tenuiformis Spinola. Parvochaetus specimens may be distinguished from Amboakis and Ellipotoma specimens by the extraordinarily slender antennal club. The expanded condition of the funicular antennomeres will separate specimens of Parvochaetus and Amboakis from those of Madoniella. Specimens of the bitypic genus Ellipotoma are very slender in body form and the elytral disk is devoid of secondary (2o) setae. These features will easily separate Ellipotoma specimens from those of Madoniella. On the basis of adult external morphology Parvochaetus and Amboakis may be conveniently organized into monophyletic species groups, 5 in Parvochaetus and 9 in Amboakis. Descriptions of the alimentary canal of Amboakis nova (Opitz) and of the stomodaeal valves of A. nova and Ellipotoma tenuiformis Spinola are provided and serve as basic data for subsequent analyses involving higher categories. The alimentary canal involves a well-differentiated stomodaeum, ventriculus, and proctodaeum. The ventricular papillae are poorly developed and there are 4 cryptonephridial Malpighian tubules. The stomodaeal valve is comprised of 4 primary lobes with the lateral lobes longer and more slender than shorter dorsal and ventral lobes; the ventral lobe is particularly broad. The male internal reproductive organs are characterized by having two pairs of accessory glands with the medial being longer than the lateral. A well-developed spermatheca and saccular bursa copulatrix are important features of the female internal organs. Species descriptions, a key to species, and biological information are included. These checkered beetles are diurnal, considerably active flyers, and are predators of lignicolous insects and particularly of bark beetles. Included is a discourse of species level and supraspecific level discontinuities. Differences in the aedeagus, antennae, body form, presence or absence of 2o setae, and arrangement of punctations on the elytral disc were important characters in the discernment of species. Forty characters of Parvochaetus, Amboakis, and Ellipotoma and their states were polarized to hypothesize intergeneric relationships and intrageneric relationships of Parvochaetus and Amboakis. Hennigian principles of phylogenetic analysis were implemented to prepare two trees. The predominant distribution of Parvochaetus, Amboakis, and Ellipotoma taxa in South America suggests that the progenitor of these genera may have existed on that continent with subsequent dispersal and vicariant events distributing species throughout Middle America and onto islands of the Greater Antilles. Pre-Tertiary South American diversification produced 3 ancestral stocks, each of which fostered lineages that migrated northward via the proto-Antillean Archipelago across the isthmanian closure of the late Tertiary. These temporal frameworks, paleographic dispersals, and vicariant events would explain the presence of relatively primitive, and derived Amboakis elements in Mexico


Creating molecular networks with different topologies using identical molecular linkers is fundamentally important, but requires a precise chemistry control. Here, we propose an effective strategy to regulate network topologies of two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) through conformation switching of molecular linkages. By simply altering the substituents of an identical molecular linker, the topology-selective synthesis of two highly crys-talline 2D COFs can be readily achieved. Their distinct crystal structures are observed and determined by low-dose high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging, indicating that the driving force for linkage conformation switching is intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Our strategy would greatly diversify the COF topologies and enable vast post-synthetic modifications like boron complexation, endowing these structures with unique optical property, such as fluorescence "turn on" and "aggregation-induced emission".


We pose a seemingly ageless question in economic history. To what extent did new entrants in the late nineteenth‐century cotton‐textile industry threaten the customary markets of the European core? Exploiting a newly constructed dataset on textile imports to Spain, we find that as trade costs fell, new rivals began to sell a greater variety of products. Along this dimension, competition can be said to have increased. In response, producers in Europe adjusted the type and number of goods exported. By 1914, specialization mapped onto endowments of skilled labour, capital, and access to raw materials. While firms in new industrializing countries exported low‐end varieties, incumbents in the core shipped high‐end goods, unit values increasing with levels of development.


We present a multi-scale representation of grey-level shape, called scale-space primal sketch, that makes explicit features in scale-space as well as the relations between features at different levels of scale. The representation gives a qualitative description of the image structure that allows for extraction of significant image structure --- stable scales and regions of interest --- in a solely bottom-up data-driven manner. Hence, it can be seen as preceding further processing, which can then be properly tuned. Experiments on real imagery demonstrate that the proposed theory gives perceptually intuitive results.


Today, managers who are labeled quantitative are painted with a rather broad brush that references security breadth and formulaic empirical factor modeling, and managers who are labeled fundamental are marked by depth of analysis and human insight. Despite divergent styles, the basic differentiator is information—information sources, information processing, and information implementation. Sorensen argues that the evolution of quantitative equity investing will be marked by small, diversified, and additive elements of innovative information analysis (expert systems). As with earlier generations of quantitative equity modeling (value, quality, and so forth), the raw material will be fundamental and the goal will be to more efficiently mimic the best fundamental investors.


We investigate a general class of dynamical open-bid combinatorial auction protocols termed price-demand procedures, where the auctioneer asks buyer-dependent price vectors and buyers reveal demand sets. Such revelations are easier to practice than the revelations of entire valuations at once. With revealed preference activity rule and connectedness, we characterize the class of all procedures that achieve the VCG outcome correctly. Since buyers can detect whether the auctioneer succeeds to achieve the VCG outcome just by observing the history, they can leave the selection of procedure the auctioneer's discretion. The auctioneer can save irrelevant information leakage by selecting a signal-contingent shortcut.


Abstract The International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) aims to achieve worldwide promotion of excellence and unity in clinical and academic standards for manual and musculoskeletal physical therapists. To this end, IFOMPT has sponsored several conference panel sessions and a survey of Member Organizations (MOs) and Registered Interest Groups (RIGs) regarding current cervical spine manipulation and pre-manipulative screening practice in each country. The purpose of this study was to determine common elements of cervical spine manipulative practice and pre-manipulative screening between countries. In late 2007, a questionnaire investigating recommended pre-manipulative screening protocol/guideline use, informed consent regarding risks, screening procedures, and treatment/manipulation technique was sent to all twenty MOs and five RIGs. The response rate was 88%. The main findings of the survey included: 77% of respondent organizations use pre-manipulative guidelines, with Australian guidelines the most frequently adopted internationally (36%); recommendations concerning the provision of information about the possibility of serious adverse events is not standard practice in all countries (50%); positional tests for vertebrobasilar insufficiency are used by all respondent organizations; craniovertebral ligament testing is sometimes taught as a pre-manipulative screening tool (36%); the use of upper cervical spine manipulation has declined in some countries (41%); and of the respondent organizations that continue to teach upper cervical manipulation, most (70%) minimize the rotation component. The findings of this research will inform an IFOMPT international standard for screening the cervical region prior to orthopaedic manual therapy intervention. The development of an IFOMPT endorsed document will be of assistance to manual therapy clinicians worldwide in safely managing disorders of the cervical spine.


Rampant corporate mergers have led to falling competition, higher profits, lower investment and a decline in the share of US national income that goes to workers. This may be the most important hypothesis in economics today. If correct, it explains many of the economic ills plaguing America, and suggests a simple solution. Fire up competition policy, smash some monopolists and make the world a better place.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of distinguishing the ventral parametrium (vesico-uterine ligament), the lateral parametrium (paracervix), and the dorsal parametrium (recto-uterine ligament) by 2D and 3D ultrasound (US) scan in patients affected by cervical cancer (CC), using anatomy during surgery as probative evidence. Methods: From November 2009 to February 2011, we prospectively analysed 38 consecutive patients, affected by early and locally advanced CC. All patients underwent pelvic US with both transabdominal and transvaginal approaches. Each exam was performed by 2 different operators with 2D and 3D-US scan. Anatomical observations of parametria revealed during the ultrasound evaluations were confirmed by intraoperative live scan. Results: We identified ultrasonographically the ventral and dorsal parametrium in a longitudinal scan, the lateral parametrium in a transversal scan. At the US, the ventral parametrium appears as a hiperechoic ligament with vessels, that starts from the cervix and ends at the lateral side of the bladder. The lateral parametrium is a hiperechoic ligament that starts from the lateral cervix and ends laterally under the iliac vessel. The dorsal parametrium starts from the sacro-uterine and ends at the rectum. We always identified the uterine artery. Proof of the correct identification of the different parts of the parametria was conducted during surgery. The surgeon applied one clip in every parametrium and it was identified by intraoperative live scan procedures. We could identify ventral and lateral parametria in every patient. We could not recognize the dorsal parametria in 8 patients (23.5%). Conclusions: The evaluation of the different cervical parametria can be considered feasible. The identification of dorsal parametria is more difficult than ventral and lateral parametria. We concluded that this method could be used in most cases as an aid in the assessment of parametrial involvement.


It is well established that diabetes can be detrimental to bone health, and its chronic complications have been associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. However, there is growing evidence that the skeleton plays a key role in a wholeorganism approach to physiology. The hypothesis that bone may be involved in the regulation of physiological functions, such as insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism, has been suggested. Given the roles of insulin, adipokines, and osteocalcin in these pathways, the need for a more integrative conceptual approach to physiology is emphasized. Recent findings suggest that bone plays an important role in regulating intermediary metabolism, being possibly both a target of diabetic complications and a potential pathophysiologic factor in the disease itself. Understanding the relationships between bone turnover and glucose metabolism is important in order to develop treatments that might reestablish energy metabolism and bone health. This review describes new insights relating bone turnover and energy metabolism that have been reported in the literature.


