In PA12 tube extrusion, calibration or sizing is the key step of the process that affects subsequent mechanical properties. The extruded tube is pulled through a cylindrical calibrator under vacuum. A water flow rate is applied at the inner side of the calibrator, creating a lubricant water layer at the polymer outer surface. The scope of this article is to show how this lubrication influences the elongation at break of tubes through drawing kinematics of the polymer. Lubricant water layer thickness measurements and on-line video recording have been employed to monitor the lubrication dependence of the velocity profiles from the extruder die to the end of calibrator. Velocities were measured through three independent innovative methods and thirty-two calibration conditions have been carried out to validate our work. Three main calibration parameters were found to determine the water layer thickness: the level of vacuum applied in the calibration tank, the water flow rate at the calibrator entrance, and the line speed. The influence of each parameter on lubrication level was found out. Simultaneously, the draw ratio in the calibration tank was deduced from velocity profiles. This parameter was found to affect tensile properties and to depend strongly on the level of lubrication during calibration. We showed quantitatively that rising the water layer thickness leads to a diminution of the draw ratio in the calibration tank and an increase of the elongation at break. This implies that we are now able to optimize tensile properties by fitting the main calibration parameters to improve lubrication and restrict draw ratio in the calibration tank.


Several concepts for exploiting the hierarchy in circuit description during the fault simulation of combinational and sequential circuits are introduced. The impact of these concepts on the single steps of fault simulation based upon single fault propagation and parallel pattern single fault propagation technique is discussed. An algorithm for the fault simulation of hierarchical circuits based upon parallel pattern single fault propagation in combination with the extended concept of fanout free regions is presented. The algorithm makes use of all of the concepts. Experimental results with industrial circuits with up to five levels of hierarchy and up to 90,000 gates demonstrate the advantages of the hierarchical fault simulator in terms of CPU-time consumption and memory requirements as compared to a fast gate level fault simulator.<<ETX>>


The number of web images has been explosively growing due to the development of network and storage technology. These images make up a large amount of current multimedia data and are closely related to our daily life. To efficiently browse, retrieve and organize the web images, numerous approaches have been proposed. Since the semantic concepts of the images can be indicated by label information, automatic image annotation becomes one effective technique for image management tasks. Most existing annotation methods use image features that are often noisy and redundant. Hence, feature selection can be exploited for a more precise and compact representation of the images, thus improving the annotation performance. In this paper, we propose a novel feature selection method and apply it to automatic image annotation. There are two appealing properties of our method. First, it can jointly select the most relevant features from all the data points by using a sparsity-based model. Second, it can uncover the shared subspace of original features, which is beneficial for multi-label learning. To solve the objective function of our method, we propose an efficient iterative algorithm. Extensive experiments are performed on large image databases that are collected from the web. The experimental results together with the theoretical analysis have validated the effectiveness of our method for feature selection, thus demonstrating its feasibility of being applied to web image annotation.


That the manifestations of thyrotoxicosis are protean is attested to by the abundance of literature on this subject. The typical syndrome of physical stimulation, tremor, tachycardia, loss of weight, polyphagia, and intolerance to heat associated with thyroidal enlargement and ocular signs is not difficult to recognize. Other patients, however, may appear to have refractory congestive heart failure or chronic cardiac arrythmia. Severe anxiety, psychosis, or encephalopathic manifestations may obscure the basic disease. Innumerable other variations have been observed mimicking osteoporosis, gastrointestinal disease, rheumatic states, and myasthenia gravis. Two recent reports5,19dealing with bizarre manifestations of hyperthyroidism mentioned edema as an occasional presenting complaint. In such cases, the mechanism of the edema is unknown, for it is said that cardiac, renal, hepatic, nutritional, obstructive, and protein abnormalities can be excluded. Plasma protein abnormalities, when sought, are commonly observed with thyrotoxicosis.1,10,12However, the changes seen are not of the magnitude


The authors have demonstrated the operation of a simple optical bolometer by irradiating a constriction in a Y1Ba2Cu3O7-δ thin film with chopped laser light at λ=633 nm. The change in film resistivity was measured by lock-in detection of the AC component in the current-biased mode. Operating optimally near 77 K, the bolometer shows detectivity of 5 mV W-1 and NEP of 10-6 W Hz-1/2. The authors discuss the possibility of methods to improve these figures by at least three orders of magnitude


On-site batteries, low-pressure biogas storage, and wastewater storage could position wastewater resource recovery facilities as a widespread source of industrial energy demand flexibility. This work introduces a digital twin method that simulates the coordinated operation of current and future energy flexibility resources. We combine process models and statistical learning on 15 min resolution sensor data to construct a facility's energy and water flows. We then value energy flexibility interventions and use an iterative search algorithm to optimize energy flexibility upgrades. Results from a California facility with anaerobic sludge digestion and biogas cogeneration predict a 17% reduction in electricity bills and an annualized 3% return on investment. A national analysis suggests substantial benefit from using existing flexibility resources, such as wet-weather storage, to reduce electricity bills but finds that new energy flexibility investments are much less profitable in electricity markets without time-of-use incentives and plants without existing cogeneration facilities. Profitability of a range of energy flexibility interventions may increase as a larger number of utilities place a premium on energy flexibility, and cogeneration is more widely adopted. Our findings suggest that policies are needed to incentivize the sector's energy flexibility and provide subsidized lending to finance it.


A number of recent scientific and engineering problems require signals to be decomposed into a product of a slowly varying positive envelope and a quickly varying carrier whose instantaneous frequency also varies slowly over time. Although signal processing provides algorithms for so-called amplitude- and frequency-demodulation (AFD), there are well known problems with all of the existing methods. Motivated by the fact that AFD is ill-posed, we approach the problem using probabilistic inference. The new approach, called probabilistic amplitude and frequency demodulation (PAFD), models instantaneous frequency using an auto-regressive generalization of the von Mises distribution, and the envelopes using Gaussian auto-regressive dynamics with a positivity constraint. A novel form of expectation propagation is used for inference. We demonstrate that although PAFD is computationally demanding, it outperforms previous approaches on synthetic and real signals in clean, noisy and missing data settings.


As of 8 August 2022, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has infected over 585 million people and resulted in more than 6.42 million deaths worldwide. While approved SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-based vaccines induce robust seroconversion in most individuals, dramatically reducing disease severity and the risk of hospitalization, poorer responses are observed in aged, immunocompromised individuals and patients with certain pre-existing health conditions. Further, it is difficult to predict the protection conferred through vaccination or previous infection against new viral variants of concern (VoC) as they emerge. In this context, a rapid quantitative point-of-care (POC) serological assay able to quantify circulating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies would allow clinicians to make informed decisions on the timing of booster shots, permit researchers to measure the level of cross-reactive antibody against new VoC in a previously immunized and/or infected individual, and help assess appropriate convalescent plasma donors, among other applications. Utilizing a lab-on-a-chip ecosystem, we present proof of concept, optimization, and validation of a POC strategy to quantitate COVID-19 humoral protection. This platform covers the entire diagnostic timeline of the disease, seroconversion, and vaccination response spanning multiple doses of immunization in a single POC test. Our results demonstrate that this platform is rapid (~15 min) and quantitative for SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG detection.


Background: Edasalonexent is an orally administered small molecule designed to inhibit NF-κB, which is activated from infancy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is central to causing muscle damage and preventing muscle regeneration. Objective: Evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and exploratory pharmacodynamics of three doses of edasalonexent in ambulatory males ≥4 to <8 years of age with genetically confirmed Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Methods: This was a 1-week, open-label, multiple-dose study with 3 sequential ascending doses (33, 67 and 100 mg/kg/day) of edasalonexent administered under different dietary conditions to 17 males with a mean age of 5.5 years. Results: All doses of edasalonexent were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events, no drug discontinuations and no dose reductions. The majority of adverse events were mild, and the most common adverse events were gastrointestinal (primarily diarrhea). Edasalonexent was rapidly absorbed with peak levels observed 2–6 hours after dosing and exposures appeared to increase nearly proportionally to dose for the 2 lower and all 3 doses under low-fat and high-fat meal conditions, respectively. Only minor plasma accumulation of edasalonexent was observed with 7 days of dosing. After treatment with edasalonexent for 7 days, levels of NF-κB-regulated genes and serum proteins were decreased. Conclusions: This first report of edasalonexent oral administration for one week in male pediatric patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy showed that treatment was well tolerated and inhibited NF-kB pathways.


ABSTRACT We examine to what extent (aspects of) national culture can explain cross-country variations in financial literacy. Our results, for a sample of 92 countries, show that Hofstede's dimensions of power distance and individualism explain, respectively, over 40 and 60 per cent – which is substantially more than national cognitive scores and standard economic variables. In particular, we find that financial literacy is lower in countries where power distance is high, and that the opposite is true for individualism. Uncertainty avoidance would seem be negatively related with financial literacy, but the evidence is not so strong. For masculinity, indulgence, and long-term orientation we find no significant impact. Overall, our results highlight the need for additional (interdisciplinary) theories that can improve our understanding of the determinants of financial literacy and better guide policies in this area.


