Background: Scoliosis is one of the musculoskeletal disorders which influences the performance of patients when walking. There is not enough information available regarding the influence of orthosis on the energy consumption of scoliotic patients while walking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of orthosis on energy consumption.
Method: This is an uncontrolled before and after study (quazi-experimental). Ten scoliotic patients and 10 normal subjects with comparable age, height and weight were recruited in this study. Energy consumption of walking was obtained from the scoliotic patients in two conditions: with and without orthosis as well as from the normal subjects without orthosis and it was evaluated using polar Electro Finland heart rate monitor. The heart rate during resting and walking and the speed of walking were the parameters used for energy consumption based on physiological cost index.
Results: The energy consumption of scoliotic subjects during walking based on PCI (physiological cost index) and THBI (total heart beat index) were higher than that of normal subjects, but the difference was not significant (P >0.05). Trunk bracing induced a little reduction of energy consumption and increased the gait efficiency of scoliotic patients.
Conclusion: The results of this research showed that there was no significant difference between the PCI and THBI of normal and scoliotic subjects. Bracing had no significant effect on gait efficiency of scoliotic patients (p >0.05).


Ultrastructural changes in the myocardial atria and ventricles have been studied in experiments on rats in the intermediate period of the endotoxin shock, on the stage of late endotoxemia and its correction with myelopid. It was established that 5 hours after endotoxin injection contractile disturbances and intracellular myocytolysis take place and growth of secretory activity is observed in atrial cardiomyocytes. Simultaneously vascular permeability increases. Only the endocrine heart function is restored 3 days later, while dystrophic changes and glycogen depletion are maintained. The myelopid administration beginning from the intermediate period of the endotoxin shock and then once during 3 days, removes most of ultrastructural damages or attenuates their expression.


For the design of distributed work systems like P2P file-sharing networks it is essential to provide incentives for agents to work for each other rather than free ride. Several mechanisms have been proposed to achieve this goal, including currency systems, credit networks, and accounting mechanisms. It has proven particularly challenging to provide robustness to sybil attacks, i.e., attacks where an agent creates and controls multiple false identities. In this paper, we consider accounting mechanisms for domains in which (1) transactions cannot be bound to reports, (2) transactions are bilateral and private, and (3) agents can only form trust links upon successful work interactions. Our results reveal the trade-off one must make in designing such mechanisms. We show that accounting mechanisms with a strong form of transitive trust cannot be robust against strongly beneficial sybil attacks. However, we also present a mechanism that strikes a balance, providing a weaker form of transitive trust while also being robust against the strongest form of sybil attacks. On the one hand, our results highlight the role of strong social ties in providing robustness against sybil attacks (such as those leveraged in credit networks using bilateral IOUs), and on the other hand our results show what kind of robustness properties are possible and impossible in domains where such pre-existing trust relations do not exist.


Temperate bacteriophages effect chromosomal evolution of their bacterial hosts, mediating rearrangements and the acquisition of novel genes from other taxa. Although the Haemophilus influenzae genome shows evidence of past phage-mediated lateral transfer, the phages presumed responsible have not been identified. To date, six different H. influenzae phages are known; of these, only the HP1/S2 group, which lyosogenizes exclusively Rd strains (which were originally encapsulated serotype d), is well characterized. Phages in this group are genetically very similar, with a highly conserved set of genes. Because the majority of H. influenzae strains are nonencapsulated (nontypeable), it is important to characterize phages infecting this larger, genetically more diverse group of respiratory pathogens. We have identified and sequenced HP2, a bacteriophage of nontypeable H. influenzae. Although related to the fully sequenced HP1 (and even more so to the partially sequenced S2) and similar in genetic organization, HP2 has a few novel genes and differs in host range; HP2 will not infect or lysogenize Rd strains. Genomic comparisons between HP1/S2 and HP2 suggest recent divergence, with new genes completely replacing old ones at certain loci. Sequence comparisons suggest that H. influenzae phages evolve by recombinational exchange of genes with each other, with cryptic prophages, and with the host chromosome.


The purpose of this research is to create a set of methods, software tools and industry validated cases, that enable disassembly enterprise managers to execute different computer controlled production control and management programs, that will help them to run their real-world disassembly lines and factories. In this paper, we particularly focus on the challenges of dynamically scheduling and balancing lean, reconfigurable disassembly cells and lines. This project is an integral part of our Web-enabled Virtual Disassembly Manager (webVDM) project for electronic product/ process designers, disassembly line managers and operators. webVDM is a major MERC/NJIT R&D group effort, supported by several funding agencies, companies and institutions and their hard working staff and RAs (Research Assistants).


Let G be a finite group. We show that the Bass Nil-groups $NK_n(RG)$, $n \in Z$, are generated from the p-subgroups of G by induction maps, certain twisting maps depending on elements in the centralizers of the p-subgroups, and the Verschiebung homomorphisms. As a consequence, the groups $NK_n(RG)$ are generated by induction from elementary subgroups. For $NK_0(ZG)$ we get an improved estimate of the torsion exponent.


Because of the association between SIDS and low birthweight, the means of the observed and expected birthweights of 129 siblings (66 were untraceable) were calculated. A statistically significant deficit of approximately 100 grams was found in the average observed birthweight. After allowing for length of gestation, a deficit of similar magnitude remained. As mother's age at parturition increased, the size of deficit increased. Differences between observed and expected mean birthweights of SIDS cases were in all instances larger than those observed in their siblings and tended to increase as mother's age increased.


We investigate neutrino processes for conditions reached in simulations of core-collapse supernovae. In regions where neutrino–matter interactions play an important role, matter is partially degenerate, and we extend earlier work that addressed the degenerate regime. We derive expressions for the spin structure factor in neutron matter, which is a key quantity required for evaluating rates of neutrino processes. We show that, for essentially all conditions encountered in the post-bounce phase of core-collapse supernovae, it is a very good approximation to calculate the spin relaxation rates in the nondegenerate limit. We calculate spin relaxation rates based on chiral effective field theory interactions and find that they are typically a factor of two smaller than those obtained using the standard one-pion-exchange interaction alone.


This chapter describes and elaborates the concept of the 'learning curriculum' as a means of organising and enacting learning experiences in practice settings (e.g. workplaces). It does this through identifying how the concept of organising learning experiences arises through both the imperatives of practice settings and their goals, but also through elaborating how these experiences have important pedagogic qualities. Drawing upon ideas that arose from anthropological studies (e.g. (Lave 1990) about how learning is organised in settings where occupational practices are enacted, a theory of organising and enacting the learning practice is discussed and detailed. In all, it is proposed that although curriculum needs to be considered in personal terms, that the organisation of experiences in practice setting can be organised and enacted in ways that can enhance both individuals' engagement and learning. The chapter has commenced above with an account of experiences or a personal curriculum in educational institutions and workplaces that were formative in developing my occupational skills as both a clothing technician and also as a vocational educator. In some ways, these experiences established my interest in and understanding of the worth of organising and sequencing of these experiences to secure better learning outcomes, and also the importance of viewing the curriculum as something individuals experience. Following from here is an elaboration of the concept of the learning curriculum as articulated by Lave (1990) that is subsequently discussed as being a legitimate model of curriculum and means for progressing the development of professional capacities in workplace settings. This elaboration of the learning curriculum includes a consideration of the identification of and engagement with richly pedagogic activities in workplace settings.


Abstract The current study aimed to assess the impact of sports participation on undergraduate admissions decisions at universities, colleges, and conservatoires in the United Kingdom. A between subjects, experimental design was employed. Participants from providers of undergraduate courses completed an on-line experiment that required them to make a decision on one of three randomly assigned undergraduate applications written for the study: one without sport participation included (control) and two modified versions with sport participation included (one for team sports and one for individual sports). Participants were asked to decide whether to make an offer or reject the application. Significant differences were found between the control and sport-modified applications for one and two grade differences overall, as participation in sport elevated the undergraduate application. As this study was delimited to sport participation, the findings cannot be generalized to other extra-curricular activities. Future researchers could extend this investigation by examining the economic and social impact of participation in sports at secondary school post-University.


In this paper, we propose a novel method for tuning the amount of generation tripping thatwould be used in conjunction with remedial action schemes (RAS) or special protection schemes.The method is motivated by the concept of unstable limit cycles and it utilizes fast eigenvaluecomputations. Unstable limit cycles play a crucial role in determining the transient stability marginsof the power systems with weak interarea oscillatory modes. The western American power systemWECC is an example where the transient stability is closely related to the existence of unstable limitcycles under certain operating conditions. For these systems, fast computational procedures basedon estimation of the damping of the interarea modes, can be used for assessing the RAS generationtripping amounts. Eigenvalue based rules are presented in the paper and the results are illustratedon simulations of the phenomena in the standard Kundur two area test system which exhibits aninterarea oscillatory mode.


Au/Ag alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully prepared by a one step synthesis using HAuCl4 and [Ag(NH3)2]+ as the corresponding precursors in a microwave-induced plasma in liquid process (MWPLP) without the addition of any organic protecting or reducing agents. The time dependent reduction and particle formation during the 140 min plasma discharge were studied with TEM, UV-vis extinction spectra, and ICP-OES. After 140 min, the HAADF-STEM and EDX results indicated that the obtained Au/Ag NPs were alloy NPs. Varying the input molar ratios of the metal precursors allowed for control of the composition of the Au/Ag alloy NPs.


