The bacterial uranium(VI) reduction and its resultant low solubility make this process an attractive option for removing U from groundwater. An impact of aqueous suspending iron phase, which is redox sensitive and ubiquitous in subsurface groundwater, on the U(VI) bioreduction by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 was investigated. In our batch experiment, the U(VI) concentration () gradually decreased to a non-detectable level during the microbial respiration. However, when Fe(III) phase was suspended in solution, bioreduction of U(VI) was significantly suppressed due to a preferred reduction of Fe(III) instead of U(VI). This shows that the suspending amorphous Fe(III) phase can be a strong inhibitor to the U(VI) bioreduction. On the contrary, when iron was present as a soluble Fe(II) in the solution, the U(VI) removal was largely enhanced. The microbially-catalyzed U(VI) reduction resulted in an accumulation of solid-type U particles in and around the cells. Electron elemental investigations for the precipitates show that some background cations such as Ca and P were favorably coprecipitated with U. This implies that aqueous U tends to be stabilized by complexing with Ca or P ions, which easily diffuse and coprecipitate with U in and around the microbial cell.


The aim of this work is to develop a miniaturized, self-contained and ultra-low power SHM system for impact detection and localization in composite panels. The system is based on a sparse array of piezoelectric (PZT) transducers along with the dedicated sensor node. Methodologically, when the stress guided waves generated by an impact cross a certain mV threshold at one PZT, signals are acquired by all sensors. Next, a dedicated signal processing that combines filtering and dispersion compensation algorithms estimates the wave time difference of arrival among the different sensors. The processing framework, embedded within the sensor node, is optimized for speed and power consumption. Finally, data are wirelessly transferred to a remote station, for further structural monitoring actions. The wireless communication technology allows long distance data transmission without wiring, simplifying the deployment of large multi-device SHM monitoring systems such as those based on mesh-type or star-type networks, whereas each node in the network is able to communicate with the central gateway. The system performances in terms impact localization accuracy and power consumption are tested on a composite Zstiffened panel of 1000x1000x3 mm.


UNLABELLED
There is poor penetration of trauma healthcare delivery in rural areas. On the other hand, mobile penetration in India is now averaging 80% with most families having access to mobile phone.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of tele-consultation by nurses using an integrated call centre.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a prospective observational study carried out over a 6-month period at a level I trauma Center in New Delhi, India. Patients called the call centre and the specially trained call centre staff answered the calls who handled their simple queries, if they were unable to respond, the call was directed to the nurse informatics specialist on duty responded to their queries with the help of senior residents who were posted in emergency department. The nurse informatics specialist documents a tele-consult note in CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System).

RESULTS
Of the total 150 calls, 64 calls were diverted to the nurse informatics specialist (NIS). Of the 64 calls received by the NIS 55 (85%) were rectified by the nurses at their level and 9 calls (14%) were further discussed with the concerned doctors.

CONCLUSIONS
As shown by our case study, call centers can be used for tele consultation with the help of nurse informatics specialist.


The present study aims to further understanding of the principal reactions that occur during coal oxidation at moderate temperatures. Mass change and heat evolution of a sample were monitored by thermo-gravimetric analysis coupled with differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). Gaseous and solid products were traced using online or in situ Fourier trans- form infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Measurements were conducted by heating the samples up to 400?C, with the O2 concentration in the reaction medium set at 0, 10, 21, and 40 vol%, respectively. It was observed that the mass increase of a sample between 150?C and ~275oC was a result of the accumulation of C=O containing species in the coal structure, whereas substantial mass loss and heat evolution of a sample at ~400oC can be attributed to the significant involvement of the direct "burn-off" reaction. Enrichment of O2 inthe reaction medium leads to the acceleration in oxygen chemi- sorption, formation and decomposition of the solid oxygenated complexes, as well as the "burn-off" reaction. With the temperature increasing, the oxidation process governed by oxygen chemisorption gradually shifts to that by significant decomposition reactions, and eventually to that by the direct "burn-off" reaction. Temperature boundaries of these stages can be determined using parameters defined based on a set of TG/DTA data. Shift in the governing reactions is essentially due to the diverse requirements of reactants of the reactions and their energy barriers to be overcome. In en- gineering practice, the phenomena of self-heating and spontaneous combustion of coal correspond to chemisorption and the direct "burn-off" reaction, respectively.


Epidemiological studies typically estimate pollutant exposures using data from outdoor fixed monitoring stations (FMS). However, due to individual mobility through space, time spent in indoor environments and the heterogeneity of the urban atmosphere, data from FMS provides a poor representation of the actual personal exposure to air pollutants. The aim of this study is to investigate the relative importance of time spent in common microenvironments (such as commuter, home, work and recreational) to determine personal exposure to air pollution. The study also investigates the extent to which fixed monitoring stations (FMS) are representative of personal exposures. For this purpose, 17 participants monitored their personal exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) for a full working week and completed a time activity diary identifying the particular microenvironments in which they spent their time. Overall, the participants exposure to CO were lower than those observed in other northern hemisphere cities reported upon in the literature. FMS located in central Auckland were found to provide reasonable estimates of mean daily personal exposure but were poorly correlated with diurnal variations in personal exposure. The results found that, while the highest mean exposures were recorded in the commuter microenvironment, the home microenvironment accounted for 55% of the total CO dose during the week. Increased levels of personal CO exposure were observed in indoor areas where gas heating, gas stoves and tobacco smoke were present. Participants recorded highly variable exposure to CO in recreational microenvironments, in part explained by the wide range of recreational activities.


Interactions between plant and soil communities are known to play an integral role in shaping ecosystems. Plants influence the composition of soil communities and soil communities in turn influence plant performance. Such a plant-soil feedback may incur selection pressure on plants and the associating soil community. However, the evolutionary consequences of these above-belowground feedback interactions remain largely speculative. Here we assess whether plant-soil feedback effects differ between intraspecific plant populations and between generations within the same plant population. We used two populations of Trifolium pratense and assessed their performance when grown in association with their home versus away soil biota. Both populations were colonized by distinct microbial communities and performed better with their own home soil communities than with the soil community from the other intraspecific population, demonstrating intraspecific positive feedback effects of home soil. In one of the two populations, we found that plant performance and the root associated microbiota community differed between parental and progeny plants when inoculated with their own home soil. Differences in root associated community characteristics could explain more than 80% of the variation in performance among the progeny and parental plants. Our results highlight that intraspecific differences in both plant and associated soil communities shape plant-soil feedback effects, and consequently indicate that plant-soil feedback can influence the direction of selection between intraspecific plant populations.


Eastern Province appears to have the highest level of poverty in the latest statistics, though the economy of the region has the potential to grow and diversify. The dreadful conflict contributed to loss of life, displacement, migration of people, damage to physical resources and infrastructure, disruption of services and loss of livelihoods. With the end of civil war in East, the government as well as the non- government organizations have extended their rehabilitation and reconstruction work to this area. Poverty reduction is now at the core of development policy making and a key commitment of donor agencies. It is extremely important in the current period to identify what characteristics of the poor are likely to hamper the poverty alleviation strategies and to address these in order to maximize the benefits of current policy. Hence, this study tries to identify the factors associated with the level of poverty. This paper uses household income and expenditure survey data during the period 2009-10, and finds that the household size, level of education, place of location, type of dwelling and other facilities are the major contributing factors to the level of poverty. This study demonstrates that anti-poverty programmes should focus on these above factors when implementing policies. Keywords—poverty, profile, factors, probability, post- coflict


IL-17 is a newly discovered cytokine implicated in the regulation of hemopoiesis and inflammation. Because IL-17 production is restricted to activated T lymphocytes, the effects exerted by IL-17 may help one to understand the contribution of T cells to the inflammatory response. We investigated the role of IL-17 in leukocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity. Leukocyte infiltration in vivo was assessed in BALB/Cj mice. Effects of IL-17 on chemokine generation in vitro were examined in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC). Administration of IL-17 i.p. resulted in a selective recruitment of neutrophils into the peritoneum and increased levels of KC chemokine (murine homologue of human growth-related oncogene α (GROα). Pretreatment with anti-KC Ab significantly reduced the IL-17-driven neutrophil accumulation. Primary cultures of HPMC expressed IL-17 receptor mRNA. Exposure of HPMC to IL-17 led to a dose- and time-dependent induction of GROα mRNA and protein. Combination of IL-17 together with TNF-α resulted in an increased stability of GROα mRNA and synergistic release of GROα protein. Anti-IL-17 Ab blocked the effects of IL-17 in vitro and in vivo. IL-17 is capable of selectively recruiting neutrophils into the peritoneal cavity via the release of neutrophil-specific chemokines from the peritoneal mesothelium.


Relapse is a recurrence of deformities in a previously corrected clubfoot. The incidence of relapse after the Ponseti method is reported between 26% and 48%. The etiology of relapse can be variable. Some of the predisposing factors that are predictive of relapse are drop toe signs, a lower ratio of correction improvement, and muscle imbalance. Relapse can be broadly categorized into decreased dorsiflexion, cavus, equines, adduction, heel varus, and dynamic supination deformity. The principles to be followed in the treatment of relapsed clubfoot are—restarting foot abduction brace protocol, extended Ponseti method and/or soft tissue surgery, bony procedures, and external fixation devices. The Ponseti method can be used even in older children with relapse or after soft tissue surgery. Split tibialis anterior transfer may be required in a child with dynamic supination deformity. It should be performed in children above 3 years. Many children may require >2 procedures. Soft tissue surgery carries the risk of overand under-correction. The external fixator can be used in children with scarring due to multiple surgeries and severe rigid deformities. Salvage procedures may be required in older children or syndromic clubfeet. Conclusion: Children with clubfoot need to be followed up for a minimum of 5–6 years or maybe longer to diagnose and treat relapsed. Some feet are "deemed" to relapse. However, it is very difficult to identify these feet beforehand. An a la carte approach is required in the management of relapse and a surgeon treating these feet should be well versed with all the different procedures.


