In 2012, the international PISA survey reinforced the observation that the French educational system is one of the most unequal among OECD countries. The observation of serious inequalities in access to educational success for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds could lead to a pessimistic vision suggesting that any possibility of transformation of the system is doomed to failure. Thus, the fight against inequalities in access to educational success is a form of runaway object which constitutes a challenge for research which treats the social context as evolving and susceptible to significant and novel transformations. Developmental work research aims to support the work of professionals in the re-elaboration of their practices by seeking to go beyond the status quo of an unequal school. Drawing on this framework within an institutional network of schools, we seek to show how the intervention has highlighted power issues inscribed in the structures and how the actors, through their commitment in the research collaborative process, seek to go beyond the power issues inscribed in their work routines and enacted during the research process by different kinds of antagonism. We will argue that the fight against educational inequality involves overcoming systemic power relations crystallized in institution. This systemic power is expressed by a form of episodic power. Our results show restrictive and constructive effect on the expansive learning process and on the construction of a collective in the formative interventions. The restrictive side of epistemic power should be linked to systemic power which is historically inherited. We discuss the results in the light of the emergence of a fourth generation of activity theory. Our research makes it possible to make conceptual and methodological progress in the construction of a fourth generation of activity theory by showing the need for analysis and expansively learn about problematic power relations in heterogeneous collectives.


Background: Vaccine hesitancy is one of the greatest challenges to the success of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaigns. Videos promoting vaccines have a narrow scope focusing solely on facts, and less on the emotional and narrative elements of communication that can be equally persuasive. The role of humor, for example, has remained largely unexplored. Objective: This study investigates whether theory-based videos can change people's attitudes, beliefs, and intentions to receive the second COVID-19 vaccine. Our primary research question is: How do collectivistic and individualistic appeals, humor, and protagonist gender individually and jointly affect vaccination attitudes, beliefs, and intentions? Methods: This project tapped into the underutilized Indian film industry—the world's largest film producer—to promote vaccination messaging through short videos. Feedback from a community advisory board was utilized to inform the video scripts that were then shot by a production team. Eight videos were filmed and shared by adopting a 2 (appeal: individualistic or collectivistic) x 2 (tone: humor or non-humor) x 2 (protagonist gender: male or female) between-subjects design approach. Our sample includes Odia-speaking participants aged between 18 – 35 years old randomly assigned to watch one of the eight study videos. An online survey questionnaire, social media network analysis, and small group qualitative interviews will be utilized to explore how the entertainment-education videos can be used to reduce vaccine hesitancy. Discussion: Vaccine messages do not fall into a cultural or cognitive vacuum. People process and make sense of information based on their prior experience, properties of the message, and their social environment. Yet, these considerations have taken secondary importance in vaccine communications. This research shows that it is possible to deliver high-caliber videos created in accordance with the audience's cultural and cognitive background. Conclusions: This study will inform future health promotion messaging through brief videos on the internet.


[Excerpt] Charles Brown has very ambitiously attempted to analyze whether the existence of "dead-end jobs" contributes to the youth unemployment problem. He assumes that the average rate of wage growth of individuals initially employed in an occupation and the proportion of these individuals who remain employed in the same industry for five years are both inversely related to the probability that individuals initially employed in the occupation find themselves in dead end-jobs. His basic methodological approach involves using data from the 1/100 sample of the 1970 Census of Population to calculate both of these variables for each three-digit occupation, merging these occupation-specific data into individual records from the 1973-75 Current Population Surveys, and then estimating equations in which the probability that an individual is unemployed at the CPS survey date is a function of the individual's personal characteristics and these occupation-specific variables. Conclusions are then drawn about the extent to which these occupation-specific variables influence young men's probabilities of being unemployed, of having voluntarily left their last job, and of having been laid off. The paper clearly represents a large commitment of time and effort and Brown should be commended for having undertaken it.


Sm, Izaki et al. report elevated plasma levels of immunorcactive platelet activating factor (PAF; l-O-alkyl-2-O-acetylsn-glycero-3-phosphocholinc) in patients with psoriasis and propose a role for PAF in its patliogcnesis. Since they did not measure lyso-PAF. the immediate precursor and major transformation product of PAF. few if any conclusions can be drawn about any perturbation of biosynthesis of PAF in psoriasis from their study.


The government's changes to planned reforms of the NHS will create a more complicated and overly bureaucratic health service in which the number of statutory organisations will increase threefold to 521, MPs have heard.

Warnings that the recent amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill will make the NHS more complex and constrain doctor led commissioning groups came from several witnesses during a whole day evidence session on 28 June of the parliamentary Health and Social Care Bill Committee, which has been reconvened to scrutinise the changes to the bill.

The Department of Health last week published 180 amendments to the health bill to take into account the recommendations of the NHS Future Forum—the independent body set up by the government to review the planned reforms when they were "paused" in April.

MPs on the committee asked whether the new recommitted bill was now more complex and did it involve more reorganisation and more bureaucracy than its predecessor?

Clara Gerada, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), giving evidence, said: "With the new bill, post pause, we have calculated that we have gone from 163 statutory organisations to a proposed 521 statutory organisations.

"We have clearly massively increased the bureaucracy within the new 'post pause' NHS. The current bill appears to be very incoherent. No matter what one felt about the pre-pause bill, it was coherent. This is now incoherent and is neither liberating nor controlling. It neither allows for GPs to be able …


We adapt the Flodar (Swing, 1998) metaphor to visualize dynamic networks and present experimental results on the effectiveness of this approach. Dynamic reconfiguration of networks enable rapid optimization of performance of a network, however, it poses several management difficulties when user intervention is required to resolve complex routing problems. Our metaphor scales well for networks of varying size, addresses the cluttering problem seen in past metaphors and maintains the overall network context while providing additional support for navigation and interaction. We apply the metaphor to three dynamic reconfiguration management tasks and show how these tasks are visually represented with our approach. We conducted an experiment with network administrators and researchers as subjects. A good understanding of network conditions portrayed in the metaphor was achieved within a short period.


Abstract This study investigates to what degree, and in what manner, the L1 and L2(s) influence spoken French L3. The analysis is divided in two parts. The first examines the cross-linguistic lexemes of 30 Swedish learners, divided into three groups according to previous exposure to French. The results show that proficiency in the L3 is crucial: the least advanced learners produce the highest number of cross-linguistic lexemes, whereas the most advanced learners produce the lowest number. Moreover, the lower the proficiency in the L3, the more background languages are used, and vice versa. Overall, there is a clear dominance of L1 influences. The second part contains six case studies of learners with partly different L1s and L2s. It examines the roles of the L1 and L2(s) in L3 oral production and the decisive factors for these roles. The main result is the use of Swedish L1/L2 and English L1 as instrumental languages, i.e. with clearly communicative purposes, in eliciting and metalinguistic functions. This is due to the interlocutors' common access to these languages. It does not seem to matter if the instrumental language represents a learner's L1 or L2. The fact that there is mutual comprehension seems to outweigh other factors.


The PI3K signaling adaptor BCAP limits inflammasome activation by interacting with the caspase-1 inhibitor Flightless-1. BCAPing inflammasome activation The PI3K adaptor protein BCAP limits cellular responses to TLR stimulation and IL-1β. Using proteomics analysis, Carpentier et al. showed that BCAP interacted with Flightless-1 and its binding partner leucine-rich repeat Flightless-1–interacting protein 2 (LRRFIP2), which promoted an association between BCAP and the inflammasome component NLRP3. In macrophages, BCAP reduced the abundance of active caspase-1, maturation of the cytokine IL-1β, and cell death after exposure to the toxin nigericin or bacterial infection. Kinetic analyses determined that BCAP delayed recruitment of pro–caspase-1 to intracellular inflammasome foci and loss of BCAP promoted bacterial clearance in mice. These data identify a distinct role for this PI3K adaptor in preventing excessive, potentially harmful activation of NLRP3 and NLRC4 inflammasomes. B cell adaptor for phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) (BCAP) is a signaling adaptor that activates the PI3K pathway downstream of B cell receptor signaling in B cells and Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in macrophages. BCAP binds to the regulatory p85 subunit of class I PI3K and is a large, multidomain protein. We used proteomic analysis to identify other BCAP-interacting proteins in macrophages and found that BCAP specifically associated with the caspase-1 pseudosubstrate inhibitor Flightless-1 and its binding partner leucine-rich repeat flightless-interacting protein 2. Because these proteins inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome, we investigated the role of BCAP in inflammasome function. Independent of its effects on TLR priming, BCAP inhibited NLRP3- and NLRC4-induced caspase-1 activation, cell death, and IL-1β release from macrophages. Accordingly, caspase-1–dependent clearance of a Yersinia pseudotuberculosis mutant was enhanced in BCAP-deficient mice. Mechanistically, BCAP delayed the recruitment and activation of pro–caspase-1 within the NLRP3/ASC preinflammasome through its association with Flightless-1. Thus, BCAP is a multifunctional signaling adaptor that inhibits key pathogen-sensing pathways in macrophages.