Korat noodle is a very popular product in Thailand. Shortage of this product occurs from time to time due to improper weather and manual work in process. This leads to slow delivery and lose of customers. The objective of this study is to redesign of workstation layout in a small plant which produced instant noodle with sauce using ECRS technique. The goal of redesign workstation layout is improving production speed. The improvement of noodle and sauce bagging process was carried out as follows: 1) eliminate stock of sealed sauce bags on the table and put them in the noodle bags in the next workstation, 2) combine the area of bag stock and the area of bagging noodle and sauce to reduce time and distance in transportation, 3) rearrange workstations to reduce complication of transportation among workstations. The redesign of workstation layout was made since the company wanted to move the process of bagging to the new plant. The results of workstation layout redesign reduced transportation among the workstations from 21.24 m. to 7.19 m. The total reduction of transportation distance was 14.05 m., corresponding to 66.15%. Therefore, it was concluded that ECRS helped reduction of waste and increasing productivity.


Background Condoms are playing a central role in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, human immune virus, and unintended pregnancy particularly among young peoples. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors associated with condom use self-efficacy among preparatory school youths in Sodo town, Ethiopia. Methods This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 study participants from January 25 to February 20, 2020. Data were collected using a validated pretested structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was done and results were presented in texts and tables. Those variables at bivariate analysis with p-value <0.2 at 95% confidence level were moved to a multivariate logistic regression model to control potential confounding variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to ascertain association during multivariate analysis model. Statistical tests at P-value <0.05 were considered as cutoff point to determine statistical significance. Results Out of a total of 424 youths, only 416 had participated in the study yielding a response rate of 98.1%. The prevalence of higher self-efficacy among respondents was 70%. Factors that were independently associated with condom use self-efficacy in multivariate analysis were having sexual experience (AOR=2.047,95% CI:1.141–3.675), having life goals (AOR=1.736, 95% CI: 1.021–2.951), having social support (AOR=2.395,95% CI:1.501–5.458), and having good knowledge about condoms (AOR=2.535,95% CI:1.499–4.282). Conclusion The finding of this study showed that participants who had sexual experience, social support, knowledge of the human immune virus, and having life goals were found to be significantly associated with condom use self-efficacy. These results suggest ways to increase self-efficacy for condom use among youth that can increase the effectiveness of future interventions for youth.


Four acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A) small molecules with dihydroindoloindole (DINI) as the central donor unit and different acceptor end groups such as dicyanovinylene (DCV), indenedione (IND), cyanoacrylate (CA) and rhodanine (Rho) linked through bithiophene as the π-linker, DINI-DCV, DINI-IND, DINI-CA and DINI-Rho, were designed and synthesized for the application as donor materials along with PC71BM as an acceptor for solution processed organic bulk heterojunction solar cells. The effect of acceptor end groups on the photovoltaic performance was investigated. The organic solar cells (OSCs) based on as cast DINI-IND showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 3.04%, as cast DINI-CA showed the lowest PCE of 1.63% and the other two exhibit a PCE in between them. These results showed that acceptor end groups affect the overall performance of the cells. The PCE of OSCs has been further improved up to 7.04% and 6.16% employing two-step annealing (TSA) treated DIN-IND:PC71BM (1:2) and DIN-CN:PC71BM (1:2), respectively. The enhancement in the PCE of OSCs with TSA treated active layers is attributed to the better nanophase morphology, the increase in the crystalline nature and light harvesting efficiency and more balanced charge transport and charge collection probability.


The circadian pattern of serum TSH in normal children, aged 5-18 yr, is characterized by a nocturnal surge and is presumably related in some way to a biological clock within the central nervous system. To look for patients deficient in the nocturnal TSH surge, we studied 52 children with hypothalamic-pituitary disorders. Thirteen of the children were hypothyroid, as judged by subnormal serum free T4 (FT4). The hypothyroid patients had a mean nocturnal TSH surge of 22% (range, -30% to +114%), significantly less than that of normal controls (mean, 124%; 95% confidence limits, 47-300%; n = 96; P less than 0.01). Only 1 of the hypothyroid children had a value for the nocturnal TSH surge (114%) that was within the normal range. Nineteen of the 52 patients with hypothalamic-pituitary disorders had subnormal nocturnal TSH surges; their mean iodothyronine values were significantly less than those of the 33 patients with normal surges [total T4, 73 +/- 4 (mean +/- SE) vs. 109 +/- 3 nmol/L (P less than 0.01); FT4, 13 +/- 1.0 vs. 19 +/- 0.5 pmol/L (P less than 0.01)]. These data demonstrate a clear association of a deficient nocturnal TSH surge and low iodothyronine concentration in children with hypothalamic-pituitary disorders. We performed both TRH tests and nocturnal TSH surge tests in 11 of the children with central hypothyroidism; TRH was abnormal in only 2, while the nocturnal surge test was abnormal in 10 of the 11. We suggest that the nocturnal surge of TSH is important for maintenance of thyroid function and conclude that the nocturnal TSH surge is a much more sensitive test than the TSH response to TRH for the diagnosis of central hypothyroidism.


This study provides qualitative data on sensory compounds present in barrel aged U.S. corn-based whiskies (primarily bourbon) and their unaged counterparts. Whisky samples of commercial brands by Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark, and Nelson's Greenbrier Distillery were tested by direct injection gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Chromatograms of samples were analyzed against NIST mass spectra to develop and compare sensory compounds present in the whiskies analyzed. Results obtained from commercial whisky brands were used to build a baseline of sensory compounds present, providing a framework to show comparable compounds between the barrel aged whiskies and colorless, unaged whisky.  Results show that barrel aging is an additive process in terms of total sensory compounds present and that sensory compounds resulting from barrel aging having longer retention times than those found in unaged whisky.

 Key words: Whiskey, barrel aging, GC/MS, bourbon.


The known process as Metal Injection Molding is derived from the conventional powder metallurgy (M/P) being an alternative for production of parts with complex geometry, great dimensional precision and freedom of chemical composition. The present work has the objective to evaluate the processing of the Fe3Si alloy sintering in the vacuum furnace using as raw materials iron powder carbonyl and prealloyed powder Fe45Si with D90<10-m. Properties of microhardness, density, coercivity, magnetic permeability, and chemical composition was evaluated. The obtained results were compared with what is presented in the literature for parts processed by conventional ways and with parts processed by M/P. A density of 7,620 kg/m3, a coercive field (Hc) of 101.14 A/m, a relative maximum permeability of 5,484 and a residual induction of 1.1 T was achieved by MIM. Comparing with conventional processes (where 100% of densification is reached), the MIM process results were worse, however they were better than P/M.


Weed management is one of the major constraints in the Zimbabwe smallholder farming sector contributing to smallholder poor yields, hence there is need to identify cropping systems that have potential to reduce weed pressure while improving crop yields. Conservation agriculture has been suggested as one of these farming systems. The implementation of CA three key principles reduces weed pressure even when the use of herbicides is minimised. Crops included in crop rotations, intercropping or relay cropping may have faster growth rate than weeds hence, have a comparative advantage over weeds. Maintenance of permanent soil cover through crop residues impedes weed germination thereby reducing weed population. Elimination of ploughing also reduces the chances of bringing buried weed seeds to the surface where their chances for germination are high. Hence, some seeds lose viability thus reducing weed density. Weed seeds accumulate at the surface, when allowed to set seed, increasing their exposure to predation resulting in reduction of weed density over time. The use of herbicides ensures that the fields are weed free as the season's progress thus ensuring better yields at the end of each growing season. Hence, weeds are reduced in CA systems over time despite the weeding option used.


Physical interactions among any number of elementary particles (EPs) are governed by physical laws (e.g., the Schrodinger equation). Let's call the superdeterministic state machine which is formed by the world lines of all EPs the destiny. To a human neural network, the reality is a snapshot of the destiny. What a neural network perceives/predicts, is not the destiny itself (but a mathematical model (MM) of the destiny), but it is incorrectly treated by this neural network as the destiny, when this neural network deals with everyday challenges. The subjective experience is actually the use of a MM by a neural network within its low-level calculation. For example, when a neural network uses its geometric model of the destiny (GMD), it feels like the subjective experience of being immersed within a topological structure. The GMD, which is a component of the mind, is a real-time representation of all the EPs within the universe; the GMD only includes the physical objects perceived in the mind. A naïve cognitive researcher might incorrectly treat her GMD as the real world. A neural network can use its GMD. Using the semantics of human language, the use of GMD is described as subjectively experiencing the GMD. It's possible that a neural network can't subjectively experience its GMD. Otherwise, its subjective experience shouldn't be able to impact the actual world line of any EP within this universe.


Type III secreted effectors shape the potential of bacterial pathogens to cause disease on plants. Some effectors affect pathogen growth only in specific niches. For example, HopZ3 causes reduced epiphytic growth of Pseudomonas syringae strain B728a on Nicotiana benthamiana. This raises the question of whether genes important for effector-triggered disease resistance are needed for responses to effectors whose major effect is in the epiphytic niche. We report that SGT1b, a protein known to be important for defense activation, is essential for HopZ3-mediated suppression of PsyB728a epiphytic growth. SGT1b is required for HopZ3- and AvrB3-induced cell death in N. benthamiana plants that express the Pto resistance gene from tomato. We suggest that HopZ3 activates R gene mediated responses in N. benthamiana.


Since 2006, according to the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, the largest portion of people in Northern Ireland identify themselves not as Unionist nor Nationalist but as Neither. This fact is difficult to tally with the patterns of polarised election results and the narratives of a 'culture war' that dominate most analyses of contemporary Northern Ireland. This article examines the existence of this large portion of the population in Northern Ireland who reject the identities upon which the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement is centred. We find that those identifying as neither Unionist nor Nationalist are predominantly female, they come from all religious backgrounds, all age groups, and both British and Irish national identities. The majority of those who identify as Neither appear to do so as a statement of rejection of what is on offer from the political parties in Northern Ireland; rather than supporting a centrist party, they support no party at all. The article concludes that the 1998 Agreement has created the conditions for a growing number of people to identify as neither Unionist nor Nationalist, but at the same time it makes the emergence of any strong alternative, 'third way' type of politics difficult to envisage.


