Gene association analysis of cancer microarray data provides a wealth of information on gene expression patterns and cancer pathways to enhance the identification of potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic responsiveness. However, achieving these biological/clinical objectives relies heavily on the functional capabilities and accuracy of the various analytical tools to mine these cancer microarray gene expression profiles. Many preprocessing algorithms exist for analyzing Affymetrix microarray gene expression data. Previous studies have evaluated these algorithms on their capabilities in accurately determining gene expression using a variety of spike-in as well as experimental data sets. However, variations in detecting differentially expressed genes between these different pre-processing algorithms on a single cancer dataset have not been done in a systems-level evaluation. In this study, we assessed the comparability and the level of variation between PLIER, GCRMA, RMA and MAS5 for their capability to detect differentially expressed genes.


This paper presents the numerical study on the hydrodynamic coefficients of the submarine hull form "DARPA SUBOFF" when deeply submerged and near the free surface when travelling straight ahead and at a range of drift angles. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based numerical model was validated with experimental data existing in the public domain for the SUBOFF, travelling over a range of drift angles when deeply submerged at a constant speed and in a straight line near the free surface over a range of speeds. The free surface effect on the hydrodynamic behaviour of the SUBOFF was then investigated throughout a range of speeds, drift angles and submergence depths. Results show that the effects of the free surface diminish rapidly with submergence and the near free surface hydrodynamic behaviour of the SUBOFF is highly Froude number dependent.


Sketching or doodling is a popular creative activity that people engage in. However, most existing work in automatic sketch understanding or generation has focused on sketches that are quite mundane. In this work, we introduce two datasets of creative sketches -- Creative Birds and Creative Creatures -- containing 10k sketches each along with part annotations. We propose DoodlerGAN -- a part-based Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) -- to generate unseen compositions of novel part appearances. Quantitative evaluations as well as human studies demonstrate that sketches generated by our approach are more creative and of higher quality than existing approaches. In fact, in Creative Birds, subjects prefer sketches generated by DoodlerGAN over those drawn by humans! Our code can be found at this https URL and a demo can be found at this http URL.


The aim of this study was to investigate the tourists' level of satisfaction concerning different factors at two ski destinations in Sweden in order to find key attributes that can create tourism development in the region. At the destinations, tourists are co-creators of value and it is therefore important to take their opinions into account. The data was collected by quantitative questionnaires consisting of 40 attributes that were graded on a Likert scale from 1 to 6. The questionnaire was handed out and responded by 373 tourists at the selected ski destinations. For most of the attributes the results indicate that tourists are satisfied with the performance of the tourist service providers at the destination. There are five attributes on each of the destinations that need further development in order to improve the overall experience of the destination. The result can be used for tourist producers in order to develop the destinations by addressing the issues raised by tourists. It is not only important for the tourists with the ski experience but also other attractions and offers at the destination that contribute to the overall experience.


Effective isolation of tritium (3H) and other contaminants at waste‐burial facilities requires improved understanding of transport processes and pathways. Previous studies documented an anomalously widespread (i.e., theoretically unexpected) distribution of 3H (>400 m from burial trenches) in a dry, sub‐root‐zone gravelly layer (1–2‐m depth) adjacent to a low‐level radioactive waste (LLRW) burial facility in the Amargosa Desert, Nevada, that closed in 1992. The objectives of this study were to: (i) characterize long‐term, spatiotemporal variability of 3H plumes; and (ii) quantify the processes controlling 3H behavior in the sub‐root‐zone gravelly layer beneath native vegetation adjacent to the facility. Geostatistical methods, spatial moment analyses, and mass flux calculations were applied to a spatiotemporally comprehensive, 10‐yr data set (2001–2011). Results showed minimal bulk‐plume advancement during the study period and limited Fickian spreading of mass. Observed spreading rates were generally consistent with theoretical vapor‐phase dispersion. The plume mass diminished more rapidly than would be expected from radioactive decay alone, indicating net efflux from the plume. Estimates of upward 3H efflux via diffusive‐vapor movement were >10× greater than by dispersive‐vapor or total‐liquid movement. Total vertical fluxes were >20× greater than lateral diffusive‐vapor fluxes, highlighting the importance of upward migration toward the land surface. Mass‐balance calculations showed that radioactive decay and upward diffusive‐vapor fluxes contributed the majority of plume loss. Results indicate that plume losses substantially exceeded any continuing 3H contribution to the plume from the LLRW facility during 2001 to 2011 and suggest that the widespread 3H distribution resulted from transport before 2001.


IZA DP No. 13627 AUGUST 2020 The Effect of Hosting 3.4 Million Refugees on the Health System in Turkey and Infant, Child, and Elderly Mortality among Natives* As of the end of 2017, 3.4 million Syrian refugees lived in Turkey. These refugees left a country where the health system was completely broken. Several studies report that Syrian refugees faced numerous diseases during their exodus, brought certain infectious diseases to the hosting communities, and have a high incidence of health care utilization. Moreover, they have much higher fertility rates than natives (5.3 to 2.3). We examine the effect of Syrian refugees on the health infrastructure in Turkey and on natives' mortality—with a focus on infant, child, and elderly mortality. Our OLS results yield suggestive evidence of a negative effect of the refugee shock on infant and child mortality. However, we find that this is a result of endogenous settlement patterns of refugees. Once we account for the endogeneity using a plausibly exogenous instrument, we find no evidence of an effect on native mortality for any age group. We also analyze the pressure that the refugees put on the health care services in Turkey, as well as the government's response, to understand our findings on mortality outcomes. JEL Classification: H51, I18, J13, J15, O15


This study provides information on the structure of the consumer demand for meat group (1950-51 to 2004-2005) in Pakistan. Nonparametric tests were used on the data set to check the consistency of the data with the theory of revealed preferences, e.g. the Afriat inequalities, GARP and the condition of weak separability. We started with 26 different consumer commodities and employed nonparametric tests to the different groups of commodities. But all other groups except meat group showed violations of generalized axiom of revealed preferences (GARP). So we limited our analysis only to meat group. It was found that there was no violation of GARP in our data set and hence consistent with Afriat inequalities. The data set also met the condition of weak separability. These test procedures imply that the data could have been generated by stable preferences. Furthermore, the existence and the nature of the structural change is checked by using GARP. Tests of structural change do support a shift in demand for fish in 1991-92.


Ascites is the most common of the major complications of cirrhosis. The initial evaluation of a patient with ascites should include a history, physical evaluation and some investigations. Treatment should consist of treating the underlying liver disease, sodium restricted diet (2 g of Na+/day) and diuretics. This regimen is effective in 90% of patients. The treatment options for the diuretic resistant patients include serial therapeutic paracentesis, peritoneovenous shunting, TIPS and liver transplantation. The treatment and prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis which is a frequent and severe complication in cirrhotic patients with ascites is also important. The differential diagnosis with secondary bacterial peritonitis is essential because the latter usually does not resolve unless patients are surgically treated.


Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not melatonin is an effective treatment for sleep problems in Autism. Study Design: Review of three English language, randomized controlled blinded trials published within peer-reviewed journals from 2006-2010 evaluating the efficacy of Melatonin as an oral sleep supplement in diagnosed autistic children. Data Sources: A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial; a randomized controlled crossover trial; and a randomized controlled trial found using Cochrane, PubMed, and DynaMed. Outcomes Measured: Total night's sleep duration, number of awakenings, and sleep latency time were all measured using both sleep diaries, completed by the parents or caregivers, as well as Actiwatch, a device worn to measure the activity of a participant. Common side effects of Melatonin were measured using a Side Effects Questionnaire (SEQ). Results: Wirojanan et al. 2008 reported night sleep duration was longer on Melatonin than placebo by 21 minutes (p=0.02). Wright et al. 2010 reported a significant difference between Melatonin and placebo in total sleep by an average of 52.3 minutes (p=0.002). Garstang et al. 2006 reported an increase from 8.05h to 9.84h total sleep duration. Wirojanan et al. 2008 and Wright et al. 2010 reported no significant difference in number of night awakenings. Garstang et al. 2006 reported a difference between 0.35 baseline to 0.08 with Melatonin. Wirojanan et al. 2008 reported a mean sleep-onset latency shorter by 28 minutes (p=0.0001). Wright et al. 2010 reported an improvement of sleep latency by an average of 47 min (p=0.004). Garstang et al. 2006 reported a difference in sleep latency from 2.6h baseline to 1.06h with use of Melatonin. Wright et al. 2010 reported no significant side effects in the SEQ. Conclusion: The results of the three studies presented evidence that the use of Melatonin to improve sleep problems in children with Autism is a safe and effective treatment option. While there is no significant improvement in the number of times a child awakens during the night, there is statistical significance to show using Melatonin improves sleep latency and total night's sleep.


Abstract The equatorial segment of the acrosome underlies the domain of the sperm that fuses with the egg membrane during fertilization. Equatorial segment protein (ESP), a novel 349-amino acid concanavalin-A-binding protein encoded by a two-exon gene (SP-ESP) located on chromosome 15 at q22, has been localized to the equatorial segment of ejaculated human sperm. Light microscopic immunofluorescent observations revealed that during acrosome biogenesis ESP first appears in the nascent acrosomal vesicle in early round spermatids and subsequently segregates to the periphery of the expanding acrosomal vesicle, thereby defining a peripheral equatorial segment compartment within flattened acrosomal vesicles and in the acrosomes of early and late cap phase, elongating, and mature spermatids. Electron microscopic examination revealed that ESP segregates to an electron-lucent subdomain of the condensing acrosomal matrix in Golgi phase round spermatids and persists in a similar electron-lucent subdomain within cap phase spermatids. Subsequently, ESP was localized to electron-dense regions of the equatorial segment and the expanded equatorial bulb in elongating spermatids and mature sperm. ESP is the earliest known protein to be recognized as a marker for the specification of the equatorial segment, and it allows this region to be traced through all phases of acrosomal biogenesis. Based on these observations, we propose a new model of acrosome biogenesis in which the equatorial segment is defined as a discrete domain within the acrosomal vesicle as early as the Golgi phase of acrosome biogenesis.