Abstract Objective: Microscopic colitis (MC), encompassing collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC), is a diagnosis which relies on histopathologic criteria. This report examines the validity of having a diagnosis of MC in Swedish pathology registers. Methods: We reviewed patient charts from 215 randomly selected individuals from 15 pathology departments in five healthcare regions in Sweden with a relevant histopathology code for MC on colon biopsies. Information on clinical symptoms and laboratory data were obtained from medical chart review. We obtained sufficient data on 211 individuals for calculating positive predictive values (PPVs) for MC. Results: In total, 200/211 patients with a histopathology diagnosis of MC were confirmed as also having a clinical diagnosis of MC after chart review, yielding a PPV of 95% (95%CI =91–97%). The PPV for CC was 95% (95%CI =87–98%) and 85% for LC (95%CI =78–90%). The median age at biopsy was 67 years (range 17–90 years), and 72% (n = 154) were women. The most common symptoms in patients with MC histopathology were diarrhea (96% of patients), weight loss (24%) and abdominal pain (13%). Four percent (4/111) of patients with available data on stool culture were positive for gastrointestinal pathogens (none had Clostridium difficile). In 81 patients with available celiac serology, five (6%) were positive. Twenty-six percent of all patients had at least one other autoimmune disease, the most frequent being hypothyroidism (8%) and celiac disease (6%). Conclusions: This study found a high validity for MC as recorded in Swedish pathology registers.


The structure and magnetic properties of sequentially deposited Pd-Co and Pd-Co- Fe nanocrystals have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. The fcc structured PdCo alloy formation was found in binary Pd-Co nanostructured samples analysed by in situ TEM annealing. In ternary sample, the addition of Fe to Pd-Co resulted in a complex of Pd and FeCo nanoparticles. In situ TEM annealing of the ternary sample lead to the formation of L10 ordered phase. It was found that the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were improved by Fe addition to the Pd-Co nanoparticles.


The main research problem was to determine interior design's methods of cultural production. The original
 knowledge contributions of this thesis is summatively included in the imaginal interiors hypothesis: "Interior
 design produces culture through synthesis, proximity, associations, timeliness, and technification".
 The study was undertaken as an initial study of the role of interior design in the field of cultural production. It
 aimed to make tacit interior design methods explicit and emerged from the assumption that interior designers
 who excel in the creation of meaning are rewarded for it in the form of cultural and economic capital. The study
 is important since it may improve the praxis of interior design, it expands the discipline's research methodology,
 and it reviews the production methods of an emergent discipline.
 The study considered cultural production as an iterative practice comprised of the individual acts of
 generation and interpretation and the group manifestations of meaning. Within this domain interior artefacts are
 considered as a material objects within a semiotic context. These objects are functional and their primary
 communicative role is to portray their function. Making the generation of culture analogous to the generation of
 meaning allowed me to assess the interior artefact from a logical point of view and enabled me to speculate on
 the role of interior design within the larger cultural discourse.
 The research was located in the interpretivist paradigm. It took a non-positivist, social constructivist stance. I
 believe that meanings are emergent from the research process. The research encompassed a literature review,
 the collection of suitable examples, and the conduct of critical analysis. The primary research methods were
 constructivist grounded theory and phenomenography. Qualitative, interpretivist tools were developed and
 utilised in the content analysis through interpretation. The analysis followed a process of coding and analytic
 integration to construct theory. The analysis is based on a non-probability, judgmental sample of representations
 of interior artefacts which was compiled to cover the substantive area with a degree of representivity and
 generality. The corpus contains photographic documentation and meta-data for 72 interior artefacts.
 The thesis presented a theory for the construction of meaning in interior design as it manifested in the
 substantive area. This was presented in a narrative format where the five imaginal methods were described by
 illustrating and discussing their general properties, the actions they undertake and the effects these create.
 'Synthesis' relate to the selection of meaningful components and bringing them together in a cohesive whole.
 'Proximity' relates to the placement of objects in space to create meaningful arrangements and patterns.
 'Associations' involve connections in the mind between different components and to methods which infer
 meaning. 'Technification' is concerned with the physical expression of meaning. This theory should be
 considered as the foremost response to the research problem. The theory that is presented here is the result of
 identifying, isolating, describing, and interpreting interior design's methods of cultural production.
 The thesis contributes to the theoretical consideration of the role of meaning in interior design, how the
 discipline creates that meaning, and how this production of meaning influences cultural production in general. In
 terms of the discipline's larger cultural role I concluded that the professional practice of interior design is the
 best located occupation to denote occupation, inhabitation, and identity in the public built environment; in
 addition the discipline communicates theoretical discourses through its cultural effluent.
 The practical contributions of the thesis manifests in facilitating the production of meaning in new interior
 artefacts. The thesis makes provision for the inclusion of imaginal aspects in the discipline's production by
 strategically expanding the interior design process. The practical contributions can be summarised as a call for
 the inclusion of knowledge-based, empirical research practice in the interior design process. The thesis presents
 a design strategy to augment, but not replace, well-developed design intuition. This strategy is a novel
 contribution to interior design's production processes.


BACKGROUND
Oily fish are the main source of marine omega-3 fatty acids, which have beneficial cardiovascular effects. The article gives an overview of studies of the effects of fish and omega-3 fatty acids on the risk of heart failure and on mortality in heart failure patients.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
The article is based on selected literature from personal archives, references collected from relevant articles in personal archives and on publications found through PubMed searches.

RESULTS
Recent observational studies have indicated that a high intake of fish and marine omega-3-fatty acids as well as increased plasma concentrations of the same fatty acids can reduce both the incidence of heart failure and mortality among elderly people with heart failure, with or without a previous myocardial infarction. A clinical, placebo-controlled study of around 7,000 elderly heart failure patients found a 9% reduction in mortality after treatment with omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids were additional to other heart failure treatment. The beneficial effects of oily fish and omega-3 fatty acids appear to be associated with a number of haemodynamic and biological mechanisms.

INTERPRETATION
A high intake of fish and marine omega-3 fatty acids seems to provide protection against the development of heart failure as well as reducing the mortality of manifest heart failure.


Skeletal muscle system has nonlinear dynamics and subject-specific characteristics. Thus, it is essential to identify unknown parameters from noisy biomedical signals to improve the modeling accuracy in neuroprosthetic control. The objective of this work is to develop an experimental identification method for subject-specific biomechanical parameters of a physiological muscle model which can be employed to predict the nonlinear force properties of stimulated muscle. Our previously proposed muscle model, which can describe multi-scale physiological system based on the Hill and Huxley models, was used for the identification. The identification protocols were performed on two rabbit experiments, where the medial gastrocnemius was attached to a motorized lever system to record the force by the nerve stimulation. The muscle model was identified using nonlinear Kalman filters: Sigma-Point and Extended Kalman Filter. The identified model was evaluated by comparison with experimental measurements in cross-validation manner. The feasibility could be demonstrated by comparison between the estimated parameter and the measured value. The estimates with SPKF showed 5.7% and 2.9% error in each experiment with 7 different initial conditions. It reveals that SPKF has great advantage especially for the identification of multi-scale muscle model which accounts for the high nonlinearity and discontinuous states between muscle contraction and relaxation process.


Hyssopus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae family) has been cultivated in Central Europe for a long time. This essential oil containing species serves not only as spice but in many countries including Hungary, it is used as a folk medicine against certain respiratory diseases. Despite this fact, little is known about the variation of its productivity under Central European climatic conditions. The cultivated populations of hyssop can be characterised by a significant heterogenity. In the course of its breeding the uniformity of flower colour (e.g. blue form), and increase in the oil content are the main achievable purposes. The purpose of this work was to investigate both the variability of strains of different crigin and the time-dependent variations of its production parameters. The optimum of phytomass was obtained at the beginning of July. The essential oil content as well as compounds of the non volatile fractions were also investigated. The non volatile fractions for rosmarinic, caffeic acids were analysed mainly by TLC and densitometry. Both compounds were present in all samples and they are suitable for the characterisation of the plant. The essential oils were gained with Water Steam Distillation (WSD) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) with CO2. The oils were analysed by GC, GC-MS techniques. In the essential oil composition of the populations studied significant heterogenity could be observed. In the case of applying SFE extraction the oil composition is more uniform, similarly to the obtained by WSD adding hexane. The heterogenity can be experienced in the offsprings, too. If only the main four components (beta-pinene, limonene, pinocamphone, isopinocamphone) are regarded, among the offsprings clear and mixed lines alike can be found. Results of these experiments justify the necessity and usefulness of selection which is going on.


In refugee studies and the general literature on forced migration, the refugee condition or the condition of forced migration is considered exceptional. Yet, one can enquire in colonial and post-colonial context, if the theory of exception does not ignore concrete post-colonial conditions, which are both exceptional as well as part of the general history of democracy and human rights, and if does not assume the liberal-democratic condition as universal to which refugeehood would be the supposed exception. This paper seeks to conduct this enquiry by reviewing and examining the context in which ideas and concepts of refugeehood and forced migration have emerged in a post-colonial country like India, and the ways in which post-colonial political sense has combined rights, ethics, and law in generating the specific ideas related to forced migration.