Commentary and analysis of the Second Circuit's decision in UFCW Local 1776 and Participating Employers Health and Welfare Fund v. Eli Lilly and Co. (Sept. 10, 2010), reversing class certification approved by District Judge Jack Weinstein in class litigation based on alleged injuries resulting from the pricing and sale of the pharmaceutical Zyprexa. The litigation involved the ability of a third party payors ― in this instance various unions and their affiliated health care funds ― to recover compensation from the pharmaceutical companies for economic harm as a result of overpricing in the sale of the prescription drug. The chief class claims centered on violation of federal RICO provisions. In granting class certification, Judge Weinstein agreed with the plaintiffs' classwide theories of generalized proof of reliance that formed the basis for the third-party payor RICO claims. Judge Weinstein certified the third party payors' RICO class predicated on the overpricing theory, but declined to certify an individual payor class or one based on state consumer-protection laws. The court found that the class could use generalized proof to show that Zyprexa was overpriced as a result of Lilly's excessive claims of utility as well as its disavowal of secondary effects. Weinstein held that the plaintiffs could prove reliance on a classwide basis because the alleged fraud was directed through mailings on which doctors relied, causing third party overpayments. The Second Circuit, invoking its own prior precedent in McLaughlin v. American Tobacco Co., 522 F.3d 215 (2d Cir 2008), again disapproved of the application of classwide theories of generalized proof of reliance in RICO claims. The court indicated that to recover damages under RICO, a plaintiff must show a substantive RICO violation, injury to the plaintiff's business or property and that such injury was by reason of the substantive RICO violation. The plaintiffs contended that the third parties' injury was caused by physicians relying on Lilly's misrepresentations and thereby prescribing Zyprexa. The court held that because reliance was a necessary part of the plaintiffs' causation theory, the plaintiffs had to demonstrate that reliance could be shown by generalized proof. The court then concluded that reliance could not be demonstrated by generalized proof and therefore class certification was not appropriate under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3).


Author(s): Burns, Richard J.; Connolly, Guy E.; Savarie, Peter J. | Abstract: Tracerite®, the chemical marker used in M-44 cyanide capsules, contains cadmium which the Environmental Protection Agency identified as an inert ingredient of toxicological concern. An alternative nontoxic marker was identified and tested. In a weathering test, capsules with Day-Glo® performed as well as those containing Tracerite, and presence of potassium chloride in the capsules did not improve capsule function. Day-Glo was further tested by allowing captive coyotes to discharge M-44s containing sodium cyanide and various colors of Day-Glo. Twelve of 13 coyotes that died or were euthanized soon after recovering from sublethal doses had obvious marks in their mouths for 4 to 5 weeks. On the basis of these tests, the registered formulation for M-44 capsules was changed; Tracerite and KCl were deleted and Day-Glo Blaze Orange was added.


Preventing crises caused by a large depreciation of exchange rates is one of the top agenda items for policy makers. This dissertation investigates the occurrence and prevention of crises from several perspectives: Chapter 1 analyzes currency crises from the firms' perspective; Chapter 2 studies a twin banking and currency crisis from the banks' and the monetary authority's perspectives; and Chapter 3 empirically researches the effects of different shocks and the mechanism through which shocks can be propagated.Chapter 1 analyzes the role of firms during currency crises. The literature assumes that currency depreciation has only negative effects on the economy. I also incorporate positive effects by introducing exports into the third generation model developed by Aghion, Bacchetta and Banerjee (2001) (the ABB model). I derive an intuitive formula that describes each country's structural vulnerability and graphically explain how this vulnerability plays an important role.The ABB model has assumed that only firms take the exchange rate risk. However, a currency crisis tends to occur concurrent with a banking crisis. In Chapter 2, I develop the first theoretical model in which banks take the exchange rate risk in the framework of the ABB model, and I show how a twin banking and currency crisis occurs. I also analyze several monetary policy instruments to prevent a twin crisis and find that not only the interest rate defense, which has been argued as a primary policy response in the literature, but also the reserve requirement policy can be effective for avoiding the crisis.Based on the theoretical model developed in this dissertation, Chapter 3 empirically analyzes the effects of interest rate policy, real and financial shocks and structural vulnerability, which propagates the effects of shocks on the economy, on exchange rates. Using panel data on 51 emerging countries from 1980 to 2011, I employ instrumental variable methods with the generalized method of moments and the two-stage least squares estimators to control the endogeneity of monetary policy response. I provide the first empirical evidence that a productivity shock is quantitatively important for currency crises and the effects of this shock depend on structural vulnerability.


In this work shake milling were used to mechanically activate Nb – Al powder mixtures at different relative proportions (Nb80Al, Nb65Al, Nb54Al e Nb42Al). All milling process parameters were unchanged, e.g., powders mass, ball/powder mass ratio, balls diameter, quantity and kind of process control agent. Uniaxially compacted cylindrical pellets of milled powders were vacuum reacted. After a two-step degassing treatment (290°C for 0.5 h and 400°C for 4 h), samples were heated at 30°C/min. Ignition and combustion temperatures were measured by a thermocouple inserted in a hole drilled into the pellets. The microstructure of milled powders and reacted pellets were characterized by X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis. Bulk density of the pellets was measured by water immersion (Archimedes). The results showed a decrease of both ignition and combustion temperature with mechanical activation as seen by comparison with reacted pellets of the same composition not mechanically activated (simple mixtures). By increasing the heating hate the completeness of the reactions were improved. The lower the aluminum contents the lower the ignition and combustion temperatures and also the densification. The decrease on ignition temperature was caused by a more effective dispersion (and so more activation) attained by samples with lower aluminum content.


Rifts and passive margins are extremely important for the petroleum industry, as they are areas of high sedimentation and can contain significant oil and gas resources. This book provides a comprehensive understanding of rifts and passive margins as a whole. It synthesises in one volume the existing information devoted to specific aspects of these vitally important hydrocarbon habitats. This collection of state-of-the-art information on the topic facilitates the better use of this knowledge to assess the risks of exploring and operating in these settings and the development of systematic and predictive hydrocarbon screening tools. The book will be invaluable for a broad range of readers, from advanced geology students and researchers to exploration geoscientists to exploration managers exploring for and developing hydrocarbon resources in analogous settings.


In 1992, a cultivar trial was initiated in Columbus, Ohio to evaluate differences in establishment and long-term performance of cultivars of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), creeping red fescue (F. rubra), chewings fescue (F. rubra ssp. fallax), hard fescue (F. brevipila), kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), rough bluegrass (P. trivialis), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) under low maintenance conditions in a shaded environment. Fertilizer and supplemental irrigation were applied until 1994 to establish the grasses, after which no supplemental irrigation, or pesticides were applied and fertilizer rates were reduced to 48.8 kg·ha–1 (1 lb/1000 ft2) of N per year. Percentage cover and overall quality data were collected in 2000 and compared with data collected in 1994. Initial establishment success does not appear to be a good predictor of longterm success of a cultivar in a shaded environment. There was some variability in cultivar performance under shade within a given turfgrass species. The tall fescue cultivars, as a group, had the highest overall quality and percentage cover under shade, followed by the fine fescues, kentucky bluegrass, rough bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass cultivars.


Nigeria's most prominent real estate markets are Lagos and Abuja. Between the years 2011 to 2015 saw unusually steep prices and pronounced vacancies in Abuja's high-end residential segment compared to Lagos'. This discrepancy suggests market differences which are deserving of investigation. This paper, therefore, comparatively examines these two markets by exploring the economic concepts of price and value which sustain the market system. The data was sourced by a questionnaire administered to estate surveyors and valuers as well as the asking prices from property archives. The main finding of this paper is that Abuja's prices and rents significantly exceed Lagos' despite it being a less economically productive city. One can conclude that the Lagos market is more resilient while Abuja's buoyancy is more apparent than real.


Session of Thursday Afternoon, December 27 The Mineralogical Society of America held its ninth annual meeting at New York City as guest of Columbia University and the American Museum of Natural History, in conjunction with the Geological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At 2 p. m. the meeting was called to order by President Esper S. Larsen in the New York Academy Room of the American Museum of Natural History. On motion of the Secretary, the reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting was dispensed with, in view of the fact that they have been printed on pages 105–117 of volume 13, number 3, of the American Mineralogist. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND FELLOWS The Secretary announced that 152 ballots had unanimously been cast for the officers as nominated by the Council. For Fellows there was a unanimous vote of 69 . . .


Background For the stabilization of the nursing profession in mainland China, a valid and reliable nursing work environment instrument, grounded in China's context, should be developed to better provide rigorous evidence for policy makers. Objective The purpose of the current research was to further develop a scale that could capture the characteristics of the nursing work environment in mainland China. Methods A convenience sample of 542 nurses employed in a tertiary hospital of mainland China completed the 108-item Chinese Nursing Work Environment (C-NWE) Scale (1st ed.). Items that did not differentiate between respondents with the highest and lowest 27% of total scores and those that did not meet criteria for factor loadings were set aside. Exploratory factor analysis based on the maximum likelihood method was used to identify the structure of the scale. The chi-square test was used to evaluate model fit, and expert review was conducted to test content validity. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results The revised C-NWE Scale, which consists of nine subscales and 47 items, is a simplified version of the C-NWE (1st ed.). Using exploratory maximum likelihood factor analysis, the normed chi-square fit index for a nine-factor solution was 1.97. The content validity index for the total scale was 0.93; Cronbach's alpha was .94. Discussion Initial evidence of the psychometric properties of C-NWE scores was presented. Further studies could be conducted in various settings to identify the C-NWE Scale's validity and reliability.