A theory is developed for the T=0 Mott-Hubbard insulating phases of the infinite-dimensional Hubbard model at half-filling, including both the antiferromagnetic (AF) and paramagnetic (P) insulators. Local moments are introduced explicitly from the outset, enabling ready identification of the dominant low energy scales for insulating spin- flip excitations. Dynamical coupling of single-particle processes to the spin-flip excitations leads to a renormalized self-consistent description of the single-particle propagators that is shown to be asymptotically exact in strong coupling, for both the AF and P phases. For the AF case, the resultant theory is applicable over the entire U-range, and is discussed in some detail. For the P phase, we consider in particular the destruction of the Mott insulator, the resultant critical behaviour of which is found to stem inherently from proper inclusion of the spin-flip excitations.


Many of our chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients venture into complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to seek a cure for the disease beyond conventional management. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of CAM usage; and its association with the progression of CKD in our population. This was a cross-sectional survey recruited CKD patients from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). Data was collected via interview using questionnaires which explore the demographics, type and pattern of CAM use. Patients' comorbidities and serum creatinine were extracted from the medical notes to assess the association between progression of CKD and usage of CAM. Chi-square, Independent Samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression were used to evaluate for an association. Three hundred and seventy two eligible patients were recruited. The prevalence of CAM use was 29% in the past year. Younger age, higher education and higher income level were associated with significantly more usage of CAM. Natural products were the commonest type of CAM used (86.1%). The belief in the effectiveness of CAM was the main reason for its uptake and about 57.8% revealed their practice to their physician. We found that the use of CAM in Malaysian CKD patients did not influence the progression of the disease.


The question of the meaning and purpose of education is the most important in our culture. It was the subject of reflection not only for the greatest Russian thinkers, but for many educated people. One of them was Nikolai Il'in, who was better known as the founder of the sect. But this article is not about his « false doctrine», it examines the Il'in ideas on education. It deals with two early works — the article «The Total Alphabet in Human Nature» (1842), published in the conservative magazine «Mayak» and the book «Sionskaya Vest'» (1850s) circulated in manuscript parts. Ilyin was in solidarity with those who argued that education and ubiquitous learning has brought humanity to the corruption of morals and unprecedented disasters. He dreamed of such an education and the knowledge of the truth, which would have carried the peoples unity and prosperity. Duality of human nature causes two types of education: earth (bottom) and heavenly (above). Exhaustive earthly education may not be available to man, and because it is partial, it leads to one-sided philosophical systems that are not able to give a true bliss. Only when people suffer from their own experience the futility of earthly education, it will inevitably turn to «enlightenment from above» and its source. Heavenly enlightenment reveals the secret, which invalidates the basis of hostility between different doctrines and faiths: mankind divided only into two — on the «Desnye» (right) and «oshuynye» (left). In the last battle between light and darkness, or «heavenly enlightenment» with «earth education» a truly enlightened person stands on the side of light and joins the «desnoe brotherhood» So, Il'in's religious philosophizing began with the issue of education. He joined science to religion because science itself is not able to find the truth and give people satisfaction. Religious issues were not preceded an understanding of the place of science and education in a person's life, but rather has become the fundamental behind this understanding.


Topography often promotes habitat heterogeneity and is a major factor in fine-grained changes in vegetation. Especially in temperate mountainous regions of East Asia, the distribution of tree species is largely explained by topographic niche differentiation. Because species niche is at least partially a historical product through the evolution of functional traits, phylogenetic signals are expected in the topographic arrangement pattern of species, although this has not been fully investigated. Thus, we examined common temperate trees in a 306 ha watershed on Mt Tanzawa, central Japan. The topographic niche position of each species was explained with two principal component analysis (PCA) axes, which aligned with the topographic structure of the watershed. High scores on PC1 reflected lower elevations, steeper slopes and nearby valleys. Higher scores on PC2 indicated thicker soil, more south-facing slopes, slighter slope inclinations and nearby valleys. The former indicated the species were aligned on a habitat gradient of land-surface instability, for which the gradient is typical under the current geological conditions. The latter indicated that a niche axis for resource availability relating to water, nutrients and light or heat existed. A phylogenetic signal, identified by Pagel's λ and the Mantel test, was detected for PC2 scores. However, the species arrangement along PC1 was independent of phylogeny. Our results suggested that the topographic niche of tree species in this area is caused by both relatively recently derived traits regarding adaptation to unstable land surfaces and conservative traits derived through plant evolution.


Abstract. We consider a Poisson equation in R for the elliptic operator corresponding to an ergodic diffusion process. Optimal regularity and smoothness with respect to the parameter are obtained under mild conditions on the coefficients. The result is then applied to establish a general diffusion approximation for fully coupled multi-time-scales stochastic differential equations with only Hölder continuous coefficients. Four different limit equations as well as rates of convergence are obtained. Moreover, the convergence is shown to rely only on the regularities of the coefficients with respect to the slow variable, and does not depend on their regularities with respect to the fast component.


The aim of this study was to explore type of studies implemented for the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) community by institutions that directly deal with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey and in the world. The descriptive case study design was used in the study. The contents on the websites of the institutions were analyzed through document analysis. According to the results, it was observed that the data consisted of supporting contents related to education, health, and public policies regarding the COVID-19 process and that the contents were frequently presented through webinars, visual representations, electronic text sources, online communication platforms, and social media environments. During this process, informative studies were frequently carried out and practical studies were rarely conducted. While it is considered that institutional studies both in Turkey and in the world may serve as an example to other institutional studies, it is considered that the diversity of these examples should be increased through cooperation between institutions.


MELD-based liver allocation has been widely heralded for its ability to accurately prioritize patients according to waitlist mortality (1,2). This policy has resulted in more equitable racial access to liver transplantation (2). But, as a growing body of evidence has demonstrated, gender disparity exists.

Previous studies using United Network for Organ Sharing registry data have reported that women experience lower transplantation rates than men (2,3). In this month's AJT, Mathur et al. expand upon our understanding of this gender disparity (4). Analyses adjusted for the donation service area (DSA), a factor that strongly influences organ acceptance practices, confirm this finding. Moreover, the disparity has actually widened from the pre-MELD (1997–2002) to the MELD (2002–2007) era. The cumulative weight of these multiple reports compels us to move beyond challenging whether gender disparity exists to explaining why.

Two reasons have been commonly put forward to explain the gender disparity in liver transplant rates. The first is that inclusion of serum creatinine in the MELD score results in under-representation of liver disease severity in women relative to men. This is a nonviable explanation as analyses reflect transplant rates at a given MELD score (2–4). The second is that female candidates, generally smaller than males, wait longer for a size-appropriate graft from the donor pool that is predominantly male. Again, proper statistical analyses that not only adjusted for body size, but also explored the possible interaction between gender and height (which was not significant), do not fully support this theory (3,4).

Instead, we propose alternative hypotheses. Female and male liver transplant candidates differ significantly by liver disease diagnosis. Different diseases may be characterized by different rates of change in the MELD score over time (ΔMELD). For example, at the same MELD score, a woman with primary biliary cirrhosis with a lower ΔMELD may be perceived as less sick than a man with hepatitis C with a higher ΔMELD. Previous studies have shown that ΔMELD provides important prognostic information above and beyond the MELD score at a single point in time (5). However, it is unknown whether this metric captures disease severity equally between women and men. Providers, weighing the risk of wait-list mortality between a female and a male candidate with the same MELD score but a different ΔMELD, may (subconsciously) favor transplantation of the candidate with the greatest ΔMELD, potentially leading to the gender bias in transplantation rates. Well-designed studies to better characterize the association between MELD score, ΔMELD and waitlist mortality by gender are eminently feasible and greatly needed.

More challenging to evaluate, however, is the impact of noncandidate factors, such as geographic differences in liver distribution, the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exception policy and provider perception of disease severity on accentuating the gender disparity after implementation of MELD-based allocation. The striking geographic variation in liver transplantation rates by gender in the MELD era (4) likely reflects a multitude of factors including distinct center practices, competition among centers within a DSA or regional differences in organ availability. Alternatively, although patients receiving HCC exception points were excluded from this study (4), it is possible that the increase in transplants for HCC patients, who are predominantly male, decreases the availability of organs to non-HCC candidates, exerting a disproportionate effect on females in the MELD era. In addition, providers may unintentionally contribute to gender disparity through disparate organ acceptance practices for female versus male candidates.

Which of these factors, or combination of factors, has led to the widening gender disparity in liver transplant rates is unknown. But perhaps the most compelling question is: Do we even care about differences in transplantation rates if there are no differences in waitlist mortality (4)? This would suggest that the MELD-based allocation system is, in fact, doing precisely what it was designed to do. Perhaps women have a lower risk of death than men with the same MELD score and can therefore 'afford' to wait longer. Might then differences in transplant rates simply reflect gender differences in disease progression and risk of death at a given MELD score? This issue is controversial, but one that can and must be resolved.