Sociopolitical and economic climates between 1950 and 1975 favored the funding of cancer research, attracted imaginative policy makers, encouraged investigators, and generated new knowledge for clinical application. Important advances during this period include the discovery that DNA alteration is requisite for carcinogenesis and that DNA repair processes are important deterrents in the development of cancer. The better understanding of the histogenesis of epidermal cancer and melanoma has potential clinical value. More easily grasped is the progress made in the therapeutic control of mycosis fungoides and epidermal cancer. Complete control of epidermal cancer is now a foreseeable reality.


Graph neural networks (GNNs), has been widely used for supervised learning tasks in graphs reaching state-of-the-art results. However, little work was dedicated to creating unbiased GNNs, i.e., where the classification is uncorrelated with sensitive attributes, such as race or gender. Some ignore the sensitive attributes or optimize for the criteria of statistical parity for fairness. However, it has been shown that neither approaches ensure fairness, but rather cripple the utility of the prediction task.
In this work, we present a GNN framework that allows optimizing representations for the notion of Equalized Odds fairness criteria. The architecture is composed of three components: (1) a GNN classifier predicting the utility class, (2) a sampler learning the distribution of the sensitive attributes of the nodes given their labels. It generates samples fed into a (3) discriminator that discriminates between true and sampled sensitive attributes using a novel ``permutation loss'' function. Using these components, we train a model to neglect information regarding the sensitive attribute only with respect to its label. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to optimize GNNs for the equalized odds criteria. We evaluate our classifier over several graph datasets and sensitive attributes and show our algorithm reaches state-of-the-art results.


Author(s): Raz, Yosefa | Advisor(s): Hendel, Ronald S. | Abstract: This dissertation is concerned with moments of prophetic failing, weakness, and undoing both in the biblical text and in its reception in modernity. Rather than a monolithic testimony to the manifestation of divine will in history, or a grand and unified moral vision, the prophetic corpus is riddled with failure. At the same time, the destabilizing elements of prophecy can function as creative, generative forces, fashioning both literary richness and political significance and influence. My primary theoretical model for the generative power of weakness is derived from Walter Benjamin's articulation of the power of weak messianism as a way to radically reformulate the categories of weakness and strength, success and failure. The redaction of the prophetic text is often a record of anxiety, an attempt to impose a coherent, strong vision on an incoherent, difficult oracle. This secret struggle between strong and weak prophecy is replicated at key moments in biblical reception. Thus, specific moments in the reception of a prophetic text can flare up and help explain the political stakes of a biblical text both in the past and in the present. In Chapter One, I take in the figure of the ideal prophet from a distance by considering the phantasmagoric construction of Moses in the Deuteronomistic redactions of the Book of Jeremiah. I show how the idea of a strong prophet, or a strong prophetic lineage, has been imposed by late, melancholic redactions that read and write the golden age of prophecy from the distance of national catastrophe and exile. In Chapter Two, I discuss Isaiah's call narrative, the site of both great prophetic strength and prophetic weakness. The Book of Isaiah assumes key significance for Lowth, the eighteenth century scholar, exegete, cleric, and politician. Through Isaiah's mastery of poetic forms, the Book of Isaiah becomes representative of a biblical sublime that sets the stage for the yoking of prophecy to poetry and the Romantic figure of the poet-prophet. Yet Lowth's imposition of the genius of authorship on the multi-layered biblical text comes at the expense of repressing unruly English outbreaks of prophetic enthusiasm as well as the troubling theological questions posed by the text. Chapter Three examines nineteenth century biblical scholarship's valorization of the original oral prophets over a later written prophecy, degraded by a priestly scribalism. Oral prophecy has been characterized by a situation of social authenticity, a face-to-face conversation, whether with God, or with an audience. For scholars following Wellhausen, the prophet Ezekiel marks the moment of transformation from oral to written prophecy. I examine and critique this teleological view of prophecy by returning to Ezekiel's apostrophes. As opposed to a deadening scribal effect I show Ezekiel's apostrophe to the Mountains of Israel is a text in the process of unraveling, and paradoxically, in its weakness, creating a generative "line of flight" marked by the prophet's averted face. Chapter Four takes up the reinscription of prophecy in the literature of Hebrew Revival, at the turn of the twentieth century and its reception in Hebrew modernism. While public intellectuals tried to create a cultural Bible that would help guide the Jews to national revival, the practice of the prophetic mode in Hebrew was an encounter in precariousness. The fragmented modern selves of the poets, assailed by secular doubt and ambivalence about aspects of Zionist nation-building, activated the destabilizing elements of the prophetic texts themselves. Rather than presenting the heroic face-to-face prophecy of Moses, the Hebrew prophet-poets, through a complex intertextuality, illuminated a biblical prophecy that stutters, fails, averts its face, addresses the disintegration of the nation rather than its formation. Seizing up this moment of prophetic weakness in the decades before Israeli statehood is a form of remembrance and a way to enable a transformation of the future.


C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN) is a rare but severe form of kidney disease caused by fluid-phase dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. Causative mutations in complement regulating genes as well as auto-immune forms of C3GN have been described. However, therapy and prognosis in individual patients remain a matter of debate and long-term data are scarce. This also applies for the management of transplant patients as disease recurrence post-transplant is frequent. Here, we depict the clinical courses of two sisters with the unique combination of an identical, homozygous mutation in the complement factor H (CFH) gene as well as autoantibodies with a clinical follow-up of more than 20 years. Interestingly, the sisters presented with discordant clinical courses of C3GN with normal kidney function in one (patient A) and end-stage kidney disease in the other sister (patient B). In patient B, eculizumab was administered immediately prior to and in the course after kidney transplantation, with the result of a stable graft function without any signs of disease recurrence. Comprehensive genetic work-up revealed no further disease-causing mutation in both sisters. Intriguingly, the auto-antibody profile substantially differed in both sisters: autoantibodies in patient A reduced the C3b deposition, while the antibodies identified in patient B increased complement activation and deposition of split products. This study underlines the concept of a personalized-medicine approach in complement-associated diseases after thorough evaluation of the individual risk profile in each patient.


The participation of non-state actors in multilateral institutions is often portrayed as one way of decreasing the perceived legitimacy deficit in global governance. The literature on non-state actors has identified several ways in which these actors can enhance the legitimacy of intergovernmental organisations and global governance arrangements. Three partially competing normative arguments, or rationales, for the inclusion of non-state actors in international policymaking — functionalism, neocorporatism and democratic pluralism — have been identified. Whereas functionalism highlights the contribution of non-state actors to output legitimacy in terms of expertise, neocorporatism emphasises the inclusion of affected interests, and democratic pluralism claims that non-state actors increase input legitimacy through procedural values. These three normative arguments thus offer different understandings of the motives for the inclusion and representation of non-state actors in international negotiations and diplomacy. Through a single case study of United Nations climate diplomacy, we analyse the extent to which the three rationales for non-state actor inclusion are found in views held by state and non-state actors participating in the annual United Nations climate change conferences. Our results show that different actor groups place varying degrees of emphasis on the different rationales for non-state actor inclusion, even though the neocorporatist rationale remains most favoured overall. We discuss the implications of our findings for the democratic legitimacy of increasing participation of non-state actors in intergovernmental affairs and recent trends in the participation of non-state actors in the international climate change policymaking process.


PROBLEM
Among class Ib human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules, HLA-E is known to be a major ligand of CD94/NKG2 receptor on natural killer (NK) cells, and to play a pivotal role in recognition of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) by maternal immune cells. However, it is scarcely known how HLA-E expression is regulated in EVTs.

METHOD OF STUDY
In this study, we investigated whether progesterone, an essential hormone in maintaining pregnancy, regulated HLA-E expression in EVT-like cell line, JEG-3. HLA-E mRNA amount in cultured JEG-3 cells was assessed by real-time PCR and cell-surface HLA-E protein was analyzed by flowcytometry.

RESULTS
Real-time PCR showed 3.5-fold increase 1 hour after the addition of 1000 ng/ml progesterone. This response was diminished by the addition of RU486, an antagonist for progesterone receptor. Flowcytometry indicated that 1000 ng/ml progesterone slightly enhanced HLA-E expression on the surface of JEG-3.

CONCLUSION
These results suggest that progesterone up-regulates HLA-E expression in JEG-3 cells through the pathway mediated by progesterone receptor. Our findings might give a new insight into immunomodulatory function of progesterone at fetomaternal interface.


