Cyclooxygenases enzymes (COX) are related with ovulation, apoptosis and menstrual disorder. Several studies demonstrate that COX 1 is one of the major sources of prostaglandin but COX 2 is more important in the late reproductive age women. Prostaglandin is bioactive compound excreted from Arachidonic

acid by Cox 1 and Cox 2, play role in the fertility and ovulation but when increased above the normal level especially in menstrual cycle, ectopic pregnancy is attributed to this cause. Cox 1 and Cox 2 inhibitors have been regulated the inflammatory responses include cytokines and tumor growth factors which produced from neutrophil cells by cyclooxygenases activation, it has been used to regular prostaglandin action, especially PGG2 and PGH2. Any changes in the endometrial cells lead to increased vascular inflammation that developed to the late reproductive disease. Steroidogenesis characterized by increased levels of estrogen in the uterus caused uterine infections and elevated cyclooxygenases levels especially during uterine contractions process.


textabstractSince 1977, technological advances have made it possible, to incorporate a
microprocessor in an implantable pacemaker. In 1980, the first devices with a
microprocessor became available for patient use. At present, a single chip
measuring a few square millimeters, contains more than a million active elements.
The development of these micro-circuits is very expensive and therefore
economically risky for small and medium sized pacemaker companies. Large
investments in funds, design and evaluation time forced the pacemaker industry
to employ multi-purpose micro-circuits. Microtechnology renders the
feasibility to produce almost fully programmable pacemakers and provide the
physician with the ability to adapt the device to specific patients needs. Telemetry
functions are bidirectional, from programmer to pacemaker and visa versa.
Real time intracardiac electrograms can be analyzed and malfunctions of
battery or lead performance can be detected. Telemetry and programming
functions have significantly decreased the need for surgical reinterventions.
Clearly, microtechnology has created the progression from single-chamber
fixed rate stimulation to dual-sensor rate- mediated dual-chamber pacing.
Optimal cardiac pacing is critically dependent on the pacing mode, the underlying
conduction disturbance and the myocardial function. Predictors of patient
survival, hemodynamic and electrophysiological factors and the possibility
of an adequate follow-up are factors to be considered for selection of the
optimal pacing modality.


The project aimed to improve an automatic system for changing feed horn. We developed a precisely positioning unit for the system in the place of manual feed which might cause seriously decreasing of accuracy because of aging equipments, thus to raise accuracy of feedback. The traditional length gauge sensor used for positioning can generally reach a precision of 1mm, but with a serious drift of temperature, which affects precisely positioning of objects. Instead, a laser range finder can be achieved less than 0.1mm, and as a non-contact measuring instrument, it is easy to install, as well as high precision and low temperature drift.


Significance This paper makes two contributions to research on the link between the social environment and health. Using data from a birth cohort study, we show that, among African American boys, those who grow up in highly disadvantaged environments have shorter telomeres (at age 9) than boys who grow up in highly advantaged environments. We also find that the association between the social environment and telomere length (TL) is moderated by genetic variation within the serotonin and dopamine pathways. Boys with the highest genetic sensitivity scores had the shortest TL when exposed to disadvantaged environments and the longest TL when exposed to advantaged environments. To our knowledge, this report is the first to document a gene–social environment interaction for TL, a biomarker of stress exposure. Disadvantaged social environments are associated with adverse health outcomes. This has been attributed, in part, to chronic stress. Telomere length (TL) has been used as a biomarker of chronic stress: TL is shorter in adults in a variety of contexts, including disadvantaged social standing and depression. We use data from 40, 9-y-old boys participating in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to extend this observation to African American children. We report that exposure to disadvantaged environments is associated with reduced TL by age 9 y. We document significant associations between low income, low maternal education, unstable family structure, and harsh parenting and TL. These effects were moderated by genetic variants in serotonergic and dopaminergic pathways. Consistent with the differential susceptibility hypothesis, subjects with the highest genetic sensitivity scores had the shortest TL when exposed to disadvantaged social environments and the longest TL when exposed to advantaged environments.


AIM
The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new method of compression sclerotherapy of GSV and SSV.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
345 lower extremities with primary varicose veins, with a long reflux of the GSV (C2-6; Ep; As 2, 3; ± p; Pr), have been submitted to sclerotherapy applying the following method: injection of foam (Polidocanol 2%), or liquid sclerosant (iodate solution 4-6% or Polodocanol 3%) in the trunk of the GSV; echoguided compression of sapheno-femoral junction (performed using an inflatable device, the Safeguard); immediate eccentric positive compression on the trunk of the GSV; and short elastic bandage.

RESULTS
The results have shown that applying this method of sclerotherapy the failure rate decreases, independently to physical form of sclerosing agent.

CONCLUSIONS
The use of Safeguard® interrupts reflux to the lower veins, and these can so be well sclerosed and compressed with short elastic bandage.

KEY WORDS
Long compression, Foam, Saphenous vein Sclerotherapy varicose veins.


Pine wilt disease (PWD), caused by the plant–parasitic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become a severe environmental problem in the Iberian Peninsula with devastating effects in Pinus pinaster forests. Despite the high levels of this species' susceptibility, previous studies reported heritable resistance in P. pinaster trees. Understanding the basis of this resistance can be of extreme relevance for future programs aiming at reducing the disease impact on P. pinaster forests. In this study, we highlighted the mechanisms possibly involved in P. pinaster resistance to PWD, by comparing the transcriptional changes between resistant and susceptible plants after infection. Our analysis revealed a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in resistant plants (1,916) when compared with susceptible plants (1,226). Resistance to PWN is mediated by the induction of the jasmonic acid (JA) defense pathway, secondary metabolism pathways, lignin synthesis, oxidative stress response genes, and resistance genes. Quantification of the acetyl bromide-soluble lignin confirmed a significant increase of cell wall lignification of stem tissues around the inoculation zone in resistant plants. In addition to less lignified cell walls, susceptibility to the pine wood nematode seems associated with the activation of the salicylic acid (SA) defense pathway at 72 hpi, as revealed by the higher SA levels in the tissues of susceptible plants. Cell wall reinforcement and hormone signaling mechanisms seem therefore essential for a resistance response.


In 1807 the first life insurance society was established in The Netherlands. In the second half of the century, life insurance societies underwent considerable expansion. During the intervening period, the lines had to be laid along which this new phenomenon was to develop in the future: Between 1827 and 1830, the government started discussing the nature of its responsibility in this field and the kind of policy to be developed, and in 1830, a book on the organization of life insurance societies, the calculation of life annuities and widows' fund premiums was published, written by the mathematician Rehuel Lobatto. This book played an important role in the government's discussion. Royal Decrees which prescribed government approval for the establishment of life assurance societies were promulgated in 1830, 1833 and 1840. In 1832, Lobatto became the government's scientific adviser on the assessment of the calculations performed by these societies, and in the same year, he was also appointed adviser to the first life insurance society. From 1832 until his death in 1866 he advised the company on the use of life tables for life as well as for reversionary annuities, and he calculated the premiums based on these life tables. Another decree was promulgated in 1864 prescribing exactly which life tables were to be used. Because Lobatto probably played a part in this decree, he was responsible for a very 'conservative' government policy, which was no longer adequate in the second half of the century. © 1988 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.


"Sources and Contexts" offers a rich collection of documents on the play's central themes-magic and witchcraft, politics and religion, geography and travel. Writers include Ovid, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Gabriel Naude, Michel de Montaigne, and William Strachey. "Criticism" collects eighteen responses to The Tempest, from John Dryden and Samuel Taylor Coleridge to Stephen Orgel and Leah Marcus. "Rewritings and Appropriations" includes creative reactions to The Tempest, by playwrights, filmmakers, and poets, among them H.D., Peter Greenaway, and Ted Hughes. A Selected Bibliography is also included.


: Compartmentalization and selective transport of molecular species are key aspects of chemical transformations inside the cell. In an arti fi cial setting, the immobilization of a wide range of enzymes onto surfaces is commonly used for controlling their functionality but such approaches can restrict their e ffi cacy and expose them to degrading environmental conditions, thus reducing their activity. Here, we employ an approach based on droplet micro fl uidics to generate enzyme-containing microparticles that feature an inorganic silica shell that forms a semipermeable barrier. We show that this porous shell permits selective di ff usion of the substrate and product while protecting the enzymes from degradation by proteinases and maintaining their functionality over multiple reaction cycles. We illustrate the power of this approach by synthesizing microparticles that can be employed to detect glucose levels through simultaneous encapsulation of two distinct enzymes that form a controlled reaction cascade. These results demonstrate a robust, accessible, and modular approach for the formation of microparticles containing active but protected enzymes for molecular sensing applications and potential novel diagnostic platforms.