The liquid state machine (LSM) combines low training complexity and biological plausibility, which has made it an attractive machine learning framework for edge and neuromorphic computing paradigms. Originally proposed as a model of brain computation, the LSM tunes its internal weights without backpropagation of gradients, which results in lower performance compared to multi-layer neural networks. Recent findings in neuroscience suggest that astrocytes, a long-neglected non-neuronal brain cell, modulate synaptic plasticity and brain dynamics, tuning brain networks to the vicinity of the computationally optimal critical phase transition between order and chaos. Inspired by this disruptive understanding of how brain networks self-tune, we propose the neuron-astrocyte liquid state machine (NALSM) that addresses under-performance through self-organized near-critical dynamics. Similar to its biological counterpart, the astrocyte model integrates neuronal activity and provides global feedback to spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), which self-organizes NALSM dynamics around a critical branching factor that is associated with the edge-of-chaos. We demonstrate that NALSM achieves state-of-the-art accuracy versus comparable LSM methods, without the need for data-specific hand-tuning. With a top accuracy of 97.61% on MNIST, 97.51% on N-MNIST, and 85.84% on Fashion-MNIST, NALSM achieved comparable performance to current fully-connected multi-layer spiking neural networks trained via backpropagation. Our findings suggest that the further development of brain-inspired machine learning methods has the potential to reach the performance of deep learning, with the added benefits of supporting robust and energy-efficient neuromorphic computing on the edge.


A guide to completing research on the interdisciplinary study of the culture, history, and society of the United States, including folk and popular culture, history, politics, society and ethnography, regional and urban studies, and public heritage.


This paper analyzes the relation between public, education-related infrastructure and the quality of education in schools. The analysis uses a case study of the establishment of two large, high-quality public libraries in low-income areas in Bogota, Colombia. It assesses the impact of these libraries on the quality of education by comparing national test scores (SABER 11) for schools close to and far from the libraries before (2000–02) and after (2003–08) the libraries were opened. The paper introduces a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition on difference-in-differences estimates to assess whether variation of traditional determinants of mathematics, verbal, and science test scores explains the estimates. The analysis finds differences that are not statistically different from zero that could be attributed to the establishment of the libraries. These results are robust to alternative specifications, a synthetic control approach, and an alternative measure of distance.


: On the basis of their rich personal material and the data in the literature, the authors point out the tendency to relate many types of angiotrophic neuroses to Raynaud's phenomenon disregarding their etiological and pathogenetic factors. Diagnostic errors occur particularly frequently in chronic chilblain of the limbs and its sequelae which are manifested by a characteristic complex of symptoms, successively changing vasomotor reactions in the distal parts of the limbs, the development of vegetative polyneuritis, and in severe cases also by affection of the motor apparatus of the hands. The disease is encountered mostly in workers working in the open air in subnormal temperature of the surroundings. The object of the communication is to focus attention on the groundlessness of the diagnosis of Raynaud's disease which is not a nosological form.


Text entry is still a challenging task in modern Virtual Reality (VR) systems. The lack of efficient text entry methods limits the applications that can be used productively in VR. Previous work has addressed this issue through virtual keyboards or showing the physical keyboard in VR. While physical keyboards afford faster text entry, they usually require a seated user and an instrumented environment. We introduce a new keyboard, worn on a hawker's tray in front of the user, which affords a compact, simple, flexible, and efficient text entry solution for VR, without restricting physical movement. In our new video condition, we also show the keyboard only when the user is looking down at it. To evaluate our novel solution and to identify good keyboard visualizations, we ran a user study where we asked participants to enter both lowercase sentences as well as complex text while standing. The results show that text entry rates are affected negatively by simplistic keyboard visualization conditions and that our solution affords desktop text entry rates, even when standing.


Dewatering associated with mining in the gold-bearing reefs of the Far West Rand, which underlie dolomite and unconsolidated deposits, led to the formation of sinkholes and subsidence depressions. Hence, certain areas became unsafe for occupation and were evacuated. Although sinkholes were initially noticed in the 1950s, the seriousness of the situation was highlighted in December 1962 when a sinkhole engulfed a three-story crusher plant at West Driefontein Mine. Consequently, it became a matter of urgency that the areas at risk of subsidence and the occurrence of sinkholes were delineated. Sink-holes formed concurrently with the lowering of the water table in areas which formerly had been relatively free of sinkholes. In addition, subsidence occurred as a consequence of consolidation taking place in the unconsolidated deposits as the water table was lowered. In the latter case, the degree of subsidence which occurred reflected the thickness and original density of the unconsolidated deposits which were consolidated. These deposits vary laterally in thickness and thereby gave rise to differential subsidence. Subsidence also occurred due to the closure of dewatered voids at the rock-soil interface. The risk of sinkhole and subsidence occurrence is increased by urban development, since interrupted natural surface drainage, increased runoff, and leakage from water-bearing utilities can result in the concentrated ingress of water into the ground. Where the surficial deposits are less permeable, the risk of instability is reduced. In the area underlain by dolomite, which extends around Johannesburg and Pretoria, these problem have been more notable in recent years because of housing development, both low-cost and up-market, and the growth of informal settlements. Residential densities may be very high, especially for low-cost housing, the development of which frequently has proceeded without recognition of the risk posed by karst-related ground instability. The appearance of significant numbers of small sinkholes has been associated with dolomite at shallow depth, that is, occurring at less than 15 m beneath the ground surface. The vulnerability of an area overlying dolomite bedrock at shallow depth is largely dependent on the spacing, width and continuity of grikes. When dolomite is located at depths greater than 15 m, the sinkholes which appear at the surface usually are larger in diameter. The risk of sinkhole occurrence in areas of shallow dolomite in general, may be greater, although the hazard itself is less severe. A classification system for the evaluation of dolomitic land based on the risk of formation of certain sized sinkholes has enabled such land to be zoned for appropriate development. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance of water bearing services, and the implementation of precautionary measures relating to drainage and infiltration of surface water are regarded as essential in developed areas underlain by dolomite. Special types of foundation construction for structures are frequently necessary.


Background: The clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia is highly variable. The determination of ZAP70 and CD38 is increasingly utilized as prognostic factor for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The aim of conducting this study was to investigate the frequency of CD38 and ZAP70 expression among Sudanese Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and to relate them to the Binet and Rai clinical staging systems.
Method: A total of 93 patients (mean age; 62.29 ± 11.68, sd) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. CD38 and ZAP70 expression levels were measured with four color flowcytometry using the cut-off values of 20% for ZAP70 and 30% for CD38 expression. Staging was assessed by using clinical examination and CBC for all patients. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social science for Windows (SPSS), version 22.
Results: There were 93 CLL patients and the median age of the group was 63 years (36–95 years). About 71% of the patients presented with lymphadenopathy, 53.8% with splenomegaly, 73.1% with anemia, and 45.2% with thrombocytopenia. There was higher frequency of Binet stage C and Rai stage IV (62 [66.6%] patients and 34 [36.5%] patients, respectively). In addition, CD38 and ZAP70 showed higher frequency among Binet and Rai advance stages. ZAP70 and CD38 positivity were detected in 21 patients (22.6%) and 31 patients (33.3%), respectively. There was no statistically significant association between ZAP70 and CD38 and clinical staging systems (P-value > 0.05).
Conclusion: No significant association was observed between Flowcytometric (CD38 and Zap70) Prognostic Indicators and clinical staging systems.
Keywords: chronic lymphocytic Leukemia, Flowcytometry, ZAP70, CD38, clinical staging systems


Background The etiology, presentation and management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) vary significantly between the adult and the younger population. Most epidemiological studies on TDIs have focused on the pediatric age group. This study aims to report and compare the distributions of TDIs among adults in a sub-population in India. Methods This prospective observational study was performed on 1562 consecutively selected patients (1218 males and 344 females) from a university dental hospital in India, between July 2014 and June 2018. The clinical examinations were performed by a single trained and calibrated endodontist. Only TDIs to anterior teeth were recorded (canine to canine in the maxilla and mandible) and classified using a modified version of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) classification. Periapical and panoramic radiographs were taken for all the subjects. Results A total of 1562 patients aged between 20 and 73 years, with a mean age of 36 years, were examined during the study period. The total number of teeth with TDIs was 3044. Males (78%) clearly outnumbered the females (22%) in all the age groups. The most common type of injury occurring in both the genders is uncomplicated crown fractures (male=31.0% and female=36.6%). Avulsion injuries are more likely to be seen by a dentist within 1 hour post-trauma. About two-third of the TDIs were caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs) followed by falls in about 20% of the patients. Conclusion Uncomplicated crown fracture was the most commonly observed type of TDI, and RTAs were the primary cause of TDI.


Chronic maxillary rhinosinusitis of dental origin represents approximately 5 % of chronic maxillary rhinosinusitis. The diagnosis of this pathology is often delayed and mainly based on endoscopy and medical imaging. Its treatment is complex and requires the involvement of several teams. This article discusses two cases of chronic maxillary rhinosinusitis secondary to dental treatment. A literature review on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and complications are also introduced.


The influence of catalyst support alumina–silica in terms of different Al2O3 to SiO2 mole ratios containing 20 wt.% Ni on the production of hydrogen and catalyst coke formation from the pyrolysis-catalysis of waste tyres is reported. A two-stage reactor system was used with pyrolysis of the tyres followed by catalytic reaction. There was only a small difference in the total gas yield and hydrogen yield by changing the Al2O3 to SiO2 mole ratios in the Ni-Al2O3/SiO2 catalyst. The 1:1 ratio of Al2O3:SiO2 ratio produced the highest gas yield of 27.3 wt.% and a hydrogen production of 14.0 mmol g-1tyre. Catalyst coke formation decreased from 19.0 to 13.0 wt.% as the Al2O3:SiO2 ratio was changed from 1:1 to 2:1, with more than 95% of the coke being filamentous-type carbon, a large proportion of which was multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Further experiments introduced steam to the second-stage reactor to investigate hydrogen production for the pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming of the waste tyres using the 1:1 Al2O3/SiO2 nickel catalyst. The introduction of steam produced a marked increase in total gas yield from ~27 wt. % to ~58 wt.%; in addition, hydrogen production was increased to 34.5 mmol g-1 and there was a reduction in catalyst coke formation to 4.6 wt.%.