Simulation models may be used to predict not only where the mixing of incompatible brines occurs in water-flooded reservoirs, but also the impact of in situ deposition on scaling ion concentrations in and around the production wellbore. The location of maximum sulphate scale deposition and the resulting brine compositions at the production well are calculated for a range of sensitivities, including reservoir properties (layered, homogenous, aquifer), well geometry (location and orientation within field and with respect to other wells and the aquifer), and various production scenarios (desulphation and squeeze treatment). In conventional systems with no aquifer, it is demonstrated that maximum scale deposition occurs within or in the immediate vicinity of the production wellbore, and therefore low produced cation concentrations would indicate that squeeze treatments have not been successful. In systems where water injection is into the aquifer, low cation concentrations may result from deposition deeper within the reservoir. Maximum scale dropout still occurs as the fluids approach the production well, but may be sufficiently far from the wellbore not to have any major impact on productivity, or to be affected by squeeze treatments. However, sufficient concentrations of scaling ions are still delivered to the production well to necessitate squeeze treatments, although using lower volumes of inhibitor. Once cation concentrations have been reduced by deposition deep within the reservoir, it is predicted that they will never pick up again. This paper also assesses the impact of desulphation and produced water re-injection on scale deposition in the reservoir, and the need to protect injection and/or production wells is discussed.


Modern global change affects not only the polar north but also, and to increasing extent, the southern high latitudes, especially the Antarctic regions covered by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Consequently, knowledge of the mechanisms controlling past WAIS dynamics and WAIS behaviour at the last deglaciation is critical to predict its development in a future warming world. Geological and paleobiological information from major drainage areas of the WAIS, like the Amundsen Sea Embayment, shed light on the history of the WAIS glaciers. Sediment records obtained from a deep inner shelf basin north of the Getz Ice Shelf document a deglacial warming in three phases. Above a glacial diamicton and a sediment package barren of microfossils that document sediment deposition by grounded ice and below an ice shelf or perennial sea ice cover (possibly fast ice), respectively, a sediment section with diatom assemblages dominated by sea ice taxa indicates ice shelf retreat and seasonal ice-free conditions. This conclusion is supported by diatom-based summer temperature reconstructions. The early retreat was followed by a phase, when exceptional diatom ooze was deposited between 12,000 and 13,000 cal. years B.P. Microscopical inspection of this ooze revealed excellent preservation of diatom frustules of the species Corethron pennatum together with vegetative Chaetoceros, thus an assemblage usually not preserved in the sedimentary record. Sediments succeeding this section contain diatom assemblages indicating rather constant Holocene cold water conditions with seasonal sea ice. The deposition of the diatom ooze can be related to changes in hydrographic conditions including strong advection of nutrients. However, sediment focussing in the partly steep inner shelf basins cannot be excluded as a factor enhancing the thickness of the ooze deposits. It is not only the presence of the diatom ooze but also the exceptional preservation and the species composition of the diatom assemblage, which point to specific scenarios involving e.g. changes in the food web that can be related to warmer surface water temperatures. Such warming of shelf waters may be related with an overshooting Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and strong injection of warmer North Atlantic Deep Water into the Southern Ocean water masses at Termination I. Such finding may highlight the effects of AMOC changes on Antarctic ice shelf extent and coastal ecosystems.
Keywords: WAIS, Amundsen Sea Embayment, diatoms, deglacial warming


A TATA complex that forms on the hsp70 promoter has been found to depend on sequence-specific interactions that occur at the transcription start and regions further downstream. The complex was detected with a gel shift assay and further characterized with interference assays. Antibodies reveal that the TATA-binding protein is in the complex. Interference assays localize specific contacts in the TATA element, the start site, and in a region approximately 25 bp downstream of the start site that contribute to either the assembly or the maintenance of the complex. Contact at the TATA element is made in the minor groove, as has been reported for the recombinant TATA-binding protein. Mutation in the TATA element or the start site of hsp70 causes complex formation to be more strongly dependent on contacts in the +25 region than in the normal core promoter. Examination of the hsp26 and histone H4 genes indicates that similar contacts contribute to the TATA complexes that form on these promoters. The results suggest that specific contacts downstream of the TATA element could play a key role in establishing the transcriptional potential of a gene by contributing to the interaction of the TATA-binding protein.


We investigate the relationship between exposure to conflict and poverty dynamics over time, using original three-waves panel data for Burundi which tracked individuals and reported local-level violence exposure from 1998 to 2012. Firstly, the data reveal that headcount poverty has not changed since 1998 while we observe multiple transitions into and out of poverty. Moreover, households exposed to the war exhibit a lower level of welfare than non-exposed households, with the difference between the two groups predicted to remain significant at least until 2017, i.e. twelve years after the conflict termination. The correlation between violence exposure and deprivation over time is confirmed in a household-level panel setting. Secondly, our empirical investigation shows how violence exposure over different time spans interacts with households' subsequent welfare. Our analysis of the determinants of households' likelihood to switch poverty status (i.e. to fall into poverty or escape poverty) combined with quantile regressions suggest that, (i) exposure during the first phase of the conflict has affected the entire distribution, and (ii) exposure during the second phase of the conflict has mostly affected the upper tail of the distribution: initially non-poor households have a higher propensity to fall into poverty while initially poor households see their propensity to pull through only slightly decrease with recent exposure to violence. Although not directly testable with the data at hand, these results are consistent with the changing nature of violence in the course of the Burundi civil war, from relatively more labour-destructive to relatively more capital-destructive.


Having risen from relative obscurity as few as ten years ago, climate change now looms large among environmental policy issues. Its scope is global; the potential environmental and economic impacts are ubiquitous; the potential restrictions on human choices touch the most basic goals of people in all nations; and the sheer scope of the potential response—a significant shift away from using fossil fuels as the primary energy source in the modern economy—is daunting. In this paper, we explore the economics of climate change policy. We examine the risks that climate change poses for society, the benefits of protection against the effects of climate change, and the costs of alternative protection policies. We organize our discussion around three broad themes: why costs and benefits matter in assessing climate change policies, as does the uncertainty surrounding them; why well-designed, cost-effective climate policies are essential in addressing the threat of climate change; and why a coherent architecture of international agreements is key to successful policy implementation. We conclude the paper with a summary of key policy lessons and gaps in knowledge.


NanoSQUIDs are quantum sensors that excel in detecting a small change in magnetic flux with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Here, we employ resist-free direct-write Ga+ Focused Ion Beam Induced Deposition (FIBID) techniques to grow W–C nanoSQUIDs, and we investigate their electrical response to changes in the magnetic flux. Remarkably, FIBID allows the fast (3 min) growth of 700 nm × 300 nm nanoSQUIDs based on narrow nanobridges (50 nm wide) that act as Josephson junctions. Albeit the SQUIDs exhibit a comparatively low modulation depth and obtain a high inductance, the observed transfer coefficient (output voltage to magnetic flux change) is comparable to other SQUIDs (up to 1300 μV/Φ0), which correlates with the high resistivity of W–C in the normal state. We discuss here the potential of this approach to reduce the active area of the nanoSQUIDs to gain spatial resolution as well as their integration on cantilevers for scanning-SQUID applications.


Rather than being a constitutive enzyme as was first suggested, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is dynamically regulated at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels. This review will focus on how changes in eNOS function are conferred by various posttranslational modifications. The latest knowledge regarding eNOS targeting to the plasma membrane will be discussed as the role of protein phosphorylation as a modulator of catalytic activity. Furthermore, new data are presented that provide novel insights into how disruption of the eNOS dimer prevents eNOS uncoupling and the production of superoxide under conditions of elevated oxidative stress and identifies a novel regulatory region we have termed the 'flexible arm'.


Superoleophobic thin films have many potential applications including fluid transfer, fluid power systems, stain resistant and antifouling materials, and microfluidics among others. Transparency is also desired with superhydrophobicity for their numerous applications; however transparency and oleophobicity are almost incompatible relationship with each other in the point of surface structure. Because oleophobicity required rougher structure at nano-micro scale than hydrophobicity, and these rough structure brings light scattering. So far, there is very few report of the compatible of transparency and superoleophobicity. In this report, we proposed the see-through type fabrics using the nanoparticle-based hierarchical structure thin film for improving both of oleophobicity and transparency. The vacant space between fibrils of fabrics has two important roles: the one is to through the light, another one is to introduce air layer to realize Cassie state of liquid droplet on thin film. To realize the low surface energy and nanoscale rough structure surface on fibrils, we used the spray method with perfluoroalkyl methacrylic copolymer (PMC), silica nano particles and volatile solvent. From the SEM image, the hierarchical structures of nanoparticle were formed uniformly on the fabrics. The transparency of thin film obtained was approximately 61% and the change of transparency between pre-coated fabrics and coated was 11%. From investigation of the surface wettability, the contact angles of oils (rapeseed oil and hexadecane) and water droplet on the fabricated film were over 150 degree.


At present there are no reliable statistics on the relative prevalences of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Spain. In a report of the first three years' experience in an STD diagnostic centre between 1977 and 1979 a total of 879 patients (534 men adn 345 women) were seen. They mainly consisted of university students and the mean age was 22 years in 1977 and 23 years in the following two years. All the patients were examined for syphilis and all women for gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis. Investigations for Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Candida albicans, and Herpesvirus hominis infections were carried out according to the presenting symptoms. Non-specific genital infections occurred most commonly (25.7%); chlamydia were isolated from 30% of the patients with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). The second commonest infection was candidosis (13.5%). Gonorrhoea, which was found in 10.6% of the patients, was diagnosed more frequently in men (13.5%) than in women (6%). No strains of beta-lactamase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae were detected and all were sensitive to penicillin. Syphilis was diagnosed in 4.4% of patients (2% women and 5% men). Condylomata acuminata were diagnosed in 2.8% of patients and more frequently in men (4%). Herpes genitalis and venereophobia were uncommon (1.9% and 1.2% respectively) and were diagnosed only in men.


doi: 10.15159/jas.19.16 ABSTRACT. Transition to the concept of professional risk management assumes the transfer of focus from measures of response to accidents after they have happened to activities for preventive measures, i.e. risk management of workers' health. The strategy of "reactive" response within the framework of the traditional system of managing occupational safety of workers focused primarily on compensating for the negative consequences of accidents. However, it does not focus on eliminating the systemic causes of their occurrence and, as a result, does not lead to positive changes in reducing traumas and injuries. The results of the analysis of the socio-economic efficiency of this strategy suggest the need for a transition to a different type of occupational safety management – which is "proactive", therefore the priorities are not the management of "occupational environment", but the management of "employee work safety", based on identification and assessment of professional risks. The calculation of the economic efficiency of measures for employee protection and the prevention of industrial injuries on the example of agricultural workers in the Kurgan region was the aim of the present study.


