ABSTRACT Variation at four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites of the interleukin 1 (IL1) gene cluster was investigated among 280 unrelated individuals, representing 7 caste groups from the state of Karnataka, India, and one European American community of Boston, Massachusetts. Allele and haplotype frequencies, strength of linkage disequilibrium, and signatures of recombination varied considerably among populations. Variable community sizes and traditions of consanguinity may account for the observed variation.


The familial occurrence of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, hiatus hernia, or microcephaly is recog-nized. No previous report has been found of all three conditions occurring in members of a sib-ship, and the following case reports may therefore be of interest.


A simulation model of a punch grinding process has been used to determine optimal parameters to reduce grinding cycle time and achieve a constant-temperature no-burn situation. Two basic outputs of the simulation model include arc length of contact and specific material removal rate that are both time-variant. A thermal model is included in the simulation to calculate maximum grinding temperature rise. The simulation-based optimization can help to avoid thermal damage, which includes thermal softening, residual tensile stress, and rehardening burn. The grindability of high speed steel (HSS) is presented in terms of specific grinding energy versus undeformed chip thickness and maximum temperature rise versus specific material removal rate. It is shown that for a given specific material removal rate lower temperatures are achieved when grinding fast and shallow. Higher temperatures, characteristic for slow and deep grinding, soften the material leading to a lower specific grinding energy, especially if grinding is timid. Lowest values of specific grinding energy can be achieved in fast and shallow grinding at aggressive grinding conditions.


This investigation examined university staff members' attitudes towards students with learning disabilities (LD) at the postsecondary level. Although prior research has examined university faculty perceptions of students with LD, little is known about staff members' attitudes and perceptions. A survey instrument was administered to approximately 300 staff members at a large private university and resulted in 70 responses. The survey contained items pertaining to knowledge about LD, willingness to provide accommodations, understanding of available support services, and need for professional development. Findings indicated that staff generally had positive attitudes towards students with LD and were willing to provide accommodations. However, a substantial number of respondents indicated a need for training and professional development regarding students with LD in general as well as strategies to support students with LD in postsecondary settings. The implications of these findings are discussed.


Commercial vehicle drivers are the from lines for commercial logistics that ensure safe delivery of goods. When the growing logistics industry in Malaysia and served mostly by SMEs, the training needs of drivers may not be priority than resulting in poor work performance of drivers reflected by many problem that arise due to these drivers. Training, one of the elements in Human Resource should be provided by the SME Logistics Company. The objective of the study are (1)10 identify the current situation in training for commercial vehicle drivers among SME logistics companies in Selangor (2) to examine the factors that can influence driver's training among SME logistics companies in Selangor and (3) m analyse the most determinant factors affecting driver's training among SME logistics companies in Selangor. The study was conducted by a quantitative survey where questionnaire distribution to 226 managels of SMEs logistics companies in Selangor and only 110 of the respondents have given feedback. A conceptual framework was developed based on the extensive literature. This empirical research explored the relationship of independent variable with training needs. The three main variables being studied includes same dimensions that were grounded theory, such as economic return, personal career development and reputation of the company. The relationship between the three valiables showed different significanoe. The variables are significant for economic return of the company and driver's training. But the variables of personal career development and reputation of company it shows there no significance between acceptance of driver training with personal career development of drivers and company's reputation.


In the power supply systems, static converters are increasingly used to feed every kind of consumers. Static converters are used widely in electric drive systems for the change in voltage and/or frequency power of electric machines. The authors realized aWindows software application to simulate the static converter function which is used for better understanding of the students. This software is realized like an independent application helping with Visual Basic software package.


This work presents a novel approach to optimize digital integrated circuits yield referring to speed, dynamic power and leakage power constraints. The method is based on process parameter estimation circuits and active control of body bias performed by an on-chip digital controller. The associated design flow allows us to quantitatively predict the impact of the method on the expected yield in a specific design. We present the architecture scheme, the theoretical foundation, the estimation circuits used, and two application case studies, referring to an industrial 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS process data. The approach results to be remarkably effective at high operating temperature. In the presented case study, initial yields below 14% are improved to 86% by using a single controller and a single set of estimation circuits per die.


In general, non-minimal models of the dark sector such as Dynamical Dark Matter posit the existence of an ensemble of individual dark components with differing masses, cosmological abundances, and couplings to the Standard Model. Perhaps the most critical among these features is the spectrum of masses, as this goes a long way towards determining the cosmological abundances and lifetimes of the corresponding states. Many different underlying theoretical structures can be imagined for the dark sector, each giving rise to its own mass spectrum and corresponding density of states. In this paper, by contrast, we investigate the spectrum of masses that emerges statistically from underlying processes which are essentially random. We find a density of states $n(m)$ which decreases as a function of mass and actually has an upper limit $m_{\rm max}$ beyond which $n(m)=0$. We also demonstrate that this "emergent" density of states is particularly auspicious from the perspective of the Dynamical Dark Matter framework, leading to cosmological abundances and decay widths that are suitably balanced against each other across the dark-matter ensemble. Thus randomness in the dark sector coexists quite naturally with Dynamical Dark Matter, and we examine the prospects for observing the signals of such scenarios in dark-matter indirect-detection experiments.