Responses of 69 at-risk individuals suggest that potential for psychiatric problems exists for those testing positive for the Huntington Disease gene and for their relatives. Their families were found to have high rates of psychiatric dysfunctions and suicide. Poorly developed social support networks and the psychological defensive strategies of many at-risk people may also contribute to post-test psychiatric morbidity. The active involvement of mental health professionals is emphasized.


Salter, who was the first to introduce this Sponge to our notice, describes it as exhibiting a loosely reticulate skeleton, composed of large cruciform spicules, the rays of which lie all in one plane and cross each other at an angle of 80° He adds that the only sponge resembling it is his Amphispongia, which he regards as allied to Grantia—a view quite in accordance with his ideas in general on the Palæozoic sponges, most of which he seems to have referred to the Calcispongia. In a foot-note he gives a quotation from a letter by Dr. Bowerbank, who, in equal accordance with his general opinions as to the affinities of fossil sponges, regarded Protospongia as allied to the recent horny sponge Spongionella, Bwbk., its orginally horny fibres having, according to him, been replaced by iron-pyrites. Hicks describes some spicular remains which he thinks may belong to Protospongia, and gives a diagrammatic figure of a fine specimen which he had discovered of Salter's original species, P. fenestrata. Zittel places these Sponges with the Hexactinellidæ, and in his group Dictyonina, which is nearly equivalent to Carter's Vitreo-hexactinellidæ . He further more closely defines its relations by placing it in the family Euretidæ. Certainly the resemblance of the ordinary specimens of Protospongia to my Eubrochus clausus, also a member of the Euretidæ, is very great, and at one time, long before the publication of Zittel's monograph, led me to regard them as allied; fresh facts, however, have since shown me that this is not correct


The Internet of Things (IoT) is a distributed system that connects everything via internet. IoT infrastructure contains multiple resources and gateways. In such a system, the problem of optimizing IoT resource allocation and scheduling (IRAS) is vital, because resource allocation (RA) and scheduling deals with the mapping between recourses and gateways and is also responsible for optimally allocating resources to available gateways. In the IoT environment, a gateway may face hundreds of resources to connect. Therefore, manual resource allocation and scheduling is not possible. In this paper, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is used to solve the RA problem in IoT with the aim of optimal RA and reducing the total communication cost between resources and gateways. The proposed algorithm has been compared to the other existing algorithms. Results indicate the proper performance of the proposed algorithm. Based on various benchmarks, the proposed method, in terms of "total communication cost", is better than other ones.


The chemistry of η6-arene metal complexes has been explored for over 60 years and the ability to activate arenes through this complexation has been used extensively in organic synthesis. As a result of binding to the metal, the complexed arene becomes more susceptible to nucleophilic attack and deprotonation of the aromatic and benzylic protons is made more facile. Additionally, binding a metal centre to one face of the arene subsequently has a steric effect on the reactivity, wherein the bound face is blocked from reagents and directs attack to the free face. Over the last 15 years, this area of organometallic chemistry has seen a resurgence of interest due to the catalytic capabilities of these complexes. Through an arene exchange mechanism, arenes can participate in reactions when bound to the metal catalyst, and can then exchange for another equivalent of starting material to facilitate catalytic turnover. This thesis will describe a number of projects that have been developed over three years that uses this methodology to perform transformations which are of significant interest to the scientific community.
Firstly, a trifluoromethylation protocol is described, which uses a [RuCp]+ binding unit to activate a range of electron-deficient arenes towards the nucleophilic attack of commercially available Me3SiCF3 (Ruppert's Reagent). A library of complexes exhibit reaction, and a mixture of products are formed via SNAr and ortho-addition mechanisms. Following trifluoromethylation, the unbound arenes can be collected in quantitative yield using photolysis and chemical oxidation.
Secondly, a C–H activation and arylation protocol is described, where the same [RuCp]+ binding unit is used to enhance aromatic acidity of a η6-arene complexes. Through a concerted metalation deprotonation mechanism, a library of complexes can be activated by silver, and consequentially arylated using catalytic palladium chemistry. Following arylation, the bi-aryl arene can be liberated from ruthenium by UV irradiation.
The largest chapter of this thesis describes the catalytic radical hydrodeiodination of aryl iodides via an arene exchange mechanism. This reaction uses commercially available materials to achieve deiodination for iodoarenes in high yields and with excellent functional group tolerance and chemoselectivity.
Lastly, the early findings towards tether assisted arene exchange is described. The rates of arene exchange are studied for a library of tethered Cp ruthenium complexes, which show potential for enhanced arene exchange in catalytic reactions.


Background: Vitiligo is an acquired condition resulting from the progressive loss of melanocytes. It may be associated with disorders of pigmented tissues of the eyes and ears, and withdisorders of the endocrine organs. Aim: To study the clinico-demographic profile of vitiligo patientsand its association with endocrine disorders and audiological and ocular abnormalities.  Materials and Methods: This was a case-control study conducted at a tertiary care hospital; 261 vitiligo patients were enrolled together with 100 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals without vitiligo as the controls. A detailed history and clinical examination, including audiological and ocular examination, was undertaken; blood investigations like random blood sugar, thyroid function tests, and serum cortisol levels were requested for all subjects. Results: Vitiligo vulgaris was the most common type of disease detected in 146 (55.93%) patients, followed by focal vitiligo in59 (22.60%), mucosal vitiligo in 31 (11.87%), acrofacial vitiligo in 16 (6.13%), segmental vitiligo in 8 (3.06%), and universal vitiligo in one (0.38%) patient. Endocrine disorders were noted in 40 (15.32%) patients, which included hypothyroidism in 27, hyperthyroidism in 5, and diabetes in 8 patients. Sensorineural hypoacusis andocular abnormalities were noted in 56 (21.45%) and 49 (18.77%) vitiligo patients respectively. The association of hypothyroidism, sensorineural hypoacusis, and ocular abnormalities with vitiligowas statistically significant. Conclusion: Vitiligo is not limited to cutaneous melanocytes; it also affects pigment cells throughout the body. Patients with increased age, prolonged duration of disease, and greater bodysurface area involvement are at increased risk for systemic associations. A thorough clinical evaluation seems necessary for all vitiligo patients.


Background: Student evaluation is the lifeblood of learning/teaching and the SRSSDL tool is a vehicle to enable students to achieve their goals.
Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of the tool as perceived by the FdSc students.
Methods: A qualitative exploratory approach was used to identify FdSc students' views and experiences of using the SRSSDL tool to establish its effectiveness in developing their SDL skills. A questionnaire comprising of six open-ended semi-structured questions was used to collect data.
Analysis: Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results: The SRSSDL tool was positively evaluated by the students identifying its usefulness in improving their SDL.
Conclusion: Students' evaluation of the SRSSDL tool clearly identified its impact on their learning, developing confidence and their positive experiences when applying the tool.


The objective of this research was to determine growth and yield responses of three mungbean varieties to waterlogging duration. The experiment was conducted at a screenhouse of ILETRI, Malang, East Java, from October to December 2016 using Alfisol soil from Probolinggo, East Java. The experiment consisted of two factors that were laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor was mungbean varieties, namely Sriti, Vima 1, and Vima 2. The second factor was waterlogging durations, namely 0, 2, 4, and 6 days. The waterlogging treatments started at 20 days after planting. Mungbean plants fertilized with 250 kg Phonska ha-1 at the time of planting. The results showed that waterlogging treatments had negative effects on growth of the three varieties, indicated by a reduction in stem dry weight and leaf dry weight of the plants. Sriti variety was tolerant to waterlogging, Vima 1 was moderate tolerant, and Vima 2 was sensitive.Keywords: Alfisol soil, Vigna radiata, waterlogging stress


In a historical treatment of Mexico beginning with the pre-Revolutionary period and focusing on the administration of Lazaro Cardenas (1934-1940), Nora Hamilton explores the possibilities and limits of reform in a capitalist society.Originally published in 1982.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Patients with atrial fibrillation have a high risk of developing stroke and death, which requires constant anticoagulant support. In this regard, the physician faces the difficult task of selecting the appropriate oral anticoagulant for patient with individual risk factors and comorbidities. Currently, three non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants or directly acting oral anticoagulants have been registered in the Russia, which in large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were compared with warfarin in the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism. The present article analyzes the data of RCTs, postmarketing studies of oral anticoagulants, and presents groups of patients for whom these drugs are preferred. The choice of oral anticoagulants for the prevention of stroke in the following subgroups of patients with atrial fibrillation is discussed: patients with one stroke risk factor (CHA2DS2VASc1 in men or 2 in women), patients of different age groups, patients with concomitant coronary artery disease/acute coronary syndrome, a history of stroke, patients with chronic kidney disease, patients with a high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, and a group of patients with concomitant arterial hypertension and chronic heart failure. We compared the efficacy and safety of oral non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants or directly acting oral anticoagulants with vitamin K antagonists in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.


The content of radioactive caesium isotopes emitting beta radiation was studied in daily food rations analysed in diets of working-class and non-working-class families from food products from the regions of Olsztyn, Poznań, Lublin, Warsaw and Wrocław in 1987 and 1988. In 1987 the highest level of radioactive caesium was found in the food rations in Olsztyn, and the lowest in the rations in Poznań (3.32 and 0.65 Bq/kg respectively). In 1988 higher radio-caesium content was found in rations composed according to the data on the diet consumed daily in non-working-class families. In that case the highest content was in the daily food ration composed in Warsaw--2.35 Bq/kg, and lowest in Poznań--1.19 Bq/kg. In the daily food rations of working-class families about one half of that value was found. The calculated mean values of both analysed rations were: 1.35 for Olsztyn, 0.89 for Poznań, and 1.86 Bq/kg for Warsaw. The calculated mean value of the contamination with radioactive caesium was in 1988 0.93 Bq/kg for the rations in working-class families (in 1987 it was 1.80 Bq/kg).