Purpose – In this research we seek to understand how a social enterprise deals with the multiple tensions of organizational hybridism to achieve its strategic objectives. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative single-case study was performed using longitudinal and in-depth data collection. For the analysis and interpretation of the data an abductive logic and narrative analysis were used. Findings – We concluded that the actors were involved in various openness practices for inclusion, transparency, flexibility, and horizontalization in the strategic process. We also found evidence that the practices of opening up the strategy support a translation process, thus minimizing the tensions of organizational hybridism. This translation process was redefined in the context of hybridism. Originality/value – This research showed that actor-network theory, in particular the translation perspective, is indicated for the study of social enterprises. Concerning the process of opening up the strategy, it is suggested that the process of horizontalizing relationships and flexibility is necessary in the strategic process, in addition to inclusion and transparency. Another contribution is related to the translation process in hybrid organizations, suggesting a reduction of the political imposition of roles and identities.


Deep learning classifiers are now known to have flaws in the representations of their class. Adversarial attacks can find a human-imperceptible perturbation for a given image that will mislead a trained model. The most effective methods to defend against such attacks trains on generated adversarial examples to learn their distribution. Previous work aimed to align original and adversarial image representations in the same way as domain adaptation to improve robustness. Yet, they partially align the representations using approaches that do not reflect the geometry of space and distribution. In addition, it is difficult to accurately compare robustness between defended models. Until now, they have been evaluated using a fixed perturbation size. However, defended models may react differently to variations of this perturbation size. In this paper, the analogy of domain adaptation is taken a step further by exploiting optimal transport theory. We propose to use a loss between distributions that faithfully reflect the ground distance. This leads to SAT (Sinkhorn Adversarial Training), a more robust defense against adversarial attacks. Then, we propose to quantify more precisely the robustness of a model to adversarial attacks over a wide range of perturbation sizes using a different metric, the Area Under the Accuracy Curve (AUAC). We perform extensive experiments on both CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets and show that our defense is globally more robust than the state-of-the-art.


The question of chromosomal damage subsequent to methotrexate treatment of psoriasis was studied by examining the metaphase chromosomes in a total of 6,200 leukocytes from nine methotrexate-treated psoriatics, nine drug-free psoriatics, and ten healthy adults. No biologically or statistically significant increase in chromosomal abnormalities could be detected at the various methotrexate doses used in these patients. Subsequently, in an in vitro experiment chromosomal damage was observed when methotrexate was added to the culture medium at three and 30 times the peak plasma concentrations achieved after a large single and small multiple oral doses of methotrexate. Since this could possibly reflect the in vivo situation at higher doses, conservative methotrexate dosages should be used in the treatment of psoriasis until the cytogenetic effects of higher doses are known.


In this paper, we propose a kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA) based idle-state detection method for asynchronous steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) systems. KCCA method can offer a flexible nonlinear solution to adequately extract nonlinear features of multi-electrode electroencephalogram signals. Based on this method, an ensemble KCCA coefficients feature model is proposed by weighting effectively multi-harmonic information and afterwards a threshold classification strategy for idle-state detection is presented. The weights of the model and optimal threshold are trained by the presented parameters learning scheme. Using our method, offline analysis was performed on 10 subjects with 8 fixed common electrodes. The results showed that the idle state could be detected with 95.9% average accuracy when SSVEP could be determined with 93.8% average accuracy. Further, the analysis verified the effectiveness and significant superiority of our method over other widely used ones.


Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Sweden has evolved through cycles related to political views about the role it should play in the development of society, particularly concerning employability and social cohesion. From the 1950s onwards, VET has mostly been carried out by public authorities, and up to the late 1980s responsibility lay with the central government. In the early 1990s decentralisation started, and the responsibility and financing shifted to the municipalities. This article analyses these transitions in VET by focusing particularly on four models of organisation. The main intention of the article is to provide a springboard for discussion regarding the consequences of specific lines of development in VET. At a time when VET models in countries like Germany and Switzerland have become a reference of expected development, it is of paramount importance to examine the context specific aspects before attempting any further use of international experience.


"When the potassium is injected slowly, after a time the heart gradually slows to perhaps half its normal rate, the auricle and ventricle being markedly dilated but still contracting synchronously. This is an example of sinus slowing, and is probably due to the direct action of the salt upon what Lewis has termed the 'pace-maker' of the heart; it is not due to stimulation of the vagus endings, since it is still produced after administration of atropine…."In other cases an abrupt slowing of the pulse rate occurs, due to dissociation of the auricular and the ventricular rhythms, a condition of 2:1 or of complete heart block being produced. This dissociation is sometimes seen in a heart that is in quite good condition and, upon discontinuing the injection of potassium salts, recovery soon takes place. It cannot be produced with any degree of certainty; since marked sinus slowing, stoppage in diastole, or ventricular fibrillation frequently ensue without this type of heart block being manifested…."In the present state of our knowledge it is legitimate to infer from these results that the block is due to a depression of the conductivity of the auriculoventricular connections from the direct action of the potassium salts upon the musculature. The block is produced in the hearts of animals that have been treated with atropine, so that stimulation of the vagus mechanism is not an essential factor."—Mathison1.


Combustion of natural gas in fluidized bed reactors can be considered as an economical way of producing energy and food-grade CO 2 largely needed in food industries. Among the fluidized bed reactors, turbulent fluidized beds exhibit several advantages over conventional combustion methods, and bubbling and circulating fluidized beds. Operation of the turbulent fluidized bed at industrial levels may bring many advantages of food industry and therefore, their commercialization could be of great industrial importance. In this study, a new generation of Fluidized bed reactors is developed along with proper inert particles to discover new applications in food processing. In order to developed along with proper inert particles to discover new applications in food processing. In order to develop such a new reactors, a fluidized bed reactor is modified by adding secondary injection port so that the natural gas is properly and safely injected to the bed for the heat generation and CO 2 produced in this way, due to small amount of emissions, has a very low purification cost. Moreover, the new devices could be well operated at medium temperatures and this feature could be of prime importance in commercializing this promising technology for food processing application, i.e., beverage industries.


Previous studies have shown that rat primary muscle cells do not respond to crude rat brain extract or one of its active components, ascorbic acid, with a significant increase in surface acetylcholine receptor (AChR) number. We report here that, although little or no response is seen on the cell surface, rat primary muscle cells do respond to both crude brain extract and to ascorbic acid with an approximately threefold increase in AChR alpha-subunit mRNA. The response of the mRNA is similar to that seen in the cloned L5 cells. However, while in L5 cells the increase in alpha-subunit mRNA is further translated into increased levels of alpha-subunit protein, there is no such increase in alpha-subunit synthesis in the primary cells. This study thus shows a regulation of surface AChR synthesis in rat primary cells at the level of alpha-subunit translation. This level of regulation is different from that involving subunit transcription or subunit assembly reported by others.


On the great number of observations the authors demonstrate, that children of different birth number have different biological qualities. For the Carpathian population the optimal sanological number is the fourth. The fourth children have the greatest vitality. The firstly born children are, usually, the most weak and have the least vitality. The difference in the sick and mortality rate of the first and the fourth children is so great, that the change of the weight of children with optimal birth number in the population may change the sick structure and the susceptibility to a disease. The processes, connected with the population's reproduction fecundity and the birth number play a great part in the health formation of different populations. Human health is a derivative of a gene pool of a certain population and a function of its social development at the same time from the ecological point of view. The law of the quantitative and qualitative sides of population's development is the basis of socio-ecological health concept.


There is something frustrating in the concept of algorithm that can even worry: its limitations. An algorithm does not need the time to define itself, it possesses in its structure everything that defines it and can work exclusively in a site, such as a computer, which is itself another finite system. Whenever a particular algorithm will be executed will always be inexorably equal to itself because the number of possible states is finite. A logical-mathematical algorithm is essentially very different from a living being, which reveals its being only in the passage of time, in the relationship with the environment, in the happening of events. On the contrary there is a strong relationship between living things and the art, since art essentially needs time to express itself. The art has a time dimension, if for no other reason, because the purpose of art is reaching human beings. But art, through technology, can also broaden its horizons. Art can make use of the technology and can do exactly as the man whose expression is, to grow, to expand, to discover new identities, to conduct an investigation in those distant places, on the border with the irrational.