The energy efficiency and thermal performance of highly glazed office buildings are often questioned. However, nowadays glazed buildings are increasingly being built around the world, mainly due to an architectural trend, followed by the preference of companies to a distinctive image that a glazed office building can provide. Due to insufficient knowledge concerning the performance as to energy use and indoor environment of glazed office buildings, a project was initiated, in order study their possibilities and limitations for Scandinavian conditions. The aim of this PhD thesis is to (a) determine how the energy and indoor climate performance can be analysed, (b) clarify and quantify how highly glazed facades affect the energy use and thermal comfort and (c) determine how the design can be improved with regard to energy efficiency, thermal and visual comfort. The first part of this project involved establishing a reference building with different single skin glazed alternatives, choosing simulation tools and carrying out simulations for the determined alternatives. Results were obtained through varying the building's orientation, the interior layout and the type of glazing and solar shading devices. In the second part, the performance of various double skin facade cavity alternatives was studied, in order to study the possibilities and limitations of the system's performance. Simulations on an office zone and a building level were then carried out, in order to achieve optimal integration of the system. The results showed that, unless designed carefully, highly glazed buildings tend to perform poorly, resulting in increased energy use and poorer thermal environment. For Swedish climatic conditions during winter months, windows with low thermal transmittance are essential, in order to improve the building's energy performance and thermal comfort, especially for highly glazed buildings. Low g and especially geffective values have a positive effect in lowering the cooling demand; externally placed shading or double skin facades can have this effect. In general, double skin facades result in improved energy and thermal performance of the building mainly when applied on the south facade, but their impact is limited since the cooling demand is usually rather limited, compared with the heating demand, for Scandinavian climatic conditions. Achieving improved building performance when using fully glazed facades can be a great challenge. Individual building design that takes into consideration the type of facade including the size and type of glazing, the position of shading devices, the temperature set points, the building occupancy and plan type can definitely lead to improved building performance. If this is established, even in highly glazed cases, the building performance may reach reasonable levels as to energy use and indoor climate. However, a building with low energy demand cannot be achieved by a highly glazed building in a Scandinavian climate. (Less)


Predatory journals and conferences have little or no peer review. Their raison d'être is for making money through the article processing charges and the conference registration fees. Without a critical evaluation, predatory journals publishing flawed results and conclusions would cloud the existing scientific literature. Predatory conferences are the offshoots of predatory publishing. The conferences are not organised by learned societies, but by profit-making event organisers. There is a need for awareness among researchers and clinicians regarding predatory publishing. The scourge of predatory publishing and conferencing should be more often highlighted during scientific meetings and publication courses.


. On scales ranging from pes to kpcs, the relationship between stel- lar and gaseous galactic components forms the basis for interpreting observations of galaxies and understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Feedback effects from massive stars dominate the structure, ionization, kinematics, and enrichment of the gaseous ISM in star-forming galaxies. On galactic scales, the ionizing radiation from these stars creates populations of H II regions and the diffuse, warm ionized medium. Likewise, superbubbles created by stellar winds and supernovae strongly influence the structure, kinematics, and balance of the multiphase ISM. This contribution reviews these feedback effects of massive stars on the global ISM.


Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are membrane lipids produced by bacteria usually ascribed to soil and peat deposits. The presence of brGDGTs in marine sediments can thus be used to track terrigenous organic matter inputs to the continental margin and to infer the local continental mean annual air temperature (MAT) and soil pH. The proxy rationale is based on the degree methylation and cyclization of the brGDGTs from terrestrial bacteria, but recently evidence was found of river and oceanic production of brGDGTs with similar configuration, indicating the necessity to better constrain the applicability of the soil brGDGTs in the marine realm. Here we considered crenarchaeol and brGDGTs obtained in 46 core-top sediments from cross-margin transects in the Campos Basin in the Southwest Atlantic, with the goal to evaluate the effectiveness of the brGDGT-associated proxies in a region in the southeastern tropical Brazilian continental margin influenced by upwelling events and low terrigenous inputs. The separation of the 5- and 6-methyl brGDGTs proved to be essential for a better evaluation of the sources of brGDGTs in the environment. Direct evidence of input of terrigenous organic matter by the medium-sized Paraiba do Sul River and other small rivers in the region were observed. More importantly, the high proportions of ring-containing brGDGTs – and the consequent increased values of the #ringstetra – in the sediments deposited between 75 and 400 m water depths (mid-shelf to upper slope) were clear evidence of marine in situ production of brGDGTs. In some stations deeper than 1900 m, an increase in the acyclic 6-methyl hexamethylated compounds can also be ascribed to in situ production. Our results revealed that the initial soil signal is lost during transport and after river discharge in the Campos Basin, which compromise the use of brGDGTs to reconstruct the soil pH and MAT of the nearby land area.


Sweet potato ( Ipomea batatas [L.] Lam.) is an economically important crop in East Africa chiefly grown by small holder farmers. Sharing of vines for planting is a very common occurrence among these farmers and eventually varieties are given local names, making it hard to trace the original pedigree. It is therefore important to characterise the sweet potato germplasm for purposes of breeding and germplasm conservation. In this study, 68 sweet potato accessions were evaluated for diversity using 12 microsatellite markers. The genetic relationship of the germplasm was evaluated using the Jaccard's coefficient for dissimilarity analysis, unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) tree and principal component analysis (PCoA) on DARwin software, while summary statistics was done using PowerMarker and Popgene softwares. The polymorphic information content of the markers ranged from 0.1046 for markers J67b and J67 to 0.3671 for marker J1809a, with a mean value of 0.2723. The total number of alleles amplified was 21. The major allele frequency ranged from 0.5882 for marker JB1809a to 0.9412 for markers J67b and J67c. Cluster analysis divided the accessions into four major clusters. Principle component analysis divided the accession into four groups which were different from those by cluster analysis. This study was able to identify several distinct accessions as well as a few possible duplicate accessions that overlapped on the cluster analysis. Key words : Sweet potato, cluster analysis, genetic diversity, principal component analysis, Simple Sequence Repeats.


Abstract Children with brain injuries typically present with walking and balance difficulties, and successful rehabilitation depends on the therapist's ability to measure and understand the different components of gait accurately. Professional guidelines stress the need for adequate outcome measurement. Despite this, there is no standardised assessment of walking balance in children for use in clinical assessment. Measurement tools range from observational to three-dimensional gait analysis. Observational analysis lacks reliability and accuracy whilst clinical gait analysis is time-consuming and costly, requires complex nterpretation and is not routinely available to clinicians. Portable sensors and pressure sensitive devices have recently emerged as alternatives. In situations where it is preferable to avoid attachments to the child, the measurement of the forces or pressures generated by the body to control its movement and balance offers a practical solution. This review will discuss the advantages and limitations of these tools.


The use of monoamineoxidase inhibitors in the treatment of depression is increasing again in Australia. This paper outlines changes in prescribing, the problems associated with monoamineoxidase (MAO) inhibitors and how they relate to the practice of anaesthesia.


Between 400,000 and 800,000 infants are born in the United States each year to women who smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy. Whereas the physical health consequences to infants of prenatal exposure to smoking are well established, the early neurobehavioral consequences are less well understood. This study investigated the neurobehavioral consequences of prenatal exposure to smoking using an epidemiologically derived sample of 454 infants who were drawn from a larger sample of 1,292 infants whose families were recruited at birth. Results indicated that, on average, infants who were exposed to higher levels of prenatal smoking exhibited less positive affect and greater irritability. Moreover, among male infants, elevated levels of prenatal exposure to smoking were associated with lower levels of approach, gross motor movement, reactivity, and attention. There was no evidence that the effects of prenatal exposure to smoking on infant neurobehavioral functioning were mediated by physical growth paramete...


Within the work setting, changes in work relationships and patterns (e.g., virtual teams, flatter hierarchies) and changes in societal expectations have accorded trust much greater significance in recent years. Yet, it remains unclear how trust is built, maintained and repaired across multiple interacting cultural groups of influence such as nations, industries, professions and organizations, as well as sub-cultures within organizations, and cultures based in ethnic and religious differences. Trust is understood to be central to human and group relations, and lies at the very foundation of society and civilization. Extant research and theory highlights how trust facilitates effective organizational performance through enhancing and enabling cooperation among disparate parties, open information sharing, mutual influence and acceptance, problem solving, commitment and job satisfaction, as well as a range of individual, group and organizational performance outcomes. The changing nature of organizations, their markets, employment patterns, and the social and political environments within which they operate necessitates an increased need for effective relationship building across different cultural groups or spheres. In particular, the increasing globalization of trade and transfers of capital and labour has meant that complex interdependencies within and between different organizations are developing, in the form of partnerships, networks and cross-boundary joint ventures. Trust is believed to be particularly important for success in complex environments characterized by high ambiguity and uncertainty, such as cross-cultural collaborations, yet the place and role of contextual 'culture' variables has, as yet, received limited attention, and the evidence presented thus far reports conflicting results.


In this introductory essay, we review the development of the second edition of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual. We place the first edition in historical context and note the main responses and critiques of professional colleagues to its publication. We then outline the developing process of this second, comprehensively revised edition. Finally, we preview the contributions to this Special Issue. Overall, we emphasize the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual's innovative diagnostic framework, designed to assess the depth as well as the surface of patients' emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, and social patterns and to foster in the field an integration between nomothetic understanding and the idiographic knowledge useful for case formulation and treatment planning.


We explore techniques for a slender and untethered stylus prototype enhanced with a full suite of inertial sensors (three-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer). We present a taxonomy of enhanced stylus input techniques and consider a number of novel possibilities that combine motion sensors with pen stroke and touchscreen inputs on a pen + touch slate. These inertial sensors enable motion-gesture inputs, as well sensing the context of how the user is holding or using the stylus, even when the pen is not in contact with the tablet screen. Our initial results suggest that sensor-enhanced stylus input offers a potentially rich modality to augment interaction with slate computers.