DuPont, the world's dominant CFC producer, played a key role in the development of the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances. We argue that DuPont's pursuit of its economic interests, along with the political impact of the discovery of an ozone hole and the threat of domestic regulation, shaped the international regulatory regime for ozone-depleting substances. International regulation offered DuPont and a few other producers the possibility of new and more profitable chemical markets at a time when CFC production was losing its profitability and promising alternative chemicals had already been identified.

DuPont's organization and strategy were key to the successful leveraging of the Montreal process. For example, the Freon Division had close interaction with public officials and external groups, and benefited from the input of DuPont's external affairs department. This positioned DuPont to exploit the situation when regulatory discussions were stepped up.

From a public policy perspective, the Montreal process offers a valuable example of harnessing diversity in industry: some producers stood to gain more from the envisioned regulations than others. Such industry heterogeneity provides frequent opportunities for coalitions of 'the green and the greedy', such as that between DuPont and environmental interests. Methods to encourage potential industry winners into supporting environmental initiatives deserve further attention. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.


We report results for the Midstream Oil & Gas sector from the Strategy and Performance in the Energy Industry (SCOPE) Survey conducted among professionals in the energy industry (so called "insiders�?) to measure their perceptions about specific companies on multiple dimensions of strategic performance. The study includes nine of the most prominent midstream oil & gas companies: 1) Buckeye Partners, 2) Enbridge Energy Partners, 3) Enterprise Products Partners, 4) Genesis Energy, 5) Kinder Morgan, 6) Plains All American Pipeline, 7) Spectra Energy, 8) Sunoco, and 9) Targa Resources. This report includes analysis based on a total of 828 individual company evaluations provided by 665 O&G industry insiders. Using indexed scores, we report the relative performance of the nine companies on ten different dimensions of strategic performance: leadership and strategy, financial management, customer focus, corporate social responsibility, innovation, human resources, safety, global focus, crisis handling, and vendor satisfaction. The results of each company's overall reputation among O&G industry insiders are also reported.


Complex IT projects pose particular challenges for the application of control, because of the dynamism and uncertainty involved. Prior studies suggest self-control can complement formal control within complex projects. However, how managers can enact controlee self-control remains an unsolved question. This paper proposes and investigates how enacted formal control unfolds during the course of an IT project and, in particular, how formal control enactment can promote or hinder controlee self-control. We demonstrate through case studies of a control in two wireless communication product development projects that an enabling control style can induce controlees to act to the benefit of both the controller and the controlee, while an authoritative control style encourages controlees' self-interested behavior. We also show how controlees influence the enactment of control within complex projects and demonstrate the reinforcing effects of the controller's enactment and controlee response on project outcomes. For practice, this research identifies preconditions necessary for inducing controlee self-control.


Knowledge workers often undertake tasks that involve a variety of information artifacts, including both paper and digital documents. In this paper, we first summarize findings from a study that illustrate some of the challenges of managing tasks that include both paper and digital content. We then introduce DocuDesk, a prototype interactive desk that demonstrates interaction techniques for establishing many-to-many linkages among paper and digital documents which can be used to quickly ldquorehydraterdquo task state.


Eleven patients with coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure were studied before and three months after the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril was added to their frusemide medication. The following were measured: left ventricular pressure and volume with transient occlusion of the inferior vena cava, radionuclide angiography, and hormone concentrations in plasma. As in other reported studies, the clinical condition of the patients improved and their exercise tolerance increased moderately. Addition of enalapril reduced end diastolic and systolic pressure, reduced ventricular volume, and concomitantly increased the ejection fraction. The end systolic pressure-volume relation shifted to the left as it did in a similar animal study. In the animal study unloading by a vasodilator did not induce a leftward shift, so it can be inferred that in the present study unloading combined with a decrease in the angiotensin concentration was instrumental in remodelling the heart. Though unloading was expected to have a beneficial effect on the oxygen supply/demand ratio of the heart, the patients still showed the same drop in the ejection fraction during exercise as they did before treatment with enalapril, and early diastolic filling did not improve. Normally, regression of cardiac dilatation is only found if pump function improves; the present study showed that unloading in combination with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition reshapes the ventricle without improving intrinsic pump function.


It is well said that medical and pathologic curiosities often become of sufficient importance to be considered of practical interest. It is certain that the list of complications arising in Meckel's diverticula is daily becoming a larger and more impressive compilation. Over twenty-seven years ago, Porter1collected 184 cases of Meckel's diverticula exhibiting pathologic complications. Since that time there has been a steady and rapid rise in the reported cases, with complications ranging from ulcers of the mucosa with perforation (heterotopia of the gastric mucosa) to primary bizarre neoplasms. Previously reported by Ruysch2in 1701, it remained for Meckel,3in 1809, to describe more fully this congenital remnant and to further the theory of its origin in the remains of the omphalomesenteric duct. According to Christie,4this pouch is encountered in about 1 per cent of all persons, and is seen in the proportion of 75


This chapter reports on a framework that has been successfully used to analyze the e-business capabilities of an organization with a view to developing their e-capability maturity levels. This should be the first stage of any systems development project. The framework has been used widely within start-up companies and well-established companies both large and small; it has been deployed in the service and manufacturing sectors. It has been applied by practitioners and consultants to help improve e-business capability levels, and by academics for teaching and research purposes at graduate and undergraduate levels. This chapter will provide an account of the unique e-business planning and analysis framework (E-PAF) and demonstrate how it works via an abridged version of a case study (selected from hundreds that have been produced). This will include a brief account of the three techniques that are integrated to form the analysis framework: quality function deployment (QFD) (Akao, 1972), the balanced scorecard (BSC) (Kaplan & Norton, 1992), and value chain analysis (VCA) (Porter, 1985). The case study extract is based on an online community and dating agency service identified as VirtualCom which has been produced through a consulting assignment with the founding directors of that company and has not been published previously. It has been chosen because it gives a concise, comprehensive example from an industry that is relatively easy to relate to.


Mutations resistant to compounds that alter the development of Schizophyllum commune (cyclic adenosine monophosphate, caffeine and imidazole) were selected. These mutations defined four genes, car (CAMP resistance), caf-1 and caf-2 (caffeine resistance) and imr (imidazole resistance). The mutations were found to be noncomplementing in certain pairs when tested against each other and against two previously isolated developmental mutations, B-con and sep (septateless), in fully compatible, forced heterokaryons. The pattern of complementation in fully compatible diploids showed noncomplementation only between allelic mutations, except for one case, imr us. car.


Tendon healing is a slow process and the tendon may not regain its initial mechanical properties after rupture. Mechanical stimuli have shown to have positive effect on tendon healing. This study is the first to investigate the effect of vibration stimuli on healing tendons. Vibration was also compared to treadmill running, which has previously been used for mechanical stimuli.63 female Sprauge-Dawley rats were used. A 3 mm segment was removed from the Achilles tendon and the tendon was left to heal. The animals were subjected to 15 min of daily exercise, vibration or treadmill running or acted as controls without exercise. The study was divided into three experiments. Experiment 1; the animals had full time cage activity and was randomized into running, vibration and control group. Experiment 2; the animals were unloaded and randomized into vibration, running and control group. There was also a control group with full time cage activity in experiment 2. Experiment 3; the animals were unloaded and randomized into vibration and placebo group. 14 days after surgery the animals were killed and mechanical testing of the Achilles tendons was performed. The results showed no significant difference between the groups in experiment 1. Experiment 2 showed that controls with full time cage activity had higher peak load, stiffness and cross sectional area than unloaded running, vibration and control groups. In experiment 3, there was no significant difference between vibration and placebo group. In conclusion, this study shows that vibration, as applied here, does not affect tendon healing.


OBJECTIVE: To lay the groundwork for a better understanding of patient views on medical confidentiality.DESIGN: Studies were found by searching MEDLINE, BIOETHICSLINE, and selected bibliographies. Articles concerning physician perspectives or implications of legal and administrative regulations were excluded. Only peer-reviewed journal articles reporting original research on patients' confidentiality views and conduct were included.MAIN RESULTS: Many patients are unaware of or misunderstand their legal or ethical right to medical confidentiality protections, which leads them to both over- and underestimate confidentiality protections. The possibility that medical information might be revealed, intentionally or not, to acquaintances in a clinic or other social community troubles patients as much as information release to insurers or employers. A significant minority of patients distrust confidentiality protections, leading some to report that they delay or forgo medical care. If doubtful that confidentiality will be upheld, patients will act independently to protect information.CONCLUSIONS: Our review found a wider variety of understandings and beliefs about medical confidentiality among patients than are often indicated in the writings of practitioners or legal experts. As medical confidentiality regulations evolve, these differences need to be recognized and accounted for in interactions between practitioners and patients.


For nearly 3 decades, the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been available to patients who survived life-threatening rapid heart rhythms or are at risk of experiencing them. The ICD comprises a device generator coupled with a defibrillation lead. Traditional ICDs are implanted under the skin with the generator positioned beneath the collar bone. The defibrillation lead is inserted through the veins in the chest that course to the heart, permitting direct attachment to the inside of the heart, specifically the right ventricle. Figure (A) shows an x-ray of an ICD and leads.