Recent discovery of stone age sites in the Quaternary fluvial terraces has brought Tripura-on the prehistoric cultural map of India and Southeast Asia. Artifacts have been collected from 25 localities spread over 45 km radius around Agartala in course of Quaternary mapping in West Tripura. These findings demonstrate the existence of multiple dispersed colonies of stone age people on the stabilised river terraces. The geological context of these sites is well established. The tools occur in open stations (primary sites) mostly on the dissected remnants of the upper most terrace (T1) lying between 5 m and 15m above extent floor regime (20 m-83 m) above m.s.l. These are found profusely scattered in open fields, and as interlayers within the moderate yellowish brown light brown and greyish orange (1 0 YR 5/4, 5 YR 5/6 and 10 YR 7/4),loamy latosols up to a depth of l. 7 m. The soil mantle overlies a fining upward, polycyclic, fluvial sequence, comprising ferruginised, dark yellowish orange (10 YR6/6), arkosic, medium sands. Generally, mottled soft latosols occur below the humus enriched A~zone. Locally, hard concretionary laterite is also observed. The above terrace sequence is unlithified and belongs to the Upper Pleistocene (34680 ± 2960 Y.B.P. by C 14 dating). It lies over the folded Neogene strata with a demonstrable angular unconformity. The younger, unoxidisedfunaltered, Holocene terrace sediments (T 3 ) dated at 3450 ± II 0 to II 00 ± 90 Y.B.P.,and (T4 =nascent floodplain) at 165 ± 80 Y.B.P. by C14 method, occur as successive insets. T2 has very limited distribution. Typologically, the artifacts include flaked axes, polished celts, chopping (bifacial) tools, adzes, scrapers, points, hammerstones, grooved stones, prepared cores, blades, pebble tools and a bulk of flakes. It is noteworthy that 98 % of the tools are made of silicified wood embedded within or derived from the Neogenes by recycling. Interestingly, the flakes are removed from the silicified wood core, generally either oblique to or across the wood structure, possibly for controlling the size of the flakes. Controlled flaking is extremely difficult in petrified woods, except along an axis transverse to the growth rings. Consequently, the tool types are restricted mainly to tabular varieties. Rarely, levalloisian technique of flaking is ~n. The tool as5emblage points to a wood land e~ology in the area. The tool ensemble can be grouped into: (A) Preneolithic assemblage without polished axes but having typological affinity with neolithic tools and (B) Neolithic assemblage dominated by polished axes. The Preneolithic assemblage belongs to the Late Pleistocene(?) age (much younger than 35,000 Y.B.P. and older than 3,500 Y.B.P. as indicated by the dated stratigraphic records of the older and younger terrace deposits). In its totality, the artifact assemblage bears a close semblance with the Anyathian and Neolithic tools reported from the Irrawaddy valley of Burma. The present discovery thus establishes cultural linkages across the barrier ofthe.Indo-Burma ranges during the prehistoric times.


The improvement of the sustainable performance of the agricultural sector is a priority of the Swiss agricultural policy. The sustainability of Swiss dairy farms located in the mountainous area might be critical as many of them show a weak performance in the use of their economic and/or social resources, and sometimes also of their environmental resources. An improvement of the sustainability of these farms prerequisites to better know on a large scale their sustainable performance and its determinants. For a representative sample of 480 dairy farms, we perform an assessment of their sustainable efficiency with the "sustainable value", an approach to assess corporate sustainability based on the capital and opportunity cost theories. Using a linear regression, we analyze the determinants of the sustainable efficiency. The results show a tight positive relationship between sustainable performance and pure economic performance. The intensity of the use of intermediate consumptions is found to be the most important determinant of the sustainable efficiency. Farms with a high sustainable efficiency are those that use their intermediate consumptions in the most efficient way. The part of direct payments in the gross profit is shown to negatively affect the sustainable efficiency. The structural characteristics of the farms and the sociologic characteristics of the farmer managers are shown to hardly influence the sustainable efficiency.


Multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) have become a widespread means for deploying policies in a whole of society strategy to address the complex problem of childhood obesity. However, decision-making in MSPs is fraught with challenges, as decision-makers are faced with complexity, and have to reconcile disparate conceptualizations of knowledge across multiple sectors with diverse sets of indicators and data. These challenges can be addressed by supporting MSPs with innovative tools for obtaining, organizing and using data to inform decision-making. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the development of a knowledge-based infrastructure to support MSP decision-making processes. The paper emerged from a study to define specifications for a knowledge-based infrastructure to provide decision support for community-level MSPs in the Canadian province of Quebec. As part of the study, a process assessment was conducted to understand the needs of communities as they collect, organize, and analyze data to make decisions about their priorities. The result of this process is a "portrait", which is an epidemiological profile of health and nutrition in their community. Portraits inform strategic planning and development of interventions, and are used to assess the impact of interventions. Our key findings indicate ambiguities and disagreement among MSP decision-makers regarding causal relationships between actions and outcomes, and the relevant data needed for making decisions. MSP decision-makers expressed a desire for easy-to-use tools that facilitate the collection, organization, synthesis, and analysis of data, to enable decision-making in a timely manner. Findings inform conceptual modeling and ontological analysis to capture the domain knowledge and specify relationships between actions and outcomes. This modeling and analysis provide the foundation for an ontology, encoded using OWL 2 Web Ontology Language. The ontology is developed to provide semantic support for the MSP process, defining objectives, strategies, actions, indicators, and data sources. In the future, software interacting with the ontology can facilitate interactive browsing by decision-makers in the MSP in the form of concepts, instances, relationships, and axioms. Our ontology also facilitates the integration and interpretation of community data, and can help in managing semantic interoperability between different knowledge sources. Future work will focus on defining specifications for the development of a database of indicators and an information system to help decision-makers to view, analyze and organize indicators for their community. This work should improve MSP decision-making in the development of interventions to address childhood obesity.


Divided into four descriptive sections "Theory and the Ethics of Literary Text," "Confronting the Difficult: The Ethics of Race and Power," "Making Darkness Visible: The Ethical Implications of Narrative as Witness," and "Ways of Seeing: The Diversity of Applied Ethical Criticism" this unprecedented collection of essays traces the interpretive, pedagogic, and theoretical concerns inherent in the study of literature, ethics, and modes of criticism. Wayne C. Booth's "Why Ethical Criticism Can Never Be Simple," J. Hillis Miller's "How to Be 'in Tune with the Right' in The Golden Bowl," Susan Gubar's "Poets of Testimony," and Martha C. Nussbaum's "Exactly and Responsibly: A Defense of Ethical Criticism" are among the fifteen essays included. Bringing together ethical criticism's most important theorists, Mapping the Ethical Turn is a cohesive introduction to a reading paradigm that continues to influence the ways in which we think and feel about the stories that mark our lives."


Insurance companies play an important role in supporting economic activity. But insurers are exposed to a number of risks and can become distressed or fail. This article considers a number of channels through which insurance companies could have adverse effects on financial stability, including: how insurer distress or failure might disrupt the provision of critical services to the real economy; and how their behaviours can propagate systemic risk in the financial system. The Financial Policy Committee has an ongoing workplan to assess the extent of risks to financial stability from insurance companies' activities.


The evolution of the educational policies in Romania determined the tendency to a qualified curricular analysis and planning of concrete educational situations and individualization of the learning experiences. Educational Reform in Romania intervened through National Curriculum for preschool in 2009 and through OM 3418/ 2013 which provides the modification of syllabi for preparatory, I and II classes with the implementation of the integrated approach in preschool and primary educational levels.
In the context of the previously described theoretical evolutions, the necessity to form and develop competences in the educational process is accepted nowadays as indispensable in most educational systems. Major problems belong on one hand, to the manner of organizing and defining these competences in order to describe and ,,become operational" and, on the other hand, to the identification of those modalities (technologies) which would lead to the real formation of the described competences.
School must reformulate the activities in the sense of forming and developing fundamental competences: communication competences in the maternal language and in one or two international languages, fundamental competences in mathematics, science and technology; digital competences; axiological competences; competences for the management of personal life and for the evolution in the career; entrepreneurial competences; competences of cultural expression, the long-life learning competence.
One of the issues discussed in this process is the introduction of universal teaching as a means of electronic tablets. in this respect are born a few questions, how prepared are students for e-learning knowledge, how prepared are teachers to teach using these tools, which will be the effects, per long / short.


Magnetisation measurements have been carried out in FexSn1-x amorphous alloys obtained by atomic deposition. A critical composition, xcr approximately=0.4, for the onset of ferromagnetism has been found along with a rapid increase of the magnetisation when x>xcr. Comparison with data previously obtained for FexSi1-x and FexGe1-x amorphous alloys suggests that the onset of magnetic ordering may result from localised interactions; details of the short-range order and chemical correlations might be quite different for Si, Ge and Sn compounds. Temperature dependence of the magnetisation has shown that there is not a well defined Curie temperature in amorphous FexSn1-x which is consistent with magnetic inhomogeneities.


Abstract Patients with personality disorder (PD) experience problems with identity and self-directedness, resulting in a lack of an autobiographical sense of self and of meaning in life. Here we report on a qualitative narrative analysis using a holistic content approach and theoretical thematic analysis to investigate meaning in life in 15 life stories of patients with PD before and after intensive psychotherapy. The seven theoretical themes were purpose, moral worth, self-worth, competence, comprehensibility, connectedness, and spiritual transcendence. The pretreatment life stories mostly concerned tragic lives and problems within the seven themes, but hardly any spiritual transcendence. Being a victim of moral injustice indicated the theme of moral worth. In the post-treatment life stories comprehensibility, self-acceptance and an awareness of existential vulnerability emerged. The presence and/or emergence of the specific meaning in life themes could result from attaining treatment goals that ameliorate personality dysfunction. Here the meaning in life themes of purpose, self-worth, competence, comprehensibility and connectedness are of interest as they also turn up as personality functions in the DSM-5 alternative model for Personality Disorders.


Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is an important layer-structured material for supercapacitors because of its versatile compositions, high theoretical capacitance, environmental friendliness, and low cost. However, the high resistivity of this material results in capacity fading, limiting its application in energy storage. Herein, we develop a facile approach to synthesize ultrathin petal-like NiAl layered double oxide/sulfide (LDO/LDS) composites with high electrochemical activity using a hydrothermal reaction followed by a sulfidation process. Scanning electron micrographs show that the petal-like NiAl LDO/LDS composites are as thin as ∼10 nm with a mean lateral dimension of ∼1 μm. The NiAl LDO/LDS electrode delivers a remarkably high specific capacitance of 2250.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 compared with that of NiAl LDH (1740.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and possesses a good cycling stability of 88.9% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is fabricated using NiAl LDO/LDS and graphene as positive and negative electrodes, respectively. The NiAl LDO/LDS//G ASC exhibits a specific capacitance of 153.3 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, a high energy density of 47.9 W h kg−1 at a power density of 750 W kg−1, and a reliable cycling stability of 95.68% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. The results highlight that NiAl LDO/LDS composites are promising materials for energy storage devices with long cycling stability.


With this study, I want to draw the attention to an on and on appearing problem. The problem is a product of the legislation and thus the solution also ought to be provided by the legislation as soon as possible. In Hungary, the proprietary right of the areas existing in agricultural cultivation branch is protected by statutes since 1994: according to this only Hungarian citizen can be owner of agricultural areas; foreign citizen not (except if inheriting an area of this kind). Firms may acquire proprietary right on agricultural areas only if they deal with agriculture as main activity in a verifiable manner in Hungary for at least 3 years. This restriction is valid till 2011 (possibly 2014). Everyone looks for respectively hunted for the wicket-doors which, however, are associated with a number of risks.


The aim of this work was to investigate in vitro the transdermal permeation of caffeine from a new bioadhesive film, using rabbit ear skin as a barrier. The effects of film composition and of the presence of penetration enhancers in the formulation were studied. The obtained fluxes were compared with those shown by commercial formulations. The results obtained indicate that the bioadhesive film gave rise to a higher transdermal permeation compared to a commercial gel and to a saturated solution of caffeine in water. Additionally, the film did not present the typical time lag of solution and gel. Another peculiar feature of the film is that the percentage of permeated active substance is much higher than that obtained from commercial formulations. Finally, it was possible to modulate caffeine permeation from the film by adding different enhancers/solvents.


A noninvasive technique for studying blood flow dynamics in human skin capillaries is described. A light microscope combined with a closed-circuit TV system was used to monitor and record capillary blood flow velocity on video tape. Arterial pulsations were recorded plethysmographically and converted into video signals by modulating the position of a square, white area in the televised scene. Twelve healthy subjects were studied. The mean (+/- SD) resting capillary blood flow velocity was 0.65 +/- 0.3 mm/s at an average skin temperature of 30.4 +/- 2.3 degrees C. Spontaneous fluctuations at a frequency of 6-10 cycles/min were observed in most subjects. A well-pronounced flow pulsatile component could be demonstrated in all capillaries studied. The technique can be used in clinical practice for studying the physiology and pathophysiology of cutaneous microcirculation in man. It can be expected that the method may become an important diagnostic tool in diseases that involve disturbances of the microcirculation, such as diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.


Abstract To investigate the internal accumulation on Storglaciären, Sweden, we couple a multi-layer snow model to a distributed energy- and mass-balance model. The snow model describes the temperature, density and water-content evolution of the snow/ice pack and includes the processes of percolation and refreezing of water. The model is run for the period 9 May–2 September 1999 and validated against weather station and mass-balance observations on the glacier. The model performs reasonably well, with an average summer mass balance for the location of stake observations of –1.56 m w.e. compared to –1.59 m w.e. observed. However, the amount of melt is overestimated in the higher parts of the accumulation area and underestimated in the lower parts of the ablation area. The modelled mass balance is most sensitive to the albedo parameterization, the chosen momentum and scalar roughness lengths and all parameters related to snowfall. The modelled internal accumulation is +0.25 m w.e., which amounts to about 20% of the winter accumulation and results in a positive net balance for 1999 of +0.23 m w.e. The modelled internal accumulation is most sensitive to the initial subsurface temperature profile and the irreducible water content.


In the context of the Dutch immigration debate, tributes to the Holocaust and the memory of Europe's dead Jews increasingly serve to dismantle multiculturalism as a failed paradigm and to drive a wedge between a revitalized, redeemed, color-blind, post-racial Europe and disenfranchized immigrant, minority and Muslim populations. Embedded in these invocations of the Holocaust and its moral imperatives is a 'spectropolitics' of tolerance, in which tolerance, staged as an essential touchstone of Dutch identity, supplies a differential norm that measures the civilizational and racial disjuncture between Europeans, minorities, and Muslims, and validates the new dual paradigm of Dutch citizenship and immigration policy: securitization and disciplinary integration. The centrality of the Holocaust as paradigmatic of Dutch and European racial history meanwhile sidelines the colonial past as constitutive of European identity; displaces an alternative understanding of race as (bio- and necro-political) instruments of colonial rule; and disavows the continued application of these instruments of racial rule in Dutch and European post-colonial societies.


This paper presents the application of genre pedagogy as an approach to teaching academic reading and writing skills development to a class of undergraduate engineering students. This approach was designed so that it may be applied by core subject teachers in courses with students who typically do not engage well with these aspects of their studies. Our focus was specifically on the A¢â'¬Eœbigger pictureA¢â'¬â"¢ of writing skills development by encouraging students to learn how to analyse for themselves a particular genre from their own discipline, and how to use this knowledge to develop an appropriately academic style in writing their own essay. Our approach involved combining the expertise of subject teacher and linguist in running four workshops in class time during the first half of a semesterised course. These workshops had associated homework tasks, designed incrementally to contribute to studentsA¢â'¬â"¢ understanding and application of the skills they need for academic writing. These were followed by the submission of a written report on the topics covered during the first six weeks of the semester, and was of direct relevance to their degree major. Assessment criteria focused on both technical content and academic literacy. With this integrated approach to literacy and content development it was intended to engage traditionally resistant students with the development of their academic language skills, and also to model a possible approach for the engagement of STEM academics in fostering this academic literacy development. Student participants in this programme agreed that this strategy improved both their writing skills and their understanding of course content.


Fiber optic interferometers and Bragg gratings belong to the group of very precise and sensitive devicesthat allow measuring very small deformation, temperature or vibration changes. The described methodology presentsthe useof a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and Bragg gratings together as a sensor system for detecting and monitoring movement within thedefined perimeter of 2.5×1m. Analyses of the dynamic changes in interferometric patterns were a basis for this method. Also the signal maximum amplitude was measured and compared with the noise background. Perimeter disruptions can be detected by Bragg gratings due to its large deformation sensitivity in transversal or perpendicular directions. The result is then evaluated in the spectral domain. In terms of detected persons it showed very good results. The combination of these sensors was chosen for monitoring both the static and dynamic phenomena. Author's aim is to take advantage of both devices' positive properties. Thus, the system has the abilityto identify people due to frequency analysis in case of interferometers as well as dynamic weighting thanks to Bragg gratings.


Allan Meltzer was one of the leading monetary economists of the twentieth century. Allan was a key player in the debates over Monetarist and Keynesian doctrines as well as the debates over how to conduct monetary policy. He was always a strong advocate for rules-based monetary and lender of last resort policy. A salient part of his contribution was his monumental two volume History of the Federal Reserve 1913 to 1986 (2003 and 2010). In this essay, I present the main arguments of the History and provide an evaluation his contribution.


Print of a poem by Harry B. Hawes. Poem title: "In the Matter of Friendship." Printed on ivory colored paper in black ink. A facsimile of Hawe's signature is at the lower right of the printed poem. Hawes was a democrat from Missouri who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1921-1926. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1926-1933.


As Digital Twins gain more traction and their adoption in industry increases, there is a need to integrate such technology with machine learning features to enhance functionality and enable decision making tasks. This has lead to the emergence of a concept known as Digital Triplet; an enhancement of Digital Twin technology through the addition of an 'intelligent activity layer'. This is a relatively new technology in Industrie 4.0 and research efforts are geared towards exploring its applicability, development and testing of means for implementation and quick adoption. This paper presents the design and implementation of a Digital Triplet for a three-floor elevator system. It demonstrates the integration of a machine learning (ML) object detection model and the system Digital Twin. This was done to introduce an additional security feature that enabled the system to make a decision, based on objects detected and take preliminary security measures. The virtual model was designed in Siemens NX and programmed via Total Integrated Automation (TIA) portal software. The corresponding physical model was fabricated and controlled using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) S7 1200. A control program was developed to mimic the general operations of a typical elevator system used in a commercial building setting. Communication, between the physical and virtual models, was enabled using the OPC-Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) protocol. Object recognition using "You only look once" (YOLOV3) based machine learning algorithm was incorporated. The Digital Triplet's functionality was tested, ensuring the virtual system duplicated actual operations of the physical counterpart through the use of sensor data. Performance testing was done to determine the impact of the ML module on the real-time functionality aspect of the system. Experiment results showed the object recognition contributed an average of 1.083 s to an overall signal travel time of 1.338 s.