The standard framework in which economists evaluate environmental policies is cost-benefit analysis, so policy debates usually focus on the expected flows of costs and benefits, or on the choice of discount rate. But this can be misleading when there is uncertainty over future outcomes, when there are reversibilities, and when policy adoption can be delayed. This paper shows how two kinds of uncertainty over the future costs and benefits of reduced environmental degradation, and over the evolution of an ecosystem interact with two kinds of irreversibilities - sunk costs associated with an environmental regulation, and "sunk benefits" of avoided environmental degradation - to affect optimal policy timing and design.


The growing menace of international terrorism and the increasing number of terroristic attacks have drawn attention to new and more complex types of threats. Those must be countered by the development of new imaging technologies for wide area surveillance as well as for the detection of concealed dangerous objects, in order to protect the human population and sensitive important infrastructures. The observation of a variety of security critical premises, borders, and maritime coastal areas for instance attracts the increasing attention of companies and authorities. Hence there is a strong demand on wide-field-of-view imaging for intruder detection under all adverse ambient conditions. Furthermore the imaging of persons for security purposes is of increasing interest particularly for airline and other transportation services or public events with large crowds. Therefore personnel inspection with respect to weapons and explosives becomes an important mean.
Passive microwave remote sensing allows a daytime independent non-destructive observation and examination of the objects of interest under nearly all weather conditions without artificial exposure of persons and observation areas, hence fully avoiding health risks. The penetration capability of microwaves provides the detection of objects through atmospheric obstacles like bad weather, fog or dust, vapour and smoke, as well as through thin non-metallic materials and clothing. For the latter the detection of hidden objects like weapons, explosives, and contraband is possible by monitoring dielectric anomalies. Based on the physical principles of microwave radiometry, images have a quasi-optical appearance simplifying the image interpretation for the operator. In addition, the sensor operation is inherently passive and covert.
Over years the DLR Microwaves and Radar Institute developed several problem-orientated radiometer imaging systems covering nearly the whole frequency spectrum between 1 GHz and 100 GHz for a multitude of applications. Mechanical linescanner systems, having a different field of view for far-field or near-field imaging, are used as experimental systems in order to investigate basic key parameters for the specific applications like suitable frequency band, required spatial resolution, and sensitivity. The different types of imaging systems are introduced and some typical measurement results are shown. Besides laboratory results, some measurements are discussed, which were recorded under nearly operational conditions like the surveillance of facilities and the personnel screening at a security checkpoint.


The nexus of conflict, transportation costs, and poverty is one which has received scant attention in the literature. This paper explores the effect of conflict on poverty in Nigeria, taking accessibility into account. The analysis relies on household data from the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) and on conflict data from Armed Conflict Location Events Dataset (ACLED). To account for methodological challenges in the conflict data, we implement a 'hot spot' strategy whereby incidents within a limited geographic area over time are grouped. To address the potential endogeneity of conflict, we use past incidences of violence to instrument for more recent conflict. Transport costs are instrumented using the natural path, the time it takes to reach the market absent any roads. We find that decreasing transportation costs decreases multidimensional poverty and that its impact is stronger in areas of low conflict. We also find suggestive evidence that conflict and poverty are negatively correlated in Nigeria.


The growth of tree legumes in degraded areas must be preceded by assessments of nodulation ability of naturally established rhizobia populations since such information contributes to defining the species which can be planted for recovering disturbed areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and natural nodulation of "sabia" (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth.) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.) in soils of the Brazilian semiarid area under different systems of land use: native vegetation (locally called caatinga) and areas with different agricultural systems (a monocrop system and an intercropping with various species). For each species, a greenhouse experiment in randomized block design was realized, using soils of different types (Luvisol and Ultisol), with 4 replicates. The results evidentiate significant differences in the evaluated growth characteristics (height, leaflet number and shoot diameter) of M. caesalpiniifolia, that have displayed lower plant growth when cultivated in the Luvisol under conventional system. Plant growth, nodulation and total N accumulation in both seedling tree legumes increased in Ultisol under the different systems of land use. L. leucocephala showed higher potential of biological nitrogen fixation and nodulation effectiveness promoted by indigenous rhizobia.

 Key words:  Biological nitrogen fixation, indigenous rhizobia, symbiosis, sustainable agriculture.


Male secondary sexual characters are often expressed in females, and the maintenance of the character in females can be due to either direct selection on females favoring the maintenance of the trait, or a correlated response to selection in males. Here I report on determinants of and phenotypic selection on tail length of female barn swallows Hirundo rustica. The homologous trait in males is under strong directional sexual selection. Female tail length was positively associated with several reproductive parameters including total seasonal reproductive success, even when controlling for year and age effects. A change in female tail length from one year to another was often associated with a change in the reproductive parameters correlated with absolute tail length. There was little evidence for an association between female tail length and the duration of the incubation period (only females incubate) and absolute and relative female provisioning rates of offspring, and subsequent size of offspring. Tail length of female barn swallows was positively correlated with that of their mates. Female tail length was a heritable trait as determined from regression of the tail trait of offspring on that of their mother and their father, and there was a positive genetic correlation between the tail trait in males and females. In conclusion, female tail length reliably reflects female reproductive potential, and the trait appears to be under directional selection, which may result in an evolutionary response to selection because of the heritability of the tail trait.


