The characterization of materials or the study of resistant response associated with new constructive solutions often convey progressive adjustment of models of analysis starting from the results obtained by means of test campaigns. The reliability of the conclusions will obviously be conditioned by the amplitude of the experimental development which, as a result, should contain a sufficiently representative sampling of cases. In the situations where significantly multiple parameters intervene, specimens that involve possible values and combinations should be examined, which in practice remarkably increases the number of specimens to be treated. The case being presented deals with the evaluation of the effectiveness of certain fixed joints carried out by gluing metallic bars into timber pieces by means of adhesives of different formulations. The set of calculus patterns, including the extensive variability of the associated magnitudes, has been treated in a parametrized form. The geometry of the studied pieces, as well as the sustenance conditions and the load, are automatically generated by means of software specially designed for those purposes. The resulting information is structured in an orderly way to facilitate its reading and also its manipulation if needed. The files of the process obtained in this way can optionally incorporate the meshing sequences, as well as the commands of the calculus, analysis and postprocess. The adopted strategy considerably reduces the time assigned to the phases of the geometrical definition and resolution, and enormously simplifies the interpretation of the results.


Objective: To find correlation of increasing maternal gravidity with severity of polyhydramnios. Methodology: This descriptive study was done in Gynecology & Obstetrics department, Khyber TeachingHospital, Peshawar, from July 2010 to December 2011. Patients were included in the study by consecutivenon-probability sampling after fulfilling the inclusion criterion and given informed written consent.Detailed history about the status of maternal gravidity was taken and thorough per abdominal and vaginalexaminations were performed. Polyhydramnios was confirmed ultrasonographically and categorized asmild, moderate or severe on the basis of amniotic fluid index. SPSS 16 was used for analyzing thedescriptive data. Spearman rank correlation analysis (a) was used to measure the strength of associationbetween pairs of variables. Results: The total number of patients were 532. Mean age was 30.30±6.28years and mean age ofgestational amenorrhea was 35.6±3.35weeks (28-41). The maximum number of patients (57.4%) were inthe age range group of 23-30 years. The number of patients with primary gravida were 33.6%(n=180),38.8%(n=206) were with multigravida and 27.6%(n=146) with grand multigravida. Severe polyhydramnioswas in 10.4%(n=55) cases while moderate and mild in 25.5%(n=135) and 64.1%(n=341) respectively.Majority of the patients having mild polyhydramnios were primary gravida or multigravida while thegrandmultigravida patients were mostly either having moderate or severe polyhydramnios. The spearmanrank correlation coefficient between the pairs of variables was (a) + 0.02, (p=0.04). Conclusion: Increasing maternal gravidity has weak positive correlation with severity of polyhydramnios.


Abstract. Extreme events are widely studied across the world because of their major implications for many aspects of society and especially floods. These events are generally studied in terms of precipitation or temperature extreme indices that are often not adapted for regions affected by floods caused by snowmelt. The rain on snow index has been widely used, but it neglects rain-only events which are expected to be more frequent in the future. In this study, we identified a new winter compound index and assessed how large-scale atmospheric circulation controls the past and future evolution of these events in the Great Lakes region. The future evolution of this index was projected using temperature and precipitation
from the Canadian Regional Climate Model large ensemble (CRCM5-LE). These
climate data were used as input in Precipitation Runoff Modelling System (PRMS) hydrological model to simulate the
future evolution of high flows in three watersheds in southern Ontario. We
also used five recurrent large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns in
north-eastern North America and identified how they control the past and
future variability of the newly created index and high flows. The results
show that daily precipitation higher than 10 mm and temperature higher than 5  ∘ C were necessary historical conditions to produce high flows in these three watersheds. In the historical period, the occurrences of these heavy rain and warm events as well as high flows were associated with two main patterns characterized by high Z500  anomalies centred on eastern Great Lakes (HP regime) and the Atlantic Ocean (South regime). These hydrometeorological extreme events will still be associated with the same atmospheric patterns in the near future. The future evolution of the index will be modulated by the internal variability of the climate system, as higher  Z500 on the east coast will amplify the increase in the number of
events, especially the warm events. The relationship between the extreme
weather index and high flows will be modified in the future as the snowpack
reduces and rain becomes the main component of high-flow generation. This
study shows the value of the CRCM5-LE dataset in simulating hydrometeorological extreme events in eastern Canada and better
understanding the uncertainties associated with internal variability of climate.


Under the pressure of NAFTA negotiations Mexican government changed the agrarian legislation at the beginning of the 1990. This reform meant turning away from the former leitmotiv of social justice brought up in the revolution towards the neoliberal paradigm of economic efficiency. The old system of subsedies and and institutional support was replaced by a market- and export orientation, the priority of community land was replaced by the primacy of private property rights in order to capitalize the Mexican agriculture. This paper analyses whether the goals of increasing productivity and changing the production structure where achieved. There are three basic outcomes from the reforms: small scale farmers have los market shares and depend on non-agricultural incomes. Secondly, the trading of land is marginal, as export goods are produced on a small share of productive land and the agricultural corporations have many alternative to the purchase Hof land. The capitalization of agricultural enterprises has also been minimal. These results cause a regional concentration of agricultural corporations and lead to a further marginalization Hof small scale farmers.


There are two ways to unify gravitational field and gauge field. One is to represent gravitational field as principal bundle connection, and the other is to represent gauge field as affine connection. Poincaré gauge theory and metric-affine gauge theory adopt the first approach. This paper adopts the second. In this approach: (i) Gauge field and gravitational field can both be represented by affine connection; they can be described by a unified spatial frame. (ii) Time can be regarded as the total metric with respect to all dimensions of internal coordinate space and external coordinate space. On-shell can be regarded as gradient direction. Quantum theory can be regarded as a geometric theory of distribution of gradient directions. Hence, gauge theory, gravitational theory, and quantum theory all reflect intrinsic geometric properties of manifold. (iii) Coupling constants, chiral asymmetry, PMNS mixing and CKM mixing arise spontaneously as geometric properties in affine connection representation, so they are not necessary to be regarded as direct postulates in the Lagrangian anymore. (iv) The unification theory of gauge fields that are represented by affine connection can avoid the problem that a proton decays into a lepton in theories such as SU(5). (v) There exists a geometric interpretation to the color confinement of quarks. In the affine connection representation, we can get better interpretations to the above physical properties, therefore, to represent gauge fields by affine connection is probably a necessary step towards the ultimate theory of physics.


Metal-oxide nanoclusters (NCs) such as FeOx, CoOx, and NiOx are incorporated into iron phthalocyanine (FePc) supported on graphene, MOx/FePc, via a facile self-assembly method. MOx/FePc electrocatalysts show high activity, selectivity and stability for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) as compared with the corresponding metal phthalocyanines, i.e., FePc, CoPc and NiPc, under identical test conditions. Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy reveals that MOx/FePc undergoes a metal ion replacement of the iron center of Pc, forming electrochemically substituted metal Pc, e-MPc where M = Co and Ni, co-existing with the replaced FeOx nanoparticles (NPs) in the vicinity of the e-MPc. The results indicate that the e-MPc with in situ dispersed FeOx NPs, FeOx/e-CoPc and FeOx/e-NiPc exhibits excellent activity, high selectivity and stability for the CO2RR.


Abstract We develop a flexible, citations- and reference-intensity-adjusted ranking technique that allows a specified set of journals to be evaluated using a range of alternative criteria. We also distinguish between the influence of a journal and that of a journal article, with the latter concept arguably being more relevant for measuring research productivity. The list of top economics journals can (but does not necessarily) change noticeably when one examines citations in the social science and policy literatures, and when one measures citations on a per-article basis. The changes in rankings are due to the broad interest in applied microeconomics and economic development, to differences in citation norms and in the relative importance assigned to theoretical and empirical contributions, and to the lack of a systematic effect of journal size on influence per article. We also find that economics is comparatively self-contained but nevertheless draws knowledge from a range of other disciplines.


Repeated administration of the phenothiazine derivatives chlorpromazine and promazine increased the toxicity of a single dose of parathion in male rats. In female rats, a single dose of 5 mg/kg of promazine increased the toxicity of a single dose of parathion, but had no apparent effect on the toxicity of a single dose of Phosdrin. Repeated dosage with chlorpromazine and atropine, or promazine and atropine, after administration of parathion at the same rate, resulted in a slightly higher mortality in female rats than did atropine or no treatment.


In this paper a $H$ generalized Cauchy equation \[S(t+s)C=H(S(s), S(t))\] will be considered, where $\{S(t)\}_{t\geq 0}$ is a one parameter family of bounded operators and $H:B(X)\times B(X)\to B(X)$ is a function. For the special case, when $H(S(s),S(t))=S(s)S(t)+D(S(s)-T(s))(S(t)-T(t))$ with $D\in B(X)$, solutions of $H$ generalized Cauchy equation will be studied, where $\{T(t)\}_{t\geq 0}$ is a $C$-semigroup of operators. Also a similar equation will be studied on integrated $C$-semigroup.


The present paper studies the growth, welfare and efficiency consequences of the recent introduction of tax-favored retirement accounts in Germany in a general equilibrium overlapping generations model with idiosyncratic lifespan and labor income uncertainty. We focus on the implicit differential taxation of specific savings motives, the mandatory annuitization of benefits and the impact of special provisions for low-income households. The simulations indicate that the reform improves overall economic efficiency by about 0.6 percent of aggregate resources, but welfare decreases significantly for future generations. Finally, we show that special provisions could be very effective in raising the participation of low-income households despite their low budgetary cost.