The analysis of wave effects above salinity is important in order to define mixing processes and their potential to change density gradients, since action in the region of the Patos Lagoon plume is highly dynamic. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of waves on the mixing pattern of the adjacent continental shelf. Constantly marked by tides and circulation variations, changing from flood to ebb tide, salinity stands as a major parameter for analysis. The study is based on hydrodynamic numerical modeling experiments using the TELEMAC3D model and waves generated by the wind using the TOMAWAC coupled model. The comparison between the situations considering the waves generated by the wind and without waves was made through time series analysis, stratification series, transversal cross sections, longitudinal cross sections, salinity mean fields and diagrams by Richardson and Brunt-V?is?l?s frequency parameters. With the cross sections analysis, the mixing effect generated by the waves was observed, demonstrating clearly that the waves were capable of raising the superficial salinity in regions far from the Patos Lagoon entrance, while at the entrance, the wave effects enhanced the mixing on the deepest layers, decreasing the saline intrusion and expanding the plume more radially on the surface. The space-temporal diagrams were effective to demonstrate the modulation effect of the waves over the salt mixing of saline waters, revealing that wave effects decrease the stratification as well as the Brunt-V?is?l?s frequency and increase the period of buoyancy, due to the mixing increase.


An effective measurement concept for the precise determination of the electron density in plasma assisted sterilization processes is presented in this paper. Here, plasmas offer a promising approach for heat or chemical sensitive materials, like surgery instruments. Therefore, the Multipole Resonance Probe (MRP) is investigated over a wide frequency range. Based on the evaluation of an unambiguous resonance behaviour, the resonance frequency can be determined from 0.5 to 6 GHz. Proven in 3D electromagnetic field simulations and measurements in an excited Argon plasma, the additional center of gravity method increases the performance and the MRP can be used for an evaluation of a wide density range. Hence, the density can be controlled effectively and used in a feedback control loop.


Flow cytometry was used to determine whether activated platelets and platelet-derived microparticles can be detected directly in whole blood after a hemostatic insult. Two different in vivo models of platelet activation were examined: (1) a standardized bleeding time, and (2) cardiopulmonary bypass. Platelets and microplatelets were identified with a biotinylated anti-glycoprotein (GP)lb antibody and a fluorophore, phycoerythrin-streptavidin. Microparticles were distinguished from platelets by light scatter. Activated platelets were detected with three fluorescein-labeled monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs): (1) PAC1, which binds to the activated form of GPIIb-IIIa; (2) 9F9, a newly developed antibody that is specific for fibrinogen bound to the surface of activated platelets; and (3) S12, which binds to an alpha-granule membrane protein expressed on the platelet surface after granule secretion. In nine normal subjects, bleeding times ranged from 4.5 to 7.5 minutes. Over this time, there was a progressive increase in the amount of PAC1, 9F9, and S12 bound to platelets in blood emerging from the bleeding time wound. With all three antibodies, platelet activation was apparent as early as 30 seconds after the incision (P less than .03). Activation was accompanied by a progressive decrease in the concentration of platelets in blood from the wound, while the concentration of microparticles increased slightly. In nine patients undergoing open heart surgery, 1 hour of cardiopulmonary bypass caused a 2.2-fold increase in the relative proportion of microparticles in circulating blood (P less than .001). Moreover, bypass caused platelet activation as evidenced by a mean two- to threefold increase in PAC1 binding to platelets. Although this increase was significant (P less than .02), PAC1 binding exceeded the normal range for unstimulated control platelets in only 5 of 9 patients, and 9F9 and S12 binding exceeded the normal range in only two patients. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that it is now feasible using flow cytometry to evaluate the extent of platelet activation and the presence of platelet-derived microparticles in the circulation of humans.


BACKGROUND
Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is a thiol isomerase secreted by vascular cells that is required for thrombus formation. Quercetin flavonoids inhibit PDI activity and block platelet accumulation and fibrin generation at the site of a vascular injury in mouse models, but the clinical effect of targeting extracellular PDI in humans has not been studied.

METHODS
We conducted a multicenter phase II trial of sequential dosing cohorts to evaluate the efficacy of targeting PDI with isoquercetin to reduce hypercoagulability in cancer patients at high risk for thrombosis. Patients received isoquercetin at 500 mg (cohort A, n = 28) or 1000 mg (cohort B, n = 29) daily for 56 days, with laboratory assays performed at baseline and the end of the study, along with bilateral lower extremity compression ultrasound. The primary efficacy endpoint was a reduction in D-dimer, and the primary clinical endpoint included pulmonary embolism or proximal deep vein thrombosis.

RESULTS
The administration of 1000 mg isoquercetin decreased D-dimer plasma concentrations by a median of -21.9% (P = 0.0002). There were no primary VTE events or major hemorrhages observed in either cohort. Isoquercetin increased PDI inhibitory activity in plasma (37.0% in cohort A, n = 25, P < 0.001; 73.3% in cohort B, n = 22, P < 0.001, respectively). Corroborating the antithrombotic efficacy, we also observed a significant decrease in platelet-dependent thrombin generation (cohort A median decrease -31.1%, P = 0.007; cohort B median decrease -57.2%, P = 0.004) and circulating soluble P selectin at the 1000 mg isoquercetin dose (median decrease -57.9%, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
Isoquercetin targets extracellular PDI and improves markers of coagulation in advanced cancer patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02195232.

FUNDING
Quercegen Pharmaceuticals; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI; U54HL112302, R35HL135775, and T32HL007917); and NHLBI Consortium Linking Oncology and Thrombosis (U01HL143365).


Many commentators assert that enhanced shareholder power is a promising cure for corporate governance ills. This paper empirically examines the impact of differential amounts of shareholder power on governance arrangements. When U.S. states enacted statutory antitakeover protections in the 1980s, the states differed in the power granted to shareholders to opt out of the antitakeover protections without agreement by the board of directors. These differences in shareholder power are associated with little change in governance arrangements. The results suggest that simply altering shareholder power without changing other governance mechanisms is unlikely to lead to widespread changes in corporate governance.


We describe the protocol of generating a 3D stem-cell-based model of the human pre-gastrulation epiblast by culturing human embryonic stem cells in a mix of hydrogel and Matrigel. Much like the epiblast of an in vitro attached day-10 human embryo, this model is an epithelial sphere with a cavity at its center, it is expressing key pluripotency markers, and it displays apico-basal polarity. The 3D colonies can further be differentiated with morphogens and in the case of intermediate concentrations of BMP4, they break the anterior-posterior symmetry characterized by an asymmetric expression of a primitive streak marker and showing signs of epithelial to mesenchymal transition. The protocol described here is suitable for immunofluorescence staining and for live-cell imaging.


A fast and accurate magnified near-field (NF) measurement technique that employs a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera is described to measure the two-dimensional (2-D) intensity distributions of optical waveguides with arbitrary refractive-index profiles. Calibration of the InGaAs CCD camera used in the system is essential in terms of correction for bad pixels, linearity, and uniformity in order to obtain accurate results. The magnification factor of the system is obtained using a calibrated optical dimensional standard. The NF measurement system with the calibrated CCD camera is validated from the mode field diameter (MFD) measured for six single-mode fibers with different refractive-index profiles. The MFD results from the magnified NF technique exhibit good agreement with those obtained from the far-field scanning technique to within 2.3%. An error of about 15% in the MFD would result if corrections to the CCD camera were not applied to the raw measured data. The refractive-index profiles computed from the measured data for a single-mode fiber and a Ti:LiNbO3 waveguide are also presented. The radial-index profile of the fiber exhibits good agreement with the profile measured from the refracted NF technique


This article considers the problem of the evaluation of the sustainability of heterogeneous process systems, which can have different areas of focus: from single process operations to complete supply chains. The proposed method defines exergy-based concepts to evaluate the assets, liabilities, and the exergy footprint of the analysed process systems, ensuring that they are suitable for Life Cycle Assessment. The proposed concepts, evaluation framework and cumulative Exergy Composite Curves allow the quantitative assessment of process systems, including alternative solutions. The provided case studies clearly illustrate the applicability of the method and the close quantitative relationship between the exergy profit and the potential sustainability contribution of the proposed solutions. The first case study demonstrates how the method is applied to the separation and reuse of an acetic-acid-containing waste stream. It is shown that the current process is not sustainable and needs substantial external exergy input and deeper analysis. The second case study concerns Municipal Solid Waste treatment and shows the potential value and sustainability benefit that can be achieved by the extraction of useful chemicals and waste-to-energy conversion. The proposed exergy footprint accounting framework clearly demonstrates the potential to be applied to sustainability assessment and process improvement while simultaneously tracking different kinds of resources and impacts.


A 23-year-old Asian lady presented with a hard indurated midline neck swelling of 2 months duration without any upper aerodigestive tract or systemic symptoms of note. Her inflammatory markers were elevated and she was commenced on antibiotics. Ultrasound scan and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) were inconclusive. A CT scan showed an ill-defined soft tissue mass anterior to and not well demarcated from the thyroid, and contiguous with a superior and anterior mediastinal mass. Incisional biopsy revealed necrosis and pockets of purulent material. Microbiology suggested a chronic pyogenic abscess negative for acid fast bacilli. She was treated with antituberculous therapy without resolution. She developed a discharging lateral neck mass with progressive increase of the mediastinal mass. She subsequently required a neck exploration and mediastinoscopy. Repeat mediastinal biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease and no organisms on culture. She was commenced on chemotherapeutic treatment with a satisfactory outcome.