Two recent studies published in JAMA involved the analysis of observational data to estimate the effect of a treatment on patient outcomes. In the study by Roze et al,1 a large observational data set was analyzed to estimate the relationship between early echocardiography screening for patent ductus arteriosus and mortality among preterm infants. The authors compared mortality rates of 847 infants who were screened for patent ductus arteriosus and 666 who were not. The 2 infant groups were dissimilar; infants who were screened were younger, more likely female, and less likely to have received corticosteroids. The authors used propensity score matching to create 605 matched infant pairs from the original cohort to adjust for these differences. In the study by Huybrechts et al,2 the Medicaid Analytic eXtract data set was analyzed to estimate the association between antidepressant use during pregnancy and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. The authors included 3 789 330 women, of which 128 950 had used antidepressants. Women who used antidepressants were different from those who had not, with differences in age, race/ethnicity, chronic illnesses, obesity, tobacco use, and health care use. The authors adjusted for these differences using, in part, the technique of propensity score stratification.


This article analyses several Holocaust stories from the first English translation of Israeli writer Savyon Liebrecht's work. A child of survivors, Liebrecht's collection examines the lingering echoes of the Holocaust in Israel, its effect on the children of survivors and the sometimes bizarre behaviour of those parents. Setting her tales within families, Liebrecht's tales also describe the conflict that results from the insensitivity of the second and third generation, which seek to silence those who need to tell of their mind numbing experiences in the camps and the tragic consequences of this lack of understanding. And on one occasion, Liebrecht enters the concentrationary universe to depict the sexual exploitation and killing of Jewish girls by German soldiers.


BACKGROUND
Many studies have suggested clinical benefits of icodextrin in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients regarding fluid management, glycaemic control and metabolic improvement. However, reports on whether icodextrin can improve patient and technique survival is sparse.

METHODS
A total of 2163 patients from 54 centres in Korea who initiated PD from July 2003 to December 2006 were enrolled. Outcomes data were retrieved retrospectively from the Baxter Korea database. Among these patients, 641 patients who had been prescribed icodextrin for >50% of their PD duration were defined as the 'icodextrin' group and the remaining 1522 patients as the 'non-icodextrin' group. Propensity score matching yielded 640 matched pairs of patients. We compared all-cause mortality and technique failure rates between the two groups.

RESULTS
There were no significant differences in age, gender, diabetes, cardiovascular comorbidity, socioeconomic status, biocompatible solution use in short dwells or centre experience between the two groups. Death occurred in 92 (14.4%) patients in the icodextrin group compared with 128 (20.0%) in the non-icodextrin group [hazard ratio (HR), 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.53-0.90; P = 0.006]. In addition, icodextrin use was associated with a significantly lower risk of technique failure (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.40-0.92; P = 0.018). The icodextrin group had fewer technique failures due to non-compliance compared with the non-icodextrin group whereas peritonitis- or ultrafiltration failure-related technique failure was not different between the two groups.

CONCLUSION
This study further supports previous findings of long-term utilization of icodextrin solution improving patient and technique survival in PD patients. To confirm these results, a large randomized prospective study is warranted.


Query-based open-domain NLP tasks require information synthesis from long and diverse web results. Current approaches extractively select portions of web text as input to Sequence-to-Sequence models using methods such as TF-IDF ranking. We propose constructing a local graph structured knowledge base for each query, which compresses the web search information and reduces redundancy. We show that by linearizing the graph into a structured input sequence, models can encode the graph representations within a standard Sequence-to-Sequence setting. For two generative tasks with very long text input, long-form question answering and multi-document summarization, feeding graph representations as input can achieve better performance than using retrieved text portions.


This presentation was transferred from the original CD ROM created for this conference. The material on the CD ROM was published using Adobe Acrobat technology. The original CD ROM was produced by Document Transformation Technologies Postal Address: PO Box 560 Irene 0062 South Africa. Tel.: +27 12 667 2074 Fax: +27 12 667 2766 E-mail: email@example.com URL: http://www.doctech.co.za


OBJECTIVES
Black women have increased risk of preterm birth compared to white women, and overall black women are in poorer health than white women. Recent recommendations to reduce preterm birth have focused on preconception health care. We explore the associations between indicators of maternal prepregnancy health with preterm birth among a sample of black women.

DESIGN
The current study was prospective.

SETTING
Enrollment occurred in prenatal clinics in Baltimore.

PARTICIPANTS
Women (N=922) aged > or =18 were enrolled in the study. Data on maternal health, behaviors, and pregnancy outcome were abstracted from clinical records.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between behavioral and health status variables with preterm birth.

RESULTS
In bivariate analysis, alcohol use, drug use and chronic diseases were associated with preterm birth. In the logistic regression analysis, drug use and chronic diseases were associated with preterm birth.

CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate an association between maternal health and behaviors prior to pregnancy with preterm birth among black women. Providing access to health care prior to pregnancy to address behavioral and health risks may improve pregnancy outcomes among low-income black women.


In recent years most industrialised countries have adopted 'new' environmental policy instruments (NEPIs) voluntary agreements, environmental taxes, tradable permits and eco-labels. This collection examines the current pattern of use over time (that is, 1970-2000) in eight industrialised countries. This introduction defines a NEPI and introduces the two main objectives of the whole collection, which are to: (1) identify where and when NEPIs are being used, and reflect upon the main drivers of (and barriers to) their continuing uptake, especially in Europe; and (2) assess how 'new' they actually are in comparison to the traditional style, structures and content of national environmental policy. The aim here is to assess how far NEPIs are actually replacing or simply supplementing 'old' instruments, namely regulation. By offering a fresh perspective on the comparative politics of NEPIs, this collection provides an important empirical test of whether government is giving way to a system of environmental governance, in which the level of central steering by the state is much reduced.