In order to evaluate potential of La1-xCaxCrO3-δ as a material for interconnector of solid oxide fuel cells, reduction expansion was measured by using high temperature X-ray diffraction under various P(O2). Obtained reduction expansion increased with increasing temperature and Ca content. With combination of obtained lattice constants and oxygen nonstoichiometry data, the effect of oxide ion vacancy on crystal lattice and their thermodynamic behavior have been deduced. It was proposed that expansion behavior by δ of La0.9Ca0.1CrO3-δ can be explained assuming ideal solution model on oxide ion vacancies, however, deviation from ideal solution model was observed in reduction expansion behavior of La0.8Ca0.2CrO3-δ and La0.7Ca0.3CrO3-δ with δ region larger than 0.03 and 0.05, respectively. It was revealed that the crystal system approached to cubic with increase of δ in the region where the deviation from ideal solution model was observed.


Background Right ventricular (RV) extracellular volumes (ECVs), as a surrogate for histologic fibrosis, have not been sufficiently investigated. Purpose To evaluate and compare RV and left ventricular (LV) ECVs obtained with dual-layer spectral detector CT (DLCT) in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and investigate the clinical importance of RV ECV. Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on data from 31 patients with CTEPH (17 were not treated with pulmonary endarterectomy [PEA] or balloon pulmonary angioplasty [BPA] and 14 were) and eight control subjects who underwent myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) DLCT from January 2019 to June 2020. The ECVs in the RV and LV walls were calculated by using iodine density as derived from spectral data pertaining to MDE. Statistical analyses were performed with one-way repeated analysis of variance with the Tukey post hoc test or the Kruskal-Wallis test with the Steel-Dwass test and linear regression analysis. Results The PEA- and BPA-naive group showed significantly higher ECVs than the PEA- or BPA-treated group and control group in the septum (28.2% ± 2.9 vs 24.3% ± 3.6, P = .005), anterior right ventricular insertion point (RVIP) (32.9% ± 4.6 vs 25.3% ± 3.6, P < .001), posterior RVIP (35.2% ± 5.2 vs 27.3% ± 4.2, P < .001), mean RVIP (34.0% ± 4.2 vs 26.3% ± 3.4, P < .001), RV free wall (29.5% ± 3.3 vs 25.9% ± 4.1, P = .036), and mean RV wall (29.1% ± 3.0 vs 26.1% ± 3.1, P = .029). There were no significant differences between the PEA- or BPA-treated group and control subjects in these segments (septum, P = .93; anterior RVIP, P = .38; posterior RVIP, P = .52; mean RVIP, P = .36; RV free wall, P = .97; and mean RV, P = .33). There were significant correlations between ECV and mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) or brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the mean RVIP (mean PAP: R = 0.66, P < .001; BNP: R = 0.44, P = .014) and the mean RV (mean PAP: R = 0.49, P = .005; BNP: R = 0.44, P = .013). Conclusion Right ventricular and right ventricular insertion point extracellular volumes could be noninvasive surrogate markers of disease severity and reverse tissue remodeling in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Sandfort and Bluemke in this issue.


This thesis attempts to develop the insights of recent work on identity that has been influenced by poststructuralist theory, and in particular 'queer theory', through an empirical study of the social construction of lesbian genders. I examine sociological work on sexuality, queer theory and feminist work on butch/femme. Lesbian identities are constructed at the intersection of specific discourses, structures and conscious agency. There is a lack of sociological element in queer theory but I am interested in the potential for developing this despite the epistemological difficulties it raises. Queer theory has
enabled a radically different way of theorising butch/femme as transgressive queer practice with the potential to reveal the constructed and contingent nature of all gender.

The study has involved semi-structured interviews with 31 women who have various degrees of identification with either `butch' or `femme'. I identify particular `interpretative repertoires' in identity narratives and examine the ways in which these are socially located. These findings are used to contest the assertion that community
understandings of identities differ radically from the constructionism that is the dominant theoretical paradigm. I outline the construction of specific contemporary butch and femme subject positions and the ways in which these are discursively located in relation to heteronormative discourses. Queer theory offers a way of understanding butch and femme as specific lesbian genders and I argue that the relationship between butch/femme and heterosexuality should be seen as interdependent rather than imitative. The ways in which dominant beauty discourses are negotiated and the possibility of constructing a specifically lesbian aesthetic is examined. I argue that lesbian genders can be subversive of the `heterosexual imaginary' but that this is context dependent


In the terminological dictionary of the AAEE conduction block is defined as inability of impulse to pass through a certain point in nerve fibre, although conduction is preserved below that point. Conduction block is manifested as a quantitatively corresponding drop of the amplitude and area of motor evoked potential (MEP) in the distal part in relation to the values of these parameters proximal to the block. Excessive desynchronization of conduction in nerve fibres and certain technical factors should be excluded. Multifocal conduction block is found in many neuropathies, particularly purely motor ones. The probable mechanisms responsible for the difference between motor and sensory nerve fibres with respect to their susceptibility to block development have been discussed. The understanding of conduction block could have important clinical implications, especially in the differential diagnosis of chronic demyelinative neuropathies, in the selection of immunological research methods, in the choice of treatment and prognostication of possible improvement (e.g. in the Guillain-Barre syndrome). Purely motor neuropathy with multifocal conduction block may simulate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The development of block in neuropathies is associated frequently with increased level of antibodies against GM1 and the interrelation between these phenomena is not known; the development of block may be due to deposition of GM1 antibodies in internodes or Ranvier's nodes with production of demyelination or with damage to ion channels. Although the concept of conduction block has been introduced in electroneurographic diagnosis there are still many doubts as to the correctness of diagnostic criteria, indispensable technical conditions, and also to the basic problems, such as e.g. 1) is conduction block really limited to acquired neuropathies (its possible occurrence in congenital neuropathies is discussed), 2) why is conduction block not reflecting clinical improvement, 3) in what degree is block reflecting the loss of motor units. These questions are discussed by the author in the light of literature reports and own experience.


In the recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been discovered to play a very important role in biological processes such as development, differentiation, and apoptosis. The miRNA expression levels in cells are associated with diverse diseases including cancers. MiRNA inhibitors have been widely employed for studying the functions and targets of miRNAs by transfecting the inhibitors into cells. The concentrations of miRNA inhibitors used for such studies can vary depending on the types of miRNAs being tested, the cell lines under study, and the analysis methods. Therefore, in order to obtain accurate results, appropriate amounts of miRNA inhibitors have to be used in the experiments. Apart from amounts, the evaluation of inhibitors may also have to be conducted for functional studies. Here we developed capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) method for evaluating miRNA inhibitor and for optimizing miRNA inhibitor concentrations, in the A549 lung cancer cell line. The target miRNAs, miRNA-23a and miRNA-24 are biomarker candidates in lung cancer cell lines. Our results showed that miRNA-23a and miRNA-24 were effectively inhibited upon transfection with 20 nM miRNA inhibitors using CE-LIF method. Furthermore, these results demonstrated the potential of CE for fast, specific, sensitive and specific analyses for the evaluation and determination of the optimal concentration of miRNA inhibitors for functional studies. Abstract Graphics


Introduction. Physical activity is an important factor both composing human ability and influencing health status. Unspecific physical activity, especially in earlier life periods, generates a kind of potential, which can influence functioning of the elderly. Physical fitness, giving not only independence in some extend, but also abilities of coping with unpredicted situations, requiring involvement of coordination, skills, especially balance skills, are recognized as essential in such an age group It is presently one of leading research directions, conducted with priority of fall prevention among the elderly. Nonetheless, the question of posture and balance control applies to individuals of every age. An objective control of balance skills (body stability) seems important, as recognizing any deficits in this respect can be a valuable indication towards establishing specific preventive actions, soothing such deficits or minimizing consequences of a potential fall. The aim of the study was to define the influence of level of previous physical activity on body stability in aged individuals. Material and methods. Over 100 volunteers, aged 20 – 70 years, with some outnumber of females, took part in the study. Data about intensity and characteristics of present and past physical activity was taken from participants. Balance and body stability were measured with AMTI stabilographic platform. Balance regulation skills and stability (stability safety margin) were assessed. The stabilographic data, with subjects' age and physical activity, were analyzed statistically. Results. The findings indicate interpersonal heterogeneity of body stability regulation ability, stability and reaction time. A tendency towards worse results was seen in subjects over 50 years of age, as compared to younger participants, especially in stability, manifested by increased [so called] safety margin, especially during backward swings. A tendency towards better results was observed in subjects formerly more physically active, regardless the age. The correlation was not thoroughly consistent, however Conclusions. Interpersonal heterogeneity of body stability and tendency for its declining with aging indicate that risk of falls among aged people does appear, but varies interpersonally. Better results, normally achieved by more active persons, suggest it purposeful to treat physical activity as a longdistance prophylaxis. Physical activities engaging coordination and balance control to a greater extend seem more beneficial in this respect.


Summary In‐vivo cell kinetics study following peroperative intravenous infusion of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was done in 10 cases of primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) and 44 nonglial tumors of different histological types. The histological features usually regarded as indicators of aggressive behaviour were examined in these tumors and correlated with in‐vivo labelling index (LI). In the case of meningiomas, increased cellularity, pleomorphism and mitosis had no correlation with LI. Benign non‐recurrent meningiomas usually showed Ll≤1% (mean 0.6 ±0.3%) whereas recurrent and malignant meningioma showed higher LI (mean 2.6 ± 0.5% and 2.8 ± 0.4% respectively). Follow‐up study suggested that meningiomas having benign histological appearance with LI > 1% might have increased chance of recurrence. In cases of PNETs among different histological features, mitosis and differentiation seemed to be related to the biological behaviour. Astrocytic differentiation was associated with lower rate of proliferation. In pituitary adenomas different hormone producing and null cell adenomas showed similar low proliferative potential (0.6 ± 0.3%). Benign nerve sheath tumors, craniopharyngioma and choroid plexus papilloma showed low in‐vivo LI of less than 1%. Thus the present study revealed the inadequacies of routine histological examination in assessing the aggressiveness of the nonglial tumors, especially meningiomas. In‐vivo LI may be a good supplement to histological diagnosis as well as helping to assess the prognosis and accordingly the management of individual cases.