The neural underpinnings of learning disabilities (LD) are still not known. Recent discussions focus over whether domain-specific and/or domain-unspecific reasons might be responsible for LD either alone or in combination with each other. This study applied standard nonverbal Go-NoGo tasks (visual continuous performance test) to LD and healthy control children to examine whether they show deficient executive functions. During this Go-NoGo task, electroencephalogram was measured in addition to reaction times, hits, omissions, and commissions to the Go and NoGo stimuli. It was shown that children with LD reacted slower with variable responses to Go stimuli and made more omission errors in comparison with the healthy control children. The analysis of the event-related potential indicated that the deficient behavior in this task is associated with smaller – and in part nonexistent – P3d amplitudes. This neural activation indicates a different neural activation pattern during action inhibition in LD children. The neural networks involved in controlling action inhibition are mostly located in frontal brain areas, for which it has been shown that children with LD show neural activation deficiencies. This is possibly a consequence of a maturational delay of the frontal cortex.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility for quantifying changes in oropharyngeal swallowing impairment in response to alteration in bolus viscosity using a reliable and valid method of observational measurement-the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP).

METHOD
This retrospective analysis included a heterogeneous cohort of 119 patients with suspected dysphagia that underwent a videofluoroscopic swallowing study as part of clinical care. Using consensus scoring, two expert clinicians assigned MBSImP scores to components related to oropharyngeal swallowing function between two bolus viscosities (thin liquid and pudding): epiglottic movement, laryngeal elevation, anterior hyoid excursion, tongue base retraction, pharyngeal stripping wave, and pharyngoesophageal segment opening (PESO). Comparisons between the two bolus viscosities were investigated for each component.

RESULTS
Higher (worse) scores were observed in the thin-liquid trial compared with the pudding trial for the following MBSImP components: anterior hyoid excursion (p = .03), epiglottic movement (p < .001), pharyngeal stripping wave (p < .001), and PESO (p = .002). Lower (better) scores were observed in the liquid trial compared with the pudding trial for one component-tongue base retraction (Component 15) only (p < .001).

CONCLUSION
These findings provide further evidence for positive influences of viscosity on the swallow mechanism, including influences of sensory feedback on the sensorimotor swallow program.


The 21 centimeter (21 cm) line emission from neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at high redshifts is strongly contaminated by foreground sources such as the diffuse Galactic synchrotron emission and free-free emission from the Galaxy, as well as emission from extragalactic radio sources, thus making its observation very complicated. However, the 21 cm signal can be recovered through its structure in frequency space, as the power spectrum of the foreground contamination is expected to be smooth over a wide band in frequency space while the 21 cm fluctuations vary significantly. We use a simple polynomial fitting to reconstruct the 21 cm signal around four frequencies 50, 100, 150 and 200MHz with an especially small channel width of 20 kHz. Our calculations show that this multifrequency fitting approach can effectively recover the 21 cm signal in the frequency range 100 ∼ 200 MHz. However, this method doesn't work well around 50 MHz because of the low intensity of the 21 cm signal at this frequency. We also show that the fluctuation of detector noise can be suppressed to a very low level by taking long integration times, which means that we can reach a sensitivity of ≈10 mK at 150 MHz with 40 antennas in 120 hours of observations.


The definitive version is available at: www3.interscience.wiley.com Copyright Wiley-Blackwell [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]


Alkylbenzene was observed during continuous hydrodeoxygenation of anisole in toluene. Besides acidic compositions, metals in catalysts play an important role in the transalkylation reaction during the HDO of anisole. Some metals (e.g. NiMo) that enabled partial hydrogenation could temporarily destroy aromaticity, resulting in a high yield of alkylated products. In addition, a high temperature facilitated transalkylation, while temperatures over 400 °C caused severe aromatic condensation.


Aggressive treatment of colorectal cancer (crc) liver metastases can yield long-term survival and cure. Unfortunately, most patients present with technically unresectable metastases; conventional therapy in such patients consists of systemic therapy. Despite advances in the effectiveness of systemic therapy in the first-line setting, the tumour response rate and median survival remain low in the second-line setting. The preferential blood supply from the hepatic artery to crc liver metastases allows for excellent regional delivery of chemotherapy. Here, we review efficacy and safety data for hepatic artery infusion (hai) pump chemotherapy in patients with metastatic crc from the 5-fluorouracil era and from the era of modern chemotherapy. In selected patients with liver-only or liver-dominant disease who have progressed on first-line chemotherapy, hai combined with systemic agents is a viable therapeutic option when performed at experienced centres. Furthermore, significantly improved survival has been demonstrated with adjuvant hai therapy after liver resection in the phase iii setting. The complication rates and local toxicities associated with hai pump therapy are infrequent at experienced centres and can be managed with careful follow-up and early intervention. The major obstacles to the wide adoption of hai therapy include technical expertise for pump insertion and maintenance, and for floxuridine dose modification. The creation of formal preceptor-focused education and training in hai therapy for interdisciplinary medical professionals might encourage the creation and expansion of this liver-directed approach.


Process-centered software engineering environments (PSEEs) generate and maintain a signiicant amount of information in their support of large-scale software development. This paper explores the issues involved in their management of the information. The architectures of most existing PSEEs include a repository that stores product data or process enactment data or both. Diierent PSEEs use diierent types of repository; some use existing database technology, some use special-purpose repositories, and others use structured les. To date, however, there has been little work done to explore how their use of repositories diiers from how other systems use them. This paper identiies the requirements imposed by PSEEs on the functional capabilities of a repository, evaluates whether or not existing database technology satisses these requirements, surveys the role of the repository in the architectures of several existing PSEEs, and presents our experience in using and enhancing repository technology for PSEEs.


Using establishment data covering the time period 1997 to 2007, this paper investigates trends of employer-sponsored further training in Germany, with a focus on the share of establishments investing in training. In West and East Germany alike I find a positive time trend in the share of training active establishments. Applying Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition techniques shows that changes in some establishment characteristics affect the trend, however not only in a positive way. While the increase of the fraction of skilled workers, changes in industry composition and the risen share of innovative establishments contributed positively to the trend, the decreased fraction of establishments engaged in collective bargaining operates in opposite direction. In spite of these findings, the overall characteristics effect is rather small. JEL Classification: J24


In this project, the synergetic effect of a graphene interphase in epoxy/glass fibers composites was investigated by coating glass fibers (GF) with graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets by an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique. Graphite oxide was prepared using modified Hummers method in which raw graphite powder was oxidized using potassium permanganate (KMnO4) in acidic solution. Using ultrasonic technique, the graphite oxide was dispersed homogenously in water to create a stable GO suspension which was used as a bath in the EPD process. For the coating process, two copper plates were used as electrodes in the EPD process in which GF were placed in front of anode for GO deposition since GO tends to carry negative charges due to oxygen functional groups attached on the graphene structure as produced in the modified Hummers method. The deposition was carried out at different applied fields while maintaining the dispersion concentration and deposition time constant. This process produced GF coated with GO nanosheets, while to obtain GF coated with rGO, GO coated fibers were subjected to chemical reduction process where the fibers were placed in an environment of hydrazine hydrate which reduced the GO coating on GF. Through this step, rGO coated GF were obtained. The oxidation level of GO and rGO was evaluated using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy techniques which confirmed the successful oxidation of graphite powder into graphite oxide due to liquid chemical oxidation process while the hydrazine reduction method reduced the oxygen amount from 34% to 10% in GO hence converting it into rGO. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of coated fibers revealed uniform coating of GF with GO and rGO where the amount of deposition increased with increased applied field.
The effect of GO or rGO coating on GF obtained by EPD process was first evaluated by determining the adhesion between GF and epoxy matrix. Single fiber fragmentation test was utilized to determine the interfacial shear strength (ISS) between the uncoated or coated fibers and epoxy matrix. Single fiber epoxy composites were prepared by using GO and rGO coated fibers and were tested using a mini-tensile testing machine and monitoring the lengths of fragments of fibers obtained during the tensile test. It was observed that in case of GO coated fibers, the ISS increased by 218% in comparison to uncoated fiber based composite. The increase of interfacial adhesion in this case, it can be attributed to the fact that GO carries oxygen functional groups which creates physical and chemical bonding between both the GF surface and the epoxy matrix. For investigating the interactions between GF and GO, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to determine the interfacial adhesion between them by scratching GO on GF. It was proved that the delamination strength was higher than the ISS, hence proving the efficacy of the selected GO deposition method. On the other hand, single fiber fragmentation tests indicated a 70% increase in ISS for rGO coated GF when embedded in the epoxy matrix as compared to uncoated fibers. This increment is lower than that observed for GO coated fibers and it has been attributed to the fact that rGO does not possess enough oxygen based functional groups to efficiently interact with the polymer matrix. The observed increase in ISS with respect to uncoated GF is based on the frictional forces offered by the roughness of rGO nanosheets. This confirms that the presence of an interphase (either GO or rGO) creates favorable load transfer mechanism through either chemical or physical bonding or even both depending on the nature of the interphase. To test further the positive effect of GO based interphase in epoxy/glass composites in terms of mechanical reinforcement, multifiber (uncoated and GO or rGO coated) reinforced epoxy composites were created by hand lay-up method. Laminas of fibers were wetted by epoxy resin and stacked over one another in certain number depending on the thickness of the resultant composite. These composites were subjected to various mechanical tests, such as flexural tests, short-beam shear tests, mode I interlaminar fracture toughness and creep tests which also confirmed that GO and rGO based interphase in epoxy/glass composites increase the performances of the composite with respect to that of the uncoated GF based composites. GO proved to be the best interphase in terms of mechanical properties obtained, as proved before. The multifunctionality of such interphases based on graphene was analyzed and confirmed using multiple tests on epoxy/glass composites containing uncoated and coated (GO or rGO). In particular, the electrical and thermal conductivity of the composites were tested in which the composites based on rGO interphase showed the highest conductivity which not only confirms that rGO coated fibers in epoxy/glass composites render the composites conductive but also proves the successful chemical reduction process used in this work.
These conductive composites were subjected to piezoresistivity tests in which the applied longitudinal strain in different modes resulted in change in resistance thus showing a possibility of using such composites as strain sensing devices or for structural health monitoring purposes in automotive or aerospace applications.
These conductive composite specimens were also analyzed for their dielectric properties. The tests showed increased permittivity values as compared to both uncoated and GO coated composites thus revealing the possibility to use composites containing rGO coated fibers for electromagnetic interference shielding applications.