The objective was to analyze an intervention in the traditional way of teaching nursing consultation and its potential for nurses' education aiming for the practice of integrality in health. This is a participative research carried out from August to November 2011 with eight students attending the School of Nursing in a public university from the south of Brazil. The study context comprised outpatient consultations and daily life experiences of the patients. Data were collected through focus group and submitted to thematic analysis, in which two categories emerged: "The interactivity between the traditional and the extended scenario:possibilities for the integrality in education" and "The extended nursing consultation, knowledge from experience". The analysis evidenced that the experience produced knowledge coherent with the integrality in education. We conclude that the diversification of learning scenarios may configure a pedagogical strategy with potential to foster changes in the existing health care and education model.


We test the EITC's response to economic need. Using IRS data we exploit differences in timing and severity of economic cycles across states. Because the EITC requires earned income, there is a theoretical ambiguity in the credit's cyclicality. We find higher unemployment leads to increased likelihood of EITC recipiency and in credit amounts received for married couples but has insignificant effects for single individuals. The EITC's protective effects are concentrated among skilled workers. The EITC mitigates income shocks for married couples with children and groups likely to have moderate earnings, but does not for most recipients: single parents with children.


Background Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, and rehabilitation, involving repetitive, high intensity, task-specific exercises, is the pathway to restoring motor skills. Robotic assistive devices are increasingly being used and it is hoped that with robotic devices, rehabilitation progress can be achieved for patients. Objectives To examine the effectiveness of robotic devices in the rehabilitation of stroke patients for upper limb mobility, lower limb mobility, and activities of daily living. The sustainability of treatment effect was also examined. Inclusion criteria Types of participants Adult stroke patients 18 years and over. Types of intervention(s) Rehabilitation of stroke patients using robotic devices with assistive automation, compared to conventional physiotherapy. Outcomes Motor movements of upper limbs, walking movement of lower limbs and activities of daily living, including follow-up measurements to examine the sustainability of treatment effect. Types of studies Randomized and controlled clinical trials. Search strategy Published and unpublished studies in English were searched. Methodological quality All studies meeting the review inclusion criteria were independently assessed for methodological quality by two reviewers. Data extraction Quantitative data were extracted using the standardized data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument. Data synthesis Quantitative data were pooled in statistical meta-analysis. Effect sizes expressed as standardized mean difference, 95% confidence intervals and levels of heterogeneity (I2) were calculated. Where statistical pooling was not possible, the findings were presented in narrative form. Results Fifty-one studies with 1798 patients were included in this review. Thirty studies examined upper limb interventions and 21 studies evaluated lower limb gait training. Non-significant results were found for upper limb (SMD 0.07, 95% CI −0.11 to 0.26, I2 = 41%, P = 0.45), lower limb (SMD 0.17, 95% CI −0.15 to 0.48, I2 = 75%, P = 0.31) and activities of daily living (SMD 0.11, 95% CI −0.11 to 0.33, I2 = 66%, P = 0.32). For patients with severely impaired lower limbs, a significant difference was observed in favor of robotics (SMD 0.41, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.63, I2 = 28%, P = 0.0003). P-value analysis did not show significant results for the sustainability of treatment effect post intervention. Conclusions Robotic training is just as effective as conventional training for upper limb motor movement, lower limb walking mobility and for activities of daily living. For lower limb patients with severe impairment, robotic training produces better outcomes than conventional training. The sufficient quantity of studies included and the reasonable quality of Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) evidence support the findings. For treatment sustainability of upper and lower limbs, robotic training is just as effective as conventional training. However, the low quality of GRADE evidence and the lower number of studies included require caution for this finding. For treatment sustainability of activities of daily living, the better quality of GRADE evidence and the larger number of studies analyzed indicate that robotic training is just as effective as conventional training.


Yi-Sin Wong Sheng-Feng Sung 2 Chi-Shun Wu Yung-Chu Hsu Yu-Hsiang Su Ling-Chien Hung Cheung-Ter Ong 1Department of Family Medicine, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan; 2Department of Neurology, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan Background: Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) (0.9 mg/kg, maximum 90 mg) with a bolus of 10% of the total dose given within 1–2 mins is the standard therapy for patients receiving thrombolytic therapy. Low-dose (0.6 mg/kg) tPA is also approved for thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke patients. Low-dose tPA is associated with a low bolus dose. It is unknown whether increasing the bolus dose in patients receiving low-dose tPA thrombolysis may improve outcomes or increase the risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT). Aim: This study investigated the impact of the bolus dose on the outcome in ischemic stroke patients receiving low-dose tPA thrombolytic therapy. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, we enrolled 214 ischemic stroke patients receiving low-dose tPA thrombolytic therapy. Of these 214 patients, 107 patients received 10% of the total dose as a bolus dose, and 107 patients received 15% of the total dose as a bolus dose. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS) were evaluated before tPA infusion, 24 h after thrombolytic therapy, and at discharge. Stroke severity was categorized as mild (0–5), moderate (6–14), severe (15–24), or very severe (≥25). Neurological improvement (NI) was defined as an improvement of 6 or more points in the NIHSS, and no response (NR) was defined as an increase in the NIHSS of ≤4 points or a decrease ≤6 points. Neurological deterioration (ND) was defined as an increase in the NIHSS >4 points. A good outcome was defined as a modified Ranking Score (mRS) of 0 or 1. We compared the NI, NR, and ND rates at 24 hrs after thrombolytic therapy and discharge between the 15% and 10% bolus dose groups. Results: In patients with mild and moderate stroke, there was no significant difference in the NI, NR, ND, and HT rates and 6-month outcomes between the 15% and 10% bolus groups. In patients with severe and very severe stroke, outcomes at 6 months were significantly better in the 15% bolus group than in the 10% bolus group. The factors affecting the outcomes of severe and very severe stroke patients are hypertension and bolus dose. Conclusion: In severe and very severe stroke patients receiving low-dose tPA thrombolytic therapy, a bolus dose of 15% of the total dose can improve outcomes.


Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare neoplasm, the majority of cases of which are non-Hodgkin's, diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL). We report the first case of an adult with PCL B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma whose disease evolution was grim. A 52-year-old male reported dyspnea and facial swelling lasting for 4 months and upon a physical examination he presented bradycardia, jugular venous engorgement, and hypophonesis of cardiac sounds. An electrocardiography (Echo) revealed a right atrial mass and nodules at the pericardium. The patient was treated with R-Hyper-CVAD (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone) and presented very short remission. At this time, we used R-ICE (rituximab plus ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) chemotherapy and the patient underwent complete remission after two courses and received autologous bone marrow transplantation (auto-BMT). After 75 days of follow-up, the patient reported dyspnea and a new Echo showed a recurrence of the disease. The patient died due to cardiac failure. PCL is a rare disease with an unfavorable prognosis and a prompt diagnosis and treatment are fundamental to survival. We believe that more intensive therapies, such as auto-BMT, should be considered as a first treatment option.


We show that the net corporate payout yield predicts both the stock market index and house prices and that the log home rent-price ratio predicts both house prices and labor income growth. We incorporate the predictability in a rich life-cycle model of household decisions involving consumption of both perishable goods and housing services, stochastic and unspanned labor income, stochastic house prices, home renting and owning, stock investments, and portfolio constraints. We find that households can significantly improve their welfare by optimally conditioning decisions on the predictors. For a modestly risk-averse agent with a 35-year working period and a 15-year retirement period, the present value of the higher average life-time consumption amounts to roughly $179,000 (assuming both an initial wealth and an initial annual income of $20,000), and the certainty equivalent gain is around 5.5% of total wealth (financial wealth plus human capital). Furthermore, every cohort of agents in our model would have benefited from applying predictor-conditional strategies along the realized time series over our 1960-2010 data period.


A procedure with chromium-51 (51Cr) as the cell label that maintains high-cell viability for studying granulocyte kinetics in horses is described. The procedure combines and modifies several methods for isolating leukocytes and granulocytes for use in the horse when a large volume of labeled cells is required. Also described is an improved technique for measuring granulocyte specific activity in large serial blood samples, using a Ficoll-sedimentation method. The procedure should be useful for determining granulocyte kinetics in the horse, the only major domestic species for which such data are not available.


Varroa mites are highly attracted to drone brood of honey bees (Apis mellifera), as it increases their chance of successful reproduction. Therefore, drone brood removal with trap frames is common practice among beekeepers in Europe and part of sustainable varroa control. However, it is considered labour‐intensive, and there are doubts about the effectiveness of this measure. At present, it is mostly unknown how many mites a drone frame can carry at different times of the season, and how many mites can be removed on average if this measure is performed frequently. Therefore, we sampled a total of 262 drone frames with varying proportion of capped cells (5–100%) from 18 different apiaries. Mites were washed out from brood collected from mid‐April to mid‐July based on a standard method to obtain comparable results. We found that a drone frame carried a median of 71.5 mites, and with the removal of four trap frames, about 286 mites can be removed per colony and season. In addition, mite counts were significantly higher in June and July than in April and May (Tukey‐HSD, P < 0.05). The number of mites and the proportion of capped cells, however, were not correlated (R2 < 0.01, P < 0.05). Our results suggest that drone brood removal is effective in reducing Varroa destructor numbers in colonies, supporting the findings of previous studies on the efficacy of this measure. Although mite counts varied, we believe that increasing sample size over different seasons and locations could elucidate infestation patterns in drone brood and ultimately improve drone brood removal as an integrated pest management tool for a wider audience of beekeepers.


Electronic auction markets collect large amounts of auction field data. This enables a structural estimation of the bid distributions and the possibility to derive optimal reserve prices. In this paper we propose a new approach to setting reserve prices. In contrast to traditional auction theory we use the buyer's risk statement for getting a winning bid as a key criterion to set an optimal reserve price. The reserve price for a given probability can then be derived from the distribution function of the observed drop-out bids. In order to get an accurate model of this function, we propose a nonparametric technique based on kernel distribution function estimators and the use of order statistics. We improve our estimatior by additional information, which can be observed about bidders and qualitative differences of goods in past auctions rounds (e.g. different delivery times). This makes the technique applicable to RFQs and multi-attribute auctions, with qualitatively differentiated offers.