Statistics of the streamwise velocity component in fully developed pipe flow are examined for Reynolds numbers in the range $5.5 \times 10^4 \le \hbox{\it Re}_D \le 5.7 \times 10^6$. Probability density functions and their moments (up to sixth order) are presented and their scaling with Reynolds number is assessed. The second moment exhibits two maxima: the one in the viscous sublayer is Reynolds-number dependent while the other, near the lower edge of the log region, follows approximately the peak in Reynolds shear stress. Its locus has an approximate $(R^+)^{0.5}$ dependence. This peak shows no sign of 'saturation', increasing indefinitely with Reynolds number. Scalings of the moments with wall friction velocity and $(U_{cl}-\overline{U})$ are examined and the latter is shown to be a better velocity scale for the outer region, $y/R > 0.35$, but in two distinct Reynolds-number ranges, one when $\hbox{\it Re}_D < 6 \times 10^4$, the other when $\hbox{\it Re}_D > 7 \times 10^4$. Probability density functions do not show any universal behaviour, their higher moments showing small variations with distance from the wall outside the viscous sublayer. They are most nearly Gaussian in the overlap region. Their departures from Gaussian are assessed by examining the behaviour of the higher moments as functions of the lower ones. Spectra and the second moment are compared with empirical and theoretical scaling laws and some anomalies are apparent. In particular, even at the highest Reynolds number, the spectrum does not show a self-similar range of wavenumbers in which the spectral density is proportional to the inverse streamwise wavenumber. Thus such a range does not attract any special significance and does not involve a universal constant.


Inspectors and health officers attached to the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) may inspect or investigate premises where health services are provided, and may then perform a number of actions, including questioning people, taking samples, requesting documents, and conducting inspections and investigations. The outcomes of these activities may result in a number of sanctions, some of which may seriously impact health establishments and practitioners. This article aims to review the rights that health establishments, healthcare providers and health workers have when subjected to inspections or investigations by the OHSC. It also recommends a number of steps that may be taken when an inspector arrives at an establishment.


There is little information on the practice of nuclear cardiology in Great Britain. On behalf of the British Nuclear Cardiology Group in October 1988 we sent a postal questionnaire to 143 hospitals with nuclear medicine facilities (at least 70% of such hospitals). Sixty nine replies were received (48%), of which 23 (33%) were from teaching hospitals and 46 (39%) non-teaching. In these hospitals 147,904 isotope investigations were performed annually (mean 2311 per centre) of which 17,298 (12%) (mean 254 per centre) were cardiac studies. Of these, 59% were equilibrium radionuclide ventriculograms, 14% first pass ventriculograms, and 27% thallium-201 scans. Rest studies were performed more commonly by radiographers or technicians (63%) than by doctors (20%), but doctors were more commonly involved in stress studies (48%). Radiologists reported the studies more often (28%) than they performed them (6%). Methods of acquisition and analysis were varied and, for instance, the lower limit of normal left ventricular ejection fraction ranged from 35% to 75% (mean 49%). For thallium imaging 42% of centres used dipyridamole in some patients and 24% used tomography. These data show that nuclear cardiology techniques are used much less frequently in Great Britain than in countries such as the United States and Germany, that the ratio of blood pool to myocardial perfusion imaging is much higher than elsewhere, and that methods are poorly standardised. They may provide the impetus to improve the service and serve as a baseline for future surveys.


This impacts of high-speed rail transit, such as the Japanese Shinkansen the first high-speed rail in the world, has been contributed on regional structure or regional systems. The previous study has been mainly centered on many aspects. Does construction of high-speed rail transit in less-developed or remote regions lead to economic activity or population dispersion from developed regions, and thus, lead to the reduced regional disparities Traditionally, answers to such questions would be obtained through large-scale multi-regional econometric models, which are capable of predicting inter-regional trade. Detailed models are more general in the sense that they can provide richer information in response to various policy variables. The construction of high-speed rail (HSR) is very populous in China. It is no doubt that the HSR will have great impact on the regional development and bring great beneficial economic and social effects. In this paper, the HSR and impact on the regional development is summarized. The first high-speed intercity line from Beijing to Tianjin, which became operational since 2008, has being creating positive impacts on regional economic development and other aspects.


Received on: 22.06.2018 Revised on: 05.08.2018 Accepted on: 07.08.2018 Telmisartan is Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist, which is used in the prevention and treatment of Hypertension. Telmisartan belongs to class II drug in BCS classification, i.e. low solubility and high permeability. The dissolution of a drug in specific gastrointestinal fluids is important for absorption into the systemic circulation. Dissolution studies {using USP Apparatus 2 (Paddle Apparatus) at 75 rpm with dissolution media including pH 1.2 hydrochloric acid, and pH 4.5, pH 6.8, pH 7.5 buffers} on various commercial products of Telmisartan were carried out to compare drug release. Statistical methods were used to compare the dissolution profiles. These included Model independent method, i.e. Dissimilarity factor (f1) and the Similarity factor (f2) as recommended by FDA. It was observed that formulation factors significantly affect the solubility of a drug at various pH. The dissolution profile of Tazloc tablets at various pH exhibited significant differences compared to other commercial products. Tazloc tablets showed consistently higher release at pH 4.5 and 7.5, (i.e., pH conditions relevant to the intestine) suggesting its pharmacokinetic activity could be perhaps superior to other marketed brands as higher dissolution leads to better absorption that may lead to better plasma levels and thus better efficacy.


A collection of green earths belonging to traditional artists' pigments was examined in terms of mineralogy and provenance. The studied specimens included both mineralogical reference compounds and selected commercially available artists' pigments, and contained green micas (glauconite or celadonite), chlorite, or smectite as pigmenting agents. The samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis)-near-IR diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy and voltammetry of microparticles. Particular attention was paid to the Kadaň green earth, mined until the 20th century in the West Bohemia deposit. The Greene-Kelly charge-reduction test, detailed description of non-basal diffraction patterns and characteristic vibrations in the mid-IR spectra were used to classify the major pigmenting agent of the Kadaň green earth as ferruginous smectite with separately diffracting saponite-like clusters. The smectite contains ∼15% Fe, mainly in the trivalent form, a detectable fraction of Fe in tetrahedral sites, and it is accompanied by a significant amount of Ti-bearing relict minerals due to its volcanogenic origin. On the contrary, in green micas (glauconite and celadonite) the Ti content is much smaller. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was found suitable for distinguishing Fe as a constituent of free Fe oxides from Fe in the clay structure. It was also found to be useful for discriminating between green micas and smectites.


Background: Open wrist fractures are rare comprising approximately 2.4 people per 100,000 per year, with little known about their complications. This retrospective study reports on all open wrist fractures presenting to a major trauma centre over a 7-year period.
Methods: From June 2007 to June 2014, all patients attending a major trauma centre with a distal radius fracture were identified. The clinical details were reviewed and the patients with open fractures identified. The radiographs and notes were then reviewed. The injuries were classified using the Gustilo and Anderson classification and the fractures by the Frykman classification system.
Results: There were 34 open wrist fractures. All patients underwent surgical debridement and fixation. Fixation comprised open reduction and internal fixation (27 pts), kirschner wire fixation (3 pts), external fixation with additional kirschner wires (1 pt), and external fixation alone (3 pts). Fixation took place a mean of 13.8 hours (SD: 9.7, range: 2.1 to 46.7) after arrival in hospital. There were 10 complications in 10 patients (29%). Overall 7 patients (21%) required further surgery.
Conclusion: The rate of infection is low; however, the rate of re-operation is high. Patients with open wrist fractures should be made aware, early in their management, of the high risk of further surgery.


In the study of the dispersal of species across a landscape, most previous models approximate heterogeneous landscapes by a set of homogeneous patches and allow for different demographic and dispersal rates within each patch. Some work has been done designing and analyzing models which also include a patch preference at the boundaries, which is commonly referred to as a degree of bias. Individuals dispersing across a patchy landscape can detect the changes in habitat at a neighbourhood of a patch boundary, and as a result, they might change the direction of their movement if they are approaching a bad patch. This thesis is devoted to the mathematical derivation of a generalization of the classic Laplace kernel, which includes different dispersal rates in each patch as well as different degrees of bias at the patch boundaries. The simple Laplace kernel and the truncated Laplace kernel most often used in classical work appear as special cases of this general kernel. The form of this general kernel is the sum of two different terms: the classic truncated Laplace kernel within each patch, and a correction accounting for the bias at patch boundaries.


Almost all applications stop scaling at some point; those that don't are seldom performant when considering time to solution on anything but aspirational/unicorn resources. Recognizing these tradeoffs as well as greater user functionality in a near-term exascale computing era, we present libEnsemble, a library aimed at particular scalability- and capability-stretching uses. libEnsemble enables running concurrent instances of an application in dynamically allocated ensembles through an extensible Python library. We highlight the structure, execution, and capabilities of the library on leading pre-exascale environments as well as advanced capabilities for exascale environments and beyond.