We report a binary hydrogel system made from two food grade biopolymers, agar and methylcellulose (agar–MC), which does not require addition of salt for gelation to occur and has very unusual rheological and thermal properties. It is found that the storage modulus of the agar–MC hydrogel far exceeds those of hydrogels from the individual components. In addition, the agar–MC hydrogel has enhanced mechanical properties over the temperature range 25–85 °C and a maximum storage modulus at 55 °C when the concentration of methylcellulose was 0.75% w/v or higher. This is explained by a sol–gel phase transition of the methylcellulose upon heating as supported by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Above the melting point of agar, the storage modulus of agar–MC hydrogel decreases but is still an elastic hydrogel with mechanical properties dominated by the MC gelation. By varying the mixing ratio of the two polymers, agar and MC, it was possible to engineer a food grade hydrogel of controlled mechanical properties and thermal response. SEM imaging of flash-frozen and freeze-dried samples revealed that the agar–MC hydrogel contains two different types of heterogeneous regions of distinct microstructures. The latter was also tested for its stability towards heat treatment which showed that upon heating to temperatures above 120 °C its structure was retained without melting. The produced highly thermally stable hydrogel shows melt resistance which may find application in high temperature food processing and materials templating.


Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of NSCLC remains to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the differential expression of mRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in NSCLC and to determine how these RNA molecules interact with one another to affect disease progression. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified from the GSE18842, GSE32863 and GSE29250 datasets downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database). Functional and pathway enrichment analysis were performed based on Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. STRING, Cytoscape and MCODE were applied to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and to screen hub genes. The interactions between miRNAs and mRNAs were predicted using miRWalk 3.0 and a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed. The prognostic value of the identified hub genes was then evaluated via Kaplan-Meier survival analyses using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas. A total of 782 DEGs and 46 DEMs were identified from the 3 GEO datasets. The enriched pathways and functions of the DEGs and target genes of the DEMs included osteoclast differentiation, cell adhesion, response to a drug, plasma membrane, extracellular exosome and protein binding. A subnetwork composed of 11 genes was extracted from the PPI network and the genes in this subnetwork were mainly involved in the cell cycle, cell division and DNA replication. A miRNA-gene regulatory network was constructed with 247 miRNA-gene pairs based on 6 DEMs and 210 DEGs. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the expression of ubiquitin E2 ligase C, cell division cycle protein 20, DNA topoisomerase IIα, aurora kinase A and B, cyclin B2, maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase, slit guidance ligand 3, phosphoglucomutase 5, endomucin, cysteine dioxygenase type 1, dihydropyrimidinase-like 2, miR-130b, miR-1181 and miR-127 was significantly associated with overall survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. In the present study, a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in NSCLC was established, which may provide future avenues for scientific exploration and therapeutic targeting of NSCLC.


Advances in corpus linguistics are of vital importance in terminology. The information obtained from corpora can be used to complement data already codified in dictionaries and termbases. In this article, we describe a framework of linguistic analysis that facilitates the extraction of conceptual information from corpora, and thus contributes to the study and analysis of terminological contexts. We are presently using this methodology in a research project called Oncoterm. One of the objectives of this project is to elaborate a bilingual terminological database, whose conceptual structure is an extension of an existing knowledge resource, the Mikrokosmos Ontology. In our termbase, medical concepts are organized in categories represented by templates, which are systematically applied to all category members. The application of the template to more specific concepts generates values that show the inheritance of knowledge structures within a specialized domain. The definitional information within each term entry is thus totally coherent with the information regarding other terms within the same conceptual category. This is conducive to the specification of a language of terminographic definition, which is concise, consistent and applicable not only to the domain of oncology, but also extensive to other medical domains and other languages.


Partnership arrangement leads to differences in the production and management of mustard farming between partner farmers and non-partner farmers. Partnership can affect input and output prices, cultivation techniques, and productivity of mustard. The objectives of this study were to identify factors that affect farmer participation in partnerships, effects of partnership on efficiency, and factors affecting inefficiency in mustard farming. The research used cross-sectional data from a sample of 70 mustard farmers, consisting of 35 farmers with partnership arrangement and 35 farmers with no partnership. The methods used were logistic regression analysis, stochastic frontier production function, and dual cost function. The research results show that factors affecting farmers to get involved in partnership are productivity and income. By participating in partnerships, farmers' farming will be more technically efficient but allocatively and economically inefficient. Factors affecting technical inefficiency include education, number of family members and participation in partnerships. The results of the research also show that partnerships may create opportunities to the farmers to increase their farming productivity. However, they still need facilitation or assistance from the government or local institutions especially in formulating the contract agreement.


Tannase is an inducible extracellular enzyme produced by filamentous fungi, yeasts, and bacteria by solid-state fermentation (SSF) or submerged fermentation (SmF). Among the filamentous fungi, Aspergillus and Penicillium are recognized as the most efficient producers of tannase. The aims of this study were to evaluate the production of tannase under SSF by isolation from Aspergillus and Penicillium preserved in the Collection of Cultures Micoteca - URM (WDCM604); select the best enzyme producer, and use the crude extract to clarify mangaba and tamarind juices. The optimal conditions were determined by using the Placket-Burman Planning (PB) and response surface methodology (RSM). All tested crops produced activity between 2088.19 and 238.93 U/gds, and Aspergillus carneus URM5577 was the best producer. Through MSR, the best parameters for producing tannase were found to be 70 h of cultivation at pH 6.0, 7% tannic acid at 28°C and, as the response variable, 5449.31 activity U/gds. The optimum purification conditions were the molecular weight of PEG 8000 (g/mol), concentration of PEG 15% (w/w), 25% citrate (w/w), and pH 8.0. Its application in mangaba juice reduced the tannin content by 49.66% after 90 min and in tamarind by 51.82% at 120 min incubation at 37°C.

 Key words: Tannase, agroforestry waste, Aspergillus, Penicillium.


This article explores the relationship between refugees and urban segregation, using Calcutta as a site of analysis. Using interviews and other sources, it shows how refugees displaced Muslims in the process of squatting in the post-partition period. The aims of the article are two-fold. First, it aims to investigate the ways in which refugees, often considered 'victims' of persecution, can in fact become hegemonic forces within the urban environments to which they are displaced. This complicates their subject positions within larger geopolitical and urban discourses. Second, it aims to historicise current discussions of communalism in India by linking them to the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and to interrogate the ways in which the latter continues to haunt urbanisation in India. The article thus reveals some of the ways in which various 'marginal' groups displace and dominate each other enabling the spatialisation of Hindu hegemony.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength and the site of bond failure for 2 visible light-cured composites (Transbond XT and Enlight) and a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC; Fuji Ortho LC). Seventy-five extracted human premolars were collected and randomly divided into 3 test groups. Brackets were bonded to the teeth in each test group with the respective adhesive according to the manufacturers' instructions. Each specimen was debonded using an Instron Universal Testing Machine at a crosshead speed of 0.1 mm/min. The mode of bond failure was observed by using light microscopy. The results of this study demonstrated that the light-cured composites had a higher shear bond strength than the RMGIC. The adhesive-remnant scores were similar for the composites with the mean values at about 2, which indicates that more than half of the adhesive remained on the tooth. The RMGIC had a mean score of 3, which was significantly different from the composites and indicated that all of the adhesive remained on the tooth with a distinct impression of the bracket.


Using the balanced affect model of work-related psychological health proposed and measured by the Francis Burnout Inventory, this paper set out to assess the work-related psychological health of a sample of 874 stipendiary parochial clergywomen working within the Church of England, to examine the association between work-related psychological health and psychological type as assessed by the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The data demonstrate that these clergywomen experience a high level of emotional exhaustion, often offset by a high level of satisfaction in ministry, but that these levels are roughly consistent with those reported by clergymen and clergywomen working in other cultural and denominational contexts. In terms of psychological type theory, the data demonstrate that extraverts and feelers enjoy a better level of work-related psychological health in comparison with introverts and thinkers. This finding is consistent with the view that introverted thinking clergywomen may find themselves operating in ministry for long periods with their less preferred orientation of extraversion and their less preferred judging function of feeling. Suggestions are offered to help introverted and thinking clergy deal more effectively with the stresses of ministry.


The corrosion inhibition of mild steel is the subject of tremendous technological importance due to the increased industrial applications of these materials. This study reports the corrosion inhibition of mild steel in acidic solution of 0.5 M HCl using root extract of Uvaria chamea by way of gravimetric measurements. It was shown that the presence of U. chamea root extract inhibited the corrosion of mild steel in the test solution and the inhibition efficiency depended on the concentration of the plant extract as well as on the time of exposure of the mild steel samples in HCl solutions containing the extract. The experimental data complied to the Langmuir and Temkin adsorption isotherms. From the results obtained authenticates that the root extracts of U. chameafavours both cathodic and anodic inhibitor. The adsorption mechanism is both chemisorptions and physisorption.

 Key words: Corrosion inhibition, mild steel, adsorption mechanism, Uvaria chamea, Langmuir and Temkin isotherms.


We present a theory, based on statistical mechanics, to evaluate analytically the performance of uncoded, fully synchronous, randomly spread code-division multiple-access (CDMA) multiuser detectors with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, under perfect power control, and in the large-system limit. Application of the replica method, a tool developed in the literature of statistical mechanics, allows us to derive analytical expressions for the bit-error rate, as well as the multiuser efficiency, of the individually optimum (IO) and jointly optimum (JO) multiuser detectors over the whole range of noise levels. The information-theoretic capacity of the randomly spread CDMA channel and the performance of decorrelating and linear minimum mean-square error (MMSE) detectors are also derived in the same replica formulation, thereby demonstrating validity of the statistical-mechanical approach.