The subcutaneous ICD (SICD) is a novel defibrillator developed over the past decade that has become available to patients in the United States this year. The SICD provides an alternative option for patients whose physicians are recommending an ICD. Manufactured by Boston Scientific, Inc, a company that makes and sells ICDs, the SICD consists of an ICD generator and a defibrillation lead, similar to a traditional ICD. However, the defibrillation lead remains completely outside the chest cavity. Figure (B) shows an x-ray of the SICD. The SICD is implanted under the left breast, and the lead is placed under the skin along the left side of the breastbone. Early experience with the SICD has shown that it can terminate life-threatening rapid heart rhythms within seconds of their detection.

Patients who are candidates for an ICD should understand the differences between a traditional ICD and the SICD. The greatest advantage of the SICD …


Many rural households do not have access to treated drinking water. However, some households may be in regions where a water treatment plant has excess capacity to supply some additional households. In such circumstances, small diameter low-pressure supply systems can be connected to major transmission lines to give these households access to water. These typically occur in locations that do not belong to recognized municipal or other local government. Such supply systems, commonly referred to as "trickle fill," have been implemented in South America, Africa and Canada. This paper explains the concept of trickle fill supply systems. A user-friendly decision-making framework is proposed to assist the decision maker to determine whether the implementation of a trickle fill system is economically feasible for a given rural area. The decision-making assessment template (DMAT) takes into projects the economic, energy and carbon footprint changes. A case study for a rural municipality in the province of Alberta, Canada is presented to illustrate the value of the DMAT and the feasibility of trickle fill water supply as a solution. In this case study, a trickle fill water supply solution is found to be technically and economically viable and would reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint. It is shown that trickle fill solution can be implemented, resulting in an average cost of water to be $165 per month per household. This is higher than the affordability threshold of 2% of the median household income, but comparable to the cost that the end users currently pay for drinking water in the area. A capital grant from a higher level of government, or low interest rate financing, would reduce the end user costs to the level of the affordability criterion mentioned here. Hence, a trickle fill solution is worth investigating for some rural residents.


Abstract. Two contrasting models are used to account for the effects of vegetation on microwave emission from the soil. These are: a simple model which requires two empirically derived parameters as input data (optical depth and single scattering albedo); and a complex discrete model which requires a detailed description of all of the components of the vegetation canopy. Both models account effectively for the vegetation, although the simple model takes a fraction of the computation time compared to the discrete model. However, the simple model was fitted to the data, whereas the discrete model used measured parameters as input. In addition to predicting the microwave brightness temperature, the discrete model also calculates the optical depth and single scattering albedo. These calculated values were in agreement with those fitted using the simple model. Therefore, it is suggested that the discrete model could be used to calculate the input parameters for the simple model.


[Book summary:] In recent years, mobile technology has been one of the major growth areas in computing. Designing the user interface for mobile applications, however, is a very complex undertaking which is made even more challenging by the rapid technological developments in mobile hardware. Mobile human-computer interaction, unlike desktop-based interaction, must be cognizant of a variety of complex contextual factors affecting both users and technology.

The Handbook of Research on User Interface Design and Evaluation provides students, researchers, educators, and practitioners with a compendium of research on the key issues surrounding the design and evaluation of mobile user interfaces, such as the physical environment and social context in which a mobile device is being used and the impact of multitasking behavior typically exhibited by mobile-device users. Compiling the expertise of over 150 leading experts from 26 countries, this exemplary reference tool will make an indispensable addition to every library collection.


In this research, the recovery of copper from copper slag is investigated using hydrometallurgy method. Slag samples were taken from Al-Shaheed State Company. The results of the chemical analysis showed that the slag contained 11.4% of copper. The recovery process included two stages; the first stage is leaching using diluted sulfuric acid. The most important variables that effect on the leaching process was studied, such as acid concentration, hydrogen peroxide adding, particle size, liquid to solid, stirring speed and leaching time by changing the condition and the stabilizing of other factors at room temperature. The second stage is precipitation of copper from leaching solution by zinc powder with different weights and times, at room temperature and 1.5 PH value. The results of the first stage manifested that about 99.7% of the copper have been dissolved at the following operational conditions: 50% acid concentration, 5 ml hydrogen peroxide adding, particle size (-75+53) micron, 1:10 liquid to solid, 500 rpm stirring speed and 25 min of leaching time. The highest percentage of copper precipitation in the second stage was 99.8% when added 3gm zinc powder at 20 min. The XRD result revealed that the predominant phase was pure copper. The results of EDS exhibited that a few percentage of oxygen appeared with copper powder. The final of copper recovery ratio was 99.3% with 99.2% purity.


This paper discusses review of literature of dynamic scheduling in manufacturing. First, the problem is defined. The scheduling problems are classified based on the nature of the shop configuration into five classes, i.e., single machine, parallel machines, flow shop, job shop, and open shop. A variety of approaches have been developed to solve the problem of dynamic scheduling. Dynamic scheduling could be classified into four categories, completely reactive scheduling, predictive-reactive scheduling, robust predictive reactive scheduling, and robust proactive scheduling. It is better to combine together different techniques such as operational research and artificial intelligence to overcome dynamic scheduling problems so as to endow the scheduling system with the required flexibility and robustness, and to suggest various orientations for further work is this area of research.


This thesis presents results based on data collected with the 930 MHz EISCAT UHF radar system and three SKiYMet specular meteor radars. It describes in detail a method for meteoroid orbit calculation. The EISCAT UHF system comprises three identical 32 m parabolic antennae: one high-power transmitter/receiver and two remote receivers. Precise meteoroid deceleration and radar cross section are determined from 410 meteor head echoes simultaneously observed with all three receivers between 2002 and 2005, during four 24h runs at the summer/winter solstice and the vernal/autumnal equinox. The observations are used to calculate meteoroid orbits and estimate meteor visual magnitudes. None of the observed meteors appear to be of extrasolar or asteroidal origin; comets, particularly short period (<200 years) ones, may be the dominant source for the particles observed. About 40% of the radiants are associated with the north apex sporadic meteor source and 58% of the orbits are retrograde. The geocentric velocity distribution is bimodal with a prograde population centred around 38 km/s and a retrograde population peaking at 59 km/s. The absolute visual magnitudes of meteors are estimated to be in the range of +9 to +5 using a single-object numerical ablation model. They are thus observable using intensified CCD cameras with telephoto lenses. The thesis also investigates diurnal meteor rate differences and sporadic meteor radiant distributions at different latitudes using specular meteor trail radar measurements from 68°N, from 55°N and from 8°S. The largest difference in amplitude of the diurnal flux variation is at equatorial latitudes, the lowest variation is found at high latitudes. The largest seasonal variation of the diurnal flux is observed with the high-latitude meteor radar. The investigations show a variation in the sources with both latitude and time of day. The EISCAT UHF system and the high-latitude meteor radar are located close to the Arctic Circle. Such a geographical position means that zenith points towards the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) once every day all year round. This particular geometry allows the meteoroid influx from the north ecliptic hemisphere to be compared throughout the year as the ecliptic plane coincides with the local horizon. Considering only the hour when NEP is closest to zenith, the EISCAT UHF head echo rate is about a factor of three higher at summer solstice than during the other seasons, a finding which is consistent with the high-latitude meteor radar measurements.


: Structure, topography and numbers of endocrinocytes in bulbourethral glands of mature men were studied using immunohistochemical demonstration of chromogranin A. Chromogranin-positive cells were found to be predominantly localized in the epithelium of excretory ducts, while they were sparse in the terminal secretory portions. Endocrinocytes in bulbourethral glands were shown to possess argyrophobic properties and to be stained with antibodies against common cytokeratin. The possibility of epithelial histogenesis of bulbourethral gland endocrinocytes is discussed.


We present X-ray data of RX J1802.1+1804 obtained by ASCA. Although it shows a clear orbital intensity modulation with an amplitude of nearly 100% below 0.5 keV in ROSAT data, the ASCA light curves are nearly flat except for a possible dip lasting about one-tenth of the orbital period. We discuss this within the model assumption of a stream-eclipsing geometry as derived from the ROSAT observations. The ASCA X-ray spectrum can be represented by a two temperature optically thin thermal plasma emission model with temperatures of ~1keV and >7 keV, suggesting postshock cooling as observed in EX Hya. A remarkable feature of the spectrum is the strong iron K_alpha emission line whose equivalent width is ~4 keV. To account for this, an iron abundance of greater than at least 1.3 times Solar is required. A combined spectral analysis of the ROSAT PSPC and ASCA data indicates that the N_H-corrected flux ratio of the soft blackbody (0.1-2.4 keV) to the hard optically thin thermal plasma emission (2-10 keV) is as large as ~10^4.


The Special Curricular Program in Science, Technology and Engineering is developed to cater students whose interests are in the fields of Science and Mathematics. To achieve its goals, the program enhances its basic education curriculum by offering additional science and mathematics subjects. Financial assistance is provided as well to schools implementing the program. However, the program seems to lack evaluation. There are no means of monitoring the students' performance, and no attempts were made to determine whether these students pursued Science-and-Mathematics related courses after graduation. Along this line, this study aimed to evaluate the program by comparing the performances of students who graduated in the program to those who did not. It also investigated whether these students tend to pursue career paths along the fields of science and mathematics. Earth Science and General Mathematics scores of 177 Grade 11 students from different academic strands were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Chi-square test. Results showed that there was a significant difference between the students' Earth Science and General Mathematics scores when grouped according to their junior-high program; that is, students who graduated from the program performed better than those who did not. On the other hand, there was no interaction found between the students' performance and gender. A significant association between the students' junior-high program and strands was also established; that is, majority of the students who graduated from the program is in the STEM strand, which prepares students for careers along the fields of science and mathematics. Despite the results, further studies may be done to include a wider range of variables that would better capture students' performance.