Humans often punish non-cooperators in one-shot interactions among genetically-unrelated individuals. So-called altruistic punishment poses an evolutionary puzzle because it enforces a cooperation norm that benefits the whole group, but is costly for the punisher. Under the "big mistake" (or "mismatch") hypothesis, social behavior such as punishment evolved by individual selection at a time when repeated interactions with kin prevailed. It then misfired in modern humans, who "mistakenly" apply it in sporadic interactions with unrelated individuals. In contrast, cultural group selection theories emphasize cultural differences in normative behavior and the role of intergroup competition and punishment for the emergence of large-scale cooperation in the absence of genetic relatedness. We conducted a series of multilateral-cooperation economic experiments with a sample of Spanish Romani people (Gitanos), who represent a unique cultural group to test the predictions of the two accounts: Gitano communities rely heavily on close kin-based networks, maintain high consanguinity rates and display a particularly strong sense of ethnic identity. A total of 320 Gitano and non-Gitano (i.e., the majority Spanish population) participants played a one-shot public goods game with punishment in either ethnically homogeneous or ethnically mixed (half Gitano and half non-Gitano) four-person groups. In the homogeneous groups, punishment was commonly used by non-Gitanos but virtually inexistent among Gitanos. In the mixed groups, however, Gitanos who did not cooperate were severely punished by other Gitanos, but also by non-Gitanos (particularly males in both cases). The results are more consistent with cultural group selection and also qualify some of its predictions.


Specimens obtained from 17 fibrous capsules around the silicone implants were examined with naked eye, and light and electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical staining with various monoclone antibodies was used. It was demonstrated that the main infiltrating cells in the fibrous capsules were mononuclear cells, denoting a rejection reaction. Fibrous tissue was formed to separate the prosthesis from the normal tissue.


Summary The research reported in the present paper focused on the behaviour of the Miocene sandstone used to build the Roman aqueduct at Zaghouan-Carthage and other Tunisian Heritage monuments, after application of water repellent and consolidating treatments as a preliminary to restoration. Commercial consolidants and water repellents were used in the experiments: two ethyl silicate consolidants, Tegovakon (TV) and Keim-Silex OH (KSOH); two (siloxane) water repellents, Tegosivin THE 328 (THE) and Tegosivin HLJ00 (THE); and a dual (consolidate and water repellent) action substance, Keim- Silex H (KSH) (silicate acid ester base with siloxane). A mixed treatment consisting of successive coats of TV and THL (TVHL) was also applied. These organosilicate consolidants and water repellents acted on the porous structure of the sandstone, reducing total porosity and water vapour permeability. The water repellent THE was found to affect these properties least, with a pore size distribution that resembled the distribution in the untreated sandstone most closely. Water repellents diminish water absorption and consolidants increase mechanical strength. The TV-THL mix, which yielded results similar to those obtained with water repellents alone, was unable to prevent the substantial scaling that occurs during (RILEM) salt crystallisation-induced artificial ageing. The best results were found with the dual action consolidant! water repellent product (KSH), which improved the mechanical properties while affording protection from the decay caused by salts in artificial ageing trials. This substance was found to reduce water vapour permeability, however


The entire social system depends upon the arduous stature of higher education. A nation can tolerate any upheaval if the basis of higher education is sturdy and stout. The sustenance of development is only possible if the standard of higher education also evolves with the changing demands of times. Higher education has many stakeholders just as institution, students, faculty, management and finally of course society. For the overall development all the stakeholders should be dealt equally well by higher education institutes. But this is the sorry state of affairs that higher education is passing through a very crucial phase in India. There is a certain gap between Indian potential and exhaustion of resources. Honestly speaking transparency in goals, execution and in evaluation is direly required. In nut shell every challenge of higher education can be managed well if translucency and transparency are the major concern.


The Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association is organizing its yearly congress in the old city of Utrecht where all Dutch veterinarians have been graduated. 'Back to the roots' is the slogan of this meeting. The Diergeneeskundige Studenten Kring (the Dutch veterinary students association) is celebrating the 60th anniversary at the same time with the slogan: 'Bok on the rock.' On the first day of this celebration the students are organizing a symposium Veterinary Dentistry. The author has been inspired by the two slogans to a discourse in which the past and the future of animal dentistry is discussed. In 'Back to the Roots' history and anecdotes about dental treatments are presented. It is clear that dental treatment in animals is possible for every well-educated veterinarian. In 'De bok on the rock' the author shows the ropes how to develop a dental minded practice. Oral examination, a good knowledge of dentistry and a dental-minded staff are the most important factors to build up such a practice. There is an abundance of dental patients in every practice. An optimal client education and coaching is the best way to find them and to follow them.


Background General public need to have basic knowledge about risks by potentially reducing the likelihood of future incidents. In order to prevent accidents and even loss of life there is fire safety campaigns The objective is that the messages will give information so that the people can protect themselves and their nearest and dearest. In an effort to understand better how to make risk messages more accessible and effective the campaigns are regularly evaluated by using performance indicator. Methods The purpose of this study is to investigate how to design an efficient fire safety campaign. Resent Finnish fire safety campaigns will be analysed by using an empirically tested model of efficient risk communication. By using the IDEA-model as an analytical tool we can find efficient risk messages. Furthermore, we will identify the weaknesses of the messages related to the behavioural intentions they will create. Results The hypothesis of this research is that instructional risk messages will aim higher degrees of self-efficacy and behavioural intention to take appropriate action. Instructions for self-protection and focusing on receiver-oriented strategies will increase comprehension, garner desired response, and produce appropriate self-protective action. Conclusions Official risk communicators engaged with publics, and there is ongoing interest on how such communication could be most effective, with initial questions focused on message creation but expanding to query how audiences process and act on messages. Message receiver –oriented approach is needed instead of organisation-oriented when planning the campaigns. Hence, effective fire security campaigns must be evaluated based on accurate receiver interpretations and behavioural intentions.