Mathur's article is an important demonstration that, 9 years after the implementation of MELD-based allocation, fundamental questions regarding equity remain. These questions may be rooted in an insufficient understanding of the complexities of gender differences related to various liver diseases and their progression. In addition, sociopolitical factors likely play a key role but are elusive and difficult to define. It is certainly sobering to realize that, while MELD allocation is a significant step forward, we still have a long way to go before arriving at a fully equitable policy.


Societies of Senior Citizens (SSCs) are often thought to be non-political organizations mainly focused on community traditions and services for the elderly. In Huashui town, Zhejiang, however, SSCs took the lead in mobilizing protest and causing 11 factories to be closed. From 2004 to 2005, SSCs helped fund a lawsuit, engineered a petition drive, and organized tent-sitting at a chemical park notorious for its pollution. During the encampment, SSCs drew up schedules for tent-sitters, offered compensation to protesters, provided logistical support, applied pressure on those reluctant to participate, and drew nearby villages into the protest. Huashui's SSCs were effective mobilizing structures owing to their strong finances, organizational autonomy, effective leadership, and the presence of biographically-available, unafraid older villagers. Skilful mobilization led to efforts to rein in village SSCs. Town SSCs were established to oversee them, SSC seals were confiscated, and Societies in natural villages were instructed to shut down. This reorganization only had a limited effect. Since the 2005 protests, Huashui's SSCs have played a larger, more assertive role in village affairs, including approving development plans and land use decisions. SSCs have also kept a close watch on village factories and have even flexed their muscles in local elections. SSC experiences in Huashui suggest that organized protest in China is more feasible than often thought and that understandings of protest outcomes should go beyond the success or failure of an episode to explore long-term consequences for the organizations involved.


Significant purification of the ubiquitous cytochrome P-450-A and the strain-specific P-450-B from Drosophila melanogaster has been achieved by sequential chromatography on octylamino-agarose, DEAE-cellulose and hydroxyapatite. Preparations of P-450-A (specific contents of 7-9 nmol/mg) were homogeneous as determined by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis. Preparations enriched for P-450-B (specific contents of 4-7 nmol/mg) contained significant amounts of P-450-A but were essentially free of other proteins as judged by SDS/PAGE. Partial reconstitution of 7-ethoxycoumarin de-ethylase activity was achieved using rabbit NADPH: cytochrome P450 reductase and purified preparations containing P450-B.


In many amniotes, the amniotic fluid is depicted as a dynamic milieu that participates in the protection of the embryo (cushioning, hydration, and immunity). However, in birds, the protein profile of the amniotic fluid remains unexplored, even though its proteomic signature is predicted to differ compared with that of humans. In fact, unlike humans, chicken amniotic fluid does not collect excretory products and its protein composition strikingly changes at mid-development because of the massive inflow of egg white proteins, which are thereafter swallowed by the embryo to support its growth. Using GeLC-MS/MS and shotgun strategies, we identified 91 nonredundant proteins delineating the chicken amniotic fluid proteome at day 11 of development, before egg white transfer. These proteins were essentially associated with the metabolism of nutrients, immune response and developmental processes. Forty-eight proteins were common to both chicken and human amniotic fluids, including serum albumin, apolipoprotein A1 and alpha-fetoprotein. We further investigated the effective role of chicken amniotic fluid in innate defense and revealed that it exhibits significant antibacterial activity at day 11 of development. This antibacterial potential is drastically enhanced after egg white transfer, presumably due to lysozyme, avian beta-defensin 11, vitelline membrane outer layer protein 1, and beta-microseminoprotein-like as the most likely antibacterial candidates. Interestingly, several proteins recovered in the chicken amniotic fluid prior and after egg white transfer are uniquely found in birds (ovalbumin and related proteins X and Y, avian beta-defensin 11) or oviparous species (vitellogenins 1 and 2, riboflavin-binding protein). This study provides an integrative overview of the chicken amniotic fluid proteome and opens stimulating perspectives in deciphering the role of avian egg-specific proteins in embryonic development, including innate immunity. These proteins may constitute valuable biomarkers for poultry production to detect hazardous situations (stress, infection, etc.), that may negatively affect the development of the chicken embryo.


Purpose

Integrating predictions of social exchange theory and implicit social cognition, this paper aims to investigate mechanisms of co-evolution between professional and personal support networks in a professional, non-hierarchical setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The study covers simultaneously people's behaviours and their subjective interpretations of them in a cross-lagged network design in a group of 65 MBA students.

Findings

Results show that people build on their professional support network to develop personal support relations. People who have a high status in the professional support network appear to be afraid to lose them by asking too many others for personal support and people with a low status in the professional support network seem also be reluctant to ask many others for personal support.

Practical implications

Although personal support is a key social mechanism facilitating individual well-being and organizational success, support in the workplace often remains limited to professional topics. This research shows why people hesitate to expand their networks in professional settings and to what extent their fears have a basis in reality.

Originality/value

It goes beyond predictions of social exchange theory which inform most network evolution studies and tap into implicit social cognition predictions to expand the explanatory power of the hypotheses. The study's network analysis takes into account both behaviours and social perceptions. The sample is a non-hierarchical professional group which allows a more ecological observation of how hierarchies are born in social groups.


The global oil market dwarfs other commodity markets. Its size and role in the energy and industrial value chains underscore its significant economic and geopolitical impacts. Thus, the consequences of oil price fluctuations extend far beyond the oil industry and can be viewed as a barometer of trends in the global economy. Several oil price benchmarks currently compete in the global market. The most popular ones, such as Brent or West Texas Intermediate (WTI), are backed by a sufficient supply of the underlying crude. They also meet the criteria for efficient trading, hedging and speculating — including having sufficient liquidity, developed futures markets, low transaction costs and strong institutional support.


On February 15, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Free the Nipple–Fort Collins v. City of Fort Collins held that a public nudity ordinance that banned the exposure of female breasts violated the Equal Protection Clause. In doing so, the court split from the Fourth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits and established that ordinances that restrict women, but not men, from being topless in public are unconstitutional. This Comment argues that the Tenth Circuit was correct in holding that the prohibition on public exposure of female breasts violated the Equal Protection Clause, as the ban did not substantially serve any important governmental interest. It further argues that female-only toplessness bans should be wholly struck down because they are based on archaic stereotypes about women's bodies and have significant adverse effects


Uluwai Prospect is located in the northern part of South Arm of Sulawesi along the eastern part of the Kalosi Fold Belt and Latimojong Mountain. The area is generally characterized by moderate to rugged topography area with elevation in the range of 700 to 1400 m above sea level in the mountainous complex called Latimojong Mountain Complex. The mineralization is characterized by a relatively simple sulphide ore mineral assemblage consists of pyrite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite. Samples were collected in areas showing abundant sulphide minerals where younger faults cut the bedding and foliation of country rocks. A number of silicified zones have been observed, as well as float material containing disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite with hematite, goethite and limonite. Some alteration types have been observed including sericitization, albitization, carbonatization and silisification. The samples collected indicated that the mineralisation is contained within metasedimentary (sandstone to mudstone) and greenschist. Geochemical analyses from 16 samples including 5 stream sediment samples indicated that the most promising mineralization occur in the prospect area are copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). This is also supported by the abundance of chalcopyrite and sphalerite in some highly altered samples. Assaying of the collected samples revealed most of samples contain relatively low gold (Au) concentration. However, two samples contain 0.007 and 0.01 ppm of Au. In the mineralized area, Zn concentrations are up to 134 ppm, Cu up to 120 ppm and Pb up to 18 ppm and As up to 70 ppm. There is no clear relationship that exists between Au and the base metals except that one of the samples with highest Au values tend to have high Zn and As. This unclear pattern also shown by Cu, Pb and Zn. Base metal concentration in stream sediment samples show a relatively stable pattern than in rock samples. Arsenic tends to be elevated in base metal rich samples. Sb and Mo are relatively low in all sample type. However, Mo values will be high in the samples which contain highest Cu and Zn.


Context: Contemporary organizations rely on global virtual teams. This trend, exasperated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, aligns with ongoing globalization and digital transformation efforts. The information system (IS) scholarship has a strong interest in studying groups that develop digital technologies with a frequent focus on global virtual teams. Such teams, which frequently form ad hoc, require a swift formation of trust to be effective. Global-perspective taking overcomes intercultural trust barriers and presents an opportunity for more effective teams. Problem: However, academic IS programs traditionally do not teach or assess concepts such as global-perspective in their students. Our study assesses whether university IS educators can impart global perspective-taking through online intercultural exchanges (OIEs). Theoretical reference: We examine the effects of global perspective-taking (comprising cultural intelligence, global citizenship, and civic-mindedness) on the effectiveness of global virtual teams through the lens of swift trust theory. Method: We conducted an exploratory study by creating OIEs in the context of web development coursework between students in the United States and Brazil (N=131). Results: We found that an OIE environment led to enhanced global perspective-taking and improved student outcomes. The swift trust theory suggests that such outcomes would ultimately enhance virtual team performance. Impact on the IS area: We contribute to the IS scholarship by extending the swift trust theory to include global perspective-taking and provide practical suggestions to academic IS programs on implementing effective OIE practices. We also report the benefits of global perspective-taking on international virtual team performance, which is of interest to hiring organizations.