We show that the equations of motion for (free) integer higher spin gauge fields can be formulated as twisted self-duality conditions on the higher spin curvatures of the spin-$s$ field and its dual. We focus on the case of four spacetime dimensions, but formulate our results in a manner applicable to higher spacetime dimensions. The twisted self-duality conditions are redundant and we exhibit a nonredundant subset of conditions, which have the remarkable property to involve only first-order derivatives with respect to time. This nonredundant subset equates the electric field of the spin-$s$ field (which we define) to the magnetic field of its dual (which we also define), and vice versa. The nonredundant subset of twisted self-duality conditions involve the purely spatial components of the spin-$s$ field and its dual, and also the components of the fields with one zero index. One can get rid of these gauge components by taking the curl of the equations, which does not change their physical content. In this form, the twisted self-duality conditions can be derived from a variational principle that involves prepotentials. These prepotentials are the higher spin generalizations of the prepotentials previously found in the spins 2 and 3 cases. The prepotentials have again the intriguing feature of possessing both higher spin diffeomorphism invariance and higher spin conformal geometry. The tools introduced in an earlier paper for handling higher spin conformal geometry turn out to be crucial for streamlining the analysis. In four spacetime dimensions where the electric and magnetic fields are tensor fields of the same type, the twisted self-duality conditions enjoy an $SO(2)$ electric-magnetic invariance. We explicitly show that this symmetry is an ``off-shell symmetry'' (i.e., a symmetry of the action and not just of the equations of motion). Remarks on the extension to higher dimensions are given.


The indentation load-displacement behavior of six materials tested with a Berkovich indenter has been carefully documented to establish an improved method for determining hardness and elastic modulus from indentation load-displacement data. The materials included fused silica, soda–lime glass, and single crystals of aluminum, tungsten, quartz, and sapphire. It is shown that the load–displacement curves during unloading in these materials are not linear, even in the initial stages, thereby suggesting that the flat punch approximation used so often in the analysis of unloading data is not entirely adequate. An analysis technique is presented that accounts for the curvature in the unloading data and provides a physically justifiable procedure for determining the depth which should be used in conjunction with the indenter shape function to establish the contact area at peak load. The hardnesses and elastic moduli of the six materials are computed using the analysis procedure and compared with values determined by independent means to assess the accuracy of the method. The results show that with good technique, moduli can be measured to within 5%.


Infectious diseases in the institutionalized elderly are emerging as 1 of the major issues challenging physicians treating adult patients. The most common syndromes encountered are nursing home-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and skin and soft tissue infections. As a complicating factor, immunocompromised elderly patients are often infected with bacteria highly resistant to antibiotics. The use of broad-spectrum agents in the nursing home may be accelerating this process. Developing algorithms for appropriate treatment of nursing home-acquired infections, assessing the factors that encourage the development of resistance, and finding interventions that can stem these processes are urgent priorities. Important clinical research questions include determining how frequently elderly patients are colonized with multiresistant pathogens and how these pathogens disseminate in this population. The future possibility of altering the aging immune system still remains an elusive goal.


Screening of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomic DNA library in the lambda gt11 expression vector was carried out by using, as probes, sera from tuberculous patients and murine monoclonal antibody H61.3 recognizing a mycobacterial 35-kilodalton protein present only on the M. tuberculosis complex. The recombinant beta-galactosidase-fused protein present in the crude lysate induced the proliferation of T lymphocytes from patients with tuberculous pleuritis. As the recombinant insert contains an internal EcoRI restriction site, it was possible to identify two fragments, one proximal to the lacZ gene and 1.7 kilobases (kb) in size and the other distal to the lacZ gene and 2.2 kb in size. Southern blot analysis showed that both of them hybridized with the genomic DNA from M. tuberculosis and M. bovis but not with the DNA from other mycobacterial species. To perform extensive immunological studies, the amount of beta-galactosidase-fused protein being very low, we fused the 1.7-kb fragment to the N-terminal part of the gene coding for the DNA polymerase of bacteriophage MS2 in the expression vector pEx34. The fusion protein was partially purified, and subsequent Western blotting (immunoblotting) and T-cell proliferation experiments confirmed the presence of B- and T-cell mycobacterial epitopes. Furthermore, to isolate the chromosomal region containing the 35-kilodalton gene, we constructed another mycobacterial genomic library in the lambda 2001 vector by cloning 15 to 20 kb of foreign DNA. Screening of this library was carried out by using 1.7- and 2.2-kb recombinant fragments as probes. Restriction maps of some clones isolated were determined.


Abstract Context: Cold-pressed oils (CPO) are commercially available in the market and characterized by their health-promoting properties. Objective: Clove oil (CLO), coriander seed oil (COO) and black cumin oil (BCO) were evaluated for their bioactive lipids. Pharmacological screening was performed to evaluate acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic effects as well as histopathological changes in tissues of albino rats fed with CPO. Materials and methods: Fatty acids, tocols and total phenolics were analyzed. The acute toxicity test for each CPO was estimated during 14 d. Carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema was used for assessment of anti-inflammatory activity of CPO. Animals were fasted overnight, and via oral gavage given indomethacin (10 mg/kg) or CPO (400 mg/kg) to investigate ulcerogenecity. Histopathological changes in liver, kidney, heart, spleen and stomach were screened. Results: Amounts of α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols in CLO were 1495, 58, 4177 and 177 mg/kg oil, respectively. In COO, α, β, γ and δ-tocopherols were 10.0, 18.2, 5.1 and 34.8%, respectively. In BCO, β-tocotrienol was the main constituent. CLO, COO and BCO contained 4.6, 4.2 and 3.6 mg GAE/g, respectively. Acute toxicity test determined that 400 mg/kg of CPO to be used. In the carrageenan model of inflammation, pretreatment of rats with indomethacin (10 mg/kg) or CLO (400 mg/kg) induced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction by 31.3 and 27.4%, respectively, in rat paw oedema as compared with the carrageenan-treated group. Indomethacin induced a significant ulcerogenic effect with an ulcer index of 19. Oral treatment of CPO showed no ulcerogenic effect, wherein no histopathological changes were observed. Conclusions: CPO, particularly CLO, could minimize acute inflammation.


Coverage is a metric used to obtain information about execution of hardware description language (HDL) statements. Coverage helps to determine how well the input stimulus verifies the design under verification. Coverage directed test generation (CDTG) techniques analyze coverage results and adapt the input stimuli (for verification) generation process to improve the coverage. One of the important components of CDTG technique is the constraint solver. The CDTG constraint solvers require large amount of memory and time to generate solution. To overcome these limitations we propose a methodology based on consistency algorithm to attain faster coverage. In order to demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the methodology, we used it to test some benchmark constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) and Xbar switch. The results show an increase in coverage along with a reduction in time required to generate the test cases.


The information system (IS) community has been struggling with the delivery of low quality systems. Software process improvement (SPI) has been accepted as one of the remedies to overcome this problem, with process maturity being a key element. However, most studies on process maturity and the determinants of IS quality have been conducted in large firms in developed countries. This stu dy assessed the key determinants of process maturity in small software development firms in the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC). Using the established practices in the capability maturity model integration (CMMI) as the baseline for the analysis, it was found that project monitoring & control, and verification & validation are key determinants of process maturity in the ESC. These findings can assist IS professionals in their quest to produce higher quality software products, as well as provide a platform for further refinement of the proposed research model by IS researchers.


Synthetic aperture focusing is known to increase both the lateral resolution and signal-to-noise level of pulse-echo ultrasonic images. In this paper, the use of synthetic aperture imaging for detection and sizing of pitting in a plate is considered. It is assumed that a water layer is present between the transducer and the plate, and that the pitting is on the back side of the plate, seen from the transducer. To account for the different wave velocities of the water and plate layers, one of the recently proposed multilayer synthetic aperture algorithms is used. The algorithm can be adapted to both 2D (line scan) and 3D (surface scan) data, and these two variations are tested on a number of artificial pittings in an aluminum plate. Comparison of raw and focused images shows that the algorithm significantly improves the lateral resolution, thus enabling an accurate estimation of the pitting shape.


All users of complex software make decisions that they may later wish to change. Many computer systems have tools to support this need for revision, such as the undo command. However, the common history tools (like undo) do not support exploratory, epistemic interaction well. And there are common, non-specialized tasks that are difficult in common computer systems, but would be much easier with improved support for managing interaction history. Desktop computing environments have well-established norms for how undo works, but there is room to explore this in newer computing environments, such as the Web and surface computing, as their design culture has not stabilized to the same extent. We argue that history tracking needs to be more accessible to users.
We developed a prototype JavaScript library for Web applications that lets users keep a history of all their interaction states, including those that would be discarded by using a traditional stack-model undo system. The history is presented to users in a tree structure similar to the model used in source control software. We ran a usability study of our system with two applications designed to encourage the kind of exploratory behaviour we wanted to support. We identified usability improvements that could be made, but the study suggests that this kind of system could be generally useful even in non-specialized fields.