Background A therapeutic revolution in the past decade is still a considerable unmet need in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). On the other hand, dysfunction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been considered to be a pivotal cause of RA and correction of this dysfunction to be a potential RA therapy1. However, abnormalities of Tregs in patients with RA were reported controversially in previous studies2, in which only proportion was measured and Tregs were defined using different protein markers. Objectives In this study, we measured both absolute numbers and proportions of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in peripheral blood of RA patients and investigated the effects of low-dose recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) on Tregs and CD4+ effector T cell subsets in patients with RA. Methods Both absolute numbers and proportions of Treg and Th17 cells in peripheral blood, defined as the CD4+CD25+FOXp3+T or CD4+IL-17 + T cell population, were examined by flow cytometry in 342 patients with RA with different 28-joint Disease Activities (DAS28), including 75 who had never received disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) and 151 who were receiving or had received DMARD. Among these patients, 112 consented at enrollment to receive rhIL-2 treatment. Before and after treatment, the Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results The absolute count of Treg cells in patients with RA was significantly low compared with that of healthy controls (P<0.05), but the absolute count of Th17 cell was no different between RA and healthy controls. After the course of rhIL-2 treatment, there was a significant increase in the absolute count of Th17 and Treg cells in the CD4+ T cell population (P<0.01), but Th17/Treg was significantly low after the treatment. Conclusions The data suggest that, besides propotion, the decrease of Treg cell number, defined as the CD4+CD25+FOXp3+population, may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA. Over the treatment of rhIL-2, there was a more significant increase in the absolute count of Treg cells than that of Th17, and consequently restore the balance of Th17/Treg. References Miyara M, Ito Y, Sakaguchi S. TREG-cell therapies for autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Nature reviews Rheumatology 2014;10:543–51. Morita T, Shima Y, Wing JB, Sakaguchi S, Ogata A, Kumanogoh A. The Proportion of Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Meta-Analysis. PloS one 2016;11:e0162306. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Background: A dye-based method for determining applicator usage in microbicide trials has been developed to assess whether applicators have been exposed to vaginal fluid. Our objective was to evaluate this method on polypropylene HTI applicators that are being widely used in several effectiveness trials of microbicides. Methods: Study participants enrolled in a clinical trial assessing SPL7013 (VivaGel) inserted gel intravaginally twice daily for 14 days and returned used and unused applicators. Before staining, smears were prepared from each participant-inserted applicator, Gram stained and assessed independently for the presence of vaginal cells and bacteria. Of the 169 participant-inserted applicators, 168 (99%) had vaginal cells identified by Gram stain. Participant: Inserted applicators were stained with a 0.05% FD & C blue dye No. 1 solution and compared with 70 inserted positive control applicators and 70 unused negative control applicators. Intravaginally inserted applicators should stain turquoise, whereas unused applicators should not retain any stain. The individual responsible for labeling and preparing the applicators did not serve as an evaluator. Results: Under optimized conditions, the sensitivity and specificity ranged from 81% to 95% and 86% to 93%, respectively for single use and unused applicators. The dye-based method was only 47% to 77% sensitive for participant-inserted applicators obtained from women using gel twice daily. Conclusion: The dye test for HTI polypropylene applicators had a sensitivity of 47% to 95%, depending on the evaluator and whether gel was present in the vagina. The sensitivity was decreased with multiple gel applications. The dye-based method cannot be recommended for HTI polypropylene applicators to monitor product adherence.


Robots are increasingly being adopted in private and public spaces, leading to a proliferation of human‒robot interactions in the home, workplace, and other public settings. Robots in the home are performing household chores and acting as home companions and home health care providers. Robots at work are fulfilling traditional human roles in logistics, transportation, and manufacturing, serving as both co-workers and supervisors. Robots are also being utilized as tour guides, janitors, and security officers in public spaces such as museums and airports. Although these interactions are often collaborative, they are by no means always cooperative. Robot interactions with humans across this array of roles and settings pose interesting questions to scholars in various fields such as information systems, robotics, psychology, and sociology. Interaction with robots is distinct from that with other artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technologies in that robots have a physical body that allows them to manifest physical actions. People cannot only talk to robots but also touch and be touched by robots. This distinguishes interactions with robots from interactions with disembodied AI agents, such as voice agents like Siri by Apple and Alexa by Amazon. Thus, research on human‒robot interaction can differ significantly from that of human interaction with disembodied AI agents. Given the importance of the topic, this mini-track presents studies that address various issues in human‒robot interactions. This mini-track focuses on, but not limited to, the issues below:


The ACT-R cognitive theory models forgetting in general with a constant "decay due to passage of time" parameter. However, this is not sufficient to predict learning for frequently executed tasks in dense arrangements of items. Prominent examples are twodimensional location learning in finding keys on a keyboard or clicking on items on a web page or in a graphical user interface. Our work presents a new way to theoretically model the effect of Proactive Interference, i.e. the effect of the history of events on location learning, through an extension to ACT-R's mathematical model of declarative memory strength. It predicts that each time an item is searched for and found, the item gets "stronger", i.e. easier to remember. However, this strength diminishes not only through the passage of time, but also due to interference from other (non-target) items that have been encountered in the past. We tested the predictions of our new model against empirical measurements from two previous studies that involve simple visual search and selection. The predictions fit the experimental data very well.


The purpose of this study was to analyze and determine the relationship between physiological responses including blood flow rate and garment pressure, and the feeling of restrictive tightness associated with the wearing skinny pants as a popular clothing style. Evaluation was based on material type, posture and activity type, and body part location. Five female college students took part in this research. Five kinds of experimental clothes with waist measurements of 66cm were chosen. An analysis of the selected skinny pants demonstrated the degree of the whole looseness was higher in this order: clothing type A>B>D>C, and E with E being knitted cloth. Garment pressure was the highest in the front knee portions and was lowest in the outside thigh region. Garment pressure was highest in this sequence : clothing type C>=D>A>=B>E. In terms of posture and activity types, garment pressure was the highest when research participants were crouching, and was the lowest when standing. The blood flow rate was highest in this order: clothing type E>D>B>A>C. Type C skinny pants impeded blood flow and demonstrated the tightest and most restrictive relationship. Blood flow rate varied depending on the type of movement and was highest in this order: getting up, rowing, kicking, jumping and O-shaped leg posture. The results of subjective pressure evaluation demonstrated that pressure was highest in this order: E>=C>B>A>D. These results suggests the need to improve on the patterns and the material design in the area of the front knees. The degree of the looseness when wearing skinny pants did not always correspond to garment pressure or subjective sensation.


Optimizing standard treatment modalities for breast cancer has improved the outlook for women afflicted with it, but the fact that 40% still ultimately die from the disease highlights the need for new therapies. Remarkable advances in molecular immunology and biotechnology have created a unique opportunity for developing active vaccination strategies that engage the patient's own immune system in the fight against breast cancer. Early clinical trials have established the safety and bioactivity of some breast cancer vaccine approaches, with a hint of clinical response. They have also highlighted the importance of elucidating the pharmacodynamic interactions between established therapies for breast cancer, such as tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, chemotherapy, the HER-2/neu-specific monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin), and breast cancer vaccines. Preclinical studies have simultaneously defined the importance of developing targeted approaches for circumventing established immune tolerance to breast cancer during the vaccination process. The first strategies targeting the negative influence of CD4(+)CD25(+)T regulatory cells and the CTLA-4 signaling pathway are just entering clinical testing in combination with tumor vaccines. Developing the most potent approach for activating antitumor immunity while maintaining the efficacy of standard approaches to breast cancer management will ensure that active immunotherapy is successfully integrated into the standard of care.


Clinically healthy calves (aged 3-6 weeks) were exposed to defined ambient temperature for 4 hours (cold: 5 degrees C, 60% humidity, n = 12; warm: 35 degrees C, 60% humidity, n = 11). During the exposure of each animal in a climatic chamber, certain parameters of lung function, respiratory mechanics, blood gas analysis, circulation, metabolism and thermal regulation were registered simultaneously in order to study immediate physiological consequences of different environmental conditions. In comparison to control calves (18-20 degrees C, 60% humidity, n = 13) an insufficient adaptation of these young calves was noticed in both cold and warm conditions. At 5 degrees C, marked changes in lung function were observed, i.e. airway constriction, pulmonary hypertension, and ventilation-perfusion-mismatching leading to hypoxemia and hypercapnia. Due to compensation by the circulatory system, a sufficient O2-consumption of the organism as well as an unchanged body temperature were maintained. At 35 degrees C, the respiratory pattern changed to panting and a higher dead space ventilation. No changes were observed in pulmonary gas exchange and blood arterialisation. Due to hyperventilation, the partial pressure for CO2 decreased in blood. Since the body temperature increased continuously, thermal regulation was insufficient. This situation would have led to animals collapsing after a period of heat stress lasting longer than 4 hours. In conclusion, young calves up to the age of 6 weeks were not able to tolerate acute changes in ambient temperature. This was true for cold conditions (5 degrees C) as well as for hot conditions (35 degrees C). The results of this study should be taken into account in order to optimise transport and farming conditions.


After spending time in the hospital, psychiatric clients are often discharged to homeless shelters or the streets, which can place a burden on health care systems. This study examined the effects of an intervention in which psychiatric clients from acute (n = 219) and tertiary (n = 32) sites were provided with predischarge assistance in securing housing. A program evaluation design was used to examine the effectiveness of the intervention. Qualitative data were available through interviews, focus groups, and monthly meetings. The results highlight several benefits of the intervention and show that homelessness can be reduced by connecting housing support, income support, and psychiatric care.