BACKGROUND
Critical care patients generally require extensive interventions, thereby consuming a large percentage of healthcare resources. Induced pentobarbital coma for the management of increased intracranial pressure is one such intervention, required to maintain patient stability. Quantification of these interventions, as well as the amount of nursing work required, has not been addressed in the literature.

OBJECTIVE
To use the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System to analyze and quantify how interventions affect nurse-patient ratios in the management of patients in pentobarbital coma for refractory increased intracranial pressure.

METHODS
The medical records of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage from aneurysmal rupture and subsequent increased intracranial pressure, in whom pentobarbital coma was salvage therapy, were reviewed retrospectively. The Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System was used to quantify the number of interventions required before, during, and after coma induction. The data were analyzed and daily Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System scores correlated with serum pentobarbital levels. Typically, a critical care nurse can manage a patient caseload of 40 to 50 Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System points. By quantifying the interventions, the score reflected the amount of care required to manage the patient in barbiturate coma.

RESULTS
The intensity of interventions correlated with the level of coma, length of time in coma, and associated complications.

CONCLUSIONS
The scores indicated the intensity of interventions used in pentobarbital coma and the use of resources. Nursing care and complications involved with this therapy were quantified and nurse-patient ratios were established.


A Dissertation submitted to Dar es Salaam Campus College in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Business Administration (Corporate Management) Degree of Mzumbe University


Recent evidence has shown that nanoparticles that have been used to improve or create new functional properties for common products may pose potential risks to human health. Silicon dioxide (SiO2) has emerged as a promising therapy vector for the heart. However, its potential toxicity and mechanisms of damage remain poorly understood. This study provides the first exploration of SiO2-induced toxicity in cultured cardiomyocytes exposed to 7- or 670-nm SiO2 particles. We evaluated the mechanism of cell death in isolated adult cardiomyocytes exposed to 24-h incubation. The SiO2 cell membrane association and internalization were analyzed. SiO2 showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration for the 7 nm (99.5 ± 12.4 µg/ml) and 670 nm (>1,500 µg/ml) particles, which indicates size-dependent toxicity. We evaluated cardiomyocyte shortening and intracellular Ca2+ handling, which showed impaired contractility and intracellular Ca2+ transient amplitude during β-adrenergic stimulation in SiO2 treatment. The time to 50% Ca2+ decay increased 39%, and the Ca2+ spark frequency and amplitude decreased by 35 and 21%, respectively, which suggest a reduction in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) activity. Moreover, SiO2 treatment depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased ATP production by 55%. Notable glutathione depletion and H2O2 generation were also observed. These data indicate that SiO2 increases oxidative stress, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and low energy status; these underlie reduced SERCA activity, shortened Ca2+ release, and reduced cell shortening. This mechanism of SiO2 cardiotoxicity potentially plays an important role in the pathophysiology mechanism of heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden death.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Silica particles are used as novel nanotechnology-based vehicles for diagnostics and therapeutics for the heart. However, their potential hazardous effects remain unknown. Here, the cardiotoxicity of silica nanoparticles in rat myocytes has been described for the first time, showing an impairment of mitochondrial function that interfered directly with Ca2+ handling.


We have developed an atmospheric correction algorithm to retrieve the surface bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) and albedo from Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) measurements for small areas around Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sunphotometer sites, using AERONET aerosol and column water vapor information. Our goal is to develop an indirect validation method for MISR surface reflectance products over heterogeneous land. Our algorithm makes independent retrievals with both the Li Sparse-Ross Thick kernel BRF model and the modified Rahman-Pinty-Verstraete BRF model used in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and MISR land algorithms, respectively. In this study, we report the first results of processing MISR Collection 4 data for 2003-2004 for two sites, Mongu, Zambia, and Greenbelt, MD. We found that MISR generally provides accurate retrievals of BRF and albedo in both clear and hazy atmospheric conditions, correctly reproducing the parameter time series and spatial distribution. We found that the MISR BRF, on average, is less anisotropic in the visible bands. The difference is greatest in the blue band, but decreases with increasing wavelength such that it is negligible in the near-IR band. This discrepancy originates in part in the MISR aerosol retrieval algorithm over heterogeneous land, which tends to select an aerosol model that favors spectrally invariant shapes of surface BRF. The other part of the discrepancy comes from the surface hemispherical-directional reflectance factor retrieval algorithm where the iteration loop that removes the diffuse atmospheric transmittance is currently turned off. Our initial results suggest that the MISR surface albedo is on average lower than our retrievals by about 0.005 in the green and red bands. In the near-IR, it agreed with our retrievals with the modified Rahman-Pinty-Verstraete model for the Mongu site, but was systematically lower over the Greenbelt site by about 0.016. When significant aerosol absorption is present (Mongu), the albedo discrepancy is additionally biased by the difference between the MISR and AERONET retrievals of aerosol absorption


A study of the world altitude records for heavier‐than‐air aircraft homologated by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale is interesting, and yields the information that from 1909 to 1914 the mean rate of increase of ceiling was almost 4,500 ft. per year, while from 1920 to 1936 the mean rate dropped to 1,000 ft. per year. Slumps, depressions and other financial phenomena must obviously have a repercussive influence in this particular field of aircraft development, and a pertinent example of their effect is provided by the unfortunate hiatus which occurs from 1914 to 1920, and obscures the height at which the change in rate takes place. It has been shown by Mr. McKinnon Wood, in an unpublished paper on the design of an aeroplane to reach a great height, written in November, 1931, that the power which the engine must develop at ceiling increases as the ceiling is raised, and that, in the case of a supercharged engine, the difference between the supercharged height and the ceiling of the aircraft decreases as the ceiling increases. Thus, to maintain the initial rate of increase of ceiling an accelerating rate of progress in engine design was necessary, but unlikely in view of the increasing number and difficult nature of the problems to be encountered and solved.


Product matching is a fundamental step for the global understanding of consumer behavior in e-commerce. In practice, product matching refers to the task of deciding if two product offers from different data sources (e.g. retailers) represent the same product. Standard pipelines use a previous stage called blocking, where for a given product offer a set of potential matching candidates are retrieved based on similar characteristics (e.g. same brand, category, flavor, etc.). From these similar product candidates, those that are not a match can be considered hard negatives. We present Block-SCL, a strategy that uses the blocking output to make the most of Supervised Contrastive Learning (SCL). Concretely, Block-SCL builds enriched batches using the hard-negatives samples obtained in the blocking stage. These batches provide a strong training signal leading the model to learn more meaningful sentence embeddings for product matching. Experimental results in several public datasets demonstrate that Block-SCL achieves state-of-the-art results despite only using short product titles as input, no data augmentation, and a lighter transformer backbone than competing methods.


This paper presents automatic generation control (AGC) of interconnected two equal area power system provided with single reheat turbine and generation rate constraints of 3% per minute. This paper also contrasts to control performance of several types of classical controller, include of Integral (I), Proportional – Integral (PI), Integral – Derivative (ID), Proportional – Integral – Derivative (PID), or Integral – Double Derivative (IDD). With 1% step load perturbation in area1, controllers' performance analysis can be taken by frequency deviation, tie-line power deviation, and input signal of governor.


The DNA probes (ODNs) containing a 2'-N-(pyren-1-yl)-group on the conformationally locked nucleosides [2'-N-(pyren-1-yl)carbonyl-azetidine thymidine, Aze-pyr (X), and 2'-N-(pyren-1-yl)carbonyl-aza-ENA thymidine, Aza-ENA-pyr (Y)], show that they can bind to complementary RNA more strongly than to the DNA. The Aze-pyr (X) containing ODNs with the complementary DNA and RNA duplexes showed an increase in the fluorescence intensity (measured at lambda em approximately 376 nm) depending upon the nearest neighbor at the 3'-end to X [dA ( approximately 12-20-fold) > dG ( approximately 9-20-fold) > dT ( approximately 2.5-20-fold) > dC ( approximately 6-13-fold)]. They give high fluorescence quantum yields (Phi F = 0.13-0.89) as compared to those of the single-stranded ODNs. The Aza-ENA-pyr (Y)-modified ODNs, on the other hand, showed an enhancement of the fluorescence intensity only with the complementary DNA (1.4-3.9-fold, Phi F = 0.16-0.47); a very small increase in fluorescence is also observed with the complementary RNA (1.1-1.7-fold, Phi F = 0.17-0.22), depending both upon the site of the Y modification introduced as well as on the chemical nature of the nucleobase adjacent to the modification site into the ODN. The fluorescence properties, thermal denaturation experiments, absorption, and circular dichroism (CD) studies with the X- and Y-modified ODNs in the form of matched homo- and heteroduplexes consistently suggested (i) that the orientation of the pyrene moiety is outside the helix of the nucleic acid duplexes containing a dT-d/rA base pair at the 3'-end of the modification site for both X and Y types of modifications, and (ii) that the microenvironment around the pyrene moiety in the ODN/DNA and ODN/RNA duplexes is dictated by the chemical nature of the conformational constraint in the sugar moiety, as well as by the nature of neighboring nucleobases. The pyrene fluorescence emission in both X and Y types of the conformationally restricted nucleotides is found to be sensitive to a mismatched base present in the target RNA: (i) The X-modified ODN showed a decrease ( approximately 37-fold) in the fluorescence intensity (measured at lambda em approximately 376 nm) upon duplex formation with RNA containing a G nucleobase mismatch (dT-rG pair instead of dT-rA) opposite to the modification site. (ii) In contrast, the Y-modified ODN in the heteroduplex resulted in a approximately 3-fold increase in the fluorescence intensity upon dT-rG mismatch, instead of matched dT-rA pair, in the RNA strand. Our data corroborate that the pyrene moiety is intercalated in the X-modified mismatched ODN/RNA (G mismatch) heteroduplex as compared to that of the Y-modified ODN/RNA (G mismatch) heteroduplex, in which it is located outside the helix.