Introduction: Thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped richly vascular, brownish-red endocrine organ, located at the lower part of the neck opposite to the fifth, sixth and seventh cervical and the first thoracic vertebrae. On account of developmental abnormalities thyroid gland shows various morphological anomalies like absence of isthmus, ectopic position, and absence of any one of the lateral lobes.
Aims: The present study is aimed at documentation of morphological abnormalities and their incidences of thyroid gland, which is useful for the surgeons to plan for proper surgical procedures in thyroid disease.
Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in 50 cadavers (39 male & 11 female) in coastal region of Andhra Pradesh.
Results: There is variable lobular pattern in 21 (42%) cadavers. Out of these, isthmus was absent in 8 (20.5%) male, and 3 (27.3%) female cadavers. Relation of tracheal rings to the isthmus was noted. Pyramidal lobe was present in 17 (43.5%) male and 2 female (18.1%) cadavers. Pyramidal lobe is frequently arising from the Isthmus. Levator glandulae thyroideae (LGT) was present in 16 (41%) male and 2 (18.1%) female cadavers. The average height and thickness of right lobe is 4.3cm and 1.15 cm and left lobe is 4.2cm and 1.15cm.
Conclusion: As developmental abnormalities of the thyroid gland are common, it is essential to know their variations and incidences for successful thyroid surgeries.

Keywords: Thyroid gland, Pyramidal lobe, Isthmus, Levator glandulae thyroideae.


In drawing on the theory of repeated games, norms scholars have devoted much attention to the so-called third-party enforcement problem: the seemingly inevitable reluctance of members of a community to carry out their implicit threat to punish deviators. We argue that the third-party enforcement problem - as currently represented in the literature - is illusory. To be sure, third party enforcement is always a problem for tit-for-tat, the norms literature's canonical example of a cooperation-sustaining strategy. The problem is not, however, endemic to strategies that support cooperation. Thus, we propose re-focusing on an alternative strategy, which we call def-for-dev (defect-for-deviate). Under def-for-dev third parties find it in their interest to punish deviators lest they themselves be labeled as deviators in future rounds. Although the third-party enforcement problem as conceived of in the literature is illusory, there is still reason for skepticism about the application of mainstream repeated game theory to law and norms. We highlight the counterfactual problem: the fact that the theory of games requires that players continue to believe that other players have adopted a particular equilibrium strategy even off the equilibrium path, when it is evident that this belief is false. The counterfactual problem opens up avenues for law that the literature has not yet identified. We contend, for example, that law does not enter simply to help players arrive at the cooperative equilibrium, but is required to sustain that equilibrium. This observation has the virtue of consistency with actual patterns of law enforcement.


Creatine, a natural nutrient found in animal foods, is alleged to be an effective nutritional ergogenic aid to enhance sport or exercise performance. It may be formed in kidney and liver from arginina and glicina. Creatine may be delivered to the muscle, where it may combine readily with phosphate to form creatine phosphate, a high-energy phosphagen in the ATP-CP system, and is stored. The ATP-CP energy system is important for rapid energy production, such as in speed and power events. Approximately 120 g of creatine is found in a 70 kg male, 95% in the skeletal muscle. Total creatine exists in muscle as both free creatine (40%) and phosphocreatine (60%). It is only recently that a concerted effort has been undertaken to investigate its potential ergogenic effect relative to sport or exercise performance. It does appear that oral creatine monohydrate may increase muscle total creatine, including both free and phosphocreatine. Many, but not all studies suggest that creatine supplementation may enhance performance in high intensity, short-term exercise task that are dependent primarily on the ATP-CP energy system, particularly on laboratory test involving repeated exercise bouts with limited recovery time between repetitions. Short-term creatine supplementation appears to increase body mass, although the initial increase is most likely water associated with the osmotic effect of increased intramuscular total creatine. Chronic creatine supplementation in conjunction with physical training involving resistance exercise may increase muscle mass. However, confirmatory research data are needed. Creatine supplementation up to 8 weeks, with high doses, has not been associated with major health risks; with low doses, it was demonstrated that in 5 years period supplementation, there are no adverse effects. The decision to use creatine as a mean to enhance sport performance is left to the description to the individual athlete.


BACKGROUND
Acute pharyngitis is a very common respiratory tract infection. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) that detect group A streptococci (GAS) have an advantage over conventional throat culture in determining the cause of acute pharyngitis quickly. The efficiency of RAT should be good enough to be used in the laboratory or in the clinics.

METHODS
From October 2008 through February 2009, throat swabs were taken from 293 children with acute pharyngitis and conveyed to the Gyeongsang National University Hospital in a transport medium. Two swabs from each patient were inoculated onto a blood agar plate, then returned to the transport medium and stored at -20 degrees C for several months. After the samples were thawed at room temperature, the SD Bioline Strep A RAT (SD, Korea) was performed.

RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SD Bioline Strep A compared with throat culture were 95.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 93.6-98.2%), 91.8% (95% CI: 88.5-95.1%), 95.9% (95% CI: 93.6-98.2%), and 91.8% (95% CI: 88.5-95.1%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
The SD Bioline Strep A RAT kit can be useful as an alternative to throat cultures in the clinics for rapid diagnosis of GAS pharyngitis and for an early decision on the use of antibiotics.


Host virtualization has become of great interest as it is a technology that can enable the implementation of cloud computing. For this, it can offer several benefits, such as high levels of sharing of computing resources, ubiquitous availability, and savings on hardware investment. Although it has been claimed that host virtualization can also offer the benefit of energy savings, the levels of savings are unknown. In this paper, we present experimental evaluations of energy expenditure of virtual machines used for computation processes. We measure the energy spent by a number of virtual machines and compare it to the energy spent by a single and multiple (real) Linux hosts. The results show that the virtual machines deliver similar performance to processes run in real machines for small loads, and achieve significant energy savings for a modest number of users. Therefore, it is then expected that there is a number of VMs for what energy savings is optimal. The values also indicate that workstations optimized for virtualization can offer significant benefits.


Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal-recessive disorder of hepatic copper metabolism that has tremendous variability in its presentation. Phenotypic diversity of the disease can lead to delayed diagnosis. We describe a case of WD in a 10-year-old boy presenting with 3 months of increasingly intense, spasmodic lower extremity muscle cramps. Physical examination revealed tenderness on calf palpation and dark flat lesions over his ankles, knees, and elbows. Initial testing revealed creatine kinase of 302 IU/L (normal 24–248 IU/L), hemoglobin of 8.9 g/dL (11.5–15.5 g/dL), aspartate aminotransferase of 114 IU/L (16–52 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase of 54 IU/L (2–30 IU/L), and myoglobinuria. Extensive evaluation of his myopathy, including MRI and muscle biopsy, was negative. Additional laboratory tests revealed a prothrombin time of 21.3 seconds (11.8–15.5 seconds), total bilirubin of 1.4 mg/dL (<1 mg/dL), direct bilirubin of 0.5 mg/dL (<0.3 mg/dL), albumin of 2.1 g/dL (3.1–4.6 g/dL), a reticulocyte percentage of 4.5% (0.5%–2.5%), a negative Coombs direct antibody test, ceruloplasmin of 3 mg/dL (21–51 mg/dL), and 24-h urine copper of 393 μg/24 h (15–60 μg/24 h). Liver biopsy showed patchy advanced fibrosis, mild inflammation, positive staining for copper, and a tissue copper concentration of 768 µg/g (10–35 μg/g). Brain MRI revealed symmetric intrinsic T1 shortening within bilateral basal ganglia. Trientene therapy was initiated for WD. Symptoms and laboratory abnormalities resolved and remain normal at 21 months' follow-up. Musculoskeletal involvement in WD is uncommon and typically defined as bone demineralization, arthropathy, or hypokalemic muscle weakness. In patients with unexplained musculoskeletal symptoms and hepatic abnormalities, a diagnosis of WD should be considered and appropriate evaluation initiated.