A Choice Outstanding Academic Title (2004) In 1821, New York's political leaders met for over two months to rewrite the state's constitution. The new document secured the right to vote for the great mass of white men while denying all but the wealthiest African-American men access to the polls. Jim Crow New York introduces students and scholars alike to this watershed event in American political life. This action crystallized the paradoxes of free black citizenship, not only in the North but throughout the nation: African Americans living in New York would no longer be slaves. But would they be citizens? Jim Crow New York provides readers with both scholarly analysis and access to a series of extraordinary documents, including extensive excerpts from the resonant speeches made at New York's 1821 constitutional convention and additional documents which recover a diversity of voices, from lawmakers to African-American community leaders, from newspaper editors to activists. The text is further enhanced by extensive introductory essays and headnotes, maps, illustrations, and a detailed bibliographic essay.


Water Distribution Systems (WDSs) could be an easy target for accidental or intentional contamination in any city. The lack of reliable, real-time specific microbial and chemical contamination monitoring raises major public concerns as delayed detection accelerates the fast growth of the public health risk. In this context, the proposed research aims to develop, adapt and demonstrate the technical feasibility of smart Bio-Sensing & Information Management (Bio-SIM) that will effectively enable water operators to ensure smart water monitoring and quasi real-time quality control for early contamination detection and preemptive warning. Facing a lack of labeled data, numerical simulations with engineering models (EPANET-MSX) have been adopted to produce synthetic data for pattern recognition of the effect of bio-contamination on chemical and physical water parameters (e.g. pH, TOC, turbidity and free chlorine). Statistical and stochastic models enabled non-specific bio-anomaly detection, based on pattern recognition of Chlorscan data and selected parameters that can be monitored simultaneously online using multi-parameter sensors (e.g. s::can). The results were compared with laboratory model tests and numerical simulations. This paper outlines the main results of the feasibility assessment of the Bio-SIM prototype system for early bio-contamination detection, which is expected to significantly contribute to alleviating consumers' bio/chemical contamination risks.


Background: Several epidemiological studies have reported decreased risk of advanced prostate cancer among men using statins, a widely used group of cholesterol-lowering drugs. The association is possibly linked to serum LDL reduction during statin therapy. We studied in vitro the importance of LDL on growth of normal and cancerous prostate epithelial cells and evaluated its association with growth reducing effect of simvastatin. Methods: Four normal prostatic epithelial cell lines (P96E, P97E, PWR-1E, RWPE-1) and two cancer cell lines (LNCaP and VCaP) were grown in cholesterol-free conditions. Cells were treated with 1 µg/ml, 15 µg/ml or 50 µg/ml LDL, 100 nM or 10 µM simvastatin and/or 100 µM mevalonate for seven days. Cellular growth rate was measured with crystal violet staining. Results: In normal epithelial cells, 1 µg/ml and 15 µg/ml LDL did not have marked effect on cell growth, while 50 µg/ml LDL had a growth reducing effect. Conversely, in cancer cells cellular growth was stimulated in direct correlation with LDL concentration. Simvastatin at 100 nM concentration caused clear growth reduction in normal epithelial cells, and 10 µM simvastatin had a cytotoxic effect. Growth reduction by 100 nM simvastatin was attenuated by increasing LDL concentrations, the effect being completely reversed by 15 µg/ml LDL. However, the cytotoxic effect of 10 µM simvastatin could not be reversed by LDL alone, but required combination of 100 µM mevalonate and 15 µg/ml LDL. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the importance of LDL for prostate cancer cell growth. The growth reducing effect of simvastatin depends on the level of extracellular LDL. Our study supports the epidemiological studies suggesting that statins' prostate cancer risk reducing effects depend on LDL reduction. Hypercholesterolemia could be a prostate cancer risk factor. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):A35.


This is the published version, also available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1090/S0002-9939-96-03016-X. First published in Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. in 1996, published by the American Mathematical Society.


Abstract Background. A challenge for emergency medical service (EMS) is accurate identification of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) for immediate treatment and transport. The electrocardiograph-based acute cardiac ischemia time-insensitive predictive instrument (ACI-TIPI) and the thrombolytic predictive instrument (TPI) have been shown to improve diagnosis and treatment in emergency departments (EDs), but their use by paramedics in the community has been less studied. Objective. To identify candidates for participation in the Immediate Myocardial Metabolic Enhancement During Initial Assessment and Treatment in Emergency Care (IMMEDIATE) Trial, we implemented EMS use of the ACI-TIPI and the TPI in out-of-hospital electrocardiographs and evaluated its impact on paramedic on-site identification of ACS and STEMI as a community-based approach to improving emergency cardiac care. Methods. Ambulances in the study municipalities were outfitted with electrocardiographs with ACI-TIPI and TPI software. Using a before–after quasi-experimental design, in Phase 1, for seven months, paramedics were provided with the ACI-TIPI/TPI continuous 0–100% predictions automatically printed on electrocardiogram (ECG) text headers to supplement their identification of ACS; in Phase 2, for 11 months, paramedics were told to identify ACS based on an ACI-TIPI cutoff probability of ACS ≥ 75% and/or TPI detection of STEMI. In Phase 3, this cutoff approach was used in seven additional municipalities. Confirmed diagnoses of ACS, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and STEMI were made by blinded physician review for 100% of patients. Results. In Phase 1, paramedics identified 107 patients as having ACS; in Phase 2, 104. In Phase 1, 45.8% (49) of patients so identified had ACS confirmed, which increased to 76.0% (79) in Phase 2 (p < 0.001). Of those with ACS, 59.2% (29) had AMI in Phase 1 versus 84.8% (67) with AMI in Phase 2 (p < 0.01), and STEMI was confirmed in 40.8% (20) versus 68.4% (54), respectively (p < 0.01). In Phase 3, of 226 patients identified by paramedics as having ACS, 74.3% (168) had ACS confirmed, of whom 81.0% (136) had AMI and 65.5% (110) had STEMI. Among patients with ACS, the proportion who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was 30.6% (15) in Phase 1, increasing to 57.0% (45) in Phase 2 (p < 0.004) and 50.6% (85) in Phase 3, and the proportions of patients with STEMI receiving PCI rose from 75.0% (15) to 83.3% (45) (p < 0.4) and 82.7% (91). Conclusions. In a wide range of EMS systems, use of electrocardiographs with ACI-TIPI and TPI decision support using a 75% ACI-TIPI cutoff improves paramedic diagnostic performance for ACS, AMI, and STEMI and increases the proportions of patients who receive PCI. Key words: acute coronary syndromes; acute myocardial infarction; electrocardiology; emergency medical service; clinical decision support.


This paper covered a series of key points in terms of 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion. A successfully applied stereoscopic conversion approach in current visual effects industry was presented. The purpose of this paper is to cover a detailed workflow and concept, which has been successfully used in 3D stereoscopic conversion for feature films in visual effects industry, and therefore to clarify the process in stereoscopic conversion production and provide a clear idea for those entry-level artists to improve an overall understanding of 3D stereoscopic in digital compositing field as well as to the higher education factor of visual effects and hopefully inspire further collaboration and participants particularly between academia and industry. Keywords—Clean plates, Mattes, Stereoscopic conversion, 3D projection, Z-depth.


Abstract Astronauts are exposed to high-energy cosmic radiation which may have harmful health effects. At the altitude of the International Space Station (ISS), the main radiation sources are Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs), Solar Particle Events (SPEs) and trapped protons of the Van Allen Belts. The radiation field mainly consists of protons, helium nuclei and heavy ions with energies up to hundreds of GeV/n. A powerful approach to determine the effect of space radiation on astronauts is microdosimetry. The Centre for Medical Radiation Physics is active in the development of Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) microdosimeters, as an alternative to Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPCs) for radiation protection purposes. SOI microdosimeters are portable and do not require a high-voltage power supply. They consist of a matrix of silicon Sensitive Volumes (SV), which mimic the dimensions of biological cells. In this study, we investigated for the first time the response of the 3D "Mushroom" microdosimeter, a type of SOI microdosimeter in the Columbus module of the ISS. Tissue-equivalent microdosimetric spectra of GCRs, SPEs, and trapped protons were obtained to estimate the dose equivalent delivered to the astronauts. Results demonstrate a non-negligible production of secondary particles due to the propagation of space radiation through the wall of the Columbus and the microdosimeter. A number of heavy ions were detected with high lineal energies, these events pose a significant hazard in terms of radiation protection. Moreover, the dose evaluation shows a good agreement with experimental data found in the literature, confirming the suitability of our Geant4 model and the feasibility of using the SOI microdosimeter for ISS astronauts' personal dosimetry. Astronauts are exposed to high-energy cosmic radiation which may have harmful health effects. At the altitude of the International Space Station (ISS), the main radiation sources are Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs), Solar Particle Events (SPEs) and trapped protons of the Van Allen Belts. The radiation field mainly consists of protons, helium nuclei and heavy ions with energies up to hundreds of GeV/n. A powerful approach to determine the effect of space radiation on astronauts is microdosimetry. The Centre for Medical Radiation Physics is active in the development of Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) microdosimeters, as an alternative to Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPCs) for radiation protection purposes. SOI microdosimeters are portable and do not require a high-voltage power supply. They consist of a matrix of silicon Sensitive Volumes (SV), which mimic the dimensions of biological cells. In this study, we investigated for the first time the response of the 3D "Mushroom" microdosimeter, a type of SOI microdosimeter in the Columbus module of the ISS. Tissue-equivalent microdosimetric spectra of GCRs, SPEs, and trapped protons were obtained to estimate the dose equivalent delivered to the astronauts. Results demonstrate a non-negligible production of secondary particles due to the propagation of space radiation through the wall of the Columbus and the microdosimeter. A number of heavy ions were detected with high lineal energies, these events pose a significant hazard in terms of radiation protection. Moreover, the evaluation shows good agreement experimental confirming the suitability of our Geant4 model and the feasibility of using the SOI microdosimeter for ISS astronauts' personal dosimetry.