The possible optimization of metal recovery from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and Central Processing Units (CPUs) has been investigated. Usual practice is to primarily recover metals with the highest market price. In contrast, the present work shows how strategic considerations of the value share (%) of metals content and data regarding the environmental impact of their recovery can instruct about the best strategies to adopt, pointing at the metals to be recovered as a priority depending on the case. An accurate PCBs' characterization carried out through microwave digestion with a mixture of HNO3, HF and HCl, is a first essential step of the procedure. Then metals are recovered through chemical leaching with different chemical substances, exploiting both chemical and physical steps. In particular, a proposal to improve environmental and economic sustainability of the PCBs' treatment is presented, which contrary to expectations first considers the recovery of Cu, Pb and Sn by leaching with 6M HNO3, followed only later by the recovery of gold and other precious metals. Although unusual, the recovery procedure can be adapted accordingly, allowing more profits, easier management and higher metals recovery rates.


Red leaf blotch of almond, caused by the fungus Polystigma amygdalinum , results in early defoliation of trees and decreases fruit production in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. A latent period of 30–40 d has been reported for this pathogen before disease symptoms are expressed, which makes targeted fungicide control difficult. A quantitative real-time PCR detection method was developed to detect and quantify the fungus in biological samples, to assist early detection. A primer pair was designed based on the ITS region of the fungal rDNA, and this was highly specific and sensitive, enabling detection of a minimum of 12 pg of P. amygdalinum DNA and seven ascospores in artificially-prepared ascospore suspensions. A protocol was also developed to quantify ascospores on plastic tapes which are commonly used in volumetric air samplers. The detection limit for these samples was the same as for ascospore quantification in aqueous suspensions. The pathogen was also quantified in naturally infected leaves showing different stages of disease development, including early stages of leaf infection with doubtful visual identifications. Future practical applications of the method developed here are discussed in view of improving the management of red leaf blotch of almond.


Helping Prospective Teachers to Understand Children's Mathematical Thinking Genevieve L. Hartman The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two video-based interventions, one guided, the other non-guided, on pre-service early childhood education teachers' understanding of students' mathematical thinking. Five web-based lessons on various topics in children's mathematical development were created for this study. Each contained a short reading introducing a videotaped clinical interview of a young child performing a mathematical task. The unguided group then watched a 2-minute video, while the guided group watched the same video segmented into short clips and then answered open-ended questions at each break. The main goal was to examine the effectiveness of the use of videotaped clinical interviews in professional development. More specifically, I was interested in the types of experiences offered by the guided and unguided versions, as compared to those of the control group. The results of this study showed that both the guidedand unguided-video experiences were successful in changing the way prospective teachers interpreted children's mathematical thinking. While the results show it was possible to use videos to improve prospective teachers' interpretive abilities, it was not possible to improve their ability to apply the interpretations to developing appropriate teaching activities.


Having identified an opportunity to extract significant income from selling guano, a popular and profitable natural fertiliser, from individual islands within its territorial waters, the Cape colonial administration established loading infrastructure and promulgated a new policy to prevent an uncontrolled rush during the mid-19th century. Given the uneven power relations between the administration and its citizenry and the lack of genuinely representative institutions, the new measures generated significant conflict between the authorities and business community that turned the policy-making process into an acrimonious affair. Individual businessmen with networks in London, the Cape legislative council, judiciary and the Cape Town municipality and who desired free access to the source for trading purposes, opposed the attempt of the authorities to monopolise access to the product through Ordinance 4 of 1845 (the so-called Guano Ordinance) in order to generate income for governance purposes. A complicating factor was the fact that the expenditure connected to the new policy regime (infrastructure, customs control, and policing), still had to be sanctioned by the Imperial Government. Similarly, the new ordinance had to be aligned with and sanctioned by the imperial authorities, allowing politically-connected businessmen to use their influence in London and the Colonial Office, to force the Cape government into a process of bargaining, persuasion and compromise. With seabird guano declared Crown property, Cape Town's prospective wealthy guanopreneurs had to pay for guano freight while effectively removing their resource-poor counterparts from the race. On an international scale, the Cape Guano Ordinance provided the basis for similar legal measures in other parts of the world and trade during the next decade.


Multilayer transparent electrodes based on a dielectric-metal-dielectric structure are explored as an effective alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes that can lead to ITO-free or highly flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells with a performance comparable to conventional cells. The role of each layer in multilayer electrodes is discussed with an emphasis on the potential role of inner dielectric layer as a buffer layer, and the optimization strategy considering the overall optical structure is provided. Experimental results showing the OPV performance under dynamic flexibility test are also provided as a function of the number of bending cycles.


Direct action has become a key part of the strategy of the radical environmental movement since the early 1990s, used to address issues such as road building and car culture, genetically modified foods, consumerism and global finance institutions. It has helped shape the political climate and has transformed the way people view political action, undermining the assumption that the power of politicians and big businesses cannot be contested. At the same time it is highly controversial, often illegal, and, partly due to its move towards greater militancy, may be included in new Prevention of Terrorism legislation. Direct Action in British Environmentalism charts and analyses the nature and impact of this new wave of direct action. The contributors approach the phenomenon from a wide variety of perspectives and disciplines and present data concerning both the quantity and type of recent environmental protest and the sociological and organisational features of those performing it. Subjects covered include; the history of the movement and its influence on contemporary activism the identities and new tribalism of eco-warriors the reaction of the mass media the impact of direct action on mainstream politicians and policy the strategies and tactical innovations which underlie direct action Direct Action in British Environmentalism is the fullest scholarly analysis yet available of this phenomenon. It is essential reading for students of Politics and Environmental Studies as well as all those interested in the development and impact of direct action in environmentalism.


Abstract. The synoptic dynamics leading to the longest wet spells in Europe are so far poorly investigated, despite these events' potentially large societal impacts. Here we examine the role of cyclones and PV cutoffs for unusually long wet spells in Europe, defined as the 20 longest uninterrupted periods with at least 5 mm daily accumulated precipitation at each ERA-Interim grid point in Europe (this set of spells is hereafter referred to as δ20). The δ20 occur predominantly in summer over the eastern continent, in winter over the North Atlantic, in winter or fall over the Atlantic coast, and in fall over the Mediterranean and European inland seas. Four case studies reveal distinct archetypal synoptic storylines for long wet spells: (a) A seven-day wet spell near Moscow, Russia, is associated with a single slow-moving cutoff-cyclone couple; (b) a 15-day wet spell in Norway features a total of nine rapidly passing extratropical cyclones and illustrates serial cyclone clustering as a second storyline; (c) a 12-day wet spell in Tuscany, Italy, is associated with a single but very large cutoff-complex, which is replenished multiple times by a sequence of recurrent anticyclonic wave breaking events over the North Atlantic and western Europe; and (d) a 17-day wet spell in the Balkans features intermittent periods of diurnal convection in an environment of weak synoptic forcing and recurrent passages of cutoffs and thus also highlights the role of diurnal convection for long wet spells over land. A systematic analysis of cyclone and cutoff occurrences during the δ20 reveals considerable spatial variability in their respective role for the δ20. For instance, cyclones and cutoffs are present anywhere between 10 % and 90 %, and 20 % and 70 % of the δ20 time steps, respectively, depending on the geographical region. However, overall both cyclones and cutoffs appear in larger number and at a higher rate during the δ20 compared to climatology. Furthermore, in the Mediterranean, the cutoffs and cyclones are significantly more persistent during the δ20 compared to climatology. Our study thus documents for the first time the palette of synoptic storylines accompanying unusually long wet spells across Europe, which is a prerequisite for developing an understanding of how these events might change in a warming climate and for evaluating the ability of climate models to realistically simulate the synoptic processes relevant to these events.


In the face of the dramatic worldwide decline of farmland bird populations, the preservation of fallow fields is a conservation measure encouraged through subsidies (e.g. agri‐environmental schemes, AES). Beyond the general benefits of increasing fallow availability for endangered steppe bird populations, there is a lack of knowledge on how fallow management can contribute to meeting species‐specific habitat requirements. We used occurrence data from three steppe bird species protected at the EU level (Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax and Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra), framed in a quasi‐experimental approach covering an unprecedented spatio‐temporal scale that included 612 fallow fields over a 3‐year study period in an agricultural Mediterranean landscape (Spain). We used path analysis to explore the mechanisms by which common agricultural practices affected species‐specific occurrence. We examined partial effects of agricultural practices on vegetation structure and food availability, and the partial effect of these variables on bird occurrence compared to control fields (no agricultural practices applied). Agricultural practices had a significant effect on the presence of the three studied species. Through changes in the vegetation structure, Shredding + Herbicide and Tillage increased the occurrence of the Stone Curlew and Shredding increased the occurrence of the Little Bustard. The occurrence of Calandra Lark was mostly affected by landscape variables. Synthesis and applications. Our study highlights that, in addition to the acknowledged positive role of fallow availability, applying a limited number of specific agricultural practices before the breeding season can further increase bird occurrence by changing the vegetation structure. Using path analysis, we explored the mechanisms driving the occurrence of three steppe bird species under different agricultural practices. Such information is key to providing specific recommendations for future conservation management of endangered species within agri‐environmental schemes.