DOI : 10.26650/electrica.2019.18038 With the increasing employment of mobile robots to achieve different tasks in various applications, the need for localization and body position for these robots is increasing rapidly. Many techniques are proposed to calculate the precise coordinates of a robot based on the distances measured between the robot and a set of reference points. Also, internal sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, are used to detect the body position and the direction of the robot.  However, the effect of obstacles in an indoor environment and sensor drifts still limit the applicability of such systems. Thus, in this study, a novel technique that uses one or more robots to compensate for the missing stationary points is proposed. The robots in the proposed technique collaborate to improve the positioning accuracy, by providing reference points to each other. Per each movement execution of one robot, the remaining robots remain stationary, to provide the required reference points. When the robot finishes the movement execution, its position is updated based on the signals collected from the other robots, in addition to the position calculated by the onboard sensors. Then, another robot is selected to execute its movement.. The results show that the proposed method has been able to improve the positioning accuracy, by increasing the number of collaborating robots, when the median function if used to select the coordinates of the robot, among the candidate positions. Cite this article as: Albayati BIR, Kurt S. Assisting 3D Indoor Positioning for Robot Navigation. Electrica, 2019; 19(1): 85-90.


Phytoplankton patchiness associated with high-frequency internal waves was investi- gated by analyzing chlorophyll fluorescence along isotherms. In summer, patches of fluorescence were found over wave troughs through the upper part of the water column and occasionally under wave crests deeper down. A similar pattern was observed in spring; day-to-day variability in the ver- tical structure of fluorescence patchiness was however greater in spring than in summer. Maximum fluorescence within patches was typically less than 130% of the background fluorescence, ranging from 104 to 168% in spring and 102 to 153% in summer. The largest values were generally found along isotherms nearest the surface. The patterns of fluorescence and wave form, with additional data on beam attenuation coefficient, were used to test hypotheses of patch formation mechanisms, including non-photochemical quenching, swimming-gradient induced patchiness, and concentra- tion-gradient induced patchiness. While non-photochemical quenching apparently created patches of fluorescence, the magnitude and pattern of the patches could not be completely accounted for by this dynamic. Much of the patchiness was consistent with increases in biomass driven by swimming of phytoplankton in the divergent wave circulation. The contribution of any mechanism to patch for- mation depends on the phytoplankton community structure: blooms dominated by dinoflagellates will show patches created by swimming and changes in fluorescence yield, while the non-swimming phytoplankton community will tend to show patches of enhanced fluorescence yield.


In traditional NC curve grinding, the grinding wheel's rotary surface is generally not on the grinding point's normal direction, which will bring the distortion of grinding wheel and decrease the machining precision. This paper presents a new technology, which is called the non-interference normal tracking for NC curve grinding process. By controlling the worktable to rotate in the x-y plane, the superposition between the rotary surface of the grinding wheel and the normal vector of the workpiece's contour is realized, and the interference between the wheel's body and the workpiece could be avoided at the same time. A mathematic model is established and an algorithm to calculate the worktable's rotary angle is proposed. Finally, the algorithm is applied in a new-type digital curve grinder successfully. The results show that the method is reliable and effective.


Abstract Background Metastasis from one tumor into another is known as tumor-to-tumor metastasis. We report a case of a contiguous occurrence of meningioma and brain cancer metastasis. Patient A 91-year-old woman presented with a sudden onset of weakness in her right limbs and gait disturbance. Fourteen years previously, she had a tumor that was suspected to be a meningioma in the left frontal convexity with no change for several years. One year earlier to presentation she was diagnosed with lung carcinoma in the left lower lobe. Results Magnetic resonance images revealed enlargement of the tumor with perifocal edema. Histologic examination showed a meningioma with contiguous metastatic poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, as well as a clearly defined border between the two components. The clinical origin of the metastasis was presumed to be from the left lower lobe of the lung. Conclusion Although our case does not strictly fulfill the definition of tumor-to-tumor metastasis, we suggest a contiguous occurrence develops by the same mechanism and may be a subtype of this process. Although previous reports suggested the loss of epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) expression in the recipient tumor as the cause of contiguous metastasis, E-cadherin expression was positive in our case and did not seem to be involved in the localization of the metastasis.


Introduction: To explore the extent of evidence-based data and cost-utility of follow-up after primary treatment of endometrial and ovarian cancer, addressing perspectives of technology, organization, economics, and patients. Methods: Systematic literature searches according to the recommendations of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions were conducted separately for each of the 4 perspectives. In addition, the organizational analysis included a nationwide questionnaire survey among all relevant hospital departments, and the operating costs were calculated. Results: None of the identified studies supported a survival benefit from hospital-based follow-up after completion of primary treatment of endometrial or ovarian cancer. The methods for follow-up were of low technology (gynecologic examination with or without ultrasound examination). Other technologies had poor sensitivity and specificity in detecting recurrence. Small changes in applied technologies and organization lead to substantial changes in costs. Substantial differences especially in frequency and applied methods were found between departments. The literature review did not find evidence that follow-up affects the women's quality of life. Conclusions: The main purpose of follow-up after treatment of cancer is improved survival. Our review of the literature showed no evidence of a positive effect on survival in women followed up after primary treatment of endometrial or ovarian cancer. The conception of follow-up among physicians, patients, and their relatives therefore needs revision. Follow-up after treatment should have a clearly defined and evidence-based purpose. Based on the existing literature, this purpose should presently focus on other end points rather than early detection of relapse and improved survival. These end points could be quality of life, treatment toxicity, and economy.


Strengthening of the existing seismically deficient reinforced concrete (RC) buildings is an important issue in earthquake prone regions. Addition of RC shear wall as infill or external walls into the structural system has been a commonly preferred strengthening technique since the Big Erzincan Earthquake occurred in Turkey, 1992. The newly added rigid infill walls act primarily as shear walls and relieve the non-ductile existing frames from being subjected to large shear demands providing that new RC inner or external walls are adequately anchored to the existing weak RC frame. The performance of the RC shear walls-RC weak frame connections by steel anchor dowels depends on some parameters such as compressive strength of the existing RC frame concrete, diameter and embedment length of anchored rebar, type of rebar, yielding stress of bar, properties of used chemicals, position of the anchor bars in RC. In this study, application problems of the steel anchor dowels have been checked with some field studies such as tensile test. Two different RC buildings which will be strengthened were selected, and before strengthening, some tests have been performed in the existing RC buildings. According to the field observation and experimental studies, if the concrete compressive strength is lower than 10 MPa, the performance of the anchors is reduced by 70%. Keywords—Anchor dowel, concrete, damage, reinforced concrete, shear wall, frame.


There is irrefutable evidence that germline BAP1 mutations contribute to malignant mesothelioma (MM) susceptibility. However, BAP1 mutations are not found in all cases with evidence of familial MM or in other high-risk cancer families affected by various cancers, including MM. The goal of this study was to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the frequency and types of germline gene variants occurring in 12 MM patients selected from a series of 141 asbestos-exposed MM patients with a family history of cancer but without a germline BAP1 mutation. WGS was also performed on 2 MM cases, a proband and sibling, from a previously reported family with multiple cases of MM without inheritance of a predisposing BAP1 mutation. Altogether, germline DNA sequencing variants were identified in 20 cancer-related genes in 10 of the 13 probands. Germline indel, splice site, and missense mutations and two large deletions were identified. Among the 13 MM index cases, 6 (46%) exhibited one or more predicted pathogenic mutations. Affected genes encode proteins involved in DNA repair (ATM, ATR, BRCA2, BRIP1, CHEK2, MLH3, MUTYH, POLE, POLE4, POLQ, XRCC1), chromatin modification (ARID1B, DNMT3A, JARID2, SETD1B) or other cellular pathways: LRRK2 (2 cases) and MSH4. Notably, somatic truncating mutation or deletions of LRRK2 were occasionally found in MMs in The Cancer Genome Atlas, and expression of LRRK2 was undetectable or downregulated in a majority of primary MMs and MM cell lines we examined, implying that loss of LRRK2 expression is a newly recognized tumor suppressor alteration in MM.


In order to collect information on knee pain and associated occupational factors, a systematic review was conducted using the MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, and Free Medical Journals databases, from 1990 to 2006. Key words were: gonalgia, knee, knee pain, knee joint, knee dislocation, knee injuries, work, workplace, workload, employment, occupations, industry, occupational, workers, arthrosis, and osteoarthritis. Equivalent terms in Portuguese and Spanish were also used. From the initial 2,263 studies gathered, only 26 met the review's inclusion criteria. Knee pain prevalence in the previous 12 months ranged from 11.2% to 60.9%. The main associated factors were: female gender, older age, high body mass index, kneeling working position, and lifting at work.


Quantitative histological studies on the lung are time consuming and for the pathologist may not reveal much additional imformation in relation to the time spent. Sixty-eight cases of emphysema were studied. The percentages of the lung tissue destroyed by alveolar, bronchiolar and bullous emphysema were determined by macroscopic point counting. The internal surface area (I.S.A.) and internal surface area at a standard lung volume of 3,000 ml(I.S.A.3,000) were determined by the mean linear intercept (M.L.I.) method. There was a significant correlation between both the M.L.I. and I.S.A.3,000 and the percentage of lung tissue destroyed. The M.L.I. was the most accurate guide to the presence of emphysema. The I.S.A. was the least reliable indication of emphysema. Cases of alveolar duct emphysema were both over and underdiagnosed on macroscopic point counting. It is therefore suggested that in cases with alveolar duct emphysema, apparently normal lungs or where full pulmonary function tests are available, quantitative histological studies should be carried out. In other cases it is possible to derive the I.S.A. and I.S.A.3,000 from the percentage of emphysema as determined macroscopically, without recourse to histological methods.