The beginning and end of diapause are two important transition points in cladoceran life history. The influence of environmental variables on the dynamics of these processes still deserves attention, especially as concerns the role of biotic factors. In this paper we focus on emergence from diapause, testing (1) whether ephippia of Daphnia obtusa Kurz can assess the presence in the water of typical planktivorous fish or ostracods, and (2) whether such an assessment results in changes in hatching strategy. Total number of hatchlings from D. obtusa ephippial eggs did not differ between the control and the treatments in which the presence of fish or ostracods could be detected (ANOVA, P = 0.884). However, hatching dynamics were different: most of the eggs hatched synchronously at day 4 (83.3% of the total hatchlings number) in the control, while only a low proportion of eggs hatched on day 4 in the fish (38.3%), and ostracod treatments (24.0% of the total). Mean hatching time was longer, and variability larger, in the treatments than in the control; differences resulted statistically significant (ANOVA, P = 0.005). With respect to the control, representing a simple microcosm controlled by abiotic variables only, the treatments may be regarded as relatively complex environments, in which Daphnia is also exposed to biotic cues. Under these more complex conditions, the same number of hatchlings is obtained through different hatching dynamics. In the treatments, the first hatchlings appeared later and the hatching rate was more variable than in the control. These observations confirm previously observed patterns from laboratory experiments which tested the effect of competition and fluctuating environmental conditions (light:dark, temperature regimes) on D. obtusa reproductive and demographic parameters. They are also in agreement with recently obtained evidence concerning the importance of biotic cues for hatching of ephippial eggs. Overall, the evidence suggests that Daphnia can detect infochemicals during dormancy. Specifically, we propose that the presence in the water medium of potential predators and competitors results in a short-term hatching asynchrony of ephippial eggs.


Video game industry has become the largest entertainment based industry, surpassing both the film and the music industry in terms of revenue. Costs of game development are rising with a number of platforms one has to support. In today's competitive industry, it is necessary to support as many platforms as possible to remain profitable. One way to cut down on time spent on porting the game to other platforms, is to use cross-platform programming languages and development frameworks. Even though such frameworks allow drastic reduction of development time spent on making sure games work on all intended platforms, they are not without cost. The cost in this case is mainly in reduced performance, compared to games developed in their native development environments. This paper evaluates performance overhead of a relatively new programming language (less than a decade old) called Haxe, which is built especially for cross-platform development. We have implemented the same game in both its native environment and in the Haxe programming language, from which the game is cross-compiled to run in the native environment. The authors tested developed games on three different hardware configurations, with three different complexity settings, and the results show that even though performance overhead of cross-compilation is not insignificant, the overall reduction in development time attained by developing in Haxe presents a viable option for cross-platform game development, with positive aspects outweighing the negatives.


Knee arthroplasties are successful procedures that allow patients to return to their pre-arthritic functional levels. However, the success rates can be blemished by prosthetic joint infections, which are devastating complications that commonly render patients worse off than before the index surgery. Inoculation of the pathogens is frequently from the index surgery, or through the bloodstream. Herein, we report a case of a prosthetic joint infection by which the pathogens were most likely inoculated from direct contact, through a traumatic open knee wound occurring from a road traffic accident. Management of the infection, involving an incision & drainage with modular parts exchange, as well as the challenges with the soft tissue envelope is highlighted. At one year of follow-up, the infection seemed to be curtailed. Currently, the patient is very satisfied with the condition of his knee, which has a range of motion of 0 to 135 and his pre-morbid function has been regained. This case denotes the importance of early identification, soft tissue management, as well as a multidisciplinary approach in managing such conditions.


Introduction Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is due to breakdown in immunological self-tolerance. Sustained remission in AIH is crucial to prevent the progression to end stage liver disease.1 Around 9% of the patients are refractory/intolerant to the standard therapy with prednisolone (Pred) ± azathioprine (AZA). High levels of immunoglobulin are typical of AIH and plasma cells are frequently observed in liver histology. Rituximab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that depletes B-cells and has been used to treat other autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus. However, little has been reported on the role of B cells depletion and its outcome in AIH. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rituximab in the treatment of refractory AIH. Methods A retrospective case note review of well-defined and biopsy proven type-1 AIH (simplified scoring >6). 5 patients out of 200 who were intolerant/refractory to standard therapy were given Rituximab and the responses were followed up for 72 weeks. Efficacy was measured by biochemical and immunological parameters (bilirubin, AST, ALT and Immunoglobulin every 12 weeks. The dose of Prednisolone as well as UKELD/MELD score pre and post treatment was also evaluated. Results All 5 patients were female and mean age was 45 (range 35–66 yrs). The rituximab dose used was 1000 mg and the total number of doses received varied between 2 and 4 (Mean 3.2). Three patients had other concomitant autoimmune conditions (endocrine, rheumatological and renal related autoimmune diseases). The mean dose of prednisolone used pre-rituximab was 19mg (±SD 12.57) and this was reduced to 12.5mg (± SD 5.0) post treatment (statistically not significant=NS). There was a slight improvement of IgG pre and post Rituximab treatment (NS), with no improvement in UKELD score. There was an improvement in biochemical profile but this was not statistically significant throughout the observation period. All five patients were alive and rituximab was well tolerated without any serious adverse events. Conclusion Rituximab is well-tolerated and safe to use in resistant AIH. It can cause some biochemical and immunological improvement. Current evidence for its use in AIH patients is not well proven. The study numbers are too small to detect the actual outcome of the therapy. A multicenter larger cohort prospective study with longitudinal immunological, biochemical and histological profile assessment is warranted to assess its efficacy in resistant AIH patients. Reference Czaja AJ. Current and future treatments of AIH. Expert Rev Gastroenterology Hepatol 2009:3: 269–91 Disclosure of Interest None Declared.


We present the ARCHIMEDES system for efficient query processing over probabilistic knowledge bases. We design ARCHIMEDES for knowledge bases containing incomplete and uncertain information due to limitations of information sources and human knowledge. Answering queries over these knowledge bases requires efficient probabilistic inference. In this paper, we describe ARCHIMEDES's efficient knowledge expansion and querydriven inference over UDA-GIST, an in-database unified data- and graph-parallel computation framework. With an efficient inference engine, ARCHIMEDES produces reasonable results for queries over large uncertain knowledge bases. We use the Reverb-Sherlock andWikilinks knowledge bases to show ARCHIMEDES achieves satisfactory quality with real-time performance.


Despite an increasing focus on school-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions in less-developed countries, we lack an understanding of what combinations of conditions are sufficient for their continued maintenance post-implementation. We use a novel method, qualitative comparative analysis, to determine what pathways lead to well-maintained school toilets, as an indicator of continued maintenance of WASH services. Results from 15 case schools in Belize reveal five pathways to well-maintained school sanitation, and three pathways to poorly maintained services. Common conditions in the pathways to well-maintained toilets include local involvement upfront, quality construction, and the presence of a local champion; while conditions common in the pathways to poorly maintained toilets include the absence of the aforementioned conditions, in addition to vandalism and a lack of community support for maintenance. The familiarity of the technology is as common in the pathways to well-maintained toilets as poorly maintained toilets, suggesting that though technology choice is important, quality construction and social conditions may have a stronger influence on maintenance. Qualitative information is presented to support further discussion of the six conditions, including factors linked to their presence that may support improvements in Belize and have implications for school WASH services in other low-income settings.


Understanding the relationship between amino acid sequences and folding rates of proteins is an important challenge in computational and molecular biology. All existing algorithms for predicting protein folding rates have never taken into account the sequence coupling effects. In this work, a novel algorithm was developed for predicting the protein folding rates from amino acid sequences. The prediction was achieved on the basis of dipeptide composition, in which the sequence coupling effects are explicitly included through a series of conditional probability elements. Based on a non-redundant dataset of 99 proteins, the proposed method was found to provide an excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental folding rates of proteins when evaluated with the jackknife test. The correlation coefficient was 87.7% and the standard error was 2.04, which indicated the important contribution from sequence coupling effects to the determination of protein folding rates.


The frequent discourse and debate on the roles of librarians generally includes a consensus about the broad position characteristics 1–3 that former Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) Editor T. Scott Plutchak, AHIP, FMLA, summarizes well: "We connect people to knowledge. We bring people together with the intellectual content of the past and present so that new knowledge can be created. We provide the ways and means for people to find entertainment and solace and enlightenment and joy and delight in the intellectual, scientific and creative work of other people" 3. Health association libraries, a unique blend of medical and special libraries, have been surveyed periodically since 1955 (Appendix A, online only). The Health Association Libraries Section (HALS) of the Medical Library Association and its predecessors surveyed health association libraries in 1980, 1996, and 2003 on the status of these libraries and their services (Appendix B, online only). The 1980 survey focused on basic library data about clientele, collections, and staff. Surveys since then have included questions on services, funding, and stability. The surveys captured reasons for library closures, including changes in association leadership, budgets, space, objectives, and staffing. The surveys also captured reasons for success, including the ability of librarians to adapt their services to the needs and objectives of their parent organizations. The data collected from the most recent survey in 2011 helps to illuminate the new and changing roles of health association librarians and provide clues on how health association librarians can position themselves for the future.


Pharmaceutics is the discipline of pharmacy that deals with the process of turning a new chemical entity (NCE) or old drugs into a medication to be used safely and effectively by patients. It is also called the science of dosage form design. Drug delivery is the method or process of administering a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or animals. For the treatment of human diseases, nasal and pulmonary routes of drug delivery are gaining increasing importance. Journal of Pharmaceutics & Drug Delivery Research (JPDDR) promotes rigorous research that makes a significant contribution in advancing knowledge for Drug Delivery Research. The journal is a hybrid journal which is both open access as well as subscription based journal.