Delicate attention of the discriminative regions plays a critical role in Fine-Grained Visual Categorization (FGVC). Unfortunately, most of the existing attention models perform poorly in FGVC, due to the pivotal limitations in discriminative regions proposing and region-based feature learning. 1) The discriminative regions are predominantly located based on the filter responses over the images, which can not be directly optimized with a performance metric. 2) Existing methods train the region-based feature extractor as a one-hot classification task individually, while neglecting the knowledge from the entire object. To address the above issues, in this paper, we propose a novel "Filtration and Distillation Learning" (FDL) model to enhance the region attention of discriminate parts for FGVC. Firstly, a Filtration Learning (FL) method is put forward for discriminative part regions proposing based on the matchability between proposing and predicting. Specifically, we utilize the proposing-predicting matchability as the performance metric of Region Proposal Network (RPN), thus enable a direct optimization of RPN to filtrate most discriminative regions. Go in detail, the object-based feature learning and region-based feature learning are formulated as "teacher" and "student", which can furnish better supervision for region-based feature learning. Accordingly, our FDL can enhance the region attention effectively, and the overall framework can be trained end-to-end without neither object nor parts annotations. Extensive experiments verify that FDL yields state-of-the-art performance under the same backbone with the most competitive approaches on several FGVC tasks.


Localization of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) was investigated in cultured human gingival fibroblasts by immunohistochemistry. TIMP-1 immunostaining was observed in the cytoplasm of a majority of cells, and in the nucleus of some cells. Depletion of fetal calf serum (FCS) from the culture medium reduced the density of immunoreactive TIMP-1 in the nucleus more remarkably than in the cytoplasm, and the following FCS-induced cell growth was accompanied by a recovery of immuno-reactive TIMP-1 in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The frequency of the nuclear TIMP-1-positive cells changed in line with that of PCNA-positive cells and was always much higher than that of S-phase cells, which were estimated by a pulse labelled 5-Bromo-2' deoxyuridine (BrdU). These results suggest a localization of TIMP-1 or a related substance in the nucleus of proliferating human fibroblasts, and its depletion from the nucleus due to an arrest of cell growth.


The objective of this work was to evaluate the residual effects of occasional soil tillage in a 17-year‑old, no-tillage system, associated with liming and nitrogen fertilization, on the crop yields and chemical properties of a very clayey Oxisol in the South of Brazil. A randomized complete block design in split-split plots was used, with two soil managements (with or without plowing), two liming treatments (with or without the required dose to raise base saturation to 70%), five N doses applied on side-dress (0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 times the recommended amounts), and four replicates. A rotation system was used with corn and soybean in the summer, and with wheat and black oats in the winter. The residual effects of occasional soil tillage in a consolidated no-tillage system do not supplant those of liming applied on soil surface, in periods of water deficit, which subsidizes the recommendation to maintain the system consolidated. Excess N fertilization in no-tillage, with liming applied only on soil surface, may harm wheat yield, acidifying the topsoil and leaching Mg 2+  to the subsurface soil layers. Without liming, soil acidification is more intense with N fertilization, which, however, favors the accumulation of organic matter on soil surface in a consolidated no-tillage system.


These experiments were designed to determine 1) the effects of increased CSF sodium concentration on renal hemodynamics in the conscious rat, and 2) the role of the periventricular tissue surrounding the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) in the natriuretic and hemodynamic responses during this treatment. After electrolytic lesions of AV3V periventricular tissue or control surgery, blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, effective renal blood flow, urine volume, and sodium and potassium excretion were measured before and during intraventricular (IVT) infusion of either isotonic or hypertonic saline solutions in conscious hydrated rats. Blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, and sodium and potassium excretion increased during IVT infusion of concentrated sodium solutions in control rats but not in animals with lesions in the AV3V region. These data support the hypothesis that the natriuretic response to increased CSF sodium concentration in the rat is due to a pressor response and/or increased glomerular filtration rate and demonstrate that ablation of AV3V periventricular tissue blunts the natriuretic response, possibly through diminished central pressor mechanisms and/or decreased central control of glomerular filtration rate.


The hsrω lncRNAs are known to interact with the Iswi chromatin remodeler while Iswi is known to interact with Gcn5, a general histone acetyl transferase, and Mof, a male-specific HAT essential for H4K16 acetylation and consequent hyperactivity of the single X-chromosome in male Drosophila. We show here that hsrω genetically interacts with Gcn5 as well as Mof, but unlike the suppression of phenotypes due to down-regulation or absence of Iswi, those following down-regulation of Gcn5 or Mof are suppressed by over-expression of hsrω. General lethality caused by Act-GAL4 driven global expression of Gcn5-RNAi and the male-specific lethality following Mof-RNAi transgene expression were partially suppressed by over-expression of hsrω, but not by down regulation through hsrω-RNAi. Likewise, eye phenotypes following ey-GAL4 driven down-regulation of Gcn5 or Mof were also partially suppressed by over-expression of hsrω. Act-GAL4 driven global over-expression of hsrω along with Gcn5-RNAi transgene substantially restored levels of Gcn5 RNA as well as protein that were reduced by Gcn5-RNAi. Mof-RNAi transgene expression reduced Megator and Msl-2 levels and their nuclear distribution patterns; over-expression of hsrω along with Mof-RNAi substantially restored Megator levels and its distribution at the nuclear rim and in nucleoplasmic speckles and at the same time restored the male X-chromosome specific localization of Msl-2. Earlier reported antagonistic interactions of Mof with Iswi and interaction of hsrω transcripts with Megator appear to underlie the suppression of Gcn5 and Mof phenotypes by over-expression of the lncRNAs. Present results add the dosage compensation pathway to the list of diverse pathways in which the multiple lncRNAs produced by the hsrω are known to have important roles.


DEACONESS HOSPITAL OF CLEVELAND was established in 1914 by the Evangelical Deaconess Society as a training institution for deaconesses (religious sisters) who provided nursing and administrative services for hospitals affiliated with the Evangelical Church (now the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST). After purchasing the Johnson property in the OLD BROOKLYN neighborhood on Cleveland's West Side in 1919, the Evangelical Deaconess Society opened Deaconess Hospital with 22 beds and 6 bassinets at 4229 Pearl Road in 1923. Reverend Armin A. Kitterer served as hospital administrator for half a century, from 1925 until 1975, and worked diligently to bring the most highly qualified physicians to the hospital. The hospital's tuberculosis ward and facilities provided the main income during hard financial times. Additions and renovations occurred in 1927, 1948, 1953, 1957, 1961-62, 1972-73, and 1977. Deaconess operated medical offices in PARMA and BRECKSVILLE, the Westside Imaging & Oncology Center (in conjunction with Drs. Hill & Thomas Radiology Group, SOUTHWEST GENERAL HOSPITAL, and PARMA COMMUNITY GENERAL HOSPITAL), Hospital Home Health Services of Northeast Ohio, and the Deaconess Family House for senior citizen independent living. In 1991, Deaconess, a member of the UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS HEALTH SYSTEM since 1989, had 316 beds and 27 bassinets.As the occupancy rate of the hospital declined in the late 1980s, reaching only about 60% in 1990, the board of trustees decided to invest in a suburban facility with a large group of different kinds of medical specialists to fill the empty beds at Deaconess. Their decision reflected an emerging nationwide trend among cash-strapped hospitals faced with diminishing reimbursements to build medical facilities closer to suburban patients and provide quality medical services in less-expensive outpatient settings. After purchasing land in BROOKLYN for $439,800 in late 1989, Deaconess constructed the Ridgepark Medical Center at 7575 Northcliff Avenue at the cost of more than $5 million in late 1992. The hospital filled the 70,000-square-foot four-story glass building with the latest high-tech medical hardware and launched Innova Medical Services to recruit physicians to establish their practices in the new building. However, Innova faltered almost immediately since it attracted a disproportionate number of highly-paid specialists, as opposed to family and general practitioners, and specialists depend on family and general practitioners for patient referrals. As Innova steadily drained the already strained financial resources of Deaconess, the board members decided to sell the struggling hospital. Primary Health Systems (PHS), a for-profit company based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, purchased Deaconess for nearly $8 million in late1994, creating the first for-profit hospital in northeastern Ohio. However, the Ridgepark building and the doctors' group, Innova, remained with Deaconess Health Systems, which became the Deaconess Community Foundation in 1997. Soon after its acquisition of Deaconess, PHS laid off more than 130 employees of the hospital's workforce of about 1,000. Financial difficulties continued to plague the historic hospital under new management. Deaconess could not compete profitably with the much bigger and more powerful nonprofit hospitals in Cleveland especially when it faced diminishing reimbursements from public and private insurance providers. Hospital Health Services of Northeastern Ohio, a home health-care care unit based at Deaconess, closed in late 1998 and PHS phased out the hospital's renovated obstetrics unit a year later, terminating some 20 jobs. On March 17, 1999, PHS filed for bankruptcy protection and put Deaconess up for sale.In October 2000, Nour Management Co., headed by Deaconess vascular surgeon Doctor George Saad, purchased Deaconess Hospital and the adjoining Medical Arts Building for $5 million. Following the acquisition, Deaconess maintained a staff of more than 500 full-time and part-time employees and had 287 beds. The new administration at Deaconess soon encountered the same intractable problems as its predecessors: slow-paying insurers, soaring malpractice insurance rates, and escalating drug and technology costs. After accumulating an outstanding debt of nearly $9 million, Nour Management filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2003. After transferring the remaining patients to other area hospitals and laying off 325 employees, Deaconess closed its doors on November 28, 2003. In April 2004, MetroHealth System acquired Deaconess Hospital out of bankruptcy court for $3.8 million. It proceeded to spend $20 million to convert part of the 110,000-square-feet hospital to accommodate the information technology and financial services of the MetroHealth Medical Center and house a new data center. In October 2007, MetroHealth opened the Senior Health and Wellness Center in the former Deaconess Hospital building at 4229 Pearl Road. Developed in cooperation with the BENJAMIN ROSE INSTITUTE, Concordia Care, and the Visiting Nurse Association's Hospice and Palliative Care Partners of Ohio, the center included outpatient clinics, 144 beds for long-term care, a hospice unit, wellness programs, adult day care, and other services designed to help older people lead healthy lives. In addition to a $15 million subsidy from Cuyahoga County, MetroHealth funded the $65 million project with public and private contributions, including a $1.25 million grant from the ELISABETH SEVERANCE PRENTISS FOUNDATION, a $500,000 grant from the Deaconess Community Foundation, a $150,000 grant from the HAROLD C. SCHOTT FOUNDATION, a $100,000 grant each from EATON CORPORATION and NATIONAL CITY BANK, and a $25,000 grant from the GEORGE W. CODRINGTON CHARITABLE FOUNDATION. In early 2008, Deaconess Property Holding Corporation, the real estate arm of the Deaconess Community Foundation, sold the former Ridgepark Medical Center in Brooklyn for $2 million to a group of local investors. Hospitals Collection, Dittrick Museum of Medical History Archives. Kitterer, Armin A. "Historical Summary 1914-1967 of Deaconess Hospital," unpub. ms., Deaconess Hospital of Cleveland. See also MEDICINE, HOSPITALS & HEALTH PLANNING.