Car prices in Europe are characterized by large and persistent differences across countries. The purpose of this paper is to document and explain this price dispersion. Using a panel data set extending from 1980 to 1993, we first demonstrate two main facts concerning car prices in Europe: (1) The existence of significant differences in quality adjusted prices across countries, with Italy and the U.K. systematically representing the most expansive markets; (2) Substantial year-to-year volatility that is to a large extent accounted for by exchange rate fluctuation and the incomplete response of local currency prices to these fluctuations. These facts are analyzed within the framework of a multiproduct oligopoly model with product differentiation. The model identifies three potential sources for the international price differences: price elasticities generating differences in markups, costs, and import quota constraints. Local currency price stability can be attributed either to the presence of a local component in marginal costs, or to markup adjustment that is correlated with exchange rate volatility; the latter requires that the perceived elasticity of demand is increasing in price. We find that the primary reason for the higher prices in Italy is the existence of a strong bias for domestic brands that generates high markups for the domestic firm (Fiat). In the U.K. higher prices are mainly attributed to better equipped cars and/or differences in the dealer discount practices. The import quota constraints are found to have a significant impact on Japanese car prices in Italy, France, and the U.K. With respect to local currency price stability, 2/3 of the documented price inertia are attributed to local costs, and 1/3 to markup adjustment that is indicative of price discrimination. Based on these results, we conjecture that the EMU will substantially reduce the year-to -year volatility observed in the car price data, but without further measures to increase European integration, it will not completely eliminate existing cross-country price differences.


While many recognize that rigid historical and compositional goals are inadequate in a world where climate and other global systems are undergoing unprecedented changes, others contend that promoting ecosystem services and functions encourages practices that can ultimately lower the bar of ecological management. These worries are foregrounded in discussions about Novel Ecosystems (NEs); where some researchers and conservationists claim that NEs provide a license to trash nature as long as some ecosystem services are provided. This criticism arises from what we call the "anything goes" problem created by the release of historical conditions. After explaining the notion of NE, we identify numerous substantive motivations for worrying about the anything-goes-problem and then go on to show the problem can be solved by correcting two mistaken assumptions. In short, we argue that the problem is a product of adopting an overly sparse functional perspective and one that assumes an unrealistically high degree of convergence in the trajectories of natural processes. Our analysis illuminates why such assumptions are unwarranted. Finally, we further argue that adopting an appropriate ethical framework is essential to overcoming the anything-goes-problem and suggest that a certain virtue ethics conception of ecological management provides useful resources for framing and resolving the problem.


The subjects of the study are private security companies. Its
 object is the leading role of the customer-centric approach for financial and
 economic justification of the successful functioning and development of private
 security companies. The research hypothesis is that an objective assessment of
 the financial and economic aspects and the motivation of individuals and legal
 entities to purchase protection and security services under the conditions of
 post-epidemic recovery of the economy can be carried out by means of customer
 satisfaction and service pricing justification surveys. The aim of this article is
 to present the results of a customer satisfaction survey and the assessment of the
 financial and economic aspects as well as the motivation of individuals and legal
 entities to purchase protection and security services under the conditions of
 post-epidemic recovery of the economy. Structurally, the article includes three
 main sections: the first section focuses on the circulation of cash flows of private
 security companies; the second section presents selected elements of the
 conducted survey; and the third present an analysis of the survey among private
 security companies where the protection and security services compete and at
 the same time complement property insurance services. The survey results
 (based on a multi-crtieria Likert scale) confirm the validity of the "value for
 money" concept as an important factor for the pricing of private protection and
 security services. The survey questionnaire successfully compares the services
 of non-life insurance companies and the services of protection and security
 companies. The prevailing opinion is in favour of using the services of specialized companies over taking out insurance policies, with 61% of respondents
 expressing the opinion that hiring a specialized protection and security company
 is a more effective way to ensure property protection to taking out equivalent
 insurance with a general insurance company.


### Glossary of terms

Calling . The process of determining the DNA bases or regions in sequenced subjects that differ from the reference exome or genome.

Coverage . The number of times a single nucleotide in a sequence has been sequenced or read.

Exons. The protein coding regions.

Exome . The portion of the genome coding for proteins, ie, collectively, all of the exons.

Filtering . The process of removing mutations with the aim of leaving potential pathogenic variants only.

Genome . The complete DNA sequence of an organism.

Homozygosity mapping . A gene mapping method used in rare recessive disorders often in consanguineous families. It is based on the assumption that an allele responsible for disease is likely to occur from a common ancestor and looks for shared regions of inherited DNA between subjects.

Meiosis . Cell division that results in two daughter cells each with half the chromosome number of the parent cell. An essential step in the formation of the gametes.

Mendelian disorders . Genetic disorders that occur due to alterations or mutations in a single gene. Their pattern of inheritance can be recessive, dominant, or X-linked.

Next generation sequencing . Sequencing technology able to sequence thousands or millions of DNA regions at once—also referred to as second generation sequencing.

Penetrance . The proportion of individuals carrying a particular variant who also express an associated trait (phenotype).

Primer . A strand of DNA which serves as the starting point for DNA synthesis.

Single nucleotide polymorphism . A single variation of one base at a particular site of DNA.

Single nucleotide polymorphism array . A type of DNA microarray used to detect specific polymorphisms within a population and variation between genomes.

Third generation sequencing . Various methods of DNA sequencing which in general sequence single molecules of DNA, often …


The choroid plexuses are largely responsible for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) secretion and therefore play a fundamental role in brain homeostasis. The membrane proteins involved in CSF secretion are not fully known. Several electroneutral transporters have been identified by molecular methods in choroid plexus epithelial cells but there is a lack of functional data to support their expression making it impossible to elucidate their role in CSF secretion fully. The activity of many of these transporters can be observed in cell volume regulation. Thus, the main aim of the present study was to determine the ability of mammalian choroid plexus epithelial cells to regulate their volume in response to anisosmotic challenge and to investigate the transporters involved.Experiments were performed on cells isolated from the mouse fourth ventricle choroid plexus. Cells were isolated using a combination of manual perturbation, the enzyme dispase and a Ca2+ free incubation to disrupt tight junctions. Cell volume was measured using a video-imaging method. Cells used in this study were all of a similar morphology and had a mean volume of 0.71 pL.Cells exhibited a HCO3- dependent regulatory volume increase (RVI) in response to hypertonic challenge. Strong evidence is presented that the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE1) and the Cl-/HCO3- exchanger (AE2) contribute to the RVI but the Na+K+2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC1) and the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) do not. Choroid plexus cells exhibit a HCO3- dependent regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in response to hypotonic challenge. The RVD was unaffected by DIOA (an inhibitor of KCC activity), the K+ channel inhibitors TEA+, Ba2+ or 4AP or the Cl- channel inhibitors DIDS or NPPB. However removal of extracellular Ca2+ completely abolished cell swelling in response to hypotonic challenge. This sensitivity of volume change to Ca2+ was specific to cell swelling as cell shrinkage in hypertonic artificial CSF was unaffected by removal of extracellular Ca2+.Thus functional evidence is presented to further elucidate the role of several proteins in the choroid plexus cell volume regulatory response to anisosmotic challenge.


Many recent theories of event structure (e.g. Hale and Keyser 2002; Borer 2005; Ramchand 2008; Alexiadou et al. 2015) assume that verb meanings decompose into event templates (e.g. vBECOME, vDO) and roots (e.g. √KILL,√DIE). Crucially, under such theories, templatic meanings related to change or intentionality are never introduced by roots, but only by event templates (i.e. vBECOME, vDO respectively), as roots are assumed to provide real-world details about the event. In the present paper I argue, following Beavers and Koontz-Garboden (to appear), that there are certain classes of roots that inherently comprise as part of their entailments the meanings that some theoretical approaches assume to be part of templatic meanings introduced in the syntax by projections such as vDO (Folli and Harley 2005, 2007). More specifically, I make use of sublexical modification with again in order to show that templatic meanings related to intentionality cannot be severed from √MURDER-type roots (i.e. √MURDER,√SLAY,√ASSASSINATE,√SLAUGHTER,√MASSACRE), i.e. that entailments of intentionality are introduced by √MURDER-type roots. This working paper is available in University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics: https://repository.upenn.edu/pwpl/vol26/iss1/3 Agent entailments in the semantics of roots


OBJECTIVE
To determine agreement between assessments of canine hip joint conformation provided by board-certified radiologists after evaluation of digitized and conventional radiographic images.

SAMPLE POPULATION
200 pelvic radiographs previously evaluated by radiologists using the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals standard grading system for canine hip joint conformation.

PROCEDURES
Each of 20 board-certified radiologists evaluated conventional and digitized pelvic radiographs from each of 200 dogs for hip joint conformation. A weighted kappa coefficient and intraclass correlation were used to determine agreement between assessments derived from digitized radiographic images and conventional radiographs and between the original Orthopedic Foundation for Animals conformation ratings and assessments derived from each image format.