The burden of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases worldwide is staggering. The emergence of systems approaches in biology promises new therapies, faster and cheaper diagnostics, and personalized medicine. However, a profound understanding of pathogenic mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels remains a fundamental requirement for discovery and therapeutics. Animal models of human disease are cornerstones of drug discovery as they allow identification of novel pharmacological targets by linking gene function with pathogenesis. The zebrafish model has been used for decades to study development and pathophysiology. More than ever, the specific strengths of the zebrafish model make it a prime partner in an age of discovery transformed by big-data approaches to genomics and disease. Zebrafish share a largely conserved physiology and anatomy with mammals. They allow a wide range of genetic manipulations, including the latest genome engineering approaches. They can be bred and studied with remarkable speed, enabling a range of large-scale phenotypic screens. Finally, zebrafish demonstrate an impressive regenerative capacity scientists hope to unlock in humans. Here, we provide a comprehensive guide on applications of zebrafish to investigate cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. We delineate advantages and limitations of zebrafish models of human disease and summarize their most significant contributions to understanding disease progression to date.


A SLE course has been analyzed retrospectively in pregnancy and after delivery for 34 patients (44 pregnancies). Aggravation of the disease was registered in 6 cases (13.5%). Only two of them received prophylactic corticosteroid maintenance. Two SLE patients with unaffected kidneys had no pregnancy-related SLE exacerbations though they developed nephropathy of the pregnant. After delivery the disease aggravated in 12 patients (27.3%). Five patients had moderate exacerbations within half a year after the delivery, seven patients developed severe exacerbations within 3-11 postnatal months. Five out of seven women presented nephrotic syndrome. One of the patients died of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Three women had renal damage after the delivery as initial condition. SLE exacerbations were reported more frequently in young patients (under 30, in 15 of 31 pregnancies) than in older ones (over 30, in 3 of 13 pregnancies). Postnatal SLE aggravations can be prevented by large doses of prednisolone (20-30 mg/day) administered for 2-3 weeks.


Gridding is a method of interpolating irregularly sampled data on to a uniform grid and is a critical image reconstruction step in several applications which operate on non-Cartesian sampled data. In this paper, we present an algorithm-architecture co-design framework for accelerating gridding using FPGAs. We present a parameterized hardware library for accelerating gridding to support both arbitrary and regular trajectories. We further describe our kernel automation framework which supports several kernel functions through look-up-table (LUT) based Taylor polynomial evaluation. This framework is integrated using an in-house multi-FPGA development platform which provides hardware infrastructure for integrating custom accelerators. Design-space exploration is enabled by an automation flow which allows system generation from an algorithm specification. We further provide several case studies by realizing systems for nonuniform fast Fourier transform (NuFFT) with different parameter sets and porting them on to the BEE3 platform. Results show speedups of more than 16X and 2X over existing CPU and FPGA implementations respectively, and up to 5.5 times higher performance-per-watt over a comparable GPU implementation.


A liquid droplet impacting on a solvophobic surface normally rebounds. The rebound is suppressed by a small amount of dissolved polymer. In this work, using multi-body dissipative particle dynamics simulations, two anti-rebound mechanisms, the slow-retraction and the slow-hopping mechanisms, are identified. Which of them dominates depends on the polymer-surface attraction strength. However, these two mechanisms do not exclude each other but may coexist. During the droplet rebound, the surface-adsorbed polymer acts in two ways: the adsorbed beads mediate the solvent-surface interactions, and the highly stretching unadsorbed polymer segment exerts a retraction force on the liquid. Both actions increase the friction against retraction and the resistance against hopping. We also investigate the effects of the molecular weight and the concentration of the polymer additive, the droplet size, and the impact velocity on the rebound tendency. As the first work to provide a microscopic explanation of the anti-rebound mechanism by polymer additives, this study allows better understanding of wetting behavior by polymer-solution droplets.


The King's Fund is an independent charitable foundation working for better health, especially in London. We carry out research, policy analysis and development activities, working on our own, in partnerships, and through funding. We are a major resource to people working in health, offering leadership development programmes; seminars and workshops; publications; information and library services; and conference and meeting facilities. Working paper


In 1779, Felice Fontana, using a six-power hand-held magnifying lens, described what appeared to be spiral bands surrounding the peripheral nerve. He hypothesized that these bands were due to an optical illusion related to the underlying undulations of the individual nerve fibers, which he was the first to observe with an early microscope. The present study examines the historical basis of Fontana's work, confirms with intrafascicular dissection that the bands are an illusion created by unstretched nerve fibers, and relates their clinical disappearance to current concepts of the pathophysiology of chronic nerve compression and nerve injury.


Norman Newsletter | Issue 4 | May 2008 Copies can be obtained at http://www.norman-network.net OR www.emerging-pollutants.net |1| The aim of the activities of the NORMAN network is to enhance the exchange of information on emerging environmental substances, and to encourage the validation and harmonisation of common measurement methods and monitoring tools so that the requirements of risk assessors and risk managers can be better met. The NORMAN newsletter is for everyone interested in emerging substances in the environment. This newsletter keeps you up to date on scientific advances in this area and highlights the activities and events of the EU NORMAN Network. NEWSLETTER Network of reference laboratories for monitoring of emerging environmental pollutants


Following you will find a brief description of the book done, as accorded with Alessandro De Stefano, to publish in Int Tinnitus J Vertigo: Diagnosis and Management of Jaypee Brother Publisher, is a new book in the field of vestibular disorders. This publication includes several topics ranging from anatomy of vestibular system to the rehabilitation after a vestibular disease. The book, edited by Dr. Francesco Dispenza and Dr. Alessandro De Stefano, had the contribution of about 30 Professors worldwide, experts in the fields of vertigo. The first part of the book includes the information about anatomy, physiology of vestibular system and general approach to the dizzy patients, with a window on epidemiology of such disease. The section about the instrumental diagnosis give to the reader the latest tools to evaluate the vestibular system. The book follow a line through the most important diseases of the vestibular system, including Meniere's disease, BPPV and a section dedicated to childhood vertigo. About therapy, this book have a section regarding the medical treatment followed by the rehabilitation program that was reported in a very detailed way. In conclusion, with his 20 chapters and more than 1000 references cited, this book will be useful for those who want approach the dizzy patients in the most complete way


Using Monte Carlo methods together with the bootstrap critical values, we have studied the properties of two tests (Trace and Lmax), derived by Johansen (1988) for testing for cointegration in VAR systems. Regarding the size of the tests, the results show that both of the test methods perform satisfactorily when there are mixed stationary and nonstationary components in the model. The analyses of the power functions indicate that both of the test methods can effectively detect the presence of cointegration vector(s). Finally, when considering the size and power properties, we could not find any noticeable differences between the two test methods.


Copyright offers protection to creative works, but new technologies put pressure on that protection. Copyright owners and technology firms negotiate over new ways of distributing and transmitting creative works. Understanding the shadow that copyright casts on private negotiations will allow policy makers to better design the statute in a way that encourages more competition, diversity, and transactional efficiency in markets for digital goods. Prime examples of copyright licensing negotiations are the attempts to license digital music services over the past decade. In this Article we present the first qualitative and quantitative data about the licensing process for on-demand music streaming services, gleaned from confidential interviews with executives and attorneys. We report our findings about the time it takes to license a nascent service, if negotiations succeed; the number of record labels and publishers with which new music services typically deal; the general processes through which these licenses evolve; and how changes in the law over the period may have affected the dynamics of these negotiations. We find that copyright law, alongside business practices and professional attitudes, sets complex background rules for these private licensing negotiations. Copyright shapes, constrains, and also presents opportunities for innovation.


The ability of the Model 3320 aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) to make accurate mass-weighted size distribution measurements was investigated. Significant errors were observed in APS size distribution measurements with measured mass median aerodynamic diameters (MMADs) as much as 17 times higher than from cascade impactor measurements. Analysis of APS correlated time-of-flight and light scattering data indicated that the MMAD distortions were due to a few anomalous large particle measurements (∼0.1% of the total measurements) with surprisingly low scattered light. Computational fluid dynamics modeling indicated that these anomalous measurements were due to particles that deviated from the intended aerosol pathway and recirculated through the APS measurement volume at low velocities leading to erroneous large particle measurements. A technique for removing erroneous measurements based on correlated aerodynamic diameter and light scattering values is presented. When this technique was used, APS and cascade impactor size distribution measurements agreed well.