Somalia has not had a central state apparatus since 1991 and is generally viewed as anarchic and war-torn. This assertion is only true for central and southern Somalia, however. In the northwest, Somaliland declared independence in 1991 and set about building what has become a genuine democracy that enjoys relative peace and stability. The country arrived at its current point through a prolonged peace-building process that was accompanied by measures aimed at strengthening the state. Its peacebuilding process during the 1990s was successful because of five key factors: shared identity, leadership, inclusiveness, local ownership, and innovation rooted in tradition. We can extrapolate several important lessons about how postconflict societies can return to peace and stability from Somaliland's experience.


It is well-known that in thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) densitometry and reflectance microspectrophotometry (MSP) the relationship between signal output and content of substance(s) absorbing light is neither a directly, nor reciprocally proportional one. For this reason, the discriminating power of the widespread signal-to-signal ratio technique is not high in relation to similarly colored materials, especially to those having subtle differences of same colored components. In this paper the modified signal-to-signal ratio approach applicable for both, TLC and MSP methods, is proposed. The approach includes transforming (by using the recommended equations and iterative procedure) the values of the signals obtained for compared materials, in such a manner that the ratios of these transformed signals become less mass-dependent in compared with the ratios obtained by using the signal-to-signal ratio technique. As a result of applying this approach, the discriminating power of densitometric TLC and MSP methods has been enhanced significantly. The value and limitations of the proposed techniques are considered


The discovery of steroid hormone receptors in brain regions that mediate every aspect of brain function has broadened the definition of 'neuroendocrinology' to include the reciprocal communication between the brain and the body via hormonal and neural pathways. The brain is the central organ of stress and adaptation to stress because it perceives and determines what is threatening, as well as the behavioral and physiological responses to the stressor. The adult and developing brain possess remarkable structural and functional plasticity in response to stress, including neuronal replacement, dendritic remodeling, and synapse turnover. Stress causes an imbalance of neural circuitry subserving cognition, decision-making, anxiety and mood that can alter expression of those behaviors and behavioral states. This imbalance, in turn, affects systemic physiology via neuroendocrine, autonomic, immune and metabolic mediators. In the short term, as for increased fearful vigilance and anxiety in a threatening environment, these changes may be adaptive. But, if the danger passes and the behavioral state persists along with the changes in neural circuitry, such maladaptation may need intervention with a combination of pharmacological and behavioral therapies, as is the case for chronic anxiety and depression. There are important sex differences in the brain responses to stressors that are in urgent need of further exploration. Moreover, adverse early-life experience, interacting with alleles of certain genes, produce lasting effects on brain and body over the life-course via epigenetic mechanisms. While prevention is most important, the plasticity of the brain gives hope for therapies that take into consideration brain-body interactions.


We examine experimentally how humans behave when they play against a computer which implements its part of a mixed strategy Nash equilibrium. We consider two games, one zero-sum and another unprofitable with a pure minimax strategy. A minority of subjects' play was consistent with their Nash equilibrium strategy, while a larger percentage of subjects' play was more consistent with different models of play: equiprobable play for the zero-sum game, and the minimax strategy in the unprofitable game. We estimate the heterogeneity and dynamics of the subjects' latent mixed strategy sequences via a hidden Markov model. This provides clear results on the identification of the use of pure and mixed strategies and the limiting distribution over strategies. The mixed strategy Nash equilibrium is not self-enforcing except when it coincides with the equal probability mixed strategy, and there is surprising amounts of pure strategy play and clear cycling between the pure strategy states.


Background: Hypertension is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Serum uric acid is often elevated in hypertension. Objective: To assess the relationship between serum uric acid and left ventricular mass and geometry in untreated patients with essential hypertension. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 130 newly diagnosed untreated patients with essential hypertension. Sixty-five healthy age- and sex-matched non-hypertensive individuals served as controls for comparison. Left ventricular mass and geometry were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Blood samples were collected for assessing uric acid levels. Results: Hyperuricemia was present in 46.9% and 16.9% of cases and controls, respectively (P < 0.001). Mean serum uric acid was significantly higher among the patients with hypertension (384.79 ± 96.4 μmol/l) compared to controls (296.92 ± 89.8 μmol/l; P < 0.001). LVH was present in 55.4% of the cases and 10.8% of the controls (P < 0.001) and the commonest geometric pattern among the cases was concentric hypertrophy while the majority of the controls had normal left ventricular geometry. Among the hypertensive patients, LVH was commoner in the hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia compared to those with normal serum uric acid levels (70.5% versus 42.0%, P = 0.001) and the commonest geometry was concentric LVH. There was a significant linear relationship between mean uric acid levels and the left ventricular mass index (r = 0.346, P < 0.001). In regression analysis, uric acid was a significant independent predictor of LVH in women (β =0.406, P = 0.015) but not in men (β =0.161, P = 0.432). Conclusion: These results indicate that serum uric acid is associated with LVH in patients with hypertension especially women even at the time of diagnosis, thus may be a reliable marker of greater cardiovascular risk.


Abstract. Lyme disease is a tick borne spirochete infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi that may present with multisystem involvement. It can affect both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The classical triad of Lyme neuroborreliosis called Bannwarth's syndrome includes lymphocytic meningitis, cranial neuropathy and radiculoneuritis. An ever increasing number of peripheral neuropathies have been associated with Lyme borreliosis. We present here an asymptomatic 57-year-old man with right sided diaphragmatic paralysis noted on a chest radiograph performed pre-operatively prior to a total knee replacement surgery. Lyme serology came back positive. Our case is unique as phrenic nerve palsy was the sole clinical manifestation of Lyme disease and it emphasis that Lyme disease be considered in the differential diagnosis of otherwise unexplained phrenic nerve palsy specially in patients residing in endemic areas. Key words: Lyme disease; phrenic nerve palsy


With the development of pervasive computing, location information remains a crucial component of context-aware. The ability to provide multimedia service according to users' locations would be attractive for intelligent tourism, shopping guide, etc. In this paper, we present a prototype system for location-based multimedia service as a guideline to design such application systems. Based on this prototype system, we implement a location-based multimedia service system called LMSS in real world, which is able to provide individualized multimedia service according to mobile users' locations. We describe the overall system architecture of LMSS and interpret its different components. The performance of our system are evaluated in Wi-Fi wireless environment to show its effectivity. LMSS realizes precise location estimation algorithms which can achieve an accuracy within 1-5 m and supplies mobile users with intelligent video service by utilizing the location information.


Food industry plays an important role in order to satisfy community needs with respect to availability, distribution and quality of food. To meet the needs of different consumers, manufacturers need to adapt products and services to fit their needs. Food processing industry has the typical characteristics, due to the nature of the food products that are relatively perishable, bulky and seasonal; therefore these characteristics have to be handled properly. This paper aims to review the previous studies on the food industry, production system in food industry, as well as the possibility of mass customization application in food industry. Production patterns of food processing industry are marked with different products structure, in which a small number of raw materials can be used to produce a variety of end products according to customer's request. System of food processing industry generally involves a two-stage process i.e.: processing and mixing. The processing stage often involves processing of intermediate product. While on mixing stage, intermediate products are blended into a formulated final product. Literature study shows that the study on the production system in food industry discussed the scope of production planning and scheduling, make to stock-make to order strategy, the concept of decoupling point, the concept of postponement, as well as related issue of the mass customization (MC) application in the food industry. So far, there are not many studies of mass customization on food industry. Therefore it is necessary to study the possibility of mass customization application on food industry, the advantages, as well as the strategies that can be performed related to the characteristics of typical food industry. Furthermore, to develop appropriate production systems and production planning to handle an increase in variation of products.


Quantitative, chemically specific images of biological systems would be invaluable in unraveling the bioinorganic chemistry of biological tissues. Here we report the spatial distribution and chemical forms of selenium in Astragalus bisulcatus (two-grooved poison or milk vetch), a plant capable of accumulating up to 0.65% of its shoot dry biomass as Se in its natural habitat. By selectively tuning incident x-ray energies close to the Se K-absorption edge, we have collected quantitative, 100-microm-resolution images of the spatial distribution, concentration, and chemical form of Se in intact root and shoot tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report of quantitative concentration-imaging of specific chemical forms. Plants exposed to 5 microM selenate for 28 days contained predominantly selenate in the mature leaf tissue at a concentration of 0.3-0.6 mM, whereas the young leaves and the roots contained organoselenium almost exclusively, indicating that the ability to biotransform selenate is either inducible or developmentally specific. While the concentration of organoselenium in the majority of the root tissue was much lower than that of the youngest leaves (0.2-0.3 compared with 3-4 mM), isolated areas on the extremities of the roots contained concentrations of organoselenium an order of magnitude greater than the rest of the root. These imaging results were corroborated by spatially resolved x-ray absorption near-edge spectra collected from selected 100 x 100 microm(2) regions of the same tissues.


Background: Over half of all births in the United States are the result of unintended pregnancies. Nearly one half of those women are using contraception incorrectly, and the rest are not using it at all. A major barrier to the use of highly effective methods of contraception is cost. One of the major goals of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to make highly effective contraceptives available to all women at no cost. Objective: To examine the changes in utilization and methods of contraception since the ACA was effected in 2012. Methods: Comparisons were made on summary data of contraception use from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Three time period (2002, 2006-2010, 2011-2013) were compared for changes in utilization and methods chosen. Data were analyzed by age, race, and education as detailed in the NSFG. Results: Overall utilization of contraceptives remained unchanged at 62% of reproductive aged women (15-44 years) and across the age, race and educational attainment. Contraceptive method of choice has changed, favoring long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods: IUD use increased from 2% to 10.3% overall and was the only method to increase across all variables. Conclusions: These early data show the ACA has had a small impact on contraceptive choice, yet the trend is in a positive direction toward the most effective methods. Unfortunately, Black women, who have the highest rate of unintended pregnancy, are still being left behind in utilization of contraception.