ICP27 is an essential herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) alpha protein that is required for the transition from the beta to the gamma phase of infection. To identify functional regions of ICP27, we constructed 16 plasmids that contain nucleotide substitution mutations in the ICP27 gene. The mutations created XhoI restriction sites, altered one or two codons, and were spaced at semiregular intervals throughout the coding region. Three mutations completely inactivated an essential function of ICP27, as demonstrated by the inability of the transfected plasmids to complement the growth of an HSV-1 ICP27 deletion mutant. These mutations, M11, M15, and M16, mapped in the carboxyl-terminal one-third of ICP27 at residues 340 and 341, 465 and 466, and 488, respectively. In cotransfection assays, all three defective-plasmid mutants retained the transrepression function of ICP27 but were defective at transactivation. To define the lytic functions that are mediated by the transactivation activity of ICP27, we engineered HSV-1 recombinants containing the M11, M15, or M16 mutation. All three viral mutants failed to grow in Vero cells and possessed similar phenotypes. The viral mutants replicated their DNA similarly to the wild-type virus but showed several defects in viral gene expression. These were a failure to down-regulate alpha and beta genes at late times after infection and an inability to induce certain gamma-2 genes. Our results demonstrate that the transactivation function of ICP27 (as it is defined in cotransfection assays) mediates an essential gene regulation function during the HSV-1 infection. This activity is not required for ICP27-dependent enhancement of viral DNA replication. Our work supports and extends previous studies which suggest that ICP27 carries out two distinct regulatory activities during the HSV-1 infection.


Silencing of tumor suppressor genes by promoter-region methylation as an epigenetic mechanism of gene regulation is increasingly recognized as beneficial in cancer. Initially developed as cytotoxic high-dose therapies, azacitidine and decitabine are now being reinvestigated in lower-dose cancer treatment regimens with a different paradigm - hypomethylation. Recent evidence for benefit in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemias has renewed interest in hypomethylation as a therapeutic option in epithelial cancers. In this article, we describe the mechanistic aspects of DNA methylation, which alters gene expression, and review the evidence for hypomethylation as a therapeutic option in urologic cancers. Potential correlative studies that may assist in developing tailored therapy with hypomethylating agents are reviewed. Given that the population with urologic cancers is typically elderly with multiple comorbidities, the excellent tolerability of lower-dose hypomethylating agents provides a high therapeutic index and rational development is warranted, bearing in mind that the cytostatic and delayed activity present challenges in the choice of appropriate trial end points.


Searching for scientific publications is a tedious task, especially when exploring an unfamiliar domain.
Typical scholarly search engines produce lengthy unstructured result lists, which are difficult to comprehend, interpret and browse.An informative visual summary could convey useful information about the returned results as a whole, without the need to sift through individual publications.The first contribution of this thesis is a novel method of representing academic search results with concise and informative topic maps.
The method consists of two steps: i) extracting interrelated topics from the publication titles and abstracts, and ii) summarizing the resulting topic graph. In the first step we map the returned publications to articles and categories of Wikipedia, constructing a graph of relevant topics with hierarchical relations. In the second step we sequentially build a summary of the topic graph that represents the search results in the most informative way. We rely on sequential prediction to automatically learn to build informative summaries from examples. The summarized topic maps share the most of the benefits and avoid most of the drawbacks of the current methods for grouping documents, such as clustering, topic models, and predefined taxonomies.
Specifically, the topic maps are dynamic, fine-grained, of flexible granularity, with up-to-date topics connected with informative relations and having meaningful concise labels.
The second contribution of this thesis is a method for bootstrapping domain-specific ontologies from the categories of Wikipedia. The method performs three steps: i) selecting the set of categories relevant to the domain, ii) classifying the categories into classes and individuals, and iii) classifying the sub-category relations into ``subclass-of'', ``instance-of'', ``part-of'' and ``related-to''.
In each step we rely on binary classification, which makes the method flexible and easily extensible with new features.
For the purpose of academic search, the proposed method advances the creation of semantically rich topic maps.
In general, the method semi-automates the construction of large-scale domain ontologies, benefiting multiple potential applications. Providing ground truth data for structured prediction of large objects, such as topic map summaries or domain ontologies, is tedious. The last contribution of this thesis is an initial investigation into reducing the labeling effort in structured prediction tasks.
First, we present a labeling interface that suggests topics to be added to the ground truth topic map summary.
We modify a state of the art sequential prediction method to iteratively learn from the summaries one topic at a time, while retaining the convergence guarantees. Second, we present an interactive learning method for selecting the categories of Wikipedia relevant to a given domain.
The method reduces the number of required labels by actively selecting the queries to the annotator and learning one label at a time.


Previous studies of thymocyte apoptosis using a series of cell-permeable fluorogenic peptide substrates showed that Fas cross-linking triggered a caspase cascade in which cleavage of the IETDase (caspase 8-selective) substrate was the earliest caspase activity measured by flow cytometry. This result was expected in light of the abundant evidence for caspase 8 activation as an initiating event in the Fas death pathway. However, when apoptosis was induced by anti-Fas in CTL and the caspase cascade examined by this approach, IETDase activation followed increases in LEHDase, YVHDase, and VEIDase activities (selective for caspases 9, 1, and 6, respectively). When examined by confocal microscopy, anti-Fas-treated CTL showed the early appearance of IETDase-containing plasma membrane vesicles and their release from the CTL surface, followed by activation of other caspase activities in the cell interior. Since these vesicles were not included in the flow cytometry analysis, the early IETDase activity had been underestimated. In contrast to anti-Fas, induction of apoptosis in these CTL by IL-2 withdrawal resulted in early IETDase activity in the cytoplasm, with no plasma membrane vesiculation. Thus, anti-Fas-induced initiation of caspase activity at the plasma membrane may in some cells result in local proteolysis of submembrane proteins, leading to generation of membrane vesicles that are highly enriched in active caspase 8.


Biofuels are being advocated by certain sections of the commercial aviation industry as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering fossil-fuel dependency within the confines of current aircraft technology and infrastructure. Rising oil prices, increasingly stringent environmental legislation, and continued growth in air travel demand have stimulated the development of renewable lower-carbon fuel alternatives that can act as a substitute for conventional Jet A1 kerosene. However, although biofuels may offer a number of apparent benefits, barriers to widespread commercial uptake and deployment remain, including concerns about competition for feedstocks and impact on global water resources and biodiversity. The processes involved in the uptake of aviation-grade biofuels are not straightforward and there is a need to explore the factors affecting commercial deployment. This paper reports on the findings of a series of in-depth semistructured interviews with key aviation stakeholders in Europe. The research reveals that concerns about the supply of suitable feedstocks, uncertainty surrounding the true life-cycle emissions savings of the fuels, and the perceived lack of policy support are key obstacles that need to be addressed before aviation biofuels can be widely utilized. The research also reveals that the potential inclusion of aviation within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will create a zero accounting "loophole" for biofuel that may uniquely influence the pattern of uptake in the EU vis-à-vis other world markets. Additional key constraints identified include limitations on the supply of suitable feedstocks, concerns about sustainability of the fuels, and uncertain policy support.


Although mobile information technology is introduced in business processes of enterprises for many years, many projects for integrating mobile workforces still fail to generate a business value for the company. However, reasons for a successful introduction of mobile IT have not been investigated so far. In this paper, we present the findings of a grounded theory study that focused on influencing factors for the introduction of mobile-integrated business processes. The outcome of the paper is a theoretical framework describing the decision process and the intervening conditions on the intention to introduce mobile-integrated business processes. The framework should be extended by the effects resulting from the introduction of mobile IT to get a picture as complete as possible.


We present an approach to building compact and effective information visualisation interfaces to allow users to browse and access content stored in continuous media. We introduce a content mapping framework, which supports time-based indexing of recordings of computer supported collaborative activity. In order to illustrate the temporal aspect of content mapping, we present HANMER, a system designed to provide fast access to audio-textual meeting recordings on personal digital assistants (PDAs). HANMER embodies techniques that exploit the processing capabilities and functionality of modern PDAs for visualisation and retrieval of multimedia meeting data.


Growth response profile of three species of Pseudomonas isolated from pesticide contaminated soils within Uyo, Nigeria was studied using standard microbiological and analytical techniques. The ability of the isolates to tolerate varying concentrations of commercially available pesticides namely; Decis, DD force and Cyperforce was assessed over a 96 hour period. Selective enrichment cultures with graded concentrations of the pesticides were used to assay their growth response profile and the absorbance determined using CO75 digital colorimeter. The results showed that the Pseudomonas species differed biochemically. Their growth response at pesticide concentrations 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10% v/v differed significantly (P<0.05) at 24 hours interval for four days. At 10% concentration of Decis pesticide over 96 hour, the absorbance were 0.20, 0.23 and 0.30 for Pseudomonas from Agriculture research farm, hospital dumpsite and municipal waste dump site respectively. This ability therefore offers a veritable tool for use in the bioremediation and ultimate restoration of pesticide contaminated soils but however requires further evaluation.


New ways of working impose new contract models. To prepare for these new ways, there is a need for a precise understanding of the contractual elements. In this paper, we examine and describe Norwegian Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Their characteristics are then compared to the characteristics outlined in literature. The findings are based on a literature study followed by a case study approach combining analysis of documents gathered from public sector authorities and relevant private sector participants along with a questionnaire. We find that a narrow view of PPP is used with an overemphasis on the financing aspects which is close to the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) model. The public sector insists on detailed specifications limiting the possibilities of innovation in areas such as Lean Construction. Combined, this could potentially constitute a roadblock for harvesting the real benefits of the PPP approach. The sheer size, contract period and total costs of the PPP projects are characteristics that justify an own study. The main contribution of this paper is the overview of Norwegian PPP projects and their characteristics.


In this paper, curing process monitoring of vacuum infusion molding process (VIMP) based on FBG for glass fiber reinforced vinyl resins was studied. In the experiment, three kinds of sensors were embedded in the composites. Excursion of the wavelength and temperature was tested in the whole curing process. Reflected power was tested by spectrometer in the molding process, the gel point was tested. In addition, 3-point bending test of composites which FBG was embedded in was done. Results showed that FBG could be exactly reflecting the relationship of stress and strain in bending state of composites.