RESULTS
Overall, agreement between assessments derived from the digitized images and conventional radiographs was good, with all but 1 radiologist attaining a weighted kappa coefficient > 0.61. Intraclass correlation for each radiologist ranged from 0.75 to 0.98 (95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 0.984). On comparison of conformation assessments, 95.7% of those derived from conventional radiographs and digitized images were within 1 grade. On comparison of digitized radiographic conformation assessments and conformation ratings, 94.2% were within 1 grade. On comparison of conventional radiographic conformation assessments and conformation ratings, 92.3% were within 1 grade.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The use of digitized radiographic images does not appear to impact the radiographic assessments of canine hip joint conformation made by consultant radiologists. Compared with conventional radiographs, the use of digitized radiographic images decreases storage space requirements and enables more rapid reporting of assessment results for individual dogs.


In 2003 the Commission on European Contract Law (hereinafter: CECL) published the Principles of European Contract Law Part III (hereinafter: PECL III) which contained the provisions on EU set-off (hereinafter: EU model law of set-off). These are soft law provisions whose text was the result of the work of the most prominent academics from EU Member States. Considering that the Germanic, Romanic, and English set-off models coexist on the territory of the EU, the EU model law of set-off represents a reconciliation of the different private law traditions and models of set-off. During the 25 years since the adoption of the EU model law of set-off, several significant changes have occurred in the EU, which relate to its set-off law directly and indirectly. The most significant change is certainly the issue of Brexit and the possibility of Great Britain leaving the EU. Furthermore, it is important to note that automatic set-off was abandoned in France, which means it has replaced the Romanic set-off model with the German model. This paper starts with the context in which the European set-off rules were adopted. Then, the author identifies the nomotechnical and practical deficiencies in the EU model law of set-off in the context of the changed circumstances in the EU. The final part of the paper presents propositions for the change of the existing EU model law of set-off, which would help overcome the identified deficiencies and gaps. Consideration is also given to the question of whether, after Brexit and the change in the French set-off rules, the provisions of the EU model law of set-off which were influenced by English and French set-off laws should be removed.
Keywords: set-off, EU set-off, PECL III, Brexit.


Background Youth and child suicide prevention is a national and global priority. In Australia 35% of all male deaths and 26% of all female deaths by suicide were in the 15–19 years old group. Analysis of available suicide data could inform policy and practice focused on prevention, early intervention and post intervention. Methods Deidentified child suicide data for the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2014 was analysed using Leximancer version 4 and SPSS Version 22. Variables analysed included gender, age, residence, child safety system records, method of suicide, mental health issues, child abuse and precipitating event among others. Results Between 2004–2014, 159 children commited suicide.Three quarters were 15–17 years of age, with the youngest being 9 years of age. Two thirds were male. Compared to females, males were less likely to be known to the child safety system within the last 3 years before death (p = 0.097), have known mental health of behavioural issues (p = 0.032), show previous suicidal thoughts (p = 0.014) or attempts (p = 0.001) or self-harm (p < 0.001), or have a history of child abuse (p = 0.009). Forty five percent were from very low or low socio-economic areas. Hanging was the most frequent method of suicide and was associated with precipitating arguments. Non-hanging deaths were more likely in metropolitan and outer regional areas, in families with a history of mental illness and in cases with a history of physical abuse. Evidence of planning was present in over half of the cases. Conclusion Better understanding of characteristics of suicides is important for early detection and prevention. Indicators of planning need to be identified and documented in order to empower communities to take action that protects the children. Multi-level interventions that address the child, the family, the community and health services integration are necessary for both pre and post suicide periods.


In this paper, we present a new approach for the extraction of brain tumor boundary in a series of 2D MR image slices. The shape and position of tumor in one slice could be assumed to be similar to that in its neighboring slices. Using this correlation between consecutive images, the initial plan applied for each slice is extracted from the resulting boundary of the previous slice. The tumor boundary is located using region and contour deformation, which tolerates a rough initial plan. Therefore, only one coarse manual initial plan is required for the whole series of MR image slices. Performance of our approach is evaluated on MR image set. Comparisons with manual tracing show the accuracy and effectiveness of our approach.


The aim of the paper is to empirically assess whether capital growth rates (defined as in the paper) realized by companies constituting Standard & Poor's indices: S&P 600, S&P 400 and S&P 500 were higher in years prior to crisis, i.e. in years: 2007, 2006, 2005 than the average growth rates in preceding 5-year periods, i.e. in periods: 2002-2006, 2001-2005 and 2000-2004. A statistical test concerning the differences between means was used as a research method. In order to achieve that 9 hypotheses were tested in total. The further purpose of this paper is to estimate capital growth rates for every index in each of the years from 2000 up to 2007, as well as in 5- and 8-year periods. In total 40 confidence intervals for capital growth rates were constructed in order to achieve that goal. M. Dobija's theory of capital was used as a background for a research. According to that theory capital is an abstract ability to perform labor. Homogeneous capital is embodied in heterogeneous assets. Capital is subdued to a number of laws: 1) the conservation principle and 2) the dispersion principle. These laws form the fundamentals of the theory of capital. The concentration of capital in any particular time moment is described in the form of the equation, where initial capital is influenced by the three factors: a natural potential of growth, a spontaneous diffusion and an inflow of capital by human labor and management. The natural potential of growth may be estimated by a properly defined ROA index. Realized ROA by a single company in a particular time period is a random number. However, in a large sample of companies, the average ROA index over a long time period concentrates around the natural potential for growth. The research shows that in most cases the capital growth rates were statistically higher in years prior to crisis than the average growth rates in preceding 5-year periods. Similarly—in most cases—the average rate of return on assets in each of the indices was increasing from year to year in nominal terms. That increased return on assets might strengthen the believes of investors that higher and higher profits are achievable on a regular basis. However, it seems that investors did not acknowledge that returns will float towards the average ultimately as the theory of capital describes.


The Golgi apparatus of a marine chrysophycean alga Pleurochrysis scherffelii Pringsheim produces wall fragments (circular-to-ellipsoidal "scales") which are released to the periphery by an exocytotic process involving the fusion of cisternae and the plasma membrane. The cellulosic component of the scales is a complex network of fibrils (10 to 25 angstroms in diameter) that resist treatment with strong alkali. Untreated washed scales yield galactose, ribose, arabinose, and traces of glucose; alkali-purified scales yield much more glucose. The fibrillar scale constituent shows a positive iodine dichroism of the intact wall, a positive zinc chloride-iodine reaction, breakage sites characteristic of highly crystalline cellulose, and solubility in Schweizer's reagent.


This qualitative study examines an era in the history of English education in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by investigating the perspectives of English offered by 16 female Emirati pre-service teachers. As important stakeholders of education reform, these Emirati women are on the cusp of a linguistic transformation: They are learning in English while preparing to use English as a medium of instruction in classrooms of their own. Within an Arabian context characterised by dynamic change, conceptions of English and how it should be used in relation to Arabic have, undoubtedly, shifted in status and focus. This study explores the complex and diverse ways English is conceptualised and used by Emirati pre-service teachers during a particular phase of educational reforms shaped by expectations of bi-literacy in English and Arabic.This study has two main research questions. They are: 1) What are Emirati pre-service teachers' conceptions of English in light of its use as a medium of instruction? 2) What are the social influences mediating their conceptions of English? This study, conceptualized as an unfolding, exploratory study, draws on ethnographic methods across three phases of data collection: focus group discussions, participant observations and ethnographic interviews. It also relies on theoretical assumptions about the role of language in the construction of knowledge across diffferent phases of learning, as set by Berger and Luckman (1971).

The findings shared in this study shed light on the meanings Emirati pre-service teachers have of English in light of its use as a medium of instruction and the social influences mediating their conceptions. The study offers two main contributions to the field. The first includes a report on the range of ways that English and Arabic are used, modified and incorporated into the participants' linguistic repertoires, showing that the use of EMI reflects several discrete types of conversational practices. The second contribition highlights awareness of a rich linguistic backdrop. In Abu Dhabi, English and Arabic constitute foregrounded roles in a diverse and multilingual capital city where other languages are experienced and ranked in social importance. The findings conclude that English is regarded as more than a resource serving pragmatic purposes and creative impulses, English is also seen as a feature of Abu Dhabi as a social space. The themes shared in this study are intended to promote clarity of the sociolinguistic dynamics of a particular sub-group of Emirati pre-service teachers and their understandings of the use of English as a medium of instruction in higher education and stimulate discussion about the ways in which English is integrated into daily life on this peninsula in the Arabian Gulf.


Collection of data sheets designed to help identify various species of fauna with drawings (black and white), maps and concise descriptions. It is a useful tool for management and scientific authorities, customs officials, and all others involved in implementing and enforcing CITES.


The thermochemical conversion of methane (CH4) and water (H2O) to syngas and hydrogen, via chemical looping using concentrated sunlight as a sustainable source of process heat, attracts considerable attention. It is likewise a means of storing intermittent solar energy into chemical fuels. In this study, solar chemical looping reforming of CH4 and H2O splitting over non-stoichiometric ceria (CeO2/CeO2−δ) redox cycle were experimentally investigated in a volumetric solar reactor prototype. The cycle consists of (i) the endothermic partial oxidation of CH4 and the simultaneous reduction of ceria and (ii) the subsequent exothermic splitting of H2O and the simultaneous oxidation of the reduced ceria under isothermal operation at ~1,000°C, enabling the elimination of sensible heat losses as compared to non-isothermal thermochemical cycles. Ceria-based reticulated porous ceramics with different sintering temperatures (1,000 and 1,400°C) were employed as oxygen carriers and tested with different methane flow rates (0.1–0.4 NL/min) and methane concentrations (50 and 100%). The impacts of operating conditions on the foam-averaged oxygen non-stoichiometry (reduction extent, δ), syngas yield, methane conversion, solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency as well as the effects of transient solar conditions were demonstrated and emphasized. As a result, clean syngas was successfully produced with H2/CO ratios approaching 2 during the first reduction step, while high-purity H2 was subsequently generated during the oxidation step. Increasing methane flow rate and CH4 concentration promoted syngas yields up to 8.51 mmol/gCeO2 and δ up to 0.38, at the expense of enhanced methane cracking reaction and reduced CH4 conversion. Solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency, namely, the ratio of the calorific value of produced syngas to the total energy input (solar power and calorific value of converted methane), and CH4 conversion were achieved in the range of 2.9–5.6% and 40.1–68.5%, respectively.