Symmetry, as one of the key components of Gestalt theory, provides an important mid-level cue that serves as input to higher visual processes such as segmentation. In this work, we propose a complete approach that links the detection of curved reflection symmetries to produce symmetry-constrained segments of structures/regions in real images with clutter. For curved reflection symmetry detection, we leverage on patch-based symmetric features to train a Structured Random Forest classifier that detects multiscaled curved symmetries in 2D images. Next, using these curved symmetries, we modulate a novel symmetry-constrained foreground-background segmentation by their symmetry scores so that we enforce global symmetrical consistency in the final segmentation. This is achieved by imposing a pairwise symmetry prior that encourages symmetric pixels to have the same labels over a MRF-based representation of the input image edges, and the final segmentation is obtained via graph-cuts. Experimental results over four publicly available datasets containing annotated symmetric structures: 1) SYMMAX-300 [38], 2) BSD-Parts, 3) Weizmann Horse (both from [18]) and 4) NY-roads [35] demonstrate the approach's applicability to different environments with state-of-the-art performance.


Background HLA sensitization in potential renal transplant recipients hinders opportunities of receiving suitable organs. To alleviate this, we sought to determine if supplying closely HLA Class I matched leukodepleted blood would minimize sensitization. Methods Patients received HLA selected or random units of packed red cells. Selected units were sourced from blood donors included in the British Bone Marrow Registry and had no HLA-A and HLA-B mismatches where available, or alternatively, no HLA antigens with more than five immunogenic triplet mismatches as determined by the HLAMatchmaker algorithm. Posttransfusion antibody screening confirmed development of de novo Class I and Class II HLA-specific IgG antibody(s) or increases in preexisting antibody levels of at least 20%. Results Thirty-seven and 31 patients received HLA selected (mean, 2.5 units) and random (mean, 3.4 units) blood, respectively. A total of 20 of 37 (54.1%) patients receiving selected units and 10 of 31 (32.3%) patients receiving random units were previously sensitized. No patient receiving HLA selected units demonstrated any change in antibody levels. In patients who received random units, 7 of 31 demonstrated changes in antibody levels with three developing de novo HLA-specific antibodies and four an increase in panel reactive antibody (PRA) of at least 20% (P=0.002). Conclusions The risk of developing HLA-specific antibody is significantly reduced in renal patients awaiting transplantation when transfused with HLA selected units of blood compared with random units. With planning, access to HLA typed blood is achievable as many blood transfusion centers recruit donors for stem cell donor registries.


The notion of an instance is ubiquitous in knowledge representations for domain modeling. Most languages used for domain modeling offer syntactic or semantic restrictions on specific language constructs that distinguish individuals and classes in the application domain. The use, however, of instances and classes to represent domain entities has been driven by concerns that range from the strictly practical (e.g. the exploitation of inheritance) to the vaguely philosophical (e.g. intuitive notions of intension and extension). We demonstrate the importance of establishing a clear ontological distinction between instances and classes, and then show modeling scenarios where a single object may best be viewed as a class and an instance. To avoid ambiguous interpretations of such objects, it is necessary to introduce separate universes of discourse in which the same object exists in different forms. We show that a limited facility to support this notion exists in modeling languages like Smalltalk and CLOS, and argue that a more general facility should be made explicit in modeling languages.


The results of a systemic approach to training the students of the Faculty of Preventive Medicine, I. P. Pavlov Ryazan State Medical University during the reorganization of higher medical education in the country, which covered pre-higher higher, and post-higher education are presented. Prehigher education on the basis of school and the university assumes that students will obtain extended theoretical and practical skills in chemistry, anatomy, and biology. Higher education at the stage of propedeutic hygiene forms in students ideas of the significance of environmental factors for human health, the threshold of their action, and sanitary standardization.


Recent progress of experimental studies on the gas-phase reaction dynamics of transition metal (TM) atoms carried out in our laboratory are presented. Reactions of transition metal atoms have provided an important class of systems for the study of reaction dynamics. Because TM atoms usually have several low lying electronic states, the interactions of the potential energy surfaces evolved from these states play important roles in their reactions. In order to clarify these interactions, preparation of the TM atoms in a selected electronic state and detection of products in a specific electronic state are necessary from the experimental viewpoint. The single collision condition is also essential. Crossed-beam laser-induced fluorescence technique has been applied for several oxidation reactions of metal atoms. The laser-vaporization TM beam source combined with several carrier gases is used to generate a single electronic state or their combination with known populations. They enable us to extract noble information about the reactivities of the specific electronic states. The analysis of Doppler profiles of product, O( 3 P J ), is also useful to determine branching ratios of products in different electronic states.


Standard treatment for primary prostate cancer includes systemic exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs that target androgen receptor or antihormone therapy (chemical castration); however, drug-resistant cancer cells generally emerge during treatment, limiting the continued use of systemic chemotherapy. Patients are then treated with more toxic standard therapies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel and more effective treatments for prostate cancer. The cholesterol biosynthetic pathway is an attractive therapeutic target for treating endocrine-dependent cancers because cholesterol is an essential structural and functional component of cell membranes as well as the metabolic precursor of endogenous steroid hormones. In this study, we have examined the effects of RO 48-8071 (4′-[6-(allylmethylamino)hexyloxy]-4-bromo-2′-fluorobenzophenone fumarate; Roche Pharmaceuticals internal reference: RO0488071) (RO), which is an inhibitor of 2, 3-oxidosqualene cyclase (a key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway), on prostate cancer cells. Exposure of both hormone-dependent and castration-resistant human prostate cancer cells to RO reduced prostate cancer cell viability and induced apoptosis in vitro. RO treatment reduced androgen receptor protein expression in hormone-dependent prostate cancer cells and increased estrogen receptor β (ERβ) protein expression in both hormone-dependent and castration-resistant prostate cancer cell lines. Combining RO with an ERβ agonist increased its ability to reduce castration-resistant prostate cancer cell viability. In addition, RO effectively suppressed the growth of aggressive castration-resistant human prostate cancer cell xenografts in vivo without any signs of toxicity to experimental animals. Importantly, RO did not reduce the viability of normal prostate cells in vitro. Our study is the first to demonstrate that the cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor RO effectively suppresses growth of human prostate cancer cells. Our findings suggest that cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors such as RO, when used in combination with commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs or ERβ specific ligands, could represent a novel therapeutic approach to prevent the growth of prostate cancer tumors.


With the interconnection of services and customers, network attacks are capable of large amounts of damage. Flexible Random Virtual IP Multiplexing (FRVM) is a Moving Target Defence (MTD) technique that protects against reconnaissance and access with address mutation and multiplexing. Security techniques must be trusted, however, FRVM, along with past MTD techniques, have gaps in realistic evaluation and thorough analysis of security and performance. FRVM, and two comparison techniques, were deployed on a virtualised network to demonstrate FRVM's security and performance trade-offs. The key results include the security and performance trade-offs of address multiplexing and address mutation. The security benefit of IP address multiplexing is much greater than its performance overhead, deployed on top of address mutation. Frequent address mutation significantly increases an attackers' network scan durations as well as effectively obfuscating and hiding network configurations.


INTRODUCTION: Williams Syndrome (WS; Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man No. 194050) is a rare syndrome that has attracted a great deal of attention because of an uneven neurolinguistic profile characterized by relative strengths in language, facial processing, and social cognition in the context of poorer spatial cognition, planning, and problem solving. WS has also been used as evidence for the existence of dissociations within subsystems of the language module itself. It has been reported that individuals with WS perform better on grammatical versus lexical tasks and on regular versus irregular forms. OBJECTIVE: This study addressed 2 main questions: (1) Do individuals with WS show differences between language and cognition? (2) Do individuals with WS perform differently across tasks that tap different aspects of language? METHODS: We investigated nonverbal and verbal abilities of 20 Greek-speaking children with WS (aged 6–18 years with molecular definition of chromosome 7 deletions) and compared their performance to a group of 20 normal children aged 4 to 10 years. The 2 groups were matched on language ability (comprehension and expression) through the Diagnostic Verbal IQ Test. Verbal ability was measured by 3 experimental linguistic measures that assessed comprehension of pronouns and production of verbs and nouns. RESULTS: Nonverbal IQ was low and ranged from 40 to 68 points. Those in the WS group, as a whole, showed unimpaired performance on pronouns but faced difficulties in using verbs and nouns. Great variation in performance was evident, which highlights the heterogeneity of the group. A subgroup of individuals with WS showed clear dissociations between language and cognition and within language. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that (1) there is a clear dissociation between language and cognition and (2) children with WS show strengths on some aspects of their linguistic development.