Angiotensin 1–7 (Ang 1–7) counter-regulates the cardiovascular actions of angiotensin II (Ang II). The present study investigated the protective effect of Ang 1–7 against Ang II-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and endothelial dysfunction. Ex vivo treatment with Ang II (0.5 μM, 24 hours) impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in mouse aortas; this harmful effect of Ang II was reversed by co-treatment with ER stress inhibitors, l4-phenylbutyric acid (PBA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) as well as Ang 1–7. The Mas receptor antagonist, A779, antagonized the effect of Ang 1–7. The elevated mRNA expression of CHOP, Grp78 and ATF4 or protein expression of p-eIF2α and ATF6 (ER stress markers) in Ang II-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mouse aortas were blunted by co-treatment with Ang 1–7 and the latter effect was reversed by A779. Furthermore, Ang II-induced reduction in both eNOS phosphorylation and NO production was inhibited by Ang 1–7. In addition, Ang 1–7 decreased the levels of ER stress markers and augmented NO production in HUVECs treated with ER stress inducer, tunicamycin. The present study provides new evidence for functional antagonism between the two arms of the renin-angiotensin system in endothelial cells by demonstrating that Ang 1–7 ameliorates Ang II-stimulated ER stress to raise NO bioavailability, and subsequently preserves endothelial function.


Brain responses vary considerably from moment to moment, even to identical sensory stimuli. This has been attributed to changes in instantaneous neuronal states determining the system's excitability. Yet the spatiotemporal organization of these dynamics remains poorly understood. Here we test whether variability in stimulus-evoked activity can be interpreted within the framework of criticality, which postulates dynamics of neural systems to be tuned toward the phase transition between stability and instability as is reflected in scale-free fluctuations in spontaneous neural activity. Using a novel noninvasive approach in 33 male human participants, we tracked instantaneous cortical excitability by inferring the magnitude of excitatory postsynaptic currents from the N20 component of the somatosensory evoked potential. Fluctuations of cortical excitability demonstrated long-range temporal dependencies decaying according to a power law across trials, a hallmark of systems at critical states. As these dynamics covaried with changes in prestimulus oscillatory activity in the alpha band (8-13 Hz), we establish a mechanistic link between ongoing and evoked activity through cortical excitability and argue that the co-emergence of common temporal power laws may indeed originate from neural networks poised close to a critical state. In contrast, no signatures of criticality were found in subcortical or peripheral nerve activity. Thus, criticality may represent a parsimonious organizing principle of variability in stimulus-related brain processes on a cortical level, possibly reflecting a delicate equilibrium between robustness and flexibility of neural responses to external stimuli. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Variability of neural responses in primary sensory areas is puzzling, as it is detrimental to the exact mapping between stimulus features and neural activity. However, such variability can be beneficial for information processing in neural networks if it is of a specific nature, namely, if dynamics are poised at a so-called critical state characterized by a scale-free spatiotemporal structure. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a link between signatures of criticality in ongoing and evoked activity through cortical excitability, which fills the long-standing gap between two major directions of research on neural variability: the impact of instantaneous brain states on stimulus processing on the one hand and the scale-free organization of spatiotemporal network dynamics of spontaneous activity on the other.


This paper grounds on the SAPERE project (Self-Aware PERvasive Service Ecosystems), which aims at proposing a multi-agent framework for pervasive computing, based on the idea of making each agent (service, device, human) manifest its existence in the ecosystem by a Live Semantic Annotation (LSA), and of coordinating agent activities by a small and fixed set of so-called eco-laws, which are sort of chemical-like reactions evolving the distributed population of LSAs. System dynamics in SAPERE is complex because of openness and due to the self-∗ requirements imposed by the pervasive computing setting: a simulation framework is hence needed for what-if analysis prior to deployment. In this paper we present a prototype simulator which — due to the role of chemical-like character of eco-laws — is based on a variation of an existing SSA (Stochastic Simulation Algorithm), tailored to the specific features of SAPERE, including dynamicity of network topology and pattern-based application of eco-laws. The simulator is tested on a crowd steering scenario where groups are guided, through public or private displays, towards the preferential destination and by emergently circumventing crowded regions.


The paper outlines an IP video architecture and determines the relative cost contributions from the major components. For current equipment, the DOCSIS ® downstream channel is shown to be the major contribution to infrastructure cost. As next generation Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) systems are deployed this will fall enabling a cost effective IP video platform to be realized. At this point other cost contributors become more significant. CDN and nDVR trade off options are discussed. Finally the paper looks at spectrum migration options to release the bandwidth needed to deliver IP video service.


Software management is considered from the corporate headquarters viewpoint. This perspective encompasses all facets of management, but specifically dealt with are those that are brought to bear on software management obstacles and ways to cope with them are presented. Standardization is presented as the most effective management device available at the corporate level for enhancing the overall software posture. Corporate management actions available for favorably influencing the quality of software over its life cycle and research initiatives are described.


AIM
To determine the citation status in 2004 and the citation trend of WJG by analyzing all articles cited by WJG and all WJG articles cited by SCI journals during 1998-2004.

METHODS
The total number of published articles and reference citations in WJG, authors' self-citations, WJG's self-citations, citations of WJG articles by SCI journals and inappropriate citations in WJG during 1998-2004 were statistically analyzed. Data on self-citations of the articles published between 1998 and August 2004 (Issues 1-16) were from ISI SCI-E, and data on self-citations of articles published after August 2004 (Issues 17-24) were from the WJG Editorial Office. Data on citations of WJG articles by other journals between 1998 and August 2004 were from ISI SCI-E.

RESULTS
Annual number of published articles: WJG published 179, 144, 211, 174, 236, 634 and 830 articles, respectively, in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The number in 2004 increased by 594, compared to that in 2002, giving an increased rate of 251.7%. Annual references cited by WJG were 2 123, 2 125, 6 244, 8 883, 11 442, 23 218 and 25 971, respectively, in 1998-2004. The average number was 31.3 per WJG article in 2004, which was less than that (48.5) in 2002, giving a reduction rate of 35.5%. Authors of WJG cited 125, 126, 343, 210, 354, 310 and 470 of their own published articles, respectively, in 1998-2004. The average number of authors' self-citations was 0.57 per WJG article in 2004, which was decreased by 0.93 or 62.0%, compared with that in 2002. Annual numbers of journal's self-citations: Authors of WJG articles cited 5, 7, 373, 733, 1474, 1947 and 1412 of WJG articles, respectively, in 1998-2004. The average number of journal's self-citations was 1.70 per WJG article in 2004, which decreased by 4.55 or 72.8%. No WJG article was cited in 1998 by other SCI journals. However, the number of citations steadily increased afterwards, with 16, 18, 39, 85, 372 and 580, respectively, in 1999-2004. The average number of citations by other SCI journals was 0.11, 0.09, 0.22, 0.36, 0.59 and 1.06 per WJG article, respectively, 1999-2004 (January-August). There was an increase by 582%, when comparing the citation numbers between 2004 and 2002. Annual WJG self-citation rates and citation rates of WJG articles by other SCI journals: WJG self-citation rates were 30.43%, 95.40%, 95.07%, 94.55%, 83.96% and 67.47%, respectively, in 1999-2004 (January-August). Compared with 2002, the self-citation rate in 2004 decreased by 26.87%. The citation rates of WJG articles by other SCI journals were 69.57%, 4.60%, 4.93%, 5.45%, 16.04%, and 32.53%, respectively, in 1999-2004 (January-August). Compared with 2002, the citation rate in 2004 decreased by 26.87%. There were 8, 19, 218, 274, 461, 698 and 574 inappropriate citations, respectively, in 1998-2004. The average inappropriate citation in 2004 was 0.69 per article, which represents a decrease of 1.26, compared with that in 2002. Inappropriate citations were mostly those with the differences between the two sides of the hyphens of 5-9, and the proportions of inappropriate citations within the three subsections of the differences between the two sides of the hyphens (5-9, 10-19, and >=20) were approximately 7:2:1. In addition, inappropriate citations mostly occurred with frequencies of 1-3 in the articles, and the proportion of inappropriate citations within the two frequency subsections (1-3 and >3) have been approximately 4:1 since 1999.

CONCLUSIONS
In 2004, the average number of reference citations, authors' self-citations and journal's self-citations were 31.3, 0.57 and 1.70 per article, respectively, which represents a decrease in the numbers by 35.5%. 62.0%, and 72.8% respectively compared to the corresponding numbers in 2002. WJG self-citation rate was 67.47% in 2004 (January-August), which was a decrease by 26.87%, compared with 2002. The citation rate of WJG articles by other SCI journals was 32.53% in 2004 (January-August), an increase of 26.87%, compared to 2002. There were 574 inappropriate citations in 2004, with an average of 0.69 per article, which represents a decrease of 1.26, compared with that in 2002. These figures demonstrate that the overall citation status of WJG is improving.


Abstract Seven cases of Claude Bernard-Horner's syndrome due to malignant pleural mesothelioma are described. All the patients were middle aged farmers and lived in the rural part of Central Anatolia. Two of them lived in Karain and had been exposed to inhale erionite type zeolite fibres. Hence the other five subjects lived in asbestos deposit areas. Pleural effusion, pleural thickening and nodular pleural lesions were the radiological findings. Rib erosion was found in one case. All the patients had tissue diagnosis by pleural punch biopsy, thoracoscopy or thoracotomy.