A new measurement of friction coefficient which is more applicable to overload extrusion technology is proposed in this paper. It determines the friction coefficient of overload plastic forming by firstly determining the load mutation of friction by a floating die experimental device. It is proved in this experiment that the friction coefficient in extrusion process can be precisely determined and the effectiveness of lubricating can be evaluated objectively by this new method which is easier to understand and master than the theory that determines the friction coefficient by ring upsetting.


Aims

The present-day biogeography of European amphibians has been hypothesized to have arisen from range expansion and recolonization of the northern part of the continent from southern late Pleistocene refugia, such that northern species generally possess large ranges while southerly species are mostly small-ranged. Here we test the hypothesis that these patterns are likely to be underpinned by biological traits associated with dispersal ability. We do this by analysing data for anurans and urodeles, the two main groups of European amphibians.

Location

Europe.

Methods

We built a database of biological traits (body size, fecundity, life span, habitat specialization) of European amphibians, excluding island endemics. We mapped the basic macroecological patterns of range size and position, and analysed the causal pathways for range size using structural equation models (SEMs).

Results

Amphibian species with a small range size are largely restricted to areas in southern Europe associated with putative Pleistocene refugia. Those present in northern Europe are exclusively large-ranged species whose distributions extend all the way from southern Europe. SEMs explained 54% of range size variation for anurans, with long life span and high fecundity being influential explanatory variables, and explained 61% of range size variation within urodeles, with measures of species fecundity being influential.

Main conclusions

Species that have successfully recolonized the north following deglaciation have the largest ranges for both groups of amphibians. These large-ranged species generally possess traits that indicate the potential for rapid range expansion, with differences apparent in the balance of traits between anurans and urodeles. The traits linked to northern distributions (and large range size) appear to be a mix of r and K traits, indicating that intermediate life-history strategies have proved to be optimal for range expansion into northern regions. These results integrate species biology with geographical history in explaining present-day patterns of species distribution, range size and diversity.


Introduction Starting in June 2010 the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) clinic (a large urban HIV out-patient facility) switched to provider-based Electronic Medical Records (EMR) from paper EMR entered in the database by data-entry clerks. Standardized clinics forms were eliminated but providers still fill free text clinical notes in physical patients' files. The objective of this study was to compare the rate of errors in the database before and after the introduction of the provider-based EMR. Methods and Findings Data in the database pre and post provider-based EMR was compared with the information in the patients' files and classified as correct, incorrect, and missing. We calculated the proportion of incorrect, missing and total error for key variables (toxicities, opportunistic infections, reasons for treatment change and interruption). Proportions of total errors were compared using chi-square test. A survey of the users of the EMR was also conducted. We compared data from 2,382 visits (from 100 individuals) of a retrospective validation conducted in 2007 with 34,957 visits (from 10,920 individuals) of a prospective validation conducted in April–August 2011. The total proportion of errors decreased from 66.5% in 2007 to 2.1% in 2011 for opportunistic infections, from 51.9% to 3.5% for ART toxicity, from 82.8% to 12.5% for reasons for ART interruption and from 94.1% to 0.9% for reasons for ART switch (all P<0.0001). The survey showed that 83% of the providers agreed that provider-based EMR led to improvement of clinical care, 80% reported improved access to patients' records, and 80% appreciated the automation of providers' tasks. Conclusions The introduction of provider-based EMR improved the quality of data collected with a significant reduction in missing and incorrect information. The majority of providers and clients expressed satisfaction with the new system. We recommend the use of provider-based EMR in large HIV programs in Sub-Saharan Africa.


The current study casts some light on how Arabic consonantal geminates are treated within the CV phonological theory. There are several general characteristics of consonantal geminate that researchers in phonological theory have been investigating for some years, beginning in preautosegmental frameworks and continuing recently within the CV phonological theory. Attempts have been made to account for the special properties of consonantal geminates and to see some of the ways as to how geminate behaves phonologically. Moreover, it concentrates on essential cases as to whether geminate consonants are looked upon as one long segment or as two short independent exponents that are found at syllable junctions.


The quality of sheet metal formed parts is strongly dependent on the friction and lubrication conditions that are acting in the actual production process. Although friction is of key importance, it is currently not considered in detail in stamping simulations. This paper presents project results considering friction and lubrication modelling in stamping simulations of the Volvo XC90 inner door. For this purpose, the TriboForm software is used in combination with the AutoForm software. Validation of the simulation results is performed based on door-inner parts taken from the press line in a full-scale production run. The project results demonstrate the improved prediction accuracy of stamping simulations.


Abstract Using psi(2S) --> pi(+)pi(-) J/psi events in a sample of 14.0 x 10(6) psi(2S) decays collected with the BES-II detector, a search for the decay of the J/psi to invisible final states is performed. No signal is found, and an upper limit at the 90% confidence level is determined to be 1.2 x 10(-2) for the ratio B(J/psi --> invisible)/B(J/psi-->mu(+)mu(-)). This is the first search for J/psi decays to invisible final states.


This paper examines the continuing diversity of corporate governance by critically analysing the impelling financial forces for convergence, and the vitality of institutional differentiation. Competing theories of convergence and diversity are examined through the disciplinary perspectives of history and politics, law and regulation, culture, and institutional complementarities. The paper challenges whether a universal corporate governance system is practical, necessary or desirable. The increasingly recognized premium for governance is considered in the context of a globalizing economy. The implications of the deregulation of finance and the globalization of capital markets are examined, with a focus on the growth of equity markets and the dominant position of the Anglo-American stock exchanges. The convergence thesis is debated, examining different theoretical arguments for and against the inevitability of convergence of corporate governance systems and the resilience of cultural and institutional diversity. This institutional diversity serves a productive purpose in contributing innovation and differentiation in products and services. The global financial crisis has shaken the institutional foundations of all advanced economies, and regulatory and market settlements are still occurring. In this context of forces impelling dramatic change yet encountering powerful impulses towards institutional continuity, the future direction of corporate governance trends is questioned, with the likelihood of greater complexity rather than uniformity emerging from current developments. While capital markets have acquired an apparently irresistible force in the world economy, it still appears that institutional complementarities at the national and regional level represent immovable governance objects. The issues are more complex than convergence theorists suggest, and while some degree of market convergence might be occurring, simultaneously there is the creation of greater divergence within national regimes of corporate governance.


We theoretically consider, comparing with the existing experimental literature, the electrical conductivity of gated monolayer graphene as a function of carrier density, temperature, and disorder in order to assess the prospects of accessing the Dirac point using transport studies in high-quality suspended graphene. We show that the temperature dependence of graphene conductivity around the charge neutrality point provides information about how close the system can approach the Dirac point although competition between long-range and short-range disorder as well as between diffusive and ballistic transport may considerably complicate the picture. We also find that acoustic phonon scattering contribution to the graphene resistivity is always relevant at the Dirac point in contrast to higher density situations where the acoustic phonon contribution to the resistivity is strongly suppressed at the low temperature Bloch-Gr\"{u}neisen regime. We provide detailed numerical results for temperature and density dependent conductivity for suspended graphene.


With the extensive deployment of 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs) and the need for better quality of service (QoS), the 802.11e MAC with service differentiation was developed. In practical WLAN deployments, the capture effect has been shown to enhence the throughput performance of the network. Analysing the effect of fading and near–far effect on the performance of 802.11 is a fundamental consideration in practical situations since the wireless channels are error-prone. Developing an accurate closed form solution of the throughput/delay is a crucial task for the network planning and design. This thesis develops a physical/medium-access-control (PHY/MAC) cross-layer model to characterise the throughput and delay performance of WLANs in error-prone wireless environments. The developed model incorporates the capture effect and channel errors from the PHY-layer perspective, while from the MAC perspective the approach considers the QoS differentiated p-persistent CSMA protocol. This research develops PHY/MAC models that accurately calculate the saturated and non-saturated throughput/delay of p-persistent CSMA protocol with multiple traffic types which can be used to model 802.11e. The developed model expresses the saturated and non-saturated throughput/delay as a function of the number of terminals, packet error rates and capture threshold. The work shows that the PHY layer effects have a significant impact on the throughput/delay performance of WLANs and their dimensioning.
The anomaly effect also has a significant impact on performance of 802.11 WLANs which affects the calculation of the network capacity during the network planning phase. This research develops an adaptive QoS differentiated p-persistent CSMA protocol with multirate capability that can be used to resolve the performance anomaly of 802.11 DCF and 802.11e EDCA. The developed models can be applied to the QoS differentiated systems such as 802.11e EDCA with significantly less complexity than Markovian models. The adaptive protocol improves the network capacity which leads to more efficient network deployments in terms of capacity, spectral efficiency and energy consumption.