We devise an optimal deterministic algorithm for routing h-relations on-line on an N-input/output multibutterfly. The algorithm, which is obtained by generalizing the circuit-switching techniques of (Arora et al., 1996), routes any h-relation with messages of X bits in O (h(X+log N)) steps in the bit model, and in O(h[X/log N]+log N) communication steps in the word model. Unlike other recently developed algorithms, our algorithm does not need extra levels of expanders, hence minimizes the layout area. Moreover, the network topology does not depend on h.


Four Artificial Reef (AR) units were deployed at a 20m depth on a flat hard substrate 3 km west of Haifa, Israel and then surveyed for fish for 12 months. AR units supported 20 times the biomass of control quadrates and their enrichment impact was still significant at a radius of 13m away from units. The 13m values were also significantly higher than those of quadrates adjacent to units, suggesting the existence of a halo of relative depletion within the outer enrichment halo. The main species contributing to this pattern was the migrant herbivore Siganus rivulatus . A decrease in grazing resources is thus suggested as an explanation for creation of this halo. The most consistent AR residents were also Lessepsian migrants - Sargocentron rubrum , nocturnal predators which displayed high microhabitat fidelity and a steady increase in density. The 6 species of migrants recorded accounted for 65.3% of the commercially exploitable biomass and 25.2% of the specimens in the AR site. Other constant AR residents were the groupers Epinephelus costae and Epinephelus marginatus , which are rare and commercially important species. Site protection from fishing and storms were found to be of utmost importance, and design and deployment considerations are discussed.


The present study was designed to gain insight into the antiproliferative activity of ethanolic neem leaves extract (ENLE) alone or in combination with cisplatin by cell viability assay on human breast (MCF-7) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cells. Nuclear morphological examination and cell cycle analysis were performed to determine the mode of cell death. Further, to identify its molecular targets, the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and drug metabolism was analyzed by RT-PCR. Treatment of MCF-7, HeLa, and normal cells with ENLE differentially suppressed the growth of cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner through apoptosis. Additionally, lower dose combinations of ENLE with cisplatin resulted in synergistic growth inhibition of these cells compared to the individual drugs (combination index <1). ENLE significantly modulated the expression of bax, cyclin D1, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP 1A1 and CYP 1A2) in a time-dependent manner in these cells. Conclusively, these results emphasize the chemopreventive ability of neem alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic treatment to reduce the cytotoxic effects on normal cells, while potentiating their efficacy at lower doses. Thus, neem may be a prospective therapeutic agent to combat gynecological cancers.


Electronic commerce lets people purchase goods and exchange information on business transactions online. Although the Internet's role as a business channel is a fairly recent phenomenon, its impact, financial and otherwise, has been substantially greater than that of other business channels which have been in existence for several decades. The authors believe that e-commerce gives companies improved efficiency and reliability of business processes through transaction automation. There are two major types of e-commerce: business to consumer (B2C), in which consumers purchase products and services from businesses, and business to business (B2B), in which businesses buy and sell among themselves. B2B transactions are a growing segment of the e-commerce market. This article analyzes and compares popular B2B frameworks that attempt to address such issues as interoperability and security between enterprises transacting business over the Internet.


Epidemic Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (eHUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producing bacteria is characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and acute kidney injury that cause acute renal failure in up to 65% of affected patients. We hypothesized that the mannose-binding lectin (MBL) pathway of complement activation plays an important role in human eHUS, as we previously demonstrated that injection of Shiga Toxin-2 (Stx-2) led to fibrin deposition in mouse glomeruli that was blocked by co-injection of the anti-MBL-2 antibody 3F8. However, the markers of platelet thrombosis in affected mouse glomeruli were not delineated. To investigate the effect of 3F8 on markers of platelet thrombosis, we used kidney sections from our mouse model (MBL-2+/+ Mbl-A/C−/−; MBL2 KI mouse). Mice in the control group received PBS, while mice in a second group received Stx-2, and those in a third group received 3F8 and Stx-2. Using double immunofluorescence (IF) followed by digital image analysis, kidney sections were stained for fibrin(ogen) and CD41 (marker for platelets), von-Willebrand factor (marker for endothelial cells and platelets), and podocin (marker for podocytes). Electron microscopy (EM) was performed on ultrathin sections from mice and human with HUS. Injection of Stx-2 resulted in an increase of both fibrin and platelets in glomeruli, while administration of 3F8 with Stx-2 reduced both platelet and fibrin to control levels. EM studies confirmed that CD41-positive objects observed by IF were platelets. The increases in platelet number and fibrin levels by injection of Stx-2 are consistent with the generation of platelet-fibrin thrombi that were prevented by 3F8.


Nowadays, knowledge and information is the largest asset of organizations and human beings and having it can lead to a powerful and certainly valuable organization. The purpose of this study is to identify the suitable knowledge acquisition and transfer tools in the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). This study is applied in terms of purpose and case study from the point of view of strategy. Given the economic conditions of the NIOC as well as the need for maximum use of the knowledge, experience and skills, it is essential to identify the more effective ways of transferring knowledge, especially to the new entrances. Using the mixed method, in the qualitative section identified the tools of knowledge acquisition and transfer by studying leading oil companies in the world in knowledge management and using the expert panel, the appropriate tools for NIOC were determined. In the quantitative part of the research using questionnaire tools and group analytical hierarchical Process (AHP) method, knowledge acquisition and transfer tools were prioritized. Findings demonstrate that the NIOC can be effective in organizing the available knowledge by focusing on community of practice, peer assist, community of learning and lessons learned.


The paper presents results of studies on changes in model membrane properties induced by some single-chain amphiphilic quaternary ammonium salts with fungicidal activity, N-dodecyl-N-methylmorpholinium chloride (IVC), N-dodecyloxymethylene-N-methylmorpholinium chloride (IVD), N-dodecyl-N-methylpiperidinium chloride (VIC), N-dodecyloxymethylene-N-methylpiperidinium chloride (VID) and N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-benzy-lammonium chloride (IB). Two different lipid systems were used, namely, unilamellar liposomes and black planar membranes (BLM). All the compounds studied interfered with sulphate ion transport across liposomal membranes as well as with calcium ion desorption from the membranes. The compounds were found also to change the stability of black lecithin membranes. Generally the sequence of effectiveness of the salts studied on both models used was: IB greater than VID greater than IVD greater than VIC greater than IVC, although there were some differences for particular processes. The results obtained are discussed in view of a possible mechanism of the interaction between the salts studied and the lipid model including the role the salt head group structure and charge distribution can play in this interaction.


Several major design elements that we often take for granted in early coin-op videogames-including rule automation, real-time button play, and fiction as static theme-originated decades prior as innovations within the pinball industry. These similarities occurred on account of a number of key personnel doing leading work in both industries, convergent evolution around the business model shared by both game forms, and an irreversible trend of coin-op games becoming more differentiated and having better contextualized objectives. Although echoes of these qualities exist in more modern videogames, the relatively pure combination of these traits in early coin-op games resulted in a type of game style unfamiliar, or even off-putting, to players whose gameplay experiences are limited primarily to newer games from the past two decades. Because the coin-op gameplay formula achieved high replay value with little content, and required only minimal instruction, aspects of it have been rediscovered within the modern casual games movement and indie mobile games. Patterns from the historical relationship between pinball and coin-op videogames can serve as a lens for gaining another perspective on more recent issues and trends in the game industry, from the inherent issues with motion control to the rapid industry-changing shift toward social games. URI http://hdl.handle.net/1853/44699 Collections Georgia Tech Theses and Dissertations [21022] School of Literature, Media, and Communication Theses and Dissertations [75] About  Terms of Use  Contact Us Emergency Information  Legal & Privacy Information  Accessibility  Accountability  Accreditation  Employment  Arcade-style game design: postwar pinball and the golden age of coin-op videogames 


BACKGROUND
Sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors. Accurate determination of histological diagnosis and prognostic factors is critical for the delineation of treatment strategies. The contribution of second opinion (SO) to improve diagnostic accuracy has been suggested for sarcoma but has never been established in population-based studies.