Project-based learning (PBL), a learning environment in which projects drive learning, has been successfully used in various courses in the educational programs of different disciplines. However, concerns have been raised as to the breadth of the content covered and, in particular, whether PBL can be applied to specialized subjects without compromising the coverage of the required technical content. This paper discusses the advantages and drawbacks of using the PBL methodology in teaching specialized subjects in electrical power engineering, based on the authors' reflections and student feedback. The design and delivery of a PBL-based course in power system modeling and analysis is used as an example. It is asserted that proper usage of PBL makes it possible to deliver both technical content and generic professional skills in a specialized course.


Background Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is used to evaluate right ventricular (RV) function in pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients. RV function is assessed using TAPSE or RV end-diastolic area/ LV end-diastolic area ratio (RVEDA/LVEDA). RV speckle tracking strain can quantify regional contraction. Pulmonary vasodilators can improve functional status and prognosis but their effects on RV function are poorly described. The aim of our study is to test whether response to pulmonary vasodilators can be predicted by change in RV regional strain. Methods 16 patients were prospectively included. They underwent right heart catheterization, usual and 2D strain TTE at baseline and after 3 months of pulmonary vasodilators: PDE5 inhibitors,endothelin receptors antagonists,prostacyclin (single or combination therapy). Success or failure to pulmonary vasodilators were defined according to the guidelines. Results At baseline:MPAP was 44±11 mmHg, PAPO 11± 3 mmHg, cardiac index 3.06± 0.73 L/min/m 2 , RVEDA/LVEDA 1.03 ± 0.43, RV global strain: 12.29± 5.34% and RV dyssynchrony: 124± 78 msec. A change in global RV strain higher than 70% (-100 to 122%) could predict success to pulmonary vasodilators with a specificity of 100%, a change in RV dyssynchrony of 96 msec could predict success to treatment with a sensitivity of 100%. Change in TAPSE or RVEDA/LVEDA were not accurate enough to predict response to pulmonary vasodilators. Conclusion Success to pulmonary vasodilators therapy in PH patients can be predicted by changes in regional right ventricular contraction using longitudinal right ventricular strain and right ventricular dyssynchrony analysis.


Any future heterogeneous overlay network system must be able to support ubiquitous access across multiple wireless networks. To coordinate these diverse network environments, one challenging task is a call admission decision among different types of network. In this paper, we propose a new call admission control scheme to provide quality of service (QoS) while ensuring system efficiency. Based on the interplay between network structure and dynamics, we estimate the network's QoS level and adjust the service price adaptively with the aim of maximizing the network performance. A simulation shows that the proposed scheme can approximate an optimized solution while ensuring a well-balanced network performance in widely different network environments.


BACKGROUND
Sympathomimetic agents have a direct positive chronotropic effect on heart rate and may cause hypokalemia, even when administered by inhalation. In selected patients (e.g., patients with congestive heart failure [CHF]) this can lead to arrhythmias. Despite the potential adverse effects of these agents, they are used frequently in patients with CHF, due to a high incidence of respiratory comorbidity. This study investigates the effects of sympathomimetics on the incidence of hospitalizations for arrhythmias in patients with CHF.

METHODS
In a cohort of 1208 patients with a validated hospital discharge diagnosis of CHF, we identified 149 cases with a readmission for arrhythmias, and compared these in a nested matched case-control design with 149 controls from the remainder of the cohort with no hospital readmission for any cardiac cause. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the risk for hospitalization for arrhythmias associated with exposure to sympathomimetic agents, expressed as odds ratios.

RESULTS
Of 149 case patients, a total of 33 (22.1%) were treated with any sympathomimetic agent, and 6 patients (4.0%) were treated with systemic sympathomimetics. The use of any sympathomimetic drug was associated with an increased risk of admission for arrhythmia (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-15.1). For systemic sympathomimetic drugs, the corresponding odds ratio was 15.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-228.0).

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study strongly suggest an increased risk of hospitalization for arrhythmias in patients with CHF treated with sympathomimetic drugs. Sympathomimetics should be given under close surveillance to patients with CHF.


Background Mentorship has been identified as a beneficial practice for doctors and key aspect of continuing professional development, associated with a number of potential clinical and nonclinical gains. The likely contribution of mentorship to enhancing patient safety is acknowledged, but there is a dearth of empirical studies that attempt to make associations between the impact of mentorship for physicians on patient safety outcomes. This article begins to fill this gap by exploring whether a physician with a mentor reports having fewer near-misses or adverse events, compared with a physician with no mentor. Methods An online survey was administered to fellows and members of the Royal College of Physicians London using their membership database in April 2013. Adverse events and near misses are modeled as two separate binary variables using a logit regression framework with "having a mentor" being the main covariate. The marginal effect of this covariate captures the effect of mentorship on adverse events. Results A total of 1755 doctors (37% female) responded who represented all internal medical specialties. Our results show that compared with physicians with no mentor, the probability of getting involved in an adverse event or near miss is reduced by 12.69% (95% confidence interval = −17.41 to −7.98) and 11.12% (95% confidence interval = −15.84 to −6.41) for physicians with a mentor. Conclusions Having a mentor may contribute toward minimizing preventable harm to patients, which is a priority for health systems internationally, but longer-term studies of mentorship are necessary to determine the aspects of mentorship that are particularly important for enhancing patient safety outcomes.


A widely used approximation to the exchange-correlation functional in density functional theory is the local density approximation (LDA), typically derived from the properties of the homogeneous electron gas (HEG). We previously introduced a set of alternative LDAs constructed from one-dimensional systems of one, two and three electrons that resemble the HEG within a finite region. We now construct a HEG-based LDA appropriate for spinless electrons in one dimension and find that it is remarkably similar to the finite LDAs. As expected, all LDAs are inadequate in low-density systems where correlation is strong. However, exploring the small but significant differences between the functionals, we find that the finite LDAs give better densities and energies in high-density exchange-dominated systems, arising partly from a better description of the self-interaction correction.


Historically, in the educational field, numerous efforts have been made to facilitate the complex process of second language (L2) reading comprehension. While computers are increasingly being used for instruction for L2 reading, there is not yet a solid understanding of how this technology can be effectively used in the area of L2 reading instruction. This study examines the effect of the computer on developing L2 reading comprehension. To this end, the study reviews relevant empirical studies conducted both in Li and L2 contexts. Although some studies reported contradictory findings, previous research has generally supported the notion that computer-assisted reading programs facilitate L2 reading comprehension. Several advantages of using the computer for enhancing reading comprehension have been identified, for example, facilitating automatic word recognition and vocabulary acquisition, providing multimedia glossing, strengthening the benefits of reading strategy training, and stimulating student motivation toward reading. The literature review also points out the need for reading software incorporating sound theoretical principles of the reading process. Reflecting the need, this study establishes practical guidelines for designing and evaluating reading software on the basis of interactive processing theory, which is currently one of the most prevalent reading theories. (Contains 49 references.). (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Q The Use of the Computer in Developing L2 Reading Comprehension: Literature Review and its Implications 1 Myonghee Kim Indiana University PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY


A platinum chromophore, chloro(2,2':6',2"-terpyridine)platinum(II) chloride, previously used in labelling active-site histidines of serine proteases, proves to be a useful reagent in heavy-atom derivatization of protein crystals for X-ray crystallographic phase determination.


Preface Research in a Pioneer Constructivist Network-based Curriculum Project for Children's Learning of Fractions. Sharon Dugdale The Development of a Dynamical Geometry Environment: Cabri-geometre. Colette Laborde and Jean-Marie Laborde What Lies Behind Dynamic Interactive Geometry Software. E. Paul Goldenberg, Daniel Scher, and Nannette Feurzeig From Network to Microcomputers and Fractions to Functions: Continuity in Software Research and Design. Sharon Dugdale Linking Research and Software Development. Julie Sarama and Douglas H. Clements Development of the Shape Makers Geometry Microworld: Design Principles and Research. Michael T. Battista Integrating Intelligent Software Tutors with the Mathematics Classroom. Steven Ritter, Lisa Haverty, Kenneth R. Koedinger, William Hadley, and Albert T. Corbett Research-Design Interactions in Building Function Probe Software. Jere Confrey and Alan Maloney Changing Representational Infrastructures Changes Most Everything: The Case of SimCalc Algebra and Calculus. Jim Kaput and Roberta Schorr Multiple Representations and Local Linearity - Research Influences on the Use of Technology in Calculus Curriculum Reform. Thomas P. Dick and Barbara S. Edwards The Research Frontier: Where Technology Interacts with the Teaching and Learning of Data Analysis and Statistics. Susan N. Friel Keeping the Faith: Fidelity in Technological Tools for Mathematics Education. Thomas P. Dick Representations and Cognitive Objects in Modern School Geometry. Michael T. Battista From Artifacts to Instruments: A Theoretical Framework Behind the Orchestra Metaphor. Paul Drijvers and Luc Trouche Designing Tasks for the Co-development of Conceptual and Technical Knowledge in CAS Activity: An Example from Factoring. Carolyn Kieran and Luis Saldanha Teacher Education: Technology's Conduit to the Classroom. Patricia S. Wilson Perspectives on Research, Policy, and the Use of Technology in Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Nancy Nelson Knupfer The Role of Research, Theory, and Practice in the Integration of Technology in Mathematics Teaching and Learning. M. Kathleen Heid and Glendon W. Blume.