This article considers the work of Hannah Arendt and Ghassan Kanafani in relation to the social and juridical logic and form of the settler colony and of the settler-colonial logic and form of the Israeli state and its ideology, Zionism. The argument is framed in relation to two moments: (1) the notion and practice of Bildung—education, training, formation—where the subject of language, in becoming literate, thoughtful, and self-reflective, is to become a being that recognizes itself and others in these and related terms: as legible, autonomous, and self-determining; and (2) the ongoing debates around the politics of death, articulated through the writing of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, Carl Schmitt, Achille Mbembe, and Arendt. The article argues that, insofar as they presume an understanding of Bildung as a principal category of social thought, these debates reiterate the terms they claim to diagnose or contest. It also argues that, in their affective relation to decolonization, Arendt—and Foucault and Agamben—conjures and advances a social panic in a desire to domesticate the destabilizing force of anticolonial struggle. Finally, the article reads Kanafani's Rijāl fī al-shams (Men in the Sun) to argue that Kanafani's novelistic practice discombobulates the terms privileged in the settler colony and in its social and literary logic and form, as it promises a nonredemptive, anomic, and non-state-centric futurity.


The wide use of insecticides in agricultural and residential settings has resulted in environmental contamination, leading to increased concern about exposure of the population and possible chronic effects on health. This review summarizes the studies that have measured urinary metabolites to assess exposure of nonoccupationally exposed population to nonpersistent insecticides, organophosphates (OPs), carbamates, and pyrethroids. Electronic search yielded 36 different studies performed in a small number of countries for the last 20 years, most of them dealing with OP urinary metabolites. Dialkylphosphates, specific metabolites of OPs, and specific metabolites of pyrethroids or carbamates, have been investigated. Results indicate that a wide range of the population, adults as well as children, is exposed to OPs and to a lesser extent to pyrethroids and carbamates. Levels are one to several orders of magnitude lower than those in occupational studies. The contribution of the different sources of insecticide exposure remains uncertain. Food contamination, as well as environmental and residential contamination, appears to influence exposure, especially in the case of children. Residential use of insecticides, having pets, and living near gardens or fields have all been inconstantly related to higher urinary metabolite levels. Occupational exposure of the parents, especially of the agricultural workers, seems to be a predictive factor of higher exposure of their children. More studies investigating every source and pathway of exposure of randomized population samples and in other countries than the United States, in particular in developing countries, could improve our knowledge of factors influencing insecticide exposure of the population.


Two upland cotton varieties (Deltapine 5415 and SureGrow 125) were subjected to various seed fungicide treatments to determine seedling emergence and vigor in a Mohave Valley field prone to Rhizoctonia infection of cotton seedlings. During 1998, cotton seedlings in this field exhibited symptoms associated with Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and Thielaviopsis fungi. Of the treatments examined in this study, Baytan+Thiram+Allegiance or Baytan+Ascend+Allegiance cotton seed treatments provided superior seedling disease protection. The Protege+Allegiance fungicide treatment provided superior seedling disease protection when applied to Deltapine 5415 cotton seed, however seedling disease suppression was poor when the same treatment was applied to SureGrow 125. The Vitavax-PCNB+Allegiance and NuFlow M+Maxim+Apron were the least effective fungicide seed treatments examined in this study.


This article describes a double action hydraulic power take off for a wave energy converter of inverse pendulum. The power take off converts slow irregular reciprocating wave motions to relatively smooth, fast rotation of an electrical generator. The design of the double action power take off and its control are critical to the magnitude and the continuity of the generated power. The interaction between the power take off behavior and the wave energy converter's hydrodynamic characteristics is complex, therefore a time domain simulation study is presented in which both parts are included. The power take off is modeled using AMESim®, and the hydrodynamic equations are implemented in MATLAB®; simulation is used to predict the behavior of the complete system. The simulation results show that the design of the double action hydraulic power take off for wave energy converter of inverse pendulum is entirely feasibility and its superiority has been verified by the preliminary experiments, especially compared with the existing single action power take off system.


Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) offers high data rates and robust performance in frequency selective channels by link adaptation utilizing information about the channel quality. A crucial parameter required for adaptive transmission is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, we propose a novel SNR estimation algorithm for wireless OFDM systems based on the reuse of the synchronization preamble. The periodic structure of the preamble is utilized for the computationally efficient SNR estimation algorithm, based on the second-order moments of received preamble samples. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with the MMSE algorithm and two preamble-based algorithms found in the literature. It is shown that the proposed algorithm is robust against frequency selectivity and may therefore be used for subchannel SNR estimation.


In this paper a novel and economical method of generating three-dimensional micropatterns on single crystal silicon without the need for a mask is presented. The technique is based on the fundamental understanding of frictional interaction at light loads. Micro-patterning is done through a two-step process that comprises mechanical scribing and chemical etching. The basic idea is to induce micro-plastic deformation along a prescribed track through frictional interaction between the tool and the workpiece. Then, by exposing the surface to a chemical under controlled conditions, preferential chemical reaction is induced along the track to form hillocks about 5 μm wide and 1 μm high. This method of micro-machining may be used for making patterns in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) at low cost. Furthermore, this process demonstrates how microtribological processes can be utilized in the fabrication of micro-structures.


This research was concerned with study of failure strength of natural fiber reinforced composites. Tensile-shear tests were carried out with single-lap-adhesive-joined specimens consisting of polyester lap and composite lap. Composites were manufactured using the polyester as matrix and bamboo natural fiber layer as reinforcement. Two types of specimens with different reinforcement positions were tested to evaluate the failure strength of adhesive-single-lap-joined natural fiber reinforced composites. The test results were presented by tensile-shear strength graph comparing with finite element analysis. The failure mechanism was discussed in order to explain the lower tensile-shear strength of composite, and effect of position of bamboo natural fiber layer on the failure strength properties were explained.


There have been 42 published studies describing associations between oral conditions and cardiovascular diseases. In the absence of randomized controlled trials, the 16 longitudinal studies represent the highest level of evidence available. However, two databases produced eight of the 16 studies. There also is extensive variability in definitions of the oral exposure that include salivary flow, reported periodontal disease, number of teeth, oral organisms, antibodies to oral organisms, Total Dental Index, Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs, plaque scores, probing depth, attachment loss, and bone level. Variability also exists in the cardiovascular outcomes that include atherosclerosis measures and events, such as hospitalization for coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic CHD, fatal CHD, total stroke, ischemic stroke, and revascularization procedures. One of the criticisms of this research is that the exposure has not been represented by measures of infection. To begin to address this concern, we present new data showing that patterns of high and low levels of eight periodontal pathogens and antibody levels against those organisms are related to clinical periodontal disease as well as other characteristics of the individuals, such as age, race, gender, diabetic status, atherosclerosis, and CHD. As others before us, we conclude that the cumulative evidence presented above supports, but does not prove, a causal association between periodontal infection and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or its sequelae. A number of legitimate concerns have arisen about the nature of the relationship and, indeed, the appropriate definitions for periodontal disease when it is thought to be an exposure for systemic diseases. There is still much work needed to identify which aspects of the exposure are related to which aspects of the outcome. Principal component analyses illustrate the complexity of the interactions among risk factors, exposures, and outcomes. These analyses provide an initial clustering that describes and suggests the presence of specific syndromes.


The in-plane graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (Gr/h-BN) heterostructures have received extensive attention in recent years due to their excellent physical properties and the development potential of next-generation nanoelectronic devices. Generally, different bonding types between Gr and h-BN are considered in different non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations studies. However, which type of bonding is most conducive to interface thermal transport is still very confusing. In this work, we investigate the interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) and the thermal rectification (TR) in five different bonding types of in-plane Gr/h-BN heterostructures by using NEMD simulations. It is found that the ITC depends strongly on the bonding strength and arrangement of different atoms across the boundary. Among the five different bonding types of heterostructures, the C-N bonded heterojunction exhibits the highest ITC due to its stronger interfacial bonding. The analyses on the strain distribution indicated that a low interfacial stress level at the interface junction, may facilitate the heat conduction, thus leading to a higher ITC. In addition, we found that TR occurs in all five bonded heterostructures, and the C-B bonded heterojunction possesses the highest TR factor. The present study is of significance for understanding the thermal transport behavior of Gr/h-BN heterostructures and promoting their future applications in thermal management and thermoelectric devices.


This thesis presents a theoretical investigation of supermassive black holes and the quasars they power through cosmological hydrodynamic simulations on petascale supercomputers. As the size of simulations increase, visualization and interaction with the data become difficult. We developed interactive visualization software on top of existing image deep-zoom and tagging infrastructure libraries and platforms, specifically in the context of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. The visualization tools were instrumental in establishing the cold flow fueling model of high redshift quasar growth. We then proceed to further study this growth model with high resolution zoom-in re-simulations, and report that the cold flows feeding supermassive blackholes are numerically stable. We studied the morphology of HII regions with a parallel implementation of the ray tracing scheme SPHRAY, and found that the HII regions due to high redshift quasars are smoother and more extended that those due to galaxies. Finally, we developed a set of tools to produce and verify mocked correlated quasars and Lyman-α forest. We fit the linear theory correlation function of the QuasarQuasar and Forest-Forest auto-correlation and Quasar-Forest cross-correlation of the mocked transmission fraction and quasar locations up to 160 Mpc/h.