Introduction: In Germany, there is currently no consistent analytic structure within genomic diagnostics in oncological diseases. Within the framework of the project GENeALYSE, a standardized and interoperable specification for associated uses cases shall be developed.
Intended Methods: Through process analysis and interface modeling, problems of the actual processes will be depicted between the involved actors. In the next step, the workflows and relevant findings will be displayed and adapted. In particular, the heterogeneous workflows in genome diagnostics will be represented by semantic annotation in an international terminology. The results of the semantic annotation build the basement for the creation of an implementation guide for standardized genome analytics, referring to HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (HL7 CDA).
Discussion: The problems of heterogeneous genomic diagnostics as well as unstructured findings in oncology leave the actors face comparable challenges on a regional and supranational level. Interfaces, ambiguous semantics and manual activities inhibit interoperability, promote errors and lead to risks for patients and their sufficient medical treatment. A major challenge will be consistency between the heterogeneous terms to be found in genome analysis. The problem shall be addressed via using international terminologies as well as appropriate mapping techniques.
Conclusions: The aim of the project is to create an implementation guide for standardized digital documentation and communication solutions between diagnostics, medical therapy and research in the field of genome analysis. GENeALYSE is intended to optimize the coordination between the diagnostic genome laboratory and the clinical therapy decision in order to increase the safety and success of medical treatment, as well as to improve the health-related quality of life of the affected patients.


With the aim to understand prolonged and repeated marine anoxia after the Triassic-Jurassic mass- extinction event, a continuously cored, 338 metre thick succession of Rhaetian to Toarcian sediments was retrieved close to the village of Schandelah near Braunschweig (Lower Saxony, northern Germany). Here, preliminary biostratigraphical, lithological, sedimentological, geochemical, and geophysical borehole data are presented and discussed. Based on the presence of ammonites, ostracods, benthic foraminifers, calcareous nannofossils, and palynomorphs, all major Late Triassic and Early Jurassic stage boundaries and many of the standard Lower Jurassic ammonite zones could be defined. The deltaic Rhaetian sand- and siltstone succession (Exter Fm) contains evidence for seismic activity probably related to large-scale geodynamic processes. The Hettangian (Lias Alpha) is represented by a thick heterolithic succession composed of shallow marine sandy and silty beds with intercalated organic-rich shale, representing deposition on a shoreface with frequent storm activity. Progressive deepening during the Sinemurian to Toarcian resulted in repeated deposition of laminated organic-rich facies. Periods of relative sea-level fall likely occurred during the Late Hettangian, the Late Sinemurian, and Early Pliensbachian, where a series of hardgrounds occur indicating erosion on the sea floor followed by sea level rise leading to omission, and increased reworking. One of the most conspicuous features of the Lower Jurassic in the Schandelah-1 core is the presence of abundant authigenic carbonates (glendonites,concretions, beef-calcite) within the Upper Pliensbachian with partly very negative C-isotope values (down to –37‰ V-PDB) suggesting the anaerobic oxidation of methane. A high-resolution organic carbon isotope record based on 485 analyses shows two major negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) within the lowermost Hettangian and Lower Toarcian, respectively. Both excursions coincide with the onset of black shale deposition and are well-known features of these time-intervals in other regions. Despite the fact that black shale deposition also characterizes parts of the Sinemurian and Pliensbachian in similar facies, no large negative CIEs are apparent. The Schandelah-1 core thus provides an unique archive of sedimentary, biotic and geochemical records of long-term Triassic-Jurassic palaeo-environmental change in the European Epicontinental Seaway.


The evaluation of the ecotoxicity of effluents requires a battery of biological tests on several species. In order to derive a summary parameter from such a battery, a single endpoint was calculated for all the tests: the EC10, obtained by nonlinear regression, with bootstrap evaluation of the confidence intervals. Principal component analysis was used to characterize and visualize the correlation between the tests. The table of the toxicity of the effluents was then submitted to a panel of experts, who classified the effluents according to the test results. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to fit the average value of the experts' judgements to the toxicity data, using a simple equation. Furthermore, PLS regression on partial data sets and other considerations resulted in an optimum battery, with two chronic tests and one acute test. The index is intended to be used for the classification of effluents based on their toxicity to aquatic species.


We analyze the effects of borrower-based macroprudential policy at the household-level. For identification, we exploit administrative Dutch tax-return and property ownership data linked to the universe of housing transactions, and the introduction of a mortgage loan-to-value limit. The regulation reduces mortgage leverage, with bunching in its limit. Ex-ante more-affected households substantially reduce overall leverage and debt servicing costs but consume greater liquidity to satisfy the regulation. Improvements in household solvency result in less financial distress and, given negative idiosyncratic shocks, better liquidity management. However, fewer households transition from renting into ownership. All of these effects are stronger for liquidity-constrained households.


Sampling the collected suspension in a storage tank is a common procedure to obtain soil loss data. A calibration curve of the tank has to be used to obtain actual concentration values from those measured by sampling. However, literature suggests that using a tank calibration curve was not a common procedure in the past. For the clay soil of the Sparacia (Italy) experimental station, this investigation aimed to establish a link between the relative performances of the USLE‐M and USLE‐MM models, usable to predict plot soil loss at the event temporal scale, and soil loss measurement errors. Using all available soil loss data, lower soil loss prediction errors were obtained with the USLE‐MM (exponent of the erosivity term, b1 > 1) than the USLE‐M (b1 = 1). A systematic error of the soil loss data is unexpected for the Sparacia soil because the calibration curve does not depend on the water level in the tank. In any case, this type of error does not have any effect on the b1 exponent. Instead, this exponent decreases as the level of underestimation increases for increasing soil loss values. This type of error can occur at Sparacia if it is assumed that a soil loss measurement can be obtained by a bottle sampler dipped close to the bottom of the tank after mixing the suspension and assuming that the measured concentration coincides with the actual one. In this case, the risk is to obtain a lower b1 value than the actual one. In conclusion, additional investigations on the factors determining errors in soil loss data collected by a sampling procedure are advisable because these errors can have a noticeable effect on the calibrated empirical models for soil loss prediction.


INTRODUCTION Research Data Management (RDM) offers opportunities and challenges at the interface of library support and researcher needs. Libraries are in a position of balancing the capacity to provide support at the point of need while also implementing training for subject liaison librarians grounded in the practical issues and realities facing researchers and their institutions. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM/SERVICE The North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries has deployed a Data Management Plan (DMP) Review service managed by a committee of librarians with diverse experience in data management and domain expertise. By rotating librarians through membership on the committee and by inviting subject liaisons librarians to participate in the DMP Review process, our training ground model aims to develop needed competencies and support researchers through relevant services and partnerships. AUDIT OF PROGRAM/SERVICE This article presents an audit of the DMP Review service as a training ground to develop and enhance competencies as identified by the Joint Task Force on Librarians' Competencies in Support of E-Research and Scholarly Communication. NEXT STEPS AND CONCLUSIONS The DMP Review service creates opportunities for librarians to learn valuable skills while simultaneously providing a time-sensitive service to researchers. The process of auditing competencies developed by participating in the DMP Review service highlights gaps needed to more fully support RDM and reinforces the capacity of the DMP Review service as a training ground to sustain and iterate learning opportunities for librarians engaged in research support and partnerships.


Background and aims Systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) are characterised by a wide spectrum of demographic patterns with respect to the ethnic differences, age at diagnosis and especially gender distribution. Studying the distribution of these diseases across geographic regions using a big data-driven approach may help obtain a more "high-definition resolution" of these complex diseases. Methods We explored the potential of the Google search engine to collect and merge 133 SLE cohorts (>100 patients) reported in the Pubmed library. The country indicators are subclassified into 20 specific topics.Statistically-significant correlations were further corrected according to the Lasso statistical model (LC). Results We found statistical correlations in the following areas: Education, Environment, Infrastructure, Economy and Growth, Health, Private sector, Public sector and Social Protection and Labour. A higher F:M ratio was found in countries who had a higher frequency of women in tertiary education/academic staff ,female legislators, higher% of CO2 emissions from electricity/heat, higher% of terrestrial and marine protected areas and of taxes. In contrast, a lower F:M ratio was found in countries who had a higher frequency of women in unemployment and countries with a higher out-of-pocket health expenditure for private healthcare Conclusions There is a clear trend of association between the percentage of women diagnosed with SLE and some indicators of development of each country. The gap between women and men diagnosed with SLE is wider in countries with the highest frequencies of women working and women with high study degrees, and those countries with more taxes and a higher percentage of protected geographical areas.


Electrostatic forces play an important role in modulating the interaction of plasma proteins and blood cellular components with the surface of the vascular endothelium. Based on the concept that electrostatic forces residing on the surface of metal intravascular prostheses, such as the stent, also are critical in influencing blood interactions with those surfaces and the vascular wall, these studies were designed to measure these forces on 4 metals using atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM measurements performed in a low saline aqueous medium at physiological pH indicate a similar net electronegative surface charge level for gold and 316l stainless steel that is significantly higher than the level measured on an electropolished Nitinol surface. Heat oxidation of the Nitinol surface increased the overall electronegativity and created a more homogeneous surface charge distribution. This study demonstrates that AFM force measurements can be a valuable approach to understanding the electrostatic surface of metallic as well as other biomaterials that may be important in understanding how these surfaces influence vascular healing at intravascular interventional sites.


A flow line consists of a sequence of workstations through which one or more products move one way in order to be processed. Designing such a line represents a long-term decision problem involving different crucial decision stages, often solved iteratively because of their complexity. Line balancing problem is one of them; it mostly deals with assigning the set of indivisible units of work (named tasks or operations) to a sequence of lineally ordered workstations. In this paper, we present a brief overview of flow lines balancing problems recently appeared in the literature, which try to expand the core optimization problem dealing with assigning tasks by solving it jointly with other decision problems, such as process planning, configuration design or detailed line scheduling. In spite of the fact that, previously, the most attention was paid for the balancing problems concerning the assembly systems, the approaches and formulations of flow line balancing in machining environment are analyzed as well.