METHODS
Histological data of patients diagnosed with sarcoma in Rhone-Alpes (France), Veneto (Italy) and Aquitaine (France) over a 2-year period were collected. Initial diagnoses were systematically compared with SO from regional and national experts.

RESULTS
Of 2016 selected patients, 1463 (73%) matched the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Full concordance between primary diagnosis and SO (the first pathologist and the expert reached identical conclusions) was observed in 824 (56%) cases, partial concordance (identical diagnosis of connective tumor but different grade or histological subtype) in 518 (35%) cases and complete discordance (benign versus malignant, different histological type or invalidation of the diagnosis of sarcoma) in 121 (8%) cases. The major discrepancies were related to histological grade (n = 274, 43%), histological type (n = 144, 24%), subtype (n = 18, 3%) and grade plus subtype or grade plus histological type (n = 178, 29%).

CONCLUSION
More than 40% of first histological diagnoses were modified at second reading, possibly resulting in different treatment decisions.


Although it is a commonplace that the Protagoras and the Republic present different views of akrasia, the nature of the difference is not well understood. I argue that the logic of the famous argument in the Protagoras turns just on two crucial assumptions: that desiring is having evaluative beliefs (or that valuing is desiring), and that no one can have contradictory preferences at the same time; hedonism is not essential to the logic of the argument. And the logic of the argument for the division of the soul in the Republic requires the rejection of just the second of these assumptions, but not the evaluative conception of desire. I also maintain that Plato was aware, at the time of composition, of these features of the argumentation of his dialogues. Finally, I argue that there is reason to think that, even at the time of the Protagoras, Plato held the conception of the soul expressed in the Republic, and not anything like that expressed in the famous argument of the Protagoras. The Protagoras view, even without hedonism, is a poor expression of the thesis that virtue is knowledge


The ground-state properties of N=8 and N=9 isotones are investigated in the framework of the single-particle shell model. The isospin effect on the average nuclear potential is taken into account by introducing an isospin-dependent term in the depth of the Woods-Saxon potential. The theoretical results of RMS radii and spin-parity values are in agreement with the experimental data. Especially, the level inversion between neutron levels 2s1/2 and 1d5/2 in N=9 isotones is reproduced. A detailed discussion on numerical results is given and one-neutron halos in the ground states of 14B and 15C are presented.


The challenge of chemical exposomics in human plasma is the 1000-fold concentration gap between endogenous substances and environmental pollutants. Phospholipids are the major endogenous small molecules in plasma, thus we validated a chemical exposomics protocol with an optimized phospholipid-removal step prior to targeted and non-targeted liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. Increased injection volume with negligible matrix effect permitted sensitive multiclass targeted analysis of 77 priority analytes; median MLOQ = 0.05 ng/mL for 200 μL plasma. In non-targeted acquisition, mean total signal intensities of non-phospholipids were enhanced 6-fold in positive (max 28-fold) and 4-fold in negative mode (max 58-fold) compared to a control method without phospholipid removal. Moreover, 109 and 28% more non-phospholipid molecular features were detected by exposomics in positive and negative mode, respectively, allowing new substances to be annotated that were non-detectable without phospholipid removal. In individual adult plasma (100 μL, n = 34), 28 analytes were detected and quantified among 10 chemical classes, and quantitation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was externally validated by independent targeted analysis. Retrospective discovery and semi-quantification of PFAS-precursors was demonstrated, and widespread fenuron exposure is reported in plasma for the first time. The new exposomics method is complementary to metabolomics protocols, relies on open science resources, and can be scaled to support large studies of the exposome.


Not available – first paragraph follows:
Late blight has become of increasing economic importance on tomatoes in California during the last few years. Previously, the disease, caused by the fungus Phytophthora in/estans, occurred mainly in coastal areas of California where environmental conditions favored its development. The disease may attack plants at any time during the growing season and, when it is severe, all plants in a field may be killed in a week or two. Late blight also results in great losses of tomatoes in transit, storage, and market.


It is well known that porous silicon (PS) has a large range of morphologies. A pulsed anodic etching method is developed to fabricate uniform PS with different surface morphologies. Changes of PS on n-type Si surface after anodization with pulsed current with varying delay time were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The SEM images show that a uniform and well defined silicon columns can be obtained with a correct choice of delay time. Raman scattering from the optical phonon in PS showed redshift of the phonon frequency, broadening and increased asymmetry of the Raman mode on decreasing delay time. Using the phonon confinement model, the average diameter of Si nano- crystallites has been estimated as 2, 2.6, 3, and 3.4 nm for delay time of 12, 25, 50, and 75 msec respectively.


Spontaneous perforation of large bowel compare to small bowel is very uncommon and among them "spontaneous rectal perforation" is very rare cause of acute abdomen in surgical practice. The presentation of such entity is similar to any other cause of peritonitis & pre-operatively definite diagnosis remain a diagnostic dilemma and require an emergency surgical intervention to have the best outcome. We report a case of a 83 years male presented to our Emergency Department referred from B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences with feature suggestive of peritonitis, hollow viscous perforation with evidence of free air under right dome of diaphragm in chest X-ray PA view. An emergency exploratory laparotomy was performed with provisional diagnosis of duodenal ulcer perforation as being commonest in this region with differential diagnosis of appendicular perforation or small bowel perforation with peritonitis. But on exploration no perforation was found in duodenum, small bowel, appendix and large bowel etc. Lastly with much difficulty the rectal perforation could be located while removing the plaques adhered to the rectal wall. Seeing such cases a surgeon should be aware of the possibility of this fatal disease despite rare incidence. It is very important to recognize such condition at an early stage because it carries high mortality if surgical intervention is not done at early stage. Intra-operatively too a thorough search should be made towards rectum if perforation is not found easily at other sites. Hence the better prognosis is with early surgical intervention; worst the prognosis with late intervention. Birat Journal of Health Sciences 2016 1(1): 87-90


The chapter presents the issue of reducing mercury and nitrogen oxides emissions from the flue gas of coal-fired boilers. The issue is particularly relevant due to the stricter regulations regarding exhaust gas purity. A brief review of the methods for reducing Hg and NOx emissions has been made, pointing out their pros and cons. Against this background, the results of the authors' own research on the injection of selected oxidants into flue gases to remove both of these pollutants are presented. The injection of sodium chlorite solution into the flue gas (400 MWe lignite fired unit) upstream the wet flue gas desulphurization (WFGD) absorber contributed to the oxidation of both metallic mercury and nitric oxide and enhanced their removal efficiency. The results of tests on lignite and hard coal flue gases indicate that in order to reduce the unfavorable phenomenon of mercury re-emission from WFGD absorbers, in some cases, it is necessary to add selected chemical compounds (e.g., sulfides) to the desulfurization system. The results of field tests for flue gas from lignite (400 MWe unit) and hard coal-fired boilers (195 and 220 MWe units) confirmed the usefulness of oxidizer injection technology to reduce mercury emissions below the level required by BAT conclusions.


ABSTRACT Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate difference in clinical outcome in patients with primary advanced or metastaitic endometrial cancer treated with standard chemotherapy doxorubicin-cisplatin (DOX-CDDP), regarding and focusing on histological subtype. Methods: Eligible patients had histologically-proven advanced and/or metastatic endometrial adenocarcinoma and were chemotherapy-naive. Treatment consisted of CDDP 50 mg/m2 added to DOX 60 mg/m2, every 3 weeks. Kaplan Maier method and Log rank test were used to assess survival prognostic factors. Median age was 64 years (range 34-77). Patients were divided into 2 groups according histopathologic type: Type 1 EC- endometrioid and Type 2 EC- serous/clear cell/ undifferentiated type. Between 2007 and 2012, we analysed 18 patients (60%) with Type 2 EC (6 papillary serous, 11 clear cell, 1 undifferentiated) and 12 patients (40%) with Type 1 EC. Results: FIGO stages were as follows: FIGO III = 18 (60%), FIGO IV = 12 (40%). Response for Type 1 EC was as follows: 12 (100%) patients had partial and complete remission (responders). Response for Type 2 was as follows: 7 patients (39%) had stable disease(SD) and 11 patients (61%) had partial and complete remission (responders).The combination DOX–CDDP provided a significantly greater therapeutic response in Type 1 EC compared to Type 2 EC ( Fischer Exact test; p =0.024). At time of analysis 76% of patients were still alive after median follow up of 21 months (9-58). Median progression free survival (PFS) for Type 1 EC was 18 months (range 8-56). Median progression free survival (PFS) for Type 2 EC was 11 months (5-26), so there was demonstrated significant difference between Type 1 and Type 2 EC according PFS (Log-Rank test; p = 0.0014). It was also shown trend in significance between Type 1 and 2 EC according OS (Log-Rank test; p = 0.062). Conclusions: Type 2 endometrial cancer is rare and differs from Type 1 especially for the high frequency of distant metastasis. Our results indicate that there is demonstrated worse response and outcomes to standard chemotherapy in Type 2 EC compared to Type 1 EC, so multicentric studies are needed to better define appropriate management for these kind of malignancies. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


This volume discusses important chapters of the history of Platonism, from its pre-Socratic roots to the Middle Ages. It includes papers on Plato's and Platonic semantics, metaphysics, theology, logic, epistemology, natural philosophy and philosophy of art.