This paper presents the standardization of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) in the Greek population. Self-esteem is defined as the positive or negative reflection that the individual has for himself/herself and the belief of being able to cope with the basic challenges of life. The RSES was completed by university students with a mean age of 19. Along with the RSES we administered the Health Locus of Control Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Stress and Personality Self Test and the self-esteem questionnaire (Darviri & Varvogli). The results on the reliability and validity of the RSES were satisfactory as the internal reliability index crombach a was .80 and the RSES had positive statistical significant relationship with the second questionnaire of self-esteem. We also found statistically significant relationships with stress levels, health locus of control and personality types. It seems that when people attribute their good health to others, they have increased self-esteem in relation to people who attributed their good health to themselves. Furthermore our study showed that women have higher levels of self-esteem than men, an opposite outcome to the one of previous validations. The RSES Greek version is a tool that can be used for the measurement of Self-Esteem in the Greek Population.


The Infection by the virus of the Hepatitis B is one of major problems of the World Health and the hospital staff is particularly exposed to this risk, this infection can be prevented by the vaccination of all those at risk. Objective To assess the rate of vaccination against hepatitis B among the hospital staff of the University Hospital of Sidi Bel Abbes (SBA). Methods This is a retrospective descriptive study including all hospital staff of the University Hospital of Sidi Bel Abbes on 6-month period from January 1st to June 30th 2015. The data collection was done using a questionnaire pre etablished filled by two occupational physicians from the medical records of occupational health and hepatitis B immunisation registry. The questionnaire included several components : socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex …) Professional characteristics : workstation, professional category, Professional seniority, service … Professional history (notion of blood exposure accidents, hepatitis B or C) Vaccination status: noting the doses received by each subject. Results The study population is represented by 2222 employees, the average age was 41.38 ± 9.1 years with a female predominance (56.9%), seniority at work was 12 ± 9.3 years. Nurses accounted for more than half of hospital staff. About 2222 workers, more than half were regularly vaccinated against hepatitis B (53.6%) and 6.5% were being vaccination. The staff at high-risk services seems best vaccinated. Conclusion Vaccination against viral hepatitis B remains insufficient. raising awareness about the risk of blood exposure accidents and the use of personal protection seem indispensable.


The political confinement was one of the instrument of persecution of the Fascist regime. This paper aims to analyze how this form of limitation of freedom, based on expulsion and isolation, political but also cultural, economic and social, has helped to overcome the concept of border. The political confinement made new relationships between the Antifascists deported and the local population. The famous novel by Carlo Levi "Christ Stopped at Eboli" describes how the men and women sent to Aliano, the town where Carlo Levi was actually imprisoned, transformed punitive experience in an encounter between different cultures, thanks to the contact with the South of Italy. What happened to Eboli, the country of Salerno mentioned in the title? Are there differences between the case of Eboli, Aliano and the South of Italy? Through the analysis of the 250 letters sent by seventy Antifascist confinemented to Eboli and Aliano, we can identify some of the main policy results, economic, cultural and social produced by Fascist political confinement in Eboli and Aliano. The historical record, made by seventy political deported, helped the renewed Italian political class to face a problem known as the "Southern question".


Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) is a popular framework for planning under uncertainty in partially observable domains. Yet, the POMDP model is riskneutral in that it assumes that the agent is maximizing the expected reward of its actions. In contrast, in domains like financial planning, it is often required that the agent decisions are risk-sensitive (maximize the utility of agent actions, for non-linear utility functions). Unfortunately, existing POMDP solvers cannot solve such planning problems exactly. By considering piecewise linear approximations of utility functions, this paper addresses this shortcoming in three contributions: (i) It defines the Risk-Sensitive POMDP model; (ii) It derives the fundamental properties of the underlying value functions and provides a functional value iteration technique to compute them exactly and (c) It proposes an efficient procedure to determine the dominated value functions, to speed up the algorithm. Our experiments show that the proposed approach is feasible and applicable to realistic financial planning domains.


This judicious selection of articles combines mathematical and numerical methods to apply parameter estimation and optimum experimental design in a range of contexts. These include fields as diverse as biology, medicine, chemistry, environmental physics, image processing and computer vision. The material chosen was presented at a multidisciplinary workshop on parameter estimation held in 2009 in Heidelberg. The contributions show how indispensable efficient methods of applied mathematics and computer-based modeling can be to enhancing the quality of interdisciplinary research.The use of scientific computing to model, simulate, and optimize complex processes has become a standard methodology in many scientific fields, as well as in industry. Demonstrating that the use of state-of-the-art optimization techniques in a number of research areas has much potential for improvement, this book provides advanced numerical methods and the very latest results for the applications under consideration.


Emotions are one of the important factors guiding our behaviors. People often make decisions by being influenced by their emotions throughout their lives. Therefore, it is important to recognize and learn to control our emotions. There are different groups of individuals with disabilities, and the swimming training of each group with disabilities is different. Swimming, which is one of the Paralympic sports branches, appeals to almost all groups with disabilities. There are very few swimming coaches in Turkey who provide swimming training to individuals with disabilities, and are only interested in groups with disabilities. There are swimming coaches who are accredited to the Swimming Federation of Turkey and who provide swimming training to individuals without disabilities, and their number is higher than the coaches who provide training to swimmers with disabilities. A coach, who is defined as the individual who provides sports skills and tactical development for an athlete to achieve success, is the individual who prepares many sports players for matches and tournaments to be held. The coach is responsible for raising the players to the required level by considering the variables such as process, place, equipment, technique, and tactics. In our study, it is aimed to examine the emotional intelligence levels of the coaches working with individuals with disabilities and individuals without disabilities in the swimming branch. The research is a descriptive study and the data were collected by the questionnaire method. The research data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the total score of the scale according to the status of coaching an individual with disability whereas MANOVA analysis was used to compare the status of coaching an individual with a disability * according to demographic variables.


Nucleic acid biosensors represent a powerful tool for clinical and environmental pathogens detection. For applications such as point-of-care biosensing, it is fundamental to develop sensors that should be automatic, inexpensive, portable and require a professional skill of the user that should be as low as possible. With the goal of determining the presence of pathogens when present in very small amount, such as for the screening of pathogens in drinking water, an amplification step must be implemented. Often this type of determinations should be performed with simple, automatic and inexpensive hardware: the use of a chemical (or nanotechnological) isothermal solution would be desirable.
My Ph.D. project focused on the study and on the testing of four isothermal reactions which can be used to amplify the nucleic acid analyte before the binding event on the surface sensor or to amplify the signal after that the hybridization event with the probe.
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and ligation-mediated rolling circle amplification (L-RCA) were investigated as methods for DNA and RNA amplification.
Hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and Terminal deoxynucleotidil transferase-mediated amplification were investigated as strategies to achieve the enhancement of the signal after the surface hybridization event between target and probe.
In conclusion, it can be said that only a small subset of the biochemical strategies that are proved to work in solution towards the amplification of nucleic acids does truly work in the context of amplifying the signal of a detection system for pathogens. Amongst those tested during my Ph.D. activity, recombinase polymerase amplification seems the best candidate for a useful implementation in diagnostic or environmental applications.


Objective: Patient satisfaction (PS) is a major quality assessment index for the emergency department (ED) which affects patient safety, litigation, reimbursements, and consumer satisfaction. In this study we aimed to recognize the factors affecting PS in our center. Method: Random shifts during a week were selected and all patients disposed from the ED were asked to fill out a revised and validated Persian version of the Press-Ganey questionnaire with the help of a research assistant. Results were analyzed using a linear regression model by SPSS software version 21. Results: Findings reaffirmed some of the factors previously described. These included longer door to treatment area times having a negative effect on satisfaction (P < 0.001), and providing vivid discharge information improving PS (P < 0.001). Other important factors were also found that had not previously been focused on, namely cleanliness of the area (P < 0.0001) and courtesy of the staff in charge of patient transfer (P = 0.03). We also found that men had a more satisfying ED experience (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Cultural expectations may have an important effect on PS. Thus, every institution should determine and alter the expectations most relevant to them.


The unconventional and non-traditional trajectory of the US foreign policy, in the regime of Donald Trump, has already undone decades of the American diplomacy, evoking an intense reaction from friends and foes alike. This downward trend is not only bewildering America's staunch allies in Europe and Asia but also bringing new realisation to the rising and resurgent powers that the era of unprecedented US global hegemony is over. The retreat in the US global leadership has neither been because of "imperial overstretch" nor the "domestic under-reach" but through voluntary relinquishing of power and responsibility along with abdication of power, however, inadvertently. The US foreign policy, under the Trump administration is altering the US relationship with erstwhile allies and affecting its ability to obtain the desired outcomes.


Clustering is a fundamental research topic in the field of data mining. Optimizing the objective functions of clustering algorithms, e.g. normalized cut and k-means, is an NP-hard optimization problem. Existing algorithms usually relax the elements of cluster indicator matrix from discrete values to continuous ones. Eigenvalue decomposition is then performed to obtain a relaxed continuous solution, which must be discretized. The main problem is that the signs of the relaxed continuous solution are mixed. Such results may deviate severely from the true solution, making it a nontrivial task to get the cluster labels. To address the problem, we impose an explicit nonnegative constraint for a more accurate solution during the relaxation. Besides, we additionally introduce a discriminative regularization into the objective to avoid overfitting. A new iterative approach is proposed to optimize the objective. We show that the algorithm is a general one which naturally leads to other extensions. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.