Author(s): Hathcock, Amber; Shah, Manish; Dietrich, Jennifer; Sampayo, Esther | Abstract: ABSTRACT: History of present illness: A 14-year-old female presented with rectal pain, pelvic pressure, urinary hesitancy and difficulty defecating despite daily laxative use. She had a history of irregular periods and was currently menstruating. Her vital signs were normal. Her abdominal exam was unremarkable and the external genitourinary exam showed a visible vaginal introitus and no masses. Significant findings: Due to pain out of proportion to her exam, an ultrasound of her pelvis was obtained and showed a blood-filled distended uterus, or hematometrocolpos (white arrow), with a 4.9 cm right ovarian cyst (blue arrow). A pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) then revealed an obstructed right hemi-vagina, normal left uterus and vagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis (red arrow) with normal left kidney (double arrow) consistent with obstructed hemivagina, ipsilateral renal agenesis (OHVIRA) syndrome. The patient underwent surgical repair with complete resolution of symptoms.Discussion: OHVIRA is rare syndrome that occurs due to a failure of lateral fusion of the Mullerian ducts.1 It affects an estimated 0.1%-3.8% of the population.2 The majority of these cases are associated with ipsilateral renal anomalies, but up to half can have contralateral anomalies.1,2 The most common presenting symptom is pelvic pain.1 On physical exam, patients may have a bulge in the vaginal wall which represents hematometrocolpos due to obstruction of outflow of menstrual blood. Transabdominal pelvic ultrasound or MRI are helpful modalities for diagnosis in adolescents.1,3 In one pediatric case series of OHVIRA, all 8 patients had a history of normal menses and presented with acute or chronic pelvic pain that began after menarche.2 All patients in this case series were initially misdiagnosed, due to the rarity of the disorder and the fact that most patients have a history of regular menses despite progressive pelvic pain. Definitive treatment requires surgical excision of the vaginal septum. Post-surgical prognosis is typically good;4-6 potential complications include endometriosis and increased risk for preterm labor or malpresentation.7 Topics: Pelvic pain, obstructed hemivagina, renal agenesis, rectal pain, hematometrocolpos, hematocolpos.


This paper presents an internal model control (IMC) design for lightly-damped systems subject to periodic exogenous signals. For such systems, the conventional design of the so-called IMC filter in the IMC structure can result in oscillatory behavior even when the closed-loop transfer function is designed to be well damped. To circumvent this problem, several band-pass filters are incorporated into the IMC filter based on knowledge of the frequencies of the plant's resonance modes and exogenous signals. The track-following system of an optical disk drive is employed to illustrate the design of the proposed IMC filter. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed design.


In order to understand the mechanisms in the responses of grassland ecosystems to global warming, this paper overviews the principle, the warming effect, and the advantages and disadvantages of infrared heating techniques. Recent advancement in research on the responses of grassland ecosystems to climate warming by using infrared heating techniques is reviewed, which covers the areas of plant phenology, photosynthetic physiology, growth and development, community structure and function, and soil characteristics, especially underground processes of plant communities. The key future research needs on the responses of grassland ecosystems to global warming are suggested.


Polymorphism or mutation in specific genes of P. falciparum and P. vivax is involved in the resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) antimalarial drug. On the other hand msp-2 gene plays an important role in drug resistance related genotyping. This study was undertaken as a basic information in assessing the urgent of development of malaria vaccine that can be created by ionizing radiation. Deoxy ribonucleic acid (DNA) of blood from malaria infected outpatients in Dok II Hospital of Jayapura for November 2014 period was amplified using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis to determine the polymorphisms of SP resistance. Among 15 samples tested for dhfr gene, 9 (60%) and 8 (53%) samples showed positive result for polymorphisms in JR78/79 and F/108DH primers, respectively. For dhps gene by using JR84/85 and L/L primers 7 samples were positive mutant. These frequencies are lower compared to results of other research. of these 15 samples examined, 3 had 3D7 alleles and 4 had FC27 alleles of the msp2 gene. No mutated S1105 and S1240 alleles and 6 mutant VDT alleles were found in P. vivax. It can be concluded that the resistance of parasites to SP was quite high, indicating the highly urgency to develop malaria vaccine.


Background: Atherosclerotic process is considered to be the product of several influences, and there is no selective agent responsible for it. Around 50% of coronary heart disease (CHD) cases lack traditional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, dyslipidemia, and obesity in Indian subcontinent. Hence, nontraditional risk factors are increasingly used to determine patients at risk. The Aim of the Study: The study aimed to assess the nontraditional risk factors such as lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) as potential biomarkers in CHD patients and to correlate these factors with disease severity. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken in 50 CHD patients and 50 healthy controls. Lp(a) and Hs-CRP along with other biochemical parameters were assessed in these patients. Results and Conclusion: Hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension were present in 74% and 62% of cases, respectively. Fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, and high-density lipoproteins were significantly altered in cases in comparison to control. Lp(a) (50.85 ± 23.42 mg/dl vs. 17.10 ± 5.18 mg/dl) and Hs-CRP (2.932 ± 0.605 vs. 0.379 ± 0.202 mg/dl) levels were raised significantly in cases when compared with the control (P < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was observed between Lp(a) and Hs-CRP. Hence, in addition to conventional parameters, the estimation of Lp(a) and Hs-CRP can prove to be a valuable tool in risk assessment of population and management of the disease.


In order to analyze the feature of high-load and high-stiffness gas bearing with tapered recess, the complete gas field consisting of supply hole and clearance is built up, and a laminar flow model and a sectional turbulent-laminar flow model are respectively applied to calculate the pressure distribution of centrally-fed gas bearing with tapered recess in different clearances. The theoretical results agree in general with the experimental. The experimental result demonstrates its high load, however its big gas cavity. On the above basis a circular ring gas supply bearing with tapered recess is presented, the calculation result shows that for this new type of ring inlet bearing the pressure drop in entrance area will be reduced effectively even with smaller tapered recess height, and compared with centrally-fed gas bearing with tapered recess, its gas recess volume decreased and stability increased, while the load capacity is basically the same.


Introduction: Cell therapies have grown in popularity for myocardial regeneration post-infarction, but still suffer from poor retention, maturation and integration of delivered cells. Mechanical strain has been shown to alter cell size, shape, adherence and gene expression in cardiac cells. As a more recently identified cell type, the effect of mechanical strain on cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) is unknown. This work aims to elucidate the role mechanical strain plays in CPC phenotype and if this response is matrix protein specific. We hypothesize that mechanical strain will improve CPC alignment and potential for connectivity. Methods: To examine the role of mechanical strain on CPCs, CPCs were seeded on FlexCell plates in the presence of a naturally-derived cardiac extracellularmatrix (cECM), collagen I (COL) or no protein (TCP) and strained 0% (static) or 10% at 1 Hz for 24 hours in a BioFlex system. CPC elongation, alignment, and size were evaluated by rhodamine-phalloidin staining. Connexin-43 expression was measured by Western and normalized to GAPDH. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-test. Results: CPC area, independent of culture conditions, was 1020 ± 40 um2, corresponding to neonatal cardiomyocyte area. The aspect ratio (major/minor axis) of CPCs showed a trend for increased elongation with strain at (e.x. 2.0±0.2 for unstrained cECM compared to 2.7±0.1 for strained cECM; n=4, p>0.05). Static culture conditions, independent of matrix coating, showed 20±3% alignment of CPCs. Under strain, alignment increased to 30±2% on COL (n=4; p>0.05 for strained COL verus static COL) and 48±8% on cECM (n=4; p 2 for connexin-43 protein in strained versus static conditions, independent of matrix, was observed (n=2, p>0.05) and confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Conclusion: This work suggests that mechanical strain alters CPC phenotype. Increased strain-induced alignment appears to be matrix dependent. In conclusion, these studies provide insight into the role of both mechanical forces and biochemical responses in the function of CPCs; which could lead to improved outcomes following cellular transplantation.


OBJECT
Transportation of unstable neurosurgical patients involves risks that may lead to further deterioration and secondary brain injury from perturbations in physiological parameters. Mobile computerized tomography (CT) head scanning in the neurosurgery intensive care (NICU) is a new technique that minimizes the need to transport unstable patients. The authors have been using this device since June 1997 and have developed their own method of scanning such patients.

METHODS
The scanning procedure and radiation safety measures are described. The complications that occurred in 89 patients during transportation and conventional head CT scanning at the Department of Radiology were studied prospectively. These complications were compared with the ones that occurred during mobile CT scanning in 50 patients in the NICU. The duration of the procedures was recorded, and an estimation of the staff workload was made. Two patient groups, defined as high- and medium-risk cases, were studied. Medical and/or technical complications occurred during conventional CT scanning in 25% and 20% of the patients in the high- and medium-risk groups, respectively. During mobile CT scanning complications occurred in 4.3% of the high-risk group and 0% of the medium-risk group. Mobile CT scanning also took significantly less time, and the estimated personnel cost was reduced.

CONCLUSIONS
Mobile CT scanning in the NICU is safe. It minimizes the risk of physiological deterioration and technical mishaps linked to intrahospital transport, which may aggravate secondary brain injury. The time that patients have to remain outside the controlled environment of the NICU is minimized, and the staff's workload is decreased.