A significant, but fairly unnoticed, use of structural concrete is as weight coating to ensure sufficient negative buoyancy, as well as mechanical protection, of submarine pipelines, primarily for the transportation of oil and gas. After a brief introduction to marine pipeline technology the paper describes the design, application and testing of concrete coatings. Finally, the enhancement of pipeline installation stresses due to the greater flexibility of the uncoated construction joints is discussed.


Root growth responses to separately placed of bands of N and P fertiliser were examined at the 3-leaf (GS13) and stem extension growth stages (GS30) for wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yitpi) growing in 2 major alkaline soil types from the rainfed (375–420 mm) grain production regions of south-eastern Australia. Intact cores of a Sodosol and a Vertosol were destructively sampled and changes in root length density (RLD) and root diameter distribution within the soil profile were examined using restricted maximum likelihood analysis and principal component analysis, respectively. At GS13, RLD increased in the Vertosol when only P was applied, although there was no shoot growth response. The root response to P consisted of a spatially generalised increase in RLD, rather than a specific increase in the vicinity of the P fertiliser band. There was a substantially greater, but still generalised, increase in RLD in the Vertosol when both N and P fertiliser were applied, although there was no response to N fertiliser (without P). The distribution of root length in diameter classes changed with depth in the profile at GS13 but was otherwise similar, regardless of soil types and fertiliser treatment. The root responses to fertiliser at GS30 also consisted of a generalised proliferation of RLD in the topsoil, with no detectable fertiliser-specific changes in the location or structure of the root system. Shoot and root growth increased to a similar level at GS30 when plants were supplied with N, irrespective of P, and root diameter distributions were again insensitive to fertiliser treatment. Plants responded to N by increasing the RLD of relatively fine roots (100–250 μm), which was a P style of acquisition strategy that was possibly triggered by moisture limitations. Consequently, the root responses to fertiliser under realistic semi-arid conditions did not follow expectations based on nutrient acquisition studies. Instead, wheat plants responded to N or P fertiliser with a generalised proliferation of fine roots, apparently to better compete for finite water and nutrients.


Background: The use of both upper extremities (UE) is necessary for the completion of many everyday tasks. Few clinical assessments measure the abilities of the UEs to work together; rather, they assess unilateral function and compare it between affected and unaffected UEs. Furthermore, clinical assessments are unable to measure function that occurs in the real-world, outside the clinic. This study examines the validity of an innovative approach to assess real-world bilateral UE activity using accelerometry. Methods: Seventy-four neurologically intact adults completed ten tasks (donning/doffing shoes, grooming, stacking boxes, cutting playdough, folding towels, writing, unilateral sorting, bilateral sorting, unilateral typing, and bilateral typing) while wearing accelerometers on both wrists. Two variables, the Bilateral Magnitude and Magnitude Ratio, were derived from accelerometry data to distinguish between high- and low-intensity tasks, and between bilateral and unilateral tasks. Estimated energy expenditure and time spent in simultaneous UE activity for each task were also calculated. Results: The Bilateral Magnitude distinguished between high- and low-intensity tasks, and the Magnitude Ratio distinguished between unilateral and bilateral UE tasks. The Bilateral Magnitude was strongly correlated with estimated energy expenditure ( r =0.74, p , 0.02), and the Magnitude Ratio was strongly correlated with time spent in simultaneous UE activity ( r =0.93, p , 0.01) across tasks. Conclusions: These results demonstrate face validity and construct validity of this methodology to quantify bilateral UE activity during the performance of everyday tasks performed in a laboratory setting, and can now be used to assess bilateral UE activity in real-world environments.


The technology of selective oxygen plasma etching is presented. It enables the evaluation of the state of pigment dispersion, as well as the distribution of other solid particles that are added in pigmented coatings for various functional purposes. The technology is based on the selective interaction of reactive gaseous particles from oxygen plasma with the pigment-polymer composite. In our case, we wanted to etch the polymer matrix while leaving the particles untouched. Scanning electron microscope images of the effects of exposing the composite to oxygen plasma are presented.


The present investigation is a continuation of a series of experiments on the relationships between daydreaming or fantasy behavior and oculomotor activity during the waking state. One of the most provocative findings of an earlier study by Antrobus et al 2 was that eye movements were more frequent when a person attempted to suppress a wishful image than when he sought consciously to entertain it. The finding supported the original hypothesis that suppression was achieved by rapid cognitive shifts, possibly of a visual quality, which might be elicited by attentiveness to both internal or external stimuli. Since eyes were open and vision unrestricted in the earlier study it was not possible to isolate the relative significance of internal and external stimuli in producing eye movement. Additional findings in the previous work also suggested that the enhanced oculomotor activity during attempted suppression might


We report the discovery of an object near M87 in the Virgo Cluster with an extraordinary blueshift of −1025 km s−1, offset from the systemic velocity by >2300 km s−1. Evaluation of photometric and spectroscopic data provides strong evidence that this object is a distant massive globular cluster, which we call HVGC-1 in analogy to Galactic hypervelocity stars. We consider but disfavor more exotic interpretations, such as a system of stars bound to a recoiling black hole. The odds of observing an outlier as extreme as HVGC-1 in a virialized distribution of intracluster objects are small; it appears more likely that the cluster was (or is being) ejected from Virgo following a three-body interaction. The nature of the interaction is unclear, and could involve either a subhalo or a binary supermassive black hole at the center of M87.