This thesis examines Christmas carols as heritage in the Cornish diaspora. Emerging from the same carolling tradition in Cornwall, labour migration during the 19th century resulted in the transfer and development of this musical practice in two key diasporic locations; namely, Grass Valley, California, and the Copper Triangle, in South Australia. Interest in the local performance of the repertoire is growing at a grass roots level in Cornwall, and the carols continue to be seen as part of Cornish (and other) heritage in these overseas communities. However, no academic study has yet attempted to trace or compare the diverging developments of the musical form, or the practices and cultural narratives associated with and emerging from its performance in these locations. I draw on heritage theory and ethnomusicological
methodologies in order to provide a nuanced account of these diasporic Cornish carolling traditions, arguing that they offer a compelling case study of how heritage operates as a process that engenders cultural meanings and significances that shift in orientation and emphasis. The thesis comprises of three sections. The first examines the musical materials of Cornish carols, discussing the selection and development of repertoires particular to each location. The second explores the emergence of particular cultural narratives around the carols and their performers, as the traditions developed new performance practices, contexts and cultural significances. The final section explores contemporary perspectives of the carols as local and other heritages in their present day contexts of revival and re-enactment. Combining archival and ethnographic research, this thesis shows that the differing trajectories of the carol traditions in each location are ideal loci within which to examine how notions of heritage may emerge, shift, and develop over time within a musical context.


Research in human social genomics has identified a conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) characterized by up-regulated expression of pro-inflammatory genes and down-regulated expression of Type I interferon- and antibody-related genes. This report seeks to identify the specific aspects of positive psychological well-being that oppose such effects and predict reduced CTRA gene expression. In a new confirmation study of 122 healthy adults that replicated the approach of a previously reported discovery study, mixed effect linear model analyses identified a significant inverse association between expression of CTRA indicator genes and a summary measure of eudaimonic well-being from the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form. Analyses of a 2- representation of eudaimonia converged in finding correlated psychological and social subdomains of eudaimonic well-being to be the primary carriers of CTRA associations. Hedonic well-being showed no consistent CTRA association independent of eudaimonic well-being, and summary measures integrating hedonic and eudaimonic well-being showed less stable CTRA associations than did focal measures of eudaimonia (psychological and social well-being). Similar results emerged from analyses of pooled discovery and confirmation samples (n = 198). Similar results also emerged from analyses of a second new generalization study of 107 healthy adults that included the more detailed Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being and found this more robust measure of eudaimonic well-being to also associate with reduced CTRA gene expression. Five of the 6 major sub-domains of psychological well-being predicted reduced CTRA gene expression when analyzed separately, and 3 remained distinctively prognostic in mutually adjusted analyses. All associations were independent of demographic characteristics, health-related confounders, and RNA indicators of leukocyte subset distribution. These results identify specific sub-dimensions of eudaimonic well-being as promising targets for


Background Recanalization rates after coil embolization are known to be higher in cerebral aneurysms of the posterior (vs anterior) circulation. Although often grouped with anterior lesions, aneurysms of the posterior communicating artery (PcoA) may nevertheless behave differently. Objective We performed a comparative analysis to explore differences in recanalization rates of PcoA and anterior communicating artery (AcoA) aneurysms, both integral to the circle of Willis. Methods Between October 2012 and July 2017, 699 AcoA (n=427) and PcoA (n=272) aneurysms were treated by endovascular coil embolization, monitoring 667 (95.4%) via radiologic imaging for ≥ 6 months. Cumulative recordings of medical and imaging data were retrospectively reviewed, conducting propensity score matching and binary logistic regression analysis. Results In the 667 aneurysms followed longer term, recanalization occurred in 111 (16.6%; minor 72; major 39) and was significantly more frequent in PcoA (25.5%) than in AcoA (11.0%; P<0.01) aneurysms during similar follow-up periods. After 1:1 propensity score matching, an even greater proclivity for recanalization was evident at PcoA sites (PcoA 23.0%; AcoA 12.2%; P<0.01). Although A1 segment dominance was linked to recanalization in AcoA aneurysms (18.2% vs 7.6%; P=0.01), the PcoA counterpart had no bearing on recanalization (27.7% vs 24.1%; P=0.51). Conclusions Despite a clear preponderance of AcoA aneurysms, recanalization of PcoA aneurysms proved significantly greater, attesting to posterior circulation behavior.


Background: The effects of globalisation, e-procurement and supply chain integration have become paramount to the success of supply chain management, especially to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a developing country context such as South Africa. Most studies on e-procurement and supplier integration have focused on large firms. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate how SMEs can enhance their supplier integration through e-design and e-negotiation. Setting: This study was conducted in the Sedibeng region of the Gauteng province, South Africa. Method: A quantitative research methodology was adopted in which the survey questionnaire was used to gather data from 283 SME owners and managers. A non-probability sampling employing convenience method was used. A structural equation modelling and the path modelling techniques were undertaken for this study. Results: The principal finding of this study reveals that e-design has a positive and significant linear relationship with supplier integration. The findings further reveal that e-negotiation has a positive and significant linear relationship with supplier integration. Conclusion: This study added practical value by developing an integrative model which might be used by SME practitioners in South Africa. The study recommended that SME owners and managers must effectively implement e-design and e-negotiation systems to increase the chance of integrating with their suppliers, thereby increasing the chance of improving performance and cutting supply chain costs.


Often enough, laws respond to the serious needs and desires of a society. At other times, society will render the law essentially ineffective because it goes against the grain of society's moral direction. Prohibition, as well as laws against abortion, fornication, and homosexual acts, all constitute other laws driven by society's moral compass. "A law that fails to take into account the social ethos of the community it is supposed to guide risks being ignored and hence, remaining a dead letter, incapable of inducing change." Beliefs about life and death, good luck and misfortune, prosperity and poverty—changes that normally occur as societies undergo periods of profound transformation—are often prompted top down by colonial hegemony, or nudged by missionary proselytizing. Beliefs may evolve as a result of better education and health practices, or simply as an adjunct to the inevitable influence of globalization in communication and commerce. In developing nations, a palpable tension develops if the "dominant group . . . enact[s] government policies that discriminate implicitly or incidentally against non-dominant traditions." A society can ignore these problems and tensions, recognize them and refrain from proposing a solution, allow conflict resolution between groups to take its course, or enforce new norms with the force of law and punish offenders. In Africa, this tension seems nowhere more evident than in the context of traditional beliefs about witchcraft and the laws that seek to curtail witchcraft


Invisalign has given a more esthetic view to the orthodontic treatment. Clear aligners is becoming more popular among younger population not only because it provides better esthetics but better periodontal status as well during the treatment when compared to fixed orthodontic treatments. Pain and discomfort is compairtively less. Fixed orthodontic treatment has found to cause more trauma to the periodontal tissues when compared to invisalign. Clear aligners or invisalign uses 3D computer imaging technology. Invisalign serves good results in treatment of craniomandibular disorders. Prominent differences were noticed between invisalign and fixed orthodontic appliances.


Background: There is an increased incidence of breast tumors worldwide. It is the second leading cause of death and disability related to cancer among females. High case fatality rates seen in resource-limited countries is due to a lack of awareness of the screening in the general population and inadequate facilities for early detection and poor access to health care facilities for treatment. Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the frequencies of different types and stage breast cancer at first presentation of the patients to a health care facility. Study Design: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Settings: Study was conducted in two Government hospitals, Bahawal Victoria and Civil Hospital of Bahawalpur Pakistan. Duration: Six months (Jan 1, to June 30, 2019). Methodology: Total of 95 patients presented with breast cancer to the respective hospitals. After taking informed verbal consent from the patients the questions regarding their personal biodata were asked from them. Examination and surgical details were taken from their medical chart records. The data was analyzed with SPSS. Results: The mean age of the parents was 49.5(+11.6 SD) years. TNM staging of the patients showed that most of the patients were already in stage III (49.4%) of breast cancer. Infiltrative ductal carcinoma was the most frequently occurring cancer,66 (69.4%). Conclusion: Education about breast cancer awareness to female population could be helpful in early detection of cancer.


This article presents results on the seed productivity of populations of Tulipa gesneriana L. in the Ergeninskaya Upland (within the boundaries of the Republic of Kalmykia). This species is listed in the Red Data Books of several regions of Russia, including Kalmykia. The research objects were 4 populations of T. gesneriana growing on the Ergeninskaya Upland, which extends across the Republic territory from north to southwest on light chestnut soils of solonetzicity. The potential seed productivity of these T. gesneriana plants was 161.8-181.5 pcs. seeds per plant; the actual seed productivity was 161.8-181.5 pcs. seeds per plant; and the formation of seeds was 34.4-75.6%. All indicators of seed productivity showed significant interpopulation differences when moving from the northern part of the Upland to its southern part. A potential reserve of mature seeds per 1 meter2, formed during the growing season, in the coenopopulations of T. gesneriana was 253.2 3212.8 pcs. in 2018 and 368.