Computer-assisted biomedical imaging and simulation have played essential roles in orthopaedic surgery. In order to achieve much deeper understandings and even better surgical interventions for complex proximal humeral fractures (CPHF), appropriate three-dimensional (3D) bone and joint simulations are expected. In this study, an advanced computer-aided design (CAD) based 3D digitalized reconstruction technique was used to form vivid 3D visualization and simulation of CPHF. Applications of the novel biomedical reconstruction and simulation technique in the special area of bone and joint surgery were elucidated. The clinical outcome of fracture open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) was improved. Besides, the advantages including declined duration of operation, amount of bleeding and hospital stay were simultaneously revealed (p≪0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that computer-assisted novel 3D reconstruction and simulation substantially improved the surgical outcomes of CPHF.


Geldart Type-D particles are often associated with poor fluidization characteristics due to their large sizes and higher densities. This paper reports the hydrodynamics of various Geldart Type-D particles when fluidized in a swirling fluidized bed (SFB). Four different sizes of particles ranging from 3.85 mm to 9.84 mm with respective densities ranging from 840 kg/m3 to 1200 kg/m3 were used as bed material to study the effect of various bed weights (500 gram to 2000 gram) and centre bodies (cone and cylinder) for superficial velocities up to 6 m/s. The performance of the SFB was assessed in terms of pressure drop values, minimum fluidization velocity, Umf and fluidization quality by physical observation on regimes of operation. The swirling fluidized bed showed excellent capability in fluidizing Geldart Type-D particles in contrast to the conventional fluidized beds. The bed pressure drop of increased with superficial velocity after minimum fluidization as a result of increasing centrifugal bed weight. It was also found that the particle size and centre body strongly influence the bed hydrodynamics.


Acute psychological stress is positively associated with a cold/flu. The present randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effect of three potentially probiotic bacteria on the proportion of healthy days over a 6-week period in academically stressed undergraduate students (n 581) who received Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis R0033, Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071 or placebo. On each day, participants recorded the intensity (scale: 0 = not experiencing to 3 = very intense) for nine cold/flu symptoms, and a sum of symptom intensity >6 was designated as a day of cold/flu. B. bifidum resulted in a greater proportion of healthy days than placebo (P≤ 0·05). The percentage of participants reporting ≥ 1 d of cold/flu during the 6-week intervention period was significantly lower with B. bifidum than with placebo (P< 0·05). There were no effects of B. infantis or L. helveticus compared with placebo on either outcome. A predictive model accounted for influential characteristics and their interactions on daily reporting of cold/flu episodes. The proportion of participants reporting a cold on any given day was lower at weeks 2 and 3 with B. bifidum and B. infantis than with placebo for the average level of stress and the most commonly reported number of hours of sleep. Daily intake of bifidobacteria provides benefit related to cold/flu outcomes during acute stress.


Oral corticosteroids remain the main therapeutical choice in patients with uveitis not responding to topical treatment, however their chronic use can be very toxic, especially for bones (osteoporosis or growth retardation). Immunosuppresive agents are used as corticosteroid sparing agents and/or as agents able to control refractory uveitis in sight threatening uveitis. Cyclosporin A is very efficacious but is nephrotoxic, in particular in old people. Methotrexate is well tolerated in young people, is not carcinogenic but not very active. Azathioprine is well tolerated but it's carcinogenic effect and its delayed action are helpful in chronic uveitis of old women. Cyclophosphamide and intravenous steroids are helpful for emergencies. Chlorambucil is toxic and carcinogenic but might lead to an increased rate of remission and might be useful as a short treatment. In any case, a careful and regular follow-up in collaboration with a competent internist is mandatory.


This is an exploratory thesis but nevertheless methodological in nature which aims to examine the physical and emotional needs of the mentally ill and to compare those needs with the nursing care given. It also examines nursing workload in four wards within a large psychiatric hospital. The study was organisationally motivated with nurse managers expressing an interest in the outcome. A small working party comprising of charge nurses and nurse managers was convened to advise the Researcher on aspects of psychiatric nursing and hospital administration. Consultants, the Psychologist and staff representatives were kept informed of the study's progress. A review of pertinent literature v/as undertaken and this helped to form criteria from which the physical and emotional needs categories were derived and the research design constructed. The research methodology necessitated three different research designs and there- fore three separate studies v/ere undertaken. The first study v/as concerned with the development of a patient state assessment form which included nursing care requirements of a physical, technical and emotional nature. This form was. used by nurses to assess the patients' needs. The second study examined patient activity and the amount of observed nurse/patient interaction. The third examined nursing workload. The method used for studies 2 and 3 was systematic observation at 5 minute intervals in four wards selected for study. The sample v/as the total patient and nurse population in each of the wards studied. The systematic observation was carried out by the Researcher plus four other observers. The observations were continued from 7 am - 7 pm daily for 14 days on each ward giving a total of 194,229 observations for Study II and 26,745 for Study III. Data analysis v/as carried out using a computer. It was necessary to have programmes written especially for the data analysis; use was also made of the Statistical Package- for the Social Services (SPSS). The nurses using the patient state assessment form reported greater awareness of patients' needs and placed greater emphasis on emotional need. The patient state forms when analysed indicated different care requirements for different categories of patients. The psychogeriatric patients required totally different care from patients admitted to the acute admission ward. It was evident (and to be expected) that both physical and emotional dependency increases with advancing age. The observed nurse/patient interaction suggested that interaction is centred more around basic nursing tasks than around nurse/patient discourse. It was also observed there v/as little doctor/patient contact. The results indicate it is the least 'skilled' who have most contact with patients. The care given is predominantly task orientated, offering long-term supportive care with minimum medical intervention. Similarly, nursing officer involvement with staff and patients at ward level was minimal, neither was there any formal teaching observed on the wards. There were no directed group discussions nor multi-disciplinary group meetings during the period of study. Data from all wards suggests 'task' rather than individual patient centred care, with a great dependence on the use of psychotropic drugs. Likewise, the nursing workload was basic care. Staff meal breaks were observed to amount for 1/10th of the total working time and nurses left to man-the-wards during mealtimes appeared under pressure. It was also observed that as the patient/ nurse ratio increases the nurse exerts control by whatever means she can often reverting to a 'herding' type of care.


CHEMISTRY
Catalytic olefin and alkyne hydrogenations often proceed through potentially nucleophilic organometallic intermediates, and chemists have recently taken to intercepting such intermediates with a variety of electrophiles. This strategy of carbon-carbon bond formation is appealing from an efficiency standpoint because it eliminates the need to prepare the (often air- and water-sensitive) organometallic nucleophiles stoichiometrically. Barchuk et al. show that an iridium (I) catalyst effectively couples alkyl-substituted alkynes to imine electrophiles during hydrogenation to yield allylic amine products. The reaction proceeds with high selectivity for the E olefin isomer, and also regioselectively places larger alkyl groups closer to nitrogen. This catalyst complements a rhodium analog that proved effective in a range of similar couplings (as summarized recently by Ngai et al. ) but led to exclusive hydrogenation of the alkyne in the present system. — JSY

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129 , 10.1021/ja073018j; J. Org. Chem. 72 , 1063 (2007).


: In 15 patients with acute pancreatitis caused by biliary disease endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed after diagnostic ERCP. All patients had a history of symptoms pointing to long-standing biliary disease, such as typical right-sided upper abdominal pain, signs of biliary stasis, and jaundice. An impacted solitary ampullar stone was demonstrated in eight patients while in seven several stones were found in the biliary tract. In one patient pancreaticogram also revealed a gall-stone which had slipped in Wirsung's duct. After endoscopic sphincterotomy and extraction of stone rapid and marked improvement occurred in all 15 patients and the biochemical abnormalities were restored towards normal. All patients became pain-free immediately after the procedure. The markedly raised levels of serum-alpha-amylase (mean of 21 700 U/l immediately before the procedure) fell tonormal values within 48 hours (400--3000 U/l). Endoscopic sphincterotomy is thus an alternative to early operation in acute pancreatitis of biliary origin.


Summary: The antibacterial activity of a strain of a Cephalosporium sp. was found to be due to a number of antibiotics. One group of these, named Cephalosporins P, is soluble in organic solvents and active only against Gram-positive bacteria.
The P antibiotic(s) is produced in good yield in deep culture in a medium comprising corn steep liquor and glucose at an initial pH of 6·3. A high aeration rate assisted by adequate stirring is essential. Submerged cultures 72 hr old form convenient inocula. Under optimum conditions with 2% (v/v) of such an inoculum the maximum titre is reached after 47-50 hr. at 24°, and thereafter falls.


In a structural credit risk model, the credit spread is a function of how far firm value is above the critical level that will cause the firm to default. Previous research has shown that in a theoretical model with periodic information releases, such as quarterly earnings reports, the credit spread will exhibit a cyclical pattern and will tend to be much narrower immediately after a release than is observed empirically. Choi demonstrates that simply allowing information about the firm value to reach the market with a lag is enough to produce reasonable spreads without discrete information releases. Thus, is it the lag rather than the discreteness of announcements that keeps the credit spread at empirically observed levels?


This paper describes the kinetic limitations of etching ligands from colloidal nanocrystal assemblies (CNAs) by plasma processing. We measured the etching kinetics of ligands from a CNA model system (spherical ZrO2 nanocrystals, 2.5-3.5 nm diameter, capped with trioctylphosphine oxide) with inductively coupled plasmas (He and O2 feed gases, powers ranging from 7 to 30 W, at pressures ranging from 100 to 2000 mTorr and exposure times ranging between 6 and 168 h). The etching rate slows down by about one order of magnitude in the first minutes of etching, after which the rate of carbon removal becomes proportional to the third power of the carbon concentration in the CNA. Pressure oscillations in the plasma chamber significantly accelerate the overall rate of etching. These results indicate that the rate of etching is mostly affected by two main factors: (i) the crosslinking of the ligands in the first stage of plasma exposure, and (ii) the formation of a boundary layer at the surface of the CNA. Optimized conditions of plasma processing allow for a 60-fold improvement in etching rates compared to the previous state of the art and make the timeframes of plasma processing comparable to those of calcination.