MTI/SAR is a well established technique for airborne surveillance. In a helicopter these two modes of operation can be combined as well. The helicopter can also easily move in the vertical direction, making SAR mapping of the height profile of the ground surface possible. In this paper, MTI/SAR from a helicopter is studied in more detail. Relationships are developed between the involved parameters, and the performance is displayed in some examples. Phase error compensation is needed by IMU or autofocusing due to the non-linear movement of the antenna along the SAR path. Highly improved mapping performance can be achieved by using an ESA with multiple beam generation, or high speed scanning. For high resolution mapping in three dimensions interferometric SAR is needed.


Activists and leaders in the far-right in the UK and Europe are often assumed to be working class white men (Cockburn, 2007). While this is reasonably accurate of the majority, the assumption has led to poor understanding of the active minority of women involved in the leadership and support of these movements. They have been similarly overlooked in research of the radicalisation process, which has primarily focused upon the Islamist radicalisation of men (Kundnani, 2015). In this article, literature relevant to the far-right radicalisation of white women is reviewed, beginning with establishing a base of pertinent research into multiple forms of radicalisation. On this basis, literature on potential radicalising pressures experienced by white British women is evaluated, with results reported on a micro, meso, and macro scale. Findings suggest these women are not necessarily misled by the men in their lives, ignorant, or pathological (Blee, 2003). They are individuals with their own agency, with something to lose, influenced and radicalised by pressures placed upon them by their lives, communities, and the world at large. The government's Prevent strategy identifies white supremacy as the ideology of the far-right, an ideology which still suffuses the postcolonial Western world (Home Office, 2015). Despite its social hierarchy that imagines men as the pinnacle of civilisation, white women are not beyond its influence, as both victims of its patriarchy and enactors of its racialized oppression (hooks, 2015). These are pressures which affect the radicalisation of women in the far-right; they are as susceptible as men to anxieties stemming from the fading of the Empire and the legacy of colonialism.


The CALICE collaboration is undertaking a major R&D programme into calorimetry for the International Linear Collider (ILC). The programme includes the development and test of electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) prototypes. The ECAL is built by interleaving Tungsten layers with very thin, multi layer PCBs integrating the Silicon sensors, the Very Front End chips, and electrical infrastructure. These instrumentation slabs are assembled from multiple PCB panels, requiring reliable, high quality panel interconnects. In this paper, the focus is on two aspects of the distribution of high-speed signals towards many chips across multiple panels. Firstly, the distribution of high-speed (clock) signals from a single source towards many chips over large distances is discussed, followed by a presentation on the application of various interconnect technologies for non-invasive joining of very thin multi layer PCBs. The proposed interconnects are studied, and simulation and measurement results on signal transmission properties are presented. Results of studies using a realistic, full-length slab prototype containing FPGAs emulating VFE chips are discussed. The paper is concluded with recommendations regarding the panel interconnect properties, and the distribution of high speed signals towards many chips over metre-scale distances. The work described above is part of the UK programme to develop a data acquisition system for CALICE.


4,4′-Sulfonylbis(2-(-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)phenol) (H4L) was synthesized by the reaction between bis-(3-amino-4-hydroxy phenyl)sulphone and salicylaldehyde (1 : 2 ratio) and has been characterized by standard methods. H4L shows a weak emission peak at 485 nm in 10 mM HEPES buffer in water : DMSO (1 : 9, v/v) (pH = 6.7) at room temperature. There is a significant enhancement in the emission intensity at 485 nm only in the presence of Al3+. Other relevant metal ions could not considerably alter its emission spectrum, indicating that H4L is a selective fluorescent probe for Al3+. H4L forms a complex with Al3+ in a 1 : 2 ratio, as is evident from Job's analysis and mass spectral data. There is a significant increase in the quantum yield and lifetime of the probe upon complex formation with aluminum. The limit of detection has been determined and shows moderate sensitivity towards the metal ion. A pH dependent study indicated that the emission intensity of H4L increases sharply when the pH of the medium is more than 7. The emission intensity of H4L in the presence of one equivalent of Al3+ starts increasing when the pH is ∼5.0. Thus, all the spectral studies were performed at pH 6.7. Some theoretical calculations were performed to investigate the spectral transitions. H4L was used for the identification of Al3+ using sea water.


With the advent of the web and the creation of electronic distribution channels for multimedia objects, there is an increased risk of copyright infringements. Content providers try to alleviate this problem by using copyright protection facilities that often involve watermarking schemes as primitives. Clearly, the intention of the content provider can be subverted if the watermarking scheme is susceptible to intentional attacks, especially to attacks on the robustness of watermarks. It was noted early during the development of watermarking algorithms that the intention of resolving the copyright situation might be subverted entirely without removing any watermark contained in multimedia objects. Indeed, so