Researchers have discovered a new a way to make the anticancer drug imatinib more effective. By suppressing the oncogene AHI-1, Zhou and colleagues were able to hold chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in check (page 2657).

Figure 1

A combination of imatinib and an AHI-1 blocker (red) killed more cells from imatinib-resistant CML patients than did imatinib alone (purple).

Imatinib is currently the most popular targeted therapy for CML. The leukemia is associated with the abnormal fusion of BCR with a kinase gene, ABL, which results in a perpetually active kinase known as BCR-ABL. Imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, slows down the spread of cancer by blocking BCR-ABL activity. But the drug doesn't work in everyone and patients often relapse, most likely because the drug only targets mature cells, leaving CML stem cells behind. Scientists have therefore been hunting for complementary therapies that act on pathways left undeterred by kinase inhibitors.

Mutated versions of the recently identified protein AHI-1, whose function is unknown, have been shown to be highly expressed in leukemic stem cells—the same cells that express BCR-ABL in patients with CML. Here, Zhou et al. show that expressing AHI-1 in stem cells turns the cells cancerous in vitro, and these cells caused lethal leukemia when transferred into mice. When expressed in BCR-ABL–positive cells, AH1-1 exacerbated the growth-promoting effects of the fusion protein.

AHI-1's growth-promoting activity was attributed to the ability of AHI-1 to bind to BCR-ABL, along with an activated version of the downstream signaling protein JAK2. Cells expressing this complex were resistant to the kinase-blocking action of imatinib. Indeed, blocking AHI-1 in cells from imatinib-resistant CML patients restored the cells' sensitivity to the drug.

With this finding, the race is on to find a drug to block AH1-1. As other studies have recently suggested, the cure for CML and other leukemias may not lie in a miracle drug, but rather in a carefully concocted cocktail of targeted therapies.


Abstract. Alpine catchments show a high sensitivity to climate
variation as they include the elevation range of the snow line. Therefore,
the correct representation of climate variables and their interdependence is
crucial when describing or predicting hydrological processes. When using
climate model simulations in hydrological impact studies, forcing
meteorological data are usually downscaled and bias corrected, most often by
univariate approaches such as quantile mapping of individual variables,
neglecting the relationships that exist between climate variables. In this
study we test the hypothesis that the explicit consideration of the relation
between air temperature and precipitation will affect hydrological impact
modelling in a snow-dominated mountain environment. Glacio-hydrological
simulations were performed for two partly glacierized alpine catchments
using a recently developed multivariate bias correction method to
post-process EURO-CORDEX regional climate model outputs between 1976 and
2099. These simulations were compared to those obtained by using the common
univariate quantile mapping for bias correction. As both methods correct
each climate variable's distribution in the same way, the marginal
distributions of the individual variables show no differences. Yet,
regarding the interdependence of precipitation and air temperature, clear
differences are notable in the studied catchments. Simultaneous correction
based on the multivariate approach led to more precipitation below air
temperatures of 0 ∘C and therefore more simulated snowfall than
with the data of the univariate approach. This difference translated to
considerable consequences for the hydrological responses of the catchments.
The multivariate bias-correction-forced simulations showed distinctly
different results for projected snow cover characteristics, snowmelt-driven
streamflow components, and expected glacier disappearance dates. In all
aspects – the fraction of precipitation above and below 0 ∘C,
the simulated snow water equivalents, glacier volumes, and the streamflow
regime – simulations resulting from the multivariate-corrected data
corresponded better with reference data than the results of univariate bias
correction. Differences in simulated total streamflow due to the different
bias correction approaches may be considered negligible given the generally
large spread of the projections, but systematic differences in the
seasonally delayed streamflow components from snowmelt in particular will
matter from a planning perspective. While this study does not allow
conclusive evidence that multivariate bias correction approaches are
generally preferable, it clearly demonstrates that incorporating or ignoring
inter-variable relationships between air temperature and precipitation data
can impact the conclusions drawn in hydrological climate change impact
studies in snow-dominated environments.


With the ever-increasing complexity and requirements of highly dependable systems, their evaluation during design and operation is becoming more crucial. Realistic models of such systems are often not amenable to analysis using conventional analytic or numerical methods. Therefore, analysts and designers turn to simulation to evaluate these models. However, accurate estimation of dependability measures of these models requires that the simulation frequently observes system failures, which are rare events in highly dependable systems. This renders ordinary Simulation impractical for evaluating such systems. To overcome this problem, simulation techniques based on importance sampling have been developed, and are very effective in certain settings. When importance sampling works well, simulation run lengths can be reduced by several orders of magnitude when estimating transient as well as steady-state dependability measures. This paper reviews some of the importance-sampling techniques that have been developed in recent years to estimate dependability measures efficiently in Markov and nonMarkov models of highly dependable systems.


The lagging behind of underrepresented minority (URM) students in higher education, and particularly in the STEM fields, is well documented. In this paper we draw on critical race theory in education to frame and present counter-narratives of URM students in STEM fields, to explicate the function of the interactions that occur between these students and their (mostly White) instructors and peers. Focus group interviews with URM students (and staff) at a STEM focused college identify three ways in which White privilege is enacted through these interactions: in group projects; in cheating accusations; and in the grading process. Our participants illuminate particular manifestations of White privilege in STEM classrooms and on campus, and we place these within the context of "colorblind" changes in higher education in the U.S.


In this paper the linear multi-secret sharing schemes are studied by using monotone span programs. A relation between computing monotone Boolean functions by using monotone span programs and realizing multi-access structures by using linear multi-secret sharing schemes is shown. Furthermore, the concept of optimal linear multi-secret sharing scheme is presented and the several schemes are proved to be optimal.


SUMMARY We use teleseismic receiver functions to investigate the crustal structure at two locations in westernTurkey using seismic data recorded on small arrays of temporary broad-band seismographs. The results from these analyses are compared with receiver function results from the GDSN station ANTO on the Anatolian Plateau in central Turkey. The crust is *30 km thick in the region of western Turkey where active normal faulting reveals present-day extension in the upper crust and alkali-basaltic volcanism reveals recent extension within the subcrustal lithosphere. The crust is *34 km thick further east where crustal extension is still evident but less pronounced. In the Anatolian Plateau, which is not currently extending, the crust is *38 km thick. The level of extension estimated from these measurements of crustal thickness implies a b-factor of *1.2. This value agrees with the amount of extension estimated in the upper crust from the integrated seismic strain rate (b-factor of *1.3), from surface faulting (b-factor of *1.25) and from the amount of extension in the subcrustal lithosphere estimated from the volcanism (b-factor < 2), all indicating that the extension is approximately uniformly distributed vertically throughout the lithosphere. The Moho transition in this region appears to thin slightly as the degree of extension increases westwards.


ABSTRACT This study seeks to understand luxury shopping destinations of Mainland Chinese residents. Using Hong Kong as an example, this study conducted five focus group discussions and identified brand and high prices as proxies of luxury in the Chinese mindset. Findings that motivations for luxury consumption are socially and personally oriented simultaneously indicate that the framework of the self-concept theory is appropriate. However, the development of a luxury shopping destination goes beyond fulfilling the respondents' social and personal desires for luxury. The halo effects of social movements, such as Occupy Central and anti-parallel trade protests, have immensely mitigated the attractiveness of Hong Kong as a luxury shopping destination.


In the paper the standard dimensioned 1,5 kW three-phase induction motor with single-layer former winding and the same motor with stator winding replaced with sinusoidal winding was analyzed. Electromagnetic features of stator windings of the considered motors were evaluated on the base of harmonic analysis of rotating magnetomotive forces created by them and by calculating electromagnetic efficiency factors on the base of the analysis results. It was determined that the electromagnetic efficiency factor of the single-layer former three-phase winding kef1 = 0,9139, and for sinusoidal three-phase winding – kef2 = 0,9335, i. e. by 2,14 % higher than the factor of the first winding. All power indexes of standard dimensioned induction motor with single-layer winding and of motor with stator winding replaced with sinusoidal three-phase winding were calculated after completing no-load and load tests of the motor and by applying the segregated-losses method. It was found that the phase current of the induction motor with stator winding replaced with sinusoidal three phase winding under indicated load decreased by 6,9 % , power taken from electric grid decreased by 5,0 %, power losses decreased by 11,7 %, efficiency factor increased by 2,4 % and power factor increased by 3,4 % compare to the respective power indexes of the standard dimensioned induction motor under the same load. It was determined that induction motor with three-phase winding of higher electromagnetic efficiency factor also has better power indexes. Ill. 4, bibl. 5, tabl. 8 (in English; abstracts in English, Russian and Lithuanian).