In an effort to counteract rising costs and financial problems, many hospitals have adopted certain management practices that are followed by commercial corporations. In particular, the boards of directors for many hospitals have created audit committees to enhance organizational governance in the areas of internal control, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting. The formative stages in which most hospital audit committees currently exist creates a need for shared information. Such information can serve as a potential source of guidance for the further development of existing hospital audit committees, as well as for boards that are near the point of establishing an audit committee for the first time. The purpose of this study is to present an analysis of the structure, responsibilities, and activities of hospital audit committees. Data for the analysis was obtained through a questionnaire survey of 400 hospitals. The analysis of structural and functional differences affords a basis for suggesting several specific ways in which hospitals can improve their organizational governance through a more effective audit committee.


We have evaluated the effect of varying three key parameters for Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy analysis, first in the context of a one species/one environment system, and then in a complex system composed of two species, or conversely, two environments. We establish experimentally appropriate settings for the (1) minimum lag time, (2) maximum lag time, and (3) averaging times over which an autocorrelation is carried out, as a function of expected diffusion decay time for a particular solute, and show that use of appropriate settings plays a critical role in recovering accurate and reliable decay times and resulting diffusion constants. Both experimental and simulated data were used to show that for a complex binary system, to extract accurate diffusion constants for both species, decay times must be bounded by adequate minimum and maximum lag times as dictated by the fast and slow diffusing species, respectively. We also demonstrate that even when constraints on experimental conditions do not permit achieving the necessary lag time limits for both of the species in a binary system, the accuracy of the recovered diffusion constant for the one species whose autocorrelation function is fully time-resolved is unaffected by uncertainty in fitting introduced by the presence of the second species.


In the recently released UGC list of approved journals, 11 out of 40 Indian LIS journals were found having e-ISSNs. While searching the ISSN database for e-ISSNs of the remaining journals, 7 more were found having e-ISSNs. However, four of these seven journals could not be considered for the present study as they had wrong country of origin, the journal is not an exclusive LIS journal, etc. Finally, fourteen LIS online Indian journals with e-ISSNs have been studied. The study finds that a detailed check list needs to be developed to assess the journals and concludes that there is a need for improving the quality of journals and making them comparable with the global standards.


CONTEXT
Leptin and IGF-I are two peripheral metabolic signals linking body energy status to hypothalamus GnRH generator and involved in the pubertal development and metabolic disorders. The changes of their biological activity through puberty and the genetic basis are not clear.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the genetic and environmental influences to the variations of basal leptin, soluble leptin receptor (SOB-R), free leptin index (FLI), and free IGF-I levels in pubertal females.

DESIGN
A twin study was performed in 2003.

SETTING
Participants were recruited from the Qingdao Twin Registry, a school-based registry.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 360 twin girls aged 6-18 yr were enrolled, consisting of 132 pairs of monozygotic and 48 pairs of dizygotic twins.

INTERVENTIONS
Anthropometric and sexual characteristics were examined. Serum total leptin and free IGF-I were measured by immunoradiometric assay, and SOB-R was measured by ELISA.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Estimates of genetic and environmental components of variance were based on the theory of normal maximum likelihood in Mx package, a computer program specifically designed for the analysis of twin and family data.

RESULTS
Serum leptin concentrations increased persistently throughout puberty, especially from Tanner stage III to Tanner stage IV (P < 0.05), which in consistent with the increase of percentage of body fat. However, SOB-R decreased significantly from Tanner stage I to Tanner stage II (P < 0.05), which results in a continuous rise of FLI (ratio of leptin to SOB-R), especially from Tanner stage I to Tanner stage II (P < 0.05). Serum free IGF-I increased dramatically from Tanner stage I to II and declined since then. Results of correlation analysis suggest that FLI predicts the pubertal growth and sexual maturation more effectively, whereas leptin sensitively reflects the fat mass of body composition. Quantitative genetic model fittings showed that SOB-R and free IGF-I have higher heritability (0.62-0.77, 0.54-0.66) and leptin and FLI have lower heritability (0.38-0.48, 0.44-0.55).

CONCLUSIONS
Fast increase of FLI and free IGF-I from Tanner stage I to II might be involved in the onset of puberty and the onset of thelarche. The peak of free IGF-I in Tanner stage II might be presumed as an indicator of the peak of pubertal growth spurt in females, and the significant rise of leptin along with percentage of body fat from Tanner stage III to IV might be as a predictor of the forthcoming menarche. Our results stress the importance of research into the genetic regulation on the endocrine regulators involved in the pubertal development and metabolic disorders, including pubertal obesity and diabetes.


Aggressive behavior is studied in 60 in-, and outpatients with epileptic psychoses. Such psychoses were split in 2 groups: (a) Clear consciousness, and (b) Clouded consciousness. In turn, clear-consciousness epileptic psychoses were also split in 2 groups, namely episodic, and chronic psychoses. The results show there is a greater aggressivity within the psychotic symptoms period, if compared to the period free of symptoms. If drawn during the psychotic symptoms period, a comparison between these psychoses shows that clouded consciousness epileptic psychoses group features a greater amount of aggressive behavior. Chronic epileptic psychoses rank second. Finally, a lower aggression index is to be found among episodic epileptic psychoses group. No direct relationship between aggressive behavior, and epileptic seizures--such as focal, generalized, or mixed epileptic fits--could be found out. Language: es


: Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, influences a person's mental well-being, ability to work or perform activities of daily living, and personal and family relationships. Ideally, the management of this disease is multidisciplinary, involving not only the use of medication but also exercise instruction, dietary counseling, and psychosocial interventions. The effects of such a comprehensive treatment program have not been well studied. A 12-week trial of multidisciplinary assessment and management of osteoarthritis was conducted. In addition to receiving the anti-inflammatory agent sulindac, patients were evaluated and followed up by health professionals in the disciplines of medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, social work, and psychology. An initial assessment of the degree of pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and ability to conduct activities of daily living was made, which represented patients' entry status. Subsequent assessments were made by the multidisciplinary team every two weeks for 12 weeks. Seventy-seven patients completed at least ten of the 12 weeks. On entering the study, two thirds of the patients had pain, tenderness, or swelling affecting the hip, knee, or hand. At the end of 12 weeks, 80% of the patients had improvement in their osteoarthritis, and 71% improved in their ability to conduct activities of daily living. The results support the view that a comprehensive approach to osteoarthritis can significantly reduce disability and pain.


We develop a dynamic general equilibrium model for the positive and normative analysis of macroprudential policies. Optimizing financial intermediaries allocate their scarce net worth together with funds raised from saving households across two lending activities, mortgage and corporate lending. For all borrowers (households, firms, and banks) external financing takes the form of debt which is subject to default risk. This "3D model" shows the interplay between three interconnected net worth channels that cause financial amplification and the distortions due to deposit insurance. We apply it to the analysis of capital regulation.


Abstract Forty layer farms from 2 states participated in a study to examine the risk factors and incidence of Salmonella Enteritidis from multiple samples, including environmental drag swabs from the bird areas, feed, water, flies, rodents, live rodent traps, and environmental swabs from areas occupied by other livestock. Twenty-four of these farms had between 3,000 and 31,000 bird flocks (medium-sized flocks) and 16 had less than 3,000 birds (small-sized flocks). All were housed in cage-free production systems. Twenty-two farms included outside pasture areas for the birds. Most of the participants had just come under the FDA Egg Rule and had not yet tested their flocks (flocks under 3,000 birds are exempt) for Salmonella Enteritidis. Many, however, obtained their pullets from commercial Salmonella Enteritidis-clean breeder sources hatched in National Poultry Improvement Plan hatcheries. Vaccination against Salmonella Enteritidis was performed on 21 of the 40 farms (combination of live and killed vaccines). Salmonella Enteritidis was detected on 7 out of the 40 farms, primarily in rodents, their feces, or from swabs taken inside live traps. Of these 7 Salmonella Enteritidis-positive farms, 3 farms that had vaccinated their pullets with live Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine and killed-Salmonella Enteritidis vaccine; no Salmonella Enteritidis was isolated from the environmental drag swabs taken from the bird area or from the eggs on these farms. However, on the farms that had not vaccinated for Salmonella Enteritidis, the organism was isolated from 4 environmental drag swabs and 3 egg pools. The last 4 farms had flocks under 3,000 birds. No Salmonella Enteritidis was isolated from any of the samples of feed, flies, water, or swabs taken from other livestock areas. Based on the initial findings in this study, we suggest the 2 most important risk factors for Salmonella Enteritidis contamination inside the bird area and in the eggs in these small- and medium-sized flocks are the presence of infected rodents and the absence of an Salmonella Enteritidis vaccination program.


Prostate cancer is a major health issue in the Western world. The most common gene rearrangement in prostate cancer is the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion, which results in aberrant expression of the transcription factor ERG. The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) plays a key role in cell growth and tumorigenesis, and is overexpressed in most malignancies, including prostate cancer. In this study we show that TMPRSS2-ERG mediates its tumorigenic effects through regulation of IGF1R gene expression. Silencing of T-ERG in VCaP cells resulted in downregulation of both IGF1R and Sp1, a critical IGF1R regulator. Co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed a physical interaction between transcription factors ERG and Sp1, with potential relevance in IGF1R gene regulation. In addition, transactivation of the IGF1R gene by ERG was mediated at the level of transcription, as indicated by results of promoter assays. To identify new co-activators of the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion protein we performed mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses. Among other interactors, we identified AP-2 complex subunit mu (AP2M1) and caveolin-1 (CAV1) in association with ERG in cell nuclei. These proteins play a mechanistic role in IGF1R internalization. Our analyses are consistent with a potential novel function of TMPRSS2-ERG as a major regulator of IGF1R gene expression. Results may impinge upon ongoing efforts to target the IGF1R in the clinics.