Evidence continues to mount regarding the value of breastfeeding for both women and their infants. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly supports breastfeeding and calls on its Fellows, other health care professionals caring for women and their infants, hospitals, and employers to support women in choosing to breastfeed their infants. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other health care professionals caring for pregnant women should provide accurate information about breastfeeding to expectant mothers and be prepared to support them should any problems arise while breastfeeding.


Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the main and most profitable cereal crop in Latvia, thus different aspects of its growth are widely researched. The aim of this three-year (2004–2005 and 2006–2007) long investigation arranged at Research and Study farm 'Peterlauki' of Latvia University of Agriculture (56° 30.658¢ N and 23° 41.580¢ E) was to evaluate importance of tillering for wheat yield, yield components and quality formation alongside the effect of cultivar, sowing date and rate, and research year. Three cultivars ('Cubus', 'Tarso', 'Zentos'), four sowing dates (starting with 30 August ± 2 days with 10-day intervals) and three sowing rates (300, 400 and 500 germinable seeds m) were used. Soil and crop management was appropriate. Yield components were detected from sample sheets. Yield was affected substantially (p < 0.05) by all the investigated factor except sowing rate. Plants with tillering coefficient (TC) '1' to '6' formed yield, and the biggest proportion (20%) was given by plants with TC '3'. Grain number and weight per spike was substantially (p < 0.01) affected by TC, but changes in their values were irregular and further investigations are needed. Average values of crude protein, gluten and starch content, Zeleny index and 1,000 grain weight was not affected by TC substantially. Thus, tillering was found beneficial for winter wheat yield formation as part of yield compensation mechanism. Sowing rate was the least yield, its components and quality affecting factor, but environmental conditions (research year) – the most affecting factor. The effect of cultivar and sowing date was mostly substantial, but dependent on evaluated parameter.


In tumor transplantation models in mice, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are typically the primary effector cells. CTLs recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I–associated peptides expressed by tumors, leading to tumor rejection. Peptides presented by cancer cells can originate from viral proteins, normal self-proteins regulated during differentiation, or altered proteins derived from genetic alterations. However, many tumor peptides recognized by CTLs are poor immunogens, unable to induce activation and differentiation of effector CTLs. We used MHC binding motifs and the knowledge of class I:peptide:TCR structure to design heteroclitic CTL vaccines that exploit the expression of poorly immunogenic tumor peptides. The in vivo potency of this approach was demonstrated using viral and self-(differentiation) antigens as models. First, a synthetic variant of a viral antigen was expressed as a tumor antigen, and heteroclitic immunization with peptides and DNA was used to protect against tumor challenge and elicit regression of 3-d tumors. Second, a peptide from a relevant self-antigen of the tyrosinase family expressed by melanoma cells was used to design a heteroclitic peptide vaccine that successfully induced tumor protection. These results establish the in vivo applicability of heteroclitic immunization against tumors, including immunity to poorly immunogenic self-proteins.


:   Polymorphism of immune-related genes has the potential to be utilized as a genetic marker to survey the disease-resistant fish population. The complement is a major factor functioning both in innate and adaptive immune systems. In the present paper it was found that C3-H1, a major isoform of the complement component C3 of carp, exhibits four genetic variants defined as electrophoretic mobility, and that the four variants have different hemolytic activity. Carp serum was electrophoresed on an agarose gel and blotted onto a nitrocellulose membrane, and C3 bands were detected by immunoblotting using monoclonal antibody specific to intact α-chain of carp C3-H1 isoform. Four C3-H1 variants, designated I, II, III and IV, with different mobility were detected, and the phenotypes II and II/IV were dominant. Each of four C3-H1 variants free of cross-contamination was purified from carp sera and examined for the hemolytic activity. It was found that C3-H1-I had the highest specific activity, which was approximately fourfold higher than that of C3-H1-II, which had the lowest activity. The results suggest the possibility that carp individuals possessing a different type of C3-H1 variants have a different level of complement activity, and that the C3-H1 polymorphism can possibly be useful to screen fish with a higher level of innate immune defense.


Fetal liver cells of DBA/2 mice were infected with the anemic strain of Friend leukemia virus (FLV-A), which has no spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) activity. The infected cells were grown in medium with or without erythropoietin. Transformed lines were isolated only from the infected cultures that had been treated with erythropoietin at the time of their initiation. The properties of three permanent cell lines in serial passage for over 2 years are described. Each has an aneuploid karyotype. Only the immature hematopoietic cells of the first line have metacentric chromosomes. They grow in suspension, as do the erythroleukemic lines derived from leukemic spleens of FLV-infected mice, and clone on agar. They produce tumors resembling reticulum cell sarcomas upon subcutaneous inocu- lation into syngeneic hosts. Stimulation of differentiation in- duced after treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide identifies the cells of the first line as being erythroid in origin. The two other lines are adherent and epithelioid in appearance. These lines may have originated from the nonhematopoietic cells present in fetal liver. No tumors were produced after the subcutaneous inoculation of 106 cells. All three lines synthesize virus. The virus is attenuated for leukemogenicity and has no SFFV activity. The transforming event appears to be specific, because fetal liver cells from C57BL/6 mice, which are resistant to the induction of leukemia by FLV, were not affected by the virus. Malignant transformation of erythroid cells by FLV-A in vitro confirms the in vivo findings that SFFV may not be a necessary prereq- uisite for the induction of erythroleukemia in susceptible hosts.


This article identifies five key themes, or sets of criticisms, that have emerged in online commentary on the new musical system centred on streaming platforms, and in related academic research: Streaming encourages 'functional' rather than meaningful, aesthetic musical experience. Streaming encourages bland, unchallenging music. Streaming makes musical experience passive and distracted, and music recedes into the background (here the article also discusses limitations of the widely used concepts of 'ubiquitous music' and 'ubiquitous listening'). Streaming makes music tracks and songs shorter, and musical experience more fragmented. Streaming discourages and/or limits musical discovery and adventurousness. The article addresses each of these themes in turn, examining the degree to which criticisms of streaming's effects on musical experience along these lines might be considered valid, and the degree to which they might genuinely enhance critical understanding of contemporary musical experience. It also considers these themes in relation to older forms of evaluation, particularly those that developed in the 20th century in response to the industrialisation of music, and argues that many recent criticisms problematically reproduce older anxieties and assumptions.


In distribution system, bus load estimation is complicated because system load is usually monitored at only a few points. As a rule receiving nodes are not equipped with stationary measuring instruments so measurements of loads are performed sporadically. In general, the only information commonly available regarding loads, other than major distribution substations and equipment installations, is billing cycle customer kWh consumption. In order to model system uncertainty, inexactness, and random nature of customers' demand, a fuzzy system approach is proposed. This paper presents application possibilities of the fuzzy inference method to the electrical load modeling. Clustering of load profiles in different part of system was used to classify the substations. A regression model, expressing the correlation between a substation peak load and a set of customer features (explanatory variables), existing in the substation population, is determined. Simulation studies have been performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed scheme and an effect of different parameters on its accuracy on the basis of actual data obtained at distribution system substations


The production of antibody by human colostral cells was assayed by the hemolysis‐in‐gel technique. When sheep erythrocytes coated with O antigens from frequently encountered Escherichia coli bacteria were used as detector cells and anti‐IgA serum was added for development, numerous plaque‐forming cells (PFC) were demonstrated in all samples tested. In contrast, plaques were rarely seen in the presence of anti‐IgG developing serum. The direct (IgM) plaques occasionally noted with both antigen‐coated and uncoated sheep erythrocytes were mainly due to the production of heterophil antibodies, since they were not formed when human erythrocytes were used as O‐antigen carriers. A strikingly high number of the colostral lymphocytes formed antibodies to the E. coli antigens, up to 8% This suggests that these cells represent a rather selective population–possibly cells from the gastrointestinal tract exposed to enteric bacteria. The large number of plaques observed, the predominance of the cells forming IgA antibodies, and the marked changes in PFC number in relationship to parturition pose a number of questions relevant to the antibody‐producing colostrum cells and their relationship to the secretory immune system


Spectral types of a large number of unidentified IRAS Point Sources with were determined; the majority are faint, oxygen-rich (M-type) or carbon-rich giant stars. The Guide Star Catalog has been used to find the photographic magnitudes of the newly classified IRAS sources with quality-3 flux densities at 12 m in order to determine their B j -[12] colour index. The dependence of this and of the IRAS indices on spectral type is determined and discussed. The mean [12]-[25] colour of the M-type stars is found to increase monotonically from M3 to M6 and then levels off. Comparison of the [12]-[25] colours of these faint IRAS M stars with those of Bright Star Catalog M stars indicates that, at all types, the mean [12]-[25] index of the former group is higher than that of the latter by at least 0.2 magnitude, and this is found to be significant at the 95% confidence level. Comparison of the quality-3, mean [25]-[60] colours of the newly-classified, faint M stars with those of BSC stars over the same spectral type also shows the same trend. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed. The percentage of variable sources as a function of spectral type is seen to sharply increase from a nearly constant value of about 25% for sources of spectral type M3 to M7 to a value of about 50% at M10. The mean [12]-[25] colours of the IRAS unidentified sources (within the limits of the errors on their mean values) appear to be rather insensitive to the degree of variability.