ABSTRACT Background: Clinician-scientists (CSs) are physicians who work in daily care and have an academic role in research or education. They may act as knowledge brokers and help to connect research and clinical practice. There is no data available on CSs' brokering activities and the perceived barriers and facilitators to optimising their role in general practice (GP) and elderly care medicine (EM). Aim: To identify the brokering activities of CSs in these fields and the barriers and facilitators they come across whilst sharing knowledge and connecting people in research and frontline health care. Design and setting: Qualitative interview study among 17 Dutch senior CSs. Method: Interview data were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematic interpretative analysis was used to identify themes. Results: CSs facilitate collaboration between researchers and practitioners. They exchange knowledge on both sides, make use of extensive networks and constantly and actively involve care in research and research in care. CSs come across barriers as well as facilitators that influence their brokering activities. Some barriers and facilitators are at the individual level, other are related more to the job context and workplace. Conclusions: This study reveals barriers to overcome and facilitators to develop related to the brokering role of CSs. To make the best use of CSs, brokering activities and the added value of CSs should be recognised and supported. Awareness of what CSs need to function effectively in demanding work settings could be important for the future impact of the role on the fields of GP and EM.


Case Report: Meckel-Gruber syndrome is a rare and lethal autosomal recessive disorder characterized by occipital encephalocele, polydactyly and bilateral dysplastic cystic kidneys. Antenatal ultrasound examination can establish the correct diagnosis by identifying at least two of the major features described. We report a case in which the diagnosis of Meckel-Gruber Syndrome was possible by transvaginal sonography in the first trimester. A 30-year-old, prima-gravida patient presented for sonography at 13 weeks to have the nuchal translucency screening test. The transabdominal scan revealed occipital encephalocele of the fetus. The CRL was 80.3 mm and the NT measurement was 2.1 mm. There was no oligohydramnios, but the fetal urinary bladder was not visualised. The transvaginal sonogram demonstrated an encephalocele involving the posterior fossa with a large posterior fossa cyst protruding from the occiput. The kidneys were echogenic, suggesting cystic dysplasia, and there was evidence of polydactyly of the hands. Based on these findings, the diagnosis of Meckel-Gruber Syndrome was made. The patient elected to terminate the pregnancy, and the diagnosis was confirmed after delivery. The incidence of Meckel-Gruber Syndrome worldwide varies from 1 in 13,250 to 1 in 140,000 live births. It is an autosomal recessive disorder with a recurrence risk of twenty-five percent. The locus for Meckel syndrome is on chromosome 17, long arm, region 2, and bands 1–4. The reported incidence of renal disorder in this syndrome varies from 95% to 100%. Occipital cephalocele is present in 60% to 80% of fetuses. Post-axial polydactyly is present in 55% to 75%. Other limb anomalies such a bowing and shortening may also be present. A karyotype study should be obtained when Meckel syndrome is suspected, to exclude chromosomal disorders. If the diagnosis is made, termination can be offered. Parents should be counseled of the likely recurrence of Meckel-Gruber syndrome.


The hepatitis C virus (HCV) virus epidemic is ongoing in the United States and globally. Incidence rates remain high, especially in young adult injection drug users. New outbreaks of HCV in the United States among young adults, in predominantly suburban and rural areas, have emerged and may be fueling an increase in HCV. This paper discusses some key HCV prevention strategies that to date have not been widely researched or implemented, and wherein future HCV prevention efforts may be focused: (1) reducing sharing of drug preparation equipment; (2) HCV screening, and testing and counseling; (3) risk reduction within injecting relationships; (4) injection cessation and "breaks"; (5) scaled-up needle/syringe distribution, HCV treatment, and vaccines, according to suggestions from mathematical models; and (6) "combination prevention." With ongoing and expanding transmission of HCV, there is little doubt that there is a need for implementing what is in the prevention "toolbox" as well as adding to it. Strong advocacy and resources are needed to overcome challenges to providing the multiple and comprehensive programs that could reduce HCV transmission and associated burden of disease worldwide in people who inject drugs.


Bisphosphonates are analogues of inorganic pyrophosphate, a naturally occurring chemical in bone. In vitro and animal experiments demonstrated that these agents were effective inhibitors of bone resorption. Subsequently they were applied to a variety of clinical problems in which increased bone resorption was an underlying feature of the pathology. In 1971 etidronate became the first bisphosphonate shown to inhibit bone resorption in humans when it was given to patients with Paget's disease. Subsequently this agent was also found to be useful in treating the hypercalcemia of malignancy. At the present time cyclic etidronate therapy is also used for the prevention of bone loss in patients with osteoporosis and for the prevention of heterotopic ossification in spinal cord-injured patients and in patients after hip replacement. Newer bisphosphonates are generally more potent than etidronate and do not produce a severe mineralization defect as do higher doses of etidronate. Pamidronate and clodronate are highly effective in the management of Paget's disease, hypercalcemia due to malignancy and immobilization, metastatic bone disease, and hematologic malignancies affecting bone. They are also promising agents for the prevention of osteoporosis. Alendronate, risedronate, and CGP 42446 are highly potent bisphosphonates that look very promising for the treatment of all disorders of bone resorption. It is fortunate that adverse reactions are not a prominent feature of bisphosphonate use. The main side effects are nausea and abdominal discomfort, mainly with oral use, a transient increase in bone pain in patients with Paget's disease, and an acute-phase reaction (fever, myalgia, mild leukopenia) in patients receiving aminobisphosphonates. The evolution of bisphosphonate therapy should be considered one of the major therapeutic events of the past 25 years. Future research should define the optimum use of these agents.


The present study shows the results from testing experimental hybrids for grain yield which were obtained by the partial diallele system by Savchenko (1966, 1978) in 2004. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) of 10 late inbred maize lines which belong to two genetically different groups (Lancaster and Reid) were evaluated. The hybrids received from them were tested both in 2005 and 2006 on the fields of the Maize Research Institute, Knezha, under conditions without irrigation and plant density 40000 plant/ha. The aim of the study is to analyze both CA for grain yield and the genetic parameters of newly created late inbred maize lines in terms of their more consistent use in selection. As a result of the experimental work, three inbred lines with high GCA are pointed out (ХМ 4582, КС 4607 (Lancaster) and ХМ 4583 and FХМ 4658 (Reid)). Since GCA is determined by additively acting genes, these lines may be used as testers for evaluation of GCA of new source materials in the earlier stages of the selection process. The SCA of inbred lines ХМ 4647, ХМ 4582, КС 4682 and FХМ 4658 is high and they are suitable for direct heterosis selection and creation of high yielding hybrids as in the inheritance of their genetic parameters mostly dominant and epistatic gene effects are displayed. After the results were analyzed, some specific recommendations for the inclusion of these inbred lines in different selection programs were made. In addition, as a direct outcome of the experimental work, four high yielding hybrids were pointed out and they are still being tested in varietal and ecological trials.


The objective of this review is to update and assess the medicinal properties of garlic includes immune functions, antibacterial activities, antifungal activities, antivirus activities, detoxification, anti-oxidant agent, prevent platelet aggregation, reduction in blood pressure, lowering of cholesterol- and triglyceride, prevention of arteriosclerosis, antithrombotic, anticancer effects. The scientific research shows that the wide variety of dietary and medicinal functions of garlic can be attributed to the sulfur compounds present in or produced from garlic. Chemical analysis of garlic cloves have revealed a concentration of sulfur-containing compounds (1—3%). Although garlic produces large number of sulfide compounds from a few sulfur containing amino acids, their functions are different from one another like allicin, diallyl, mono, di, tri, tetra, hexa and hepta sulfides, vinyldithiins and ajoenes. Allyl, propyl disulfide and other organic sulphide or sulphur compounds diallyl disulphide, allinase, alliin( S-allyl cysteine sulphoxide).


We consider a class of misspecified dynamical models where the governing term is only approximately known. Under the assumption that observations of the system's evolution are accessible for various initial conditions, our goal is to infer a non-parametric correction to the misspecified driving term such as to faithfully represent the system dynamics and devise system evolution predictions for unobserved initial conditions.
We model the unknown correction term as a Gaussian Process and analyze the problem of efficient experimental design to find an optimal correction term under constraints such as a limited experimental budget. We suggest a novel formulation for experimental design for this Gaussian Process and show that approximately optimal (up to a constant factor) designs may be efficiently derived by utilizing results from the literature on submodular optimization. Our numerical experiments exemplify the effectiveness of these techniques.


Objectives To establish evidence-based recommendations to guide health professionals using intra-articular therapies (IAT) in adult patients with peripheral arthropathies. Methods A multidisciplinary international task force established the objectives, users and scope and the need for background information, including systematic literature reviews) and two surveys addressed to healthcare providers and patients throughout Europe. The evidence was discussed in a face-to-face meeting, recommendations were formulated and subsequently voted for anonymously in a three-round Delphi process to obtain the final agreement. The level of evidence was assigned to each recommendation with the Oxford levels of evidence. Results Recommendations focus on practical aspects to guide health professionals before, during and after IAT in adult patients with peripheral arthropathies. Five overarching principles and 11 recommendations were established, addressing issues related to patient information, procedure and setting, accuracy, routine and special aseptic care, safety issues and precautions to be addressed in special populations, efficacy and safety of repeated joint injections, use of local anaesthetics and aftercare. Conclusion We have developed the first evidence and expert opinion-based recommendations to guide health professionals using IAT. We hope that these recommendations will be included in different educational programmes, used by patient associations and put into practice via scientific societies to help improve uniformity and quality of care when performing IAT in peripheral adult joints.