Among the diversity of drug delivery systems for controlled release, supramolecular gels have recently attracted significant attention due to their biocompatibility and self-healing properties. Supramolecular gels consist of small organic molecules that self-assemble though non-covalent interactions into fibrillar networks that entrap high volumes of solvent (for hydrogels, water). This reversible nature of the interactions that holds the solid phase together is responsible for the dynamic nature of these materials and their responsiveness to multiple external stimuli. The presence of a third (or more) components in the system, apart from the gelator and the solvent, can bring major changes in the properties of the final gels, especially when large biomolecules are encapsulated such as proteins and nucleic acids. These changes are attributed to the interactions occurring among gelator, solvent and encapsulated molecule and it would be expected that any parameter that can affect these interactions can change the properties of the materials. This brings the focus of this work herein on the gelator/encapsulated component interface and the interactions occurring. We start with mechanistic investigations of the principles that govern the gel formation for a 2'-deoxycytidine-based gelator, describing the nanoarchitecture of the solid phase; a network of entangled fibres consisting of a hydrophobic core that generate hydrophilic cavities around them where the solvent mostly resides. On a higher level of complexity, we move on to studying the interactions on simple interfaces between gel and simple chemical functionalities and the effect that these chemical functionalities have on the properties of the self-assembled structures. The property of hydrophobicity and the presence of aromatic nuclei were found to directly affect the supramolecular structures formed. More specifically, the surface properties Polar Surface Area (PSA) and the logP linearly relate with the formation of fibre bundles (fibre aggregation); higher fibre bundle radii are obtained as PSA increases and log P decreases. Additionally, the presence of an aromatic ring leads to higher fibre bundle diameters. Finally, we encapsulate molecules with different properties (a small hydrophobic dye, 1,1'-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-Tetramethylindocarbocyanine Perchlorate, and different proteins, insulin, lysozyme, β-lactoglobulin and Bovine Serum Albumin) into the supramolecular gels to identify the fibre/encapsulated molecule interactions as well as mechanistically elucidate the in vivo and in vitro release behaviour of these composite systems. The encapsulated molecules were found to directly interact with the fibres through non-covalent interactions (π-π stacking was identified) rather than get physically entrapped and they were released following the gel's erosion, maintaining their functionality, as demonstrated for insulin and lysozyme. A range of experimental techniques (and molecular dynamic simulations) are used, demonstrating the complementarity of different types of information that need to be accessed to ultimately gain a complete understanding.


In the middle of the last century many people believed that the living resources of the sea were inexhaustible and that Man by his puny efforts could not influence them to any material extent. At that time fishing was ill-developed. Trawling was limited to the use of the beam trawl, but with the introduction of steam for propulsion of fishing vessels and the hauling of nets, as well as the otter trawl, the intensity of fishing increased to such an extent that many scientists began seriously to doubt the idea of the inexhaustibility of the seas.


We have developed a mouse model of atherosclerotic plaque regression in which an atherosclerotic aortic arch from a hyperlipidemic donor is transplanted into a normolipidemic recipient, resulting in rapid elimination of cholesterol and monocyte-derived macrophage cells (CD68+) from transplanted vessel walls. To gain a comprehensive view of the differences in gene expression patterns in macrophages associated with regressing compared with progressing atherosclerotic plaque, we compared mRNA expression patterns in CD68+ macrophages extracted from plaque in aortic aches transplanted into normolipidemic or into hyperlipidemic recipients. In CD68+ cells from regressing plaque we observed that genes associated with the contractile apparatus responsible for cellular movement (e.g. actin and myosin) were up-regulated whereas genes related to cell adhesion (e.g. cadherins, vinculin) were down-regulated. In addition, CD68+ cells from regressing plaque were characterized by enhanced expression of genes associated with an anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage phenotype, including arginase I, CD163 and the C-lectin receptor. Our analysis suggests that in regressing plaque CD68+ cells preferentially express genes that reduce cellular adhesion, enhance cellular motility, and overall act to suppress inflammation.


The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the contribution of trade liberalisation to differences in the level of prosperity across nations. We compare this with the relative contribution of institutional capacity to prosperity, as well as the role of human capital accumulation in that respect. We employ several concepts of institutional quality, trade policy and openness variables following various definitions prevalent in the literature. Unlike in the comparable study by Rodrik et al (2004) we have (a) included a role for human capital, (b) employed six institutional variables compared to one only in Rodrik et al (rule of law), (c) included trade policy variables, and not just openness indicators and (d) expanded the set of openness measures employed. We discover that opening up domestic markets to foreign competition by removing trade restrictions and barriers may be good for economic performance. Secondly, developing human capital is as important as superior institutional functioning for economic wellbeing. We find that openness counts for little per se in explaining income differences across countries. This is because it is an outcome and not a cause. Trade policies, and liberalisation, on the other hand, are not insignificant in explaining cross-country per-capita income variation. With regard to trade policies, export taxes are the most important in explaining cross-country per-capita income differences.


Pay arrangements for managers of public corporations typically include substantial amounts of compensation deferred through non-qualified retirement plans. As a departure from the familiar baseline of current payment for current services, this presents a longstanding puzzle. The corporate-governance literature offers two explanations for the practice. The "optimal-contracting account" argues that non-qualified retirement pay represents "inside debt" that aligns the interests of managers with the interests of the corporation's unsecured general creditors. The "managerial-power account" argues that non-qualified retirement pay represents "stealth compensation" that facilitates managers' extraction of rents from corporate assets. In this paper, I set out a different explanation based on tax considerations. Specifically, I argue that corporations and managers use non-qualified retirement pay to supplement the benefits under tax-qualified retirement plans, to substitute lower corporate marginal tax rates for higher individual marginal tax rates on certain types of investment income, to avoid the $1 million limitation on corporate compensation deductions, and to avoid state income taxes. The tax account is at least as strong as the other two accounts in explaining the motivation for the basic decision to defer manager compensation and is superior to the other two accounts in explaining the contractual terms of non-qualified retirement plans.


Introduction Clinical response to thiopurines is dependent on the concentration of its active metabolite, 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN).1 Dosing is, however, unpredictable because the concentration of 6-TGN is dependent on thiopurine methyl transferase (TPMT) activity, an enzyme with common genetic polymorphisms. Because metabolite monitoring is not commonplace in the UK, some clinicians use proxy measures to assess response to thiopurines. We aim to evaluate how measuring thioguanine metabolites measurement influences clinical practice. Methods Thiopurine metabolites were measured in children who had been on medication for 3 months or more. For each measurement, data were collected on dosage, disease severity, concomitant use of 5-ASA, haematological and biochemical indices, and changes to management. Therapeutic 6-TGN levels were defined as 235–400 pmol/8×108 RBCs. Toxicity is defined as WBC <4×10 mm, neutrophils <2×10 mm, and AST/ALT >2× elevated. Result 64 individuals studied, median age 14 years. Underlying diagnoses were "IBD" (54/64) and "other" (10/64). 59 treated with AZA, 5 with 6-MP. 95 separate measurements were made. TPMT phenotype was measured in 51/64 patients,40/51 had "normal" phenotype, and 11/51 had heterozygous TPMT mutations. Initial 6-TGN levels were higher in heterozygotes (median levels 836 vs 328, p=0.001) at comparable doses of thiopurine (median 1.9 vs 2.2 mg/kg, p=0.11). On first measurement, only 30% patients had 6-TGN levels within therapeutic levels. 30% were subtherapeutic and 40% were supra-therapeutic. 9% had 6-TGN levels >800. Toxicity occurred in 8 cases (9%). Leucopaenia (WBC<4) had a sensitivity of 12.5% in predicting supra-therapeutic 6-TGN levels. Concomitant use of 5-ASA did not significantly affect 6-TGN levels at comparable doses (median (6-TGN) "5-ASA" 393 vs 451 "no 5-ASA", p=0.26). In total, management was changed in 39 cases (41%). 6 cases of total non-compliance were exposed. 33/39 of these changes were adjudged to be exclusively or predominantly influenced by knowledge of the 6-TGN level. Conclusion Based on standard dosing regimens, clinicians can expect to achieve therapeutic levels of 6-TGN in a minority of cases. Measuring Thiopurine metabolites aids therapeutic dose alteration, detects potential toxicity, and identifies issues of non-compliance that cannot be detected on routine blood monitoring.


The implementation of eco-labelling schemes for agricultural and food products may represent an opportunity to enhance production technologies compatible with the sustainable economic approach. The paper presents an attempt to design a comprehensive methodological framework in which the consumer behaviour change is the driving force for redirecting the market, the production, and the international trade. This approach focuses on the specification of the most relevant variables necessary to implement a simplified, but comprehensive analysis, from which it is possible to proceeding to a broad estimate of the changes in terms of consumption patterns, revenue distribution, import and export, and natural resources consumption. On a theoretical basis, the framework highlights that the most relevant conservation effect on natural resources, occurs when the eco-labelling schemes are enforced by two countries, under a market regime of free trade. On the contrary, if only one country adopts the schemes, then the effect is negligible.


Welding is an introductory core subject that is taught in every mechanical engineering programs at all polytechnics in Malaysia. Normally students will learn the theoretical concepts of welding in the class followed by instruction based training in the workshop.   However, students have difficulty to follow everything that has been taught in the class in a limited time. Welding is dangerous for beginners and the welding environments are harmful and injurious to the health. In this paper, we introduce Mobile Arc Welding Learning (MAWL) app, a new approach for learning arc welding that incorporates mobile technology and enhanced with augmented reality (AR). The aim of this app is to enhance the contents used in arc welding learning materials used in the conventional learning by visualizing the information through the use of text, images, videos and 3D models. The MAWL app covers topics related to safety in welding, components of welding and steps in welding. The students can use the app to learn about welding on their own anytime and anywhere. The potential of using the MAWL app for welding learning among the polytechnic students has been investigated, specifically focusing on ease of use, learnability, satisfaction, usefulness, motivation and engagement. The results of the evaluation indicate that the users strongly agreed on ease of use, learnability, satisfaction, usefulness and motivation, while they agreed on engagement. These prove that the MAWL app has the potential to contribute to students' welding learning through interactive and accessible information that satisfies them.