Compelling evidence for an intracellular renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is evident in multiple tissues including the heart, vasculature, brain and kidney. Indeed, the full complement of angiotensin receptors is localized on renal cortical nuclei; however, elucidation of the intracellular pathways that contribute to the expression of Ang II or Ang-(1-7) is incomplete. The current study sought to identify a proximal tubule epithelial cell model to facilitate our understanding of the regulation and function of this intracellular system. Utilizing the rat-derived NRK52E epithelial cells, immunofluorescent staining and western blots revealed nuclear expression of angiotensinogen (Aogen), renin and the prorenin receptor (PRR). Further characterization of Aogen expression utilizing an antibody against the protein region distal to Ang I ([des-Ang I]-Aogen) revealed a single 60 kDa band evident in the nuclear and the cytosolic fractions of the cells. A second antibody to the Ang I sequence of Aogen revealed expression in the cytosol and collected cell media, but not the nuclear fraction. The large molecular form of renin in the nuclear fraction suggests the predominance of prorenin in the nucleus. Basal renin activity in the nuclear fraction as measured by Ang I generation was significantly inhibited by the specific renin inhibitor aliskiren [770 ± 46 vs. 129 ± 14 pg Ang I/mg protein, n=3; p<0.01]. Conversion of the proform to active renin (total renin) by trypsin treatment of the nuclear fraction increased renin activity 2-fold [1933 ± 230 pg Ang I/mg; n=3; p<0.01]; aliskiren significantly reduced total renin activity by 92% [167 ± 24 pg Ang I/mg, n=3; p<0.01]. Utilizing specific radioimmunoassays, we detected both Ang II and Ang-(1-7) at concentrations of 50 ± 24 and 51 ± 39 pg/mg protein, respectively (n=3) in nuclear extracts of NRK cells. Collectively, these data suggest that processing of Aogen from either prorenin or renin may occur on the nucleus forming [des-Ang I]-Aogen and the active peptides Ang II and Ang-(1-7). We conclude that a nuclear prorenin/renin-Aogen pathway may constitute one source of peptide ligands for intracellular angiotensin receptors.


Dispatching active distribution networks (ADNs) is an energy-intensive application that, if implemented via battery-energy storage systems (BESSs), can require a large capacity of these assets in order to fully balance the uncertainties caused by the stochastic demand and generation. The insufficient capacity of the BESSs often leads to their state-of-charge (SOC) saturation; this results in unreliable dispatch tracking. In this work, we propose and experimentally validate a real-time control scheme that achieves a highly-reliable dispatching of ADNs and ensures that the BESSs' SOC is not saturated during the daily operation. Our proposed scheme uses a two-layer model predictive control (MPC). The upper-layer MPC, running every 5 minutes, optimizes the BESSs' SOC trajectories while minimizing the tracking error, considering the prosumption forecast of the whole day. Then, the lower layer MPC, running every 30 seconds, takes the BESSs' SOC trajectories as constraints while achieving a high-resolution tracking of the dispatch plan over the current 5-minute time horizon. Both layers account for the grid constraints by using the augmented relaxed optimal power-flow (AR-OPF) model; an exact convex relaxation of the original AC-OPF and used in this paper (for the first time in the literature) to solve a real-time constrained control problem for ADNs. Our proposed framework was experimentally validated using a 1.5 MVA/2.5 MWh BESS connected to an actual 24-node medium-voltage (MV) ADN that, in Aigle, Switzerland, hosted an uncontrollable 3.2 MWp distributed photovoltaic generation, 3.4 MVA hydro-power generations, and a 2.8 MW base demand.


Former Prophets OTTOSON, M., Josuaboken: En Programskrift för Davidisk Restauration (Studia Universitatis Upsaliensis, 1; Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 1991), pp. 300. Paper, SEK 174.00. ISBN 91-554-2782-0. The thesis is in the title. Since the 'conquest' of Joshua is plainly unhistorical, the account must be programmatic. It is clearly Deuteronomistic, but has non-Dtr elements. Those regarded as P (and later) are not later, though they are Priestly. The 'united monarchy' lies already in the past, the experience of Saul reflected in the antiBenjaminite stance. Plausible enough. But Joshua as a programme for a Josianic restoration? Even if 2 Kings 22 were historically reliable (and not a programme for a later restoration!), it does not mention a policy of extending Judah's borders. PRD


The aquatic cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 exhibits dehydration tolerance. The regulation of gene expression in response to dehydration is crucial for the acquisition of dehydration tolerance, but the molecular mechanisms underlying dehydration responses remain unknown. In this study, the functions of the response regulator OrrA in the regulation of salt and dehydration responses were investigated. Disruption of orrA abolished or diminished the induction of hundreds of genes in response to salt stress and dehydration. Thus, OrrA is a principal regulator of both stress responses. In particular, OrrA plays a crucial role in dehydration tolerance because an orrA disruptant completely lost the ability to regrow after dehydration. Moreover, in the OrrA regulon, anaKa encoding a protein of unknown function was revealed to be indispensable for dehydration tolerance. OrrA and AnaK are conserved among the terrestrial cyanobacteria, suggesting their conserved functions in dehydration tolerance in cyanobacteria.


Lacking a federal policy to control the spread of COVID-19, state governors ordered lockdowns and mask mandates, at different times, generating a massive natural experiment. The authors exploit this natural experiment to address four issues: (1) Were lockdowns effective in reducing infections? (2) What were the costs to consumers? (3) Did lockdowns increase (signaling effect) or reduce (substitution effect) consumers' mask adoption? (4) Did governors' decisions depend on medical science or nonmedical drivers? Analyses via difference-in-differences and generalized synthetic control methods indicate that lockdowns causally reduced infections. Although lockdowns reduced infections by 480 per million consumers per day (equivalent to a reduction of 56%), they reduced customer satisfaction by 2.2%, consumer spending by 7.5%, and gross domestic product by 5.4% and significantly increased unemployment by 2% per average state by the end of the observation period. A counterfactual analysis shows that a nationwide lockdown on March 15, 2020, would have reduced total cases by 60%, whereas the absence of any state lockdowns would have resulted in five times more cases by April 30. The average cost of reducing the number of cases by one new infection was about $28,000 in lower gross domestic product.


A study of the pyrolysis and gasification of biomass residues such as oil palm shells and fibers, coffee shells, sugarcane bagasse and beech wood is presented. All of them are abundant agroindustrial biomass residues in Latin American countries. The characterization of the raw materials and products includes proximate analysis (water, ash and volatile matter contents) and ultimate analysis. Pyrolysis and gasification experiments are carried out in a thermobalance and in a pilot scale rotary kiln reactor. Both facilities are equipped with evolved gas analysis. Pyrolysis experiments were carried out using nitrogen as carrier gas by heating up to a temperature of 950 °C. Gasification is performed using water vapour as reaction agent in a concentration of 70 % H2O in nitrogen. The gasification temperature is set to 850 °C. All wastes show similar behavior during pyrolysis in the thermobalance with the main mass loss at temperatures below 550 °C. The solid fraction varied from 18 % for sugarcane bagasse to 27 % for oil palm shells and the gas fraction from 18 % for oil palm shells to 22 % for sugarcane bagasse. The main evolved gases are CO2 (9 – 12%), CO (3.5 – 7.5 %) and CH4 (1.6 – 3 %). H2 was also found but in a very small fraction (0.5 – 0.7 %) (all fractions are referred to the initial dry mass). The heating value of the pyrolysis products from the experiments in the thermobalance of the different wastes presented small variations with a mean value of 6.5 MJ kg -1 for the evolved gas, 20 MJ kg -1 for the tar and 19 MJ kg -1 for the solid residual. The presence of secondary reactions in the rotary kiln affects considerably the amount of gas and tar in the products. The higher heating value of the evolved gases varies between 17 and19 MJ kg -1 . The obtained results allow a possible further technological use of these materials as a cheap renewable energy source in countries where these materials can be found.


A simple and fast selective extraction of the antibiotic chloramphenicol (CAP) from milk (raw milk, skimmed milk, and milk powder) using a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sorbent is described. The method entails a single centrifugation step prior to loading the supernatant onto the MIP cartridge and subsequent elution with a mixture of solvents. CAP was further analyzed by isotope dilution liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) operating in negative ionization acquisition mode. The advantages of the MIP approach were assessed by comparing the data generated from a classical solid-phase and liquid-liquid extractions procedure, previously developed in our laboratory. A better recovery of CAP due to an enhanced selectivity and a faster turnaround time (18 samples processed within 3 h compared to 8 h with the classical approach) were evidenced when using the MIP cleanup. The analysis of CAP in raw milk was further validated according to the 2002/657/EC European Union criteria for the analysis of veterinary drug residues at the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) of 0.3 microg/kg, using CAP-d(5) as internal standard. Non-internal-standard corrected recovery values ranged between 50% and 87% over the range of concentrations considered. The decision limit (CCalpha) and detection capability (CCbeta) were calculated to be 0.06 and 0.10 microg/kg, respectively.