Title of Document: PUBLICATION AND CENSORSHIP OF POPULAR SONG DURING THE ALLIED OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, 1945–1949 Nathanial Lyn Gailey-Schiltz, Master of Arts, 2014 Directed By: Professor J. Lawrence Witzleben, Department of Ethnomusicology During the Allied Occupation of Japan, General MacArthur's SCAP administration ran a system of censorship of all publications and public broadcasts, lasting from September 1945 through late 1949. Included in the censored publications were sheet music and hit song collections of ryūkōka (流行歌) and dōyō (童謡), popular songs and children's songs. The Gordon W. Prange Collection at the University of Maryland holds an extensive collection of the proofs and publications that the censors collected, complete with their markings if material was to be deleted or suppressed. The sentiments expressed in the collection of songs in general, and in the items that censors marked for deletions, reflect the new cultural hegemony of the Occupation. Publishers and censors both contributed to the reinforcement of hegemonic ideas, through the addition and removal of specific sentiments from the popular discourse of the time. PUBLICATION AND CENSORSHIP OF POPULAR SONG DURING THE ALLIED OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, 1945–1949


During the course of systemic infections, the liver is an organ which is frequently involved. The pathology of the human immunodeficiency virus with all its infections, opportunistic tumours and some parasitoses, such as amebiasis, kala-azar, hydatidosis, schistosomiasis and fascioliasis, evolve into hepatic compromise. This development is what we attempt to summarise.


This article introduces a harmonic detection device based on ARM/ DSP. This device uses DSP technology to analysis the harmonic wave in the power system by using complex sequence fast Fourier algorithm, and realizes the power system harmonic on-line detection with the strong control function of ARM module. It overcomes the inconsistency of the time sequence in communicating between DSP and ARM, and solves the synchronous sampling problem of each phase voltage for data acquisition module. In the program it mainly solves the HPI interface of data communication problem between DSP and ARM. Practical applications show that the device can rapidly and accurately detect characterization of power quality, and realize the telecommunication of the power grid data. It can detcet data accurately and reach the level of practical applications.


This thesis addresses the kineto-elastodynamic analysis of a four-bar mechanism running at high-speed where all links are assumed to be flexible. First, the mechanism, at static configurations, is considered as structure. Two methods are used to model the system, namely the finite element method (FEM) and the dynamic stiffness method. The natural frequencies and mode shapes at different positions from both methods are calculated and compared. The FEM is used to model the mechanism running at high-speed. The governing equations of motion are derived using Hamilton's principle. The equations obtained are a set of stiff ordinary differential equations with periodic coefficients. A model is developed whereby the FEM and the dynamic stiffness method are used conjointly to provide high-precision results with only one element per link. The principal concern of the mechanism designer is the behaviour of the mechanism at steady-state. Few algorithms have been developed to deliver the steady-state solution without resorting to costly time marching simulation. In this study two algorithms are developed to overcome the limitations of the existing algorithms. The superiority of the new algorithms is demonstrated. The notion of critical speeds is clarified and a distinction is drawn between "critical speeds", where stresses are at a local maximum, and "unstable bands" where the mechanism deflections will grow boundlessly. Floquet theory is used to assess the stability of the system. A simple method to locate the critical speeds is derived. It is shown that the critical speeds of the mechanism coincide with the local maxima of the eigenvalues of the transition matrix with respect to the rotational speed of the mechanism.


Extracorporeal shock wave lipotripsy is proposed to be a new non-invasive technology for rupturing fat cells, since ruptured fat cells can be metabolized via the circulatory system of human beings. In this study, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) needle-type pressure sensor was used to detect the focused shock wave profile and to measure its pressure in water and in adipose tissue at different operational voltages of 6-10 kV. The corresponding energy flux density was also calculated. Six-month-old male of New Zealand rabbits and two-month-old of LanYu pigs were used for the experiments. After shock wave administration, the tested adipose tissues were inspected by eye for physiological changes and side effects. After the visual examination, the tested animal was euthanized, and the tested adipose tissues were microscopically examined for pathological changes. Through these animal experiments, it was concluded that at least 600 trials of shock waves were required for rupturing fat cells under the condition of an energy flux density of 0.112 mJ/mm^2 in a focal area. A minor side effect of the administration of shock waves of this magnitude is slight hemorrhaging in the skin layer, which can be healed within one week.


In drive systems the most used control structure is the cascade control with an inner torque, i.e. current and an outer speed control loop. The fairly small converter switching frequency in high power applications, e.g. wind turbines lead to modest speed control performance. An improvement bring the use of a current controller which takes into account the discrete states of the inverter, e.g. DTC or a more modern approach: Model Predictive Direct Current Control (MPDCC). Moreover overshoots and oscillations in the speed are not desired in many applications, since they lead to mechanical stress, oscillations in the power etc. For this reason the integrating action of the speed controller must be limited leading to offsets in the speed control and a poor response to load torque variations. For this reason a load torque estimator is proposed in this paper in order to further improve MPDCC dynamic behaviour. It compensates the load torque influence on the speed control setting a feed forward torque value, i.e. current reference value. The benefits are twice. The speed controller reaches immediately the speed reference value avoiding offsets which must be compensated by the weak integrator. Moreover, a better response to load torque variations which are detected and compensated leading to small speed variations is obtained.


A rapid and practical method for determining the iodine value (IV) of edible oils or fats with an FTIR spectrometer combined with a quartz cuvette was reported. The sample was diluted with carbon tetrachloride and poured into a quartz cuvette (thickness: 1 cm) to measure the FTIR spectrum in the wavenumber region from 2400 to 4000 cm−1. The peak near 3009 cm−1 corresponding to C–H stretching was corrected with a baseline connecting the absorbance values near 3030 and 2990 cm−1 and used to determine the IV of edible oils and fats by the calibration curve method. A linear relationship between Ap/c, the ratio of the peak absorbance to the concentration of oil, and the IV of oil or fat obtained with the official AOCS titration method was established with a correlation coefficient of 0.9987, and the IVs of 36 samples were determined. The effect of unsaturated fatty acid composition of oil and fat on the FTIR spectra and the predicted IV was discussed. The proposed method was suitable for determining the IV of edible oils and fats in which almost all the olefinic bonds were in the cis configuration.


ELF-153 is a cell line that has been established from a patient with a poorly differentiated acute myeloid leukemia associated with an acute myelofibrosis. A majority of cells had a blast morphology with the phenotype of a myeloid hematopoietic progenitor, ie, CD34+, CD33+, CD13+, HLA-DR+, but CD38-, and the remaining cells (5% to 10%) expressed platelet restricted proteins such as CD41, CD42, CD36, CD61, and von Willebrand factor; some of them were polyploid (up to 32N) and exhibited demarcation membranes and alpha granules. No erythroid or other lineage-specific markers were detected. Proliferation of ELF-153 cells was highly stimulated by interleukin-3 (IL-3) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and to a lesser extent by stem cell factor and IL-6. In contrast, the cell line did not respond to erythropoietin, leukemia inhibitory factor, IL-7, IL-11, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor. ELF-153 cells could be separated by flow cytometry into three discrete cell populations (CD34+/CD61-, CD34+/CD61+, and CD34-/CD61+) with different proliferative and endomitotic properties corresponding to distinct stages of the mega karyocyte (MK) differentiation. This MK differentiation, which involved a minority of ELF-153, could be increased in the presence of 5-azacytidine and phorbol ester, but could not be significantly modified by growth factors. By contrast, cytochalasin B dramatically induced polyploidization without differentiation. It is noteworthy that association of 5-azacytidine to cytochalasin B dramatically induced the production of polyploid MK cells. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this MK differentiation, the expression of GATA-1 and GATA-2 was investigated in subpopulations of ELF-153. A high level of GATA-1 and GATA-2 mRNA was only present in the CD61+ cells. Therefore, these two transactivating factors may play an important role in the MK differentiation of ELF-153. We conclude that ELF-153 might be an important tool to investigate the mechanisms by which transcription factors control differentiation of MK progenitors.


In rats and mice in different dopaminergic brain structures the immunoreactive axons with agouti-related protein (AGRP) were identified. The double immunofluorescence method shows the presence of AGRP-immunoreactive processes around the bodies of dopaminergic neurons. In experiments in vitro after incubation of brain tissue from ventral tegmental area or hypothalamus with AGRP (83-132) the significant decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase optical density was indicated. The data indicate possible direct inhibitory action of AGRP on tyrosine hydroxylase level in dopaminergic brain neurons and its role as a modulator of the functional activity of dopaminergic neurons.


An acute phase index based on a combination of acute phase proteins which permitted monitor- ing the response to therapy of canine leishmaniasis was developed and evaluated in this study. Six dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum were treated with meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime  , Merial, Lyon, France) 100 mg/kg/day sc, given concurrently for 20 days with allopurinol (Zyloric  , Glaxo Wellcome, Madrid, Spain) 30 mg/kg/day po and then, allopurinol alone for one month at the same dosage. Blood samples for acute phase proteins were obtained on different days before and after the beginning of treatment and two groups of indexes were calculated: (1) Indexes that combined one positive and one negative acute phase protein and (2) Indexes that combined two positive and one negative acute phase proteins. All calculated indexes were significantly higher in animals with leishmaniasis compared with clinically healthy dogs (n = 8) and a decrease was observed in all dogs tested during the treatment. Indexes that combined C-reactive protein (CRP) and ceruloplasmin (CP) with other proteins showed greater percentages of decrease that were statistically significant. Among these, the index CRP*CP/Alb was selected as the optimum since it showed a larger and faster decrease compared with the others as well as with individual proteins alone. These results would support the use of selected acute phase indexes, especially the CRP*CP/Alb index, to suspect about a leishmaniotic dogs and to monitor their response to treatment.


ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the feasibility of Attention Restoration Theory (ART)-driven hypnotherapy to address cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Six participants with CRF completed the study. Participants completed measures of fatigue and pain pre- and posttreatment of 5 sessions of ART-driven hypnotherapy, each of which followed a treatment manual. Results indicate that participants experienced reductions in fatigue, fatigue bothersomeness, and pain following the intervention. Additionally, participants reported high levels of treatment satisfaction. This innovative intervention of ART-driven hypnotherapy appears to be feasible and warrants further study in a controlled trial with a larger sample.


Stem Cells
Hair follicles in mammalian skin undergo cycles of quiescence and regeneration. Hair follicle stem cells play a role in the regeneration phase. Ali et al. have found that regulatory T cells (Tregs), immune cells known to suppress inflammation, colocalize with stem cells in hair follicles. In a mouse model of hair regeneration, depletion of Tregs reduced hair growth. Analysis of gene expression revealed that Tregs promote the proliferation and differentiation of hair follicle stem cells. Tregs express a high level of Jagged, a ligand of the cell-cell communication system called the Notch signaling pathway that controls stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. The findings may have implications for treating individuals with alopecia areata, a hair loss condition.

Cell 10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.002 (2017).


The development of the photocatalytic production of hydrogen from water splitting has attracted immense attention in recent years. CdS is a potential photocatalyst with a visible light response, though it still suffers from a limited activity for hydrogen production due to the fast recombination of photo-induced electron/hole pairs and the low reaction rate of hydrogen evolution on the surface. Studies on the effect of CdS surface structure and properties on hydrogen production are still very limited. In this work, we prepared three CdS nanocrystals with different morphologies: long rod, short rod, and triangular plate. The prepared samples were well characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BrunauerEmmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS). From the results of TEM, XRD and XPS, we find that the three CdS nanocrystals with different morphologies were successfully synthesized. From the PL spectra, we conclude that the area of exposed nonpolar surface and degree of surface defects increase with an increase in aspect ratio. We also performed the photocatalytic hydrogen production reaction using the three CdS crystals. Long rod-like CdS (lr-CdS) exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, with a hydrogen production rate of 482 μmol·h−1·g−1, which is 2.6 times that of short rod-like CdS (sr-CdS) (183 μmol·h−1·g−1) and 8.8 times that of triangular plate-like CdS (tp-CdS, 55 μmol h−1·g−1). It is found that lr-CdS shows a higher hydrogen production rate than sr-CdS and tp-CdS. We find that the hydrogen production rate is related to the degree of surface defects. Surface defects can trap the photo-induced electrons/holes, thus decreasing their probability of recombination. In addition, these defects can be used to anchor Pd particles to form a heterojunction structure that facilitates the separation of photo-induced charges. Therefore, we also compared three CdS/Pd nanocrystals synthesized with the three abovementioned morphologies with respect to hydrogen production. With 1% (w, mass fraction) Pd, the hydrogen production rate was greatly enhanced compared to all the CdS catalysts. Compared to the unpromoted CdS, the reaction rate is enhanced 43.1, 10.7 and 6.0 times over those of sr-CdS, lr-CdS and tp-CdS, respectively. Notably, the hydrogen production rate with short rod-like CdS/Pd reaches 7884 μmol·h−1·g−1, which can be favorably compared with the ever-increasing values reported in the literature. Hopefully, this work provides knowledge on the effect of crystal surface structure and properties on photocatalysis.


Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication that occurs in critically ill patients and it is associated with a worse outcome. Since therapy options are limited, prevention and early detection are the essential cornerstones to improve patient outcomes. Therefore, using health information technology (HIT) to detect AKI early might be useful for clinicians. Patient data can be extracted real-time from electronic health records. Programmed electronic alert systems (e-alerts) can increase clinicians' awareness for AKI. Integrated into clinical decision support systems, implementation of HIT might improve clinical processes and patient outcomes. Several studies show the application of e-alerts in AKI detection and the implementation in processes of care. Monitoring nephrotoxic medication is one successful approach of implementing e-alerts in prevention of AKI. Information technology in AKI is in an early phase of development and further multicenter prospective studies are required to draw optimally on the maximum potential of this concept. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel


Common ventricle is a rare congenital anomaly in which the ventricular chamber receives blood from two separate atrioventricular valves or from a common atrioventricular valve. We used contrast echocardiography during cardiac catheterization to confirm ventricular anatomy and to characterize blood flow dynamics in 35 patients with common ventricle. After injections of dye, a cloud of echoes anterior to the mitral valve echo during the rapid inflow phase of ventricular diastole is indirect evidence of common ventricle with two atrioventricular valves. Common ventricle with an outflow chamber is characterized by a smaller ventricular chamber visualized anterior to both atrioventricular valves which opacifies with subsequent ventricular systole. The arrival of all dye posterior to the only recorded atrioventricular valve further established the presence of a single atrioventricular valve. These contrast flow patterns gave greater specificity to the standard M-mode echocardiographic assessment of patients suspected of having common ventricle.


The length of modern main gas-oil pipelines often reaches several thousand kilometers, and the pipelines are composed from an enormous number of steel large-diameter pipes. The production of the single-joint longitudinally welded steel pipes for main gas pipelines with a length of from 12 to 18 m, a diameter from 1020 to 1420 mm, a wall thickness from 19 to 48 mm from the steels of the strength classes from К38 to K65 is carried out in Russia at JSC "Vyksa Steel Works", JSC "Izhora Pipe Mill" and JSC "Chelyabinsk Pipe-Rolling Plant", as well as abroad at the pipe plants of the United States, Germany, China and India. During the ground laying of main pipelines in the trenches on the areas with a rugged terrain ("Yamal-Center", "Sakhalin-1", "Sakhalin-2", "Eastern Siberia Pacific Ocean") or the submarine pipeline laying on the seabed ("Nord Stream", "Turkish Stream") the main large-diameter pipes experience the significant elastic and plastic bending deformations, which can lead to the industrial defects of main pipelines and the walls of main pipes. After the land and underwater laying, the main pipelines' pipes springback and fully or partially become straight, however, under an elastoplastic bending their residual longitudinal curvature is significantly different from zero. Under an excessive residual curvature, the main pipelines may have defects that are not compatible with the operational rules for pumping of gas and oil under a high-line pressure (from 1.2 to 10 MPa), or even to collapse. Disaster on the main pipelines often have the difficult removable environmental consequences on a global scale. Therefore, it is important to know the springback coefficient of the pipe during bending, allowing to calculate the residual curvature of the pipe after bending. In this paper we have obtained the springback coefficient of the pipe under bending for an elastoplastic medium with a linear hardening, depending on the diameter and the wall thickness of the pipe, the yield strength, the young's modulus and the hardening modulus of pipe's material. The research results can be used in the metallurgical and machine-building factories as well as in the construction of the gas-oil main pipelines. © SHINKIN V. N., 2017 1 National University of Science and Technology "MISIS" (Moscow, Russia) E-mail: email@example.com


Previous studies have demonstrated that, when the predominantly adrenergic neurons of the neonatal rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) are grown under certain culture conditions, they acquire many of the properties characteristic of cholinergic neurons. To determine whether this occurs at the expense of certain of their adrenergic properties, cultured SCG neurons were characterized by both biochemical and immunocytochemical methods. We report here data which demonstrate that sympathetic neurons, cultured under conditions which foster the accrual of cholinergic properties, exhibit parallel increases in the activities and amounts of the specific adrenergic enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine beta-hydroxylase, as well as the specific cholinergic enzyme, choline acetyltransferase. Using immunocytochemical methods, we further demonstrate that essentially all SCG neurons stain positively with antibodies to tyrosine hydroxylase, even at times in culture when choline acetyltransferase levels are elevated significantly. These data indicate that virtually all SCG neurons grown in our culture system are capable of dual neurotransmitter production and thus express at least the potential for dual function for up to 7 weeks in culture.


Nanoscale polymer blend morphologies, with a dispersed minor phase as small as 50 nm, have been prepared via the in situ polymerization of macrocyclic carbonates in the presence of a maleic anhydride poly(propylene) (mPP). This simple, versatile, low cost strategy successfully produced a well-defined, stable two phase nanoscale morphology with a considerable improvement in the ultimate mechanical properties and strong resistance to hydrocarbon solvents such as methylene chloride. The effect of blend composition on the rate of polymerization of the macrocyclic carbonates was studied by considering the increase in torque during the mixing process in the batch mixer. The polymerization rate decreased considerably with increasing concentration of mPP in the blend due to the formation of graft copolymer of polycarbonate-g-poly(propylene) (PC-g-PP). The viscoelastic behavior of the pure polymer components was found to play no role in controlling the blend morphology and size of the dispersed nanoscale particles. The blend morphology could be controlled by the compatibilization of the blend components, possibly via in situ formation of a graft copolymer. In addition, the blend morphology was strongly influenced by the value of the rotation speed (rpm) or shear rate encountered during the processing of the blends, i.e., the larger the rpm value, the finer the observed blend morphology. Both DSC and DMA data showed evidence of partial miscibility of the polymer blend components. In addition, the DMA data confirmed a preferential dissolution of mPP in polycarbonate (PC) instead of dissolution of PC in mPP as evidenced by the shift of the α-relaxation process of the PC-rich phase to lower temperatures while the α-relaxation process of the mPP was relatively unaffected regardless of the PC composition. The percentage of mPP dissolved in PC was evaluated from the reduction in the Tg value (obtained from DSC data) of PC in the blend using the Fox equation and was found to be consistent with the DMA data and preferential dissolution of mPP in PC.