This paper proposes the integration of photogrammetric reconstruction, 3D modelling and augmented reality application in order to achieve the complete visualization of a stone sculpture even if highly damaged or fragmentary. The first part of the research aims to the reconstruction of the original aspect of an incomplete sculpture, by using photogrammetry techniques based on standard resolution photos and free software in order to obtain a first model; then, we integrate this model with other 3D digital data (from other sculptures of the same period) or with 3D modelling based on historical sources and views from historians, aiming to achieve the original aspect of the sculpture. The second part of the research consists of the embedding of the obtained model in a custom application able to render in real-time the 3D reconstruction of the lion. Then, the rendering is overlaid to the video stream of the real scene and, as a result, a complete 3D digital model of the sculpture is achieved and could be visualized through a VR viewer. As a case study, we focus on a Roman stone sculpture of a male lion conserved in the Museo Estense of Modena (Italy), which lacks of its head and its four legs. The original aspect of the lion may be achieved by integrating the damaged sculpture with other photogrammetric reconstructions of lions sculptures of the same period and with 3D model based on historical sources. Finally, the lion is visualized through an augmented reality application which digitally overlays the reconstructed models on the original one.


Split fabrication is a promising approach to security against attacks by untrusted foundries. While existing split fabrication methods consider the overhead of conventional objectives such as wirelength and timing, they mostly neglect manufacturability — an unavoidable challenge in nanometer technologies. Observing that security and manufacturability can be addressed in a synergistic manner, this work introduces routing techniques that can simultaneously improve both security and manufacturability in terms of either Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) uniformity or Self-Aligned Double Patterning (SADP) compliance. The effectiveness of these techniques is confirmed by experiments on benchmark circuits.


Frankenia hirsuta is widely located in Turkey, but the antimicrobial potential and biochemical composition analysis of it weren't determined yet. By using the disk diffusion method, the susceptibility of 17 bacteria and 1 fungi were analyzed, which included Bacillus, Candida, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Listeria, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Staphylococcus genera. 0.8, 1.5 and 3.1 mg of samples were prepared by using absolute ethanol. The bioactive composition of the plant extract was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and National Institute of Standards and Technology library was used for the mass spectra analysis. The results showed that F. hirsuta had antimicrobial activity against all of the studied micro-organisms except E. aerogenes and E. coli . Several active metabolites were identified, but some composition of this sample didn't match with the library. These results are the first report for the antimicrobial potential and biochemical composition of F. hirsuta . Video Clip of Methodology : 3 min 36 sec:  Full Screen Alternate


[Purpose] To investigate the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)/n-3 supplements and resistance exercise training (RT) for 20 weeks on muscle quality and genes related to protein synthesis/degradation in middle-aged mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. [Methods] Nine-month-old C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned to five groups: 1) normal diet (C), 2) high-fat diet (H), 3) H+RT (HRT), 4) H+CLA/n-3 (H-CN), and 5) H+RT+CLA/n-3 (H-RTCN). HFD groups were given a diet containing 60% fat for 20 weeks, and exercised groups underwent progressive RT using weighted ladder climbing. The CLA/n-3 mixed diet contained 1% CLA and 1% n-3. Grip strength was assessed, and triceps were removed. RT-PCR was used to analyze transcript levels. [Results] Grip strength of the H group was significantly lower than that of the C group; however, those in the H-CN, H-RT, and H-RTN groups were significantly greater than that in the H group. However, the muscle quality was significantly greater only in the H-RT group compared with the H and H-CN groups. Akt expression decreased in the H-CN, H-RT, and H-RTCN groups compared with those in the C and H groups, whereas mammalian target of rapamycin expression increased in the H, H-CN, H-RT, and H-RTCN groups compared with that in the C group. However, atrogin1 was significantly downregulated in the H-RTCN group compared with that in the H and H-CN groups, and MuRF1 expression was also decreased in the H-RT and H-RTCN groups. Interestingly, atrogin1 and MuRF1 were downregulated in the H-RTCN group compared with that in the H-CN group. [Conclusion] HFD-mediated gene expression involved in protein degradation was attenuated following 20-week RT with CLA/n-3. Furthermore, RT with or without CLA/n-3 improved grip strength and muscle quality in middle-aged mice during HFD. Therefore, RT with CLA/n-3 during HFD may improve muscle strength and quality by suppressing protein degradation.


The use of PET/CT imaging in the work-up and management of patients with lung cancer has greatly increased in recent decades. The ability to combine functional and anatomical information has equipped PET/CT to look into various aspects of lung cancer, allowing more precise disease staging and providing useful data during the characterization of indeterminate pulmonary nodules. In addition, the accuracy of PET/CT has been shown to be greater than is that of conventional modalities in some scenarios, making PET/CT a valuable noninvasive method for the investigation of lung cancer. However, the interpretation of PET/CT findings presents numerous pitfalls and potential confounders. Therefore, it is imperative for pulmonologists and radiologists to familiarize themselves with the most relevant indications for and limitations of PET/CT, seeking to protect their patients from unnecessary radiation exposure and inappropriate treatment. This review article aimed to summarize the basic principles, indications, cancer staging considerations, and future applications related to the use of PET/CT in lung cancer.


The present study investigated the effects of xanthophylls (containing 40 % of lutein and 60 % of zeaxanthin) on proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, interferon (IFN)-γ and lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (LITAF)) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4 and IL-10) expression of breeding hens and chicks. In Expt 1, a total of 432 hens were fed diets supplemented with 0 (as the control group), 20 or 40 mg/kg xanthophylls (six replicates per treatment). The liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were sampled at 35 d of the trial. The results showed that both levels of xanthophyll addition decreased IL-1β mRNA in the liver and jejunum, IL-6 mRNA in the liver, IFN-γ mRNA in the jejunum and LITAF mRNA in the liver compared to the control group. Expt 2 was a 2 × 2 factorial design. Male chicks hatched from 0 or 40 mg/kg xanthophyll diet of hens were fed a diet containing either 0 or 40 mg/kg xanthophylls. The liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were collected at 0, 7, 14 and 21 d after hatching. The results showed that in ovo xanthophylls decreased proinflammatory cytokine expression (IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ and LITAF) in the liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine expression (IL-4 and IL-10) in the liver, jejunum and ileum mainly at 0-7 d after hatching. In ovo effects gradually vanished and dietary effects began to work during 1-2 weeks after hatching. Dietary xanthophylls modulated proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ) in the liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in the liver and jejunum mainly from 2 weeks onwards. In conclusion, xanthophylls could regulate proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine expression in different tissues of hens and chicks.


Salmonella, a Gram-negative bacterium species capable of causing a variety of food-and water-borne infections. Salmonella is reported as multiple drug resistant to various drugs which makes pharmaceutical industries work and develop new strategies for producing effective antibiotics against them. With the molecular advancement and better understanding of their pathway architecture, a channel for developing better antibiotics is open. Here, we tried to understand the enzyme kinetics of pathogenicity island in Salmonella and host-pathogen relationship by system biology approach. With taking consideration, we have identified in the pathogenic island, control over HilA is governed by HilC, HilD, RtsA combinatorial effect and concentration of each factor directly related during the time interval. It was observed that higher concentration of HilD, SipA, SipD in the diseased state leads to enhance the level of CDC42 and Arp2/3 complex protein expression during pathogen infect the cell. This study opens target for developing future drugs against Salmonella typhi infection.


This article presents some of the first technical and visual results of the analysis carried out on the Turfan Textile Collection in the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin; they will be incorporated into a forthcoming larger study. Dating to between the seventh and thirteenth centuries, the collection as a whole has disclosed a particular Iranian-Central Asian matrix that proves the transcultural interaction between heterogeneous groups of artisans. The study of mural paintings in Buddhist caves and the technical and visual comparison of the fragments with coeval or later pieces exemplifies the common mathematical thinking that led those groups to the combination of Sino-Iranian and Turkic elements in what became unique features in an evolving Central Asian textile production.


A study of secondary Drell-Yan production in nuclear collisions is presented for SPS energies. In addition to the lepton pairs produced in the initial collisions of the projectile and target nucleons, we consider the potentially high dilepton yield from hard valence antiquarks in produced mesons and antibaryons. We calculate the secondary Drell-Yan contributions taking the collision spectrum of hadrons from the microscopic model URQMD. The contributions from meson-baryon interactions, small in hadron-nucleus interactions , are found to be substantial in nucleus-nucleus collisions at low dilepton masses. Preresonance collisions of partons may further increase the yields.


As result of compounding factors related to environmental, social, economic and political pressures, it is feared that the impacts of climate change and variability may overwhelm resilience of urban systems in developing countries if adaptation and mitigation strategies are not strengthened. Understanding how the urban residents perceive and respond to climate change is necessary for the purpose of formulating informed adaptation and mitigation strategies. This study was designed to assess the level of awareness, knowledge, attitude and mitigation preferences among residents of Nairobi City County. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted where 404 households were selected through random sampling from different administrative villages in Nairobi city. Though majority of the respondents had heard about climate change before, a knowledge gap in understanding specific issues of climate change in cities was evident. Study respondents had a greater understanding of climate change signs and effects that are directly related to weather patterns such as changes in temperatures and rainfall patterns compared to the more complex and indirect environmental issues related to climate change in cities. A similar behavior was observed in the choice and preference for long term climate management strategies. Educational status emerged as top social demographic attribute that influenced respondents' level of awareness, knowledge, worry and concern towards climate change in cities. In order to build resilience to climate change effects for urban communities, these critical factors must be considered when developing or reviewing policies and programs, and the study suggests for more public awareness programs to boost understanding of these factors among residents of Nairobi.

 Key words: Climate change, cross-sectional survey, knowledge, mitigation, preferences and resilience.


Until very recently, the legal implications of unpaid internships provided by American employers have been something of a sleeping giant, especially on the question of whether interns fall under wage and hour protections of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state equivalents. This began to change in 2013, when, in Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc., a U.S. federal district court held that two unpaid interns who worked on the production of the movies "Black Swan" and "500 Days of Summer" were owed back pay under federal and state wage and hour laws. Although the decision would be vacated and remanded by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 2015, the door to challenging unpaid internships remains open, thanks in part to this litigation.This Article examines and analyzes the latest legal developments concerning internships and the growth of the intern rights movement. It serves as an update to a 2002 article I wrote on the employment rights of interns, David C. Yamada, The Employment Law Rights of Student Interns, 35 Conn. L. Rev. 215 (2002). Now that the legal implications of unpaid internships have transcended mostly academic commentary, the underlying legal and policy issues are sharpening at the point of application. Accordingly, Part I will examine the recent legal developments concerning internships, consider the evolving policy issues, and suggest solutions where applicable.In addition, the intern rights movement has emerged to challenge the widespread practice of unpaid internships and the overall status of interns in today's labor market. Thus, Part II will examine the emergence of a movement that has both fueled legal challenges to unpaid internships and engaged in organizing activities and social media outreach surrounding internship practices and the intern economy.This article grew out of my presentation at the March 2013 Northeastern University Law Journal symposium on employee misclassification. By mutual agreement with the journal editors, we postponed publication of the article to allow for further resolution of the Glatt litigation.


Traditional interpretations of the evolution of animal societies have suggested that their structure is a consequence of attempts by individuals to maximize their inclusive fitness within constraints imposed by their social and physical environments. In contrast, some recent re-interpretations have argued that many aspects of social organization should be interpreted as group-level adaptations maintained by selection operating between groups or populations. Here, I review our current understanding of the evolution of mammalian societies, focusing, in particular, on the evolution of reproductive strategies in societies where one dominant female monopolizes reproduction in each group and her offspring are reared by other group members. Recent studies of the life histories of females in these species show that dispersing females often have little chance of establishing new breeding groups and so are likely to maximize their inclusive fitness by helping related dominants to rear their offspring. As in eusocial insects, increasing group size can lead to a progressive divergence in the selection pressures operating on breeders and helpers and to increasing specialization in their behaviour and life histories. As yet, there is little need to invoke group-level adaptations in order to account for the behaviour of individuals or the structure of mammalian groups.


Monitoring of structural vibrations and operational modal analysis are clearly essential to effectively control structural safety and the operational behavior of tidal current turbines. In order to satisfy industrial requirements, generally related to a mass gain problem, hybridization provides an excellent method to improve the breaking strength of composite materials, while keeping adequate mechanical performance for marine renewable energy applications. In this context, this work aims to study the structural modal analysis of a tidal turbine nozzle and the effect of hybrid materials (carbon/Glass) on the natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes of the three laminates. The modal analysis was calculated by the Finite Element Method using ABAQUS software. According to the results, the stacking sequence has a considerable impact on the natural frequency of the nozzle. Furthermore, it is also found that the resonance effect does not appear for the three laminates under investigation.


Networks with continuous set of attractors are considered to be a paradigmatic model for parametric working memory (WM), but require fine tuning of connections and are thus structurally unstable. Here we analyzed the network with ring attractor, where connections are not perfectly tuned and the activity state therefore drifts in the absence of the stabilizing stimulus. We derive an analytical expression for the drift dynamics and conclude that the network cannot function as WM for a period of several seconds, a typical delay time in monkey memory experiments. We propose that short-term synaptic facilitation in recurrent connections significantly improves the robustness of the model by slowing down the drift of activity bump. Extending the calculation of the drift velocity to network with synaptic facilitation, we conclude that facilitation can slow down the drift by a large factor, rendering the network suitable as a model of WM.


ABSTRACT Long-term care ombudsmen are resident advocates who receive, investigate, and resolve complaints relating to quality of care and violations of resident rights in assisted living (AL). More research is needed to understand systemic differences in source, type, and number of ombudsman complaints in AL. Ombudsman complaint data (n = 5,705 complaints) in small, medium, and large ALs in Dallas, Texas were analyzed using proportion Z tests. Findings suggest that all facilities had a high number of environmental complaints. Compared to larger facilities, small ALs have a disproportionately high number of complaints, a significantly higher number of complaints related to access to information, visitors, and ombudsmen, lower number of complaints related to care and staffing, family are less likely to complain, and residents are least likely to voice concerns. We recommend strategies for ombudsmen and AL providers to better meet residents' needs. We conclude with a call to action underscoring the increasing importance of the role of the ombudsman in AL.


Using a stochastic frontier approach, this paper explores efficiency in the commissioning of publicly funded social services among 148 English Councils through a six-year panel database (2002-2007), covering institutional and community care. Our estimates provide key policy evidence in a context in which optimization is critical both for social and financial purposes. Results suggest a slight decrease in the average inefficiency score, moving from 1.080 in the first year to 1.076 in the last year. Cost-output elasticity of institutional care is greater than those of community care services. Greater savings are obtained when the market is open to independent providers.


Games in general and computer games in particular have now become a mainstream activity for young people in the industrialized nations. Sadly, people's interaction with computer artifacts and games are mainly still limited to the visual and auditive modalities. This constrains the richness of our interaction with those artifacts, it constrains the possibilities of using those artifacts to communicate and build relations with others, and it excludes some people from using them at all. This thesis answers the questions of whether it's possible to use haptics as a single modality for conveying information in computer games, if it's possible to translate the standard interfaces of existing computer games into haptic interfaces, and if it can be accomplished with the technology used in the gamepads of current generation game consoles. It also contains a theoretical foundation for using haptics in game design and a new design method for analyzing the requirements of computer game interface modalities. A computer game prototype called Sightlence was developed in order to answer these questions. The prototype was developed in four iterative cycles of design, development, and evaluative play sessions. Four groups of people participated in the play sessions: graduate students, and teachers, specializing in games; people who are deafblind; people from the general population; and pupils from a national special needs school in Sweden for children with deafness or impaired hearing combined with severe learning disabilities, or congenital deafblindness. The prototypes were tested with usability techniques for measuring performance and learnability. The usability tests showed that Sightlence can be successfully learned by people from the general population while the pupils with cognitive development disorders from the special needs school would need additional support in the game in order to learn to handle the increased abstraction caused by the haptic interface. The thesis ends with discussion of the designed and developed artifact Sightlence. The discussion touches on the design process, the usability testing, and possible future research and development relevant for making haptics a fruitful tool and medium for designers and people.


The pathophysiological significance of fetal echogenic gut (FEG) is unknown. Our aim was prospectively to evaluate FEG in infants with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and absent umbilical artery end diastolic flow velocities. Over a 15 month period, nine infants with FEG met these criteria. Nine infants who, on antenatal assessment, had demonstrated IURG and absent umbilical artery end diastolic flow velocities, but no evidence of FEG, were selected as case-controls. Gastrointestinal function was then prospectively evaluated in both groups after delivery. All liveborn infants received nasogastric feeds of breast milk by 8 days of age. All in the FEG group developed marked abdominal distension, large, bile stained, nasogastric aspirates, and constipation requiring rectal washouts. This led to a discontinuation of enteral feeds on one or more occasions. Two patients in the FEG group required water soluble contrast enemas in order to relieve intestinal obstruction. In the control group, 3/9 patients had abdominal distension, but no rectal washouts were given and enteral feeds were not interrupted. The median (range) time to tolerate full enteral feeds was 15 (7-32) days in the FEG group, compared with 4 (1-8) days in the control group. In the FEG group 5/6 patients required parenteral nutrition for 5-27 days. In the control group one patient required parenteral nutrition over a period of four days only. No child had necrotising enterocolitis or cystic fibrosis. When FEG is observed in the fetus with IUGR, problems with enteral feeding should be anticipated.


Low-inertia microgrids may easily have a single load that can make up most of the total load, thereby greatly affecting stability and power quality. Instead of a static load model, a dynamic constant power load (DCPL) model is considered here. Next, a hybrid algorithm for parameter estimation (HAPE) is introduced. In order to verify the load model and the HAPE, two experiments are conducted with different DCPLs using a power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHiL) testbed. The PHiL testbed consists of a real-time computer working with a programmable power amplifier in order to perturb the input voltage's amplitude and frequency. Each connected DCPL in two separate experiments serves as the device under test. Using the captured experimental data as a reference, the HAPE is then invoked. The resulting parameter estimates are used to define simulation models. Both resulting DCPL models are simulated to produce waveforms that closely resemble experimental waveforms. Finally, the HAPE's resulting parameter estimates are presented, and the performance of the HAPE is discussed.


This thesis explores collective phenomena, specifically mass visions of the Virgin Mary and examines the case of Marian apparitions in Zeitoun, Egypt. A review of the literature points to a prevailing socio-political approach to examining visions of the Virgin Mary while a psychoanalytical approach is generally lacking. The former approach suggests that Marian apparitions can be interpreted as a backlash against modernity, secularization, and political ideology. I argue that an important gap remains in this interpretation, as the socio-political approach does not address the psychological aspect of the apparitions, but rather research is stressed on social and political implications surrounding them. In particular, a Jungian perspective seems to be particularly suited for the objective of filling in this gap, thanks to Jung's interest in investigating collective visions. This thesis draws from Jung's compensation theoretical model in Flying Saucers with the aim of merging depth-psychology and historical material from the Zeitoun case. Weaknesses to Jung's theoretical approach are discussed, and this is addressed through the employment of qualitative and quantitative empirical work in the form of survey, eyewitness testimonial case studies, and photographic material. Common themes and symbols are extracted and interpreted from the empirical material and analyzed along with Egyptian social and political data. This study concludes with a discussion on how depth psychological principles grounded in empirical and historical material could be applied in order to explicate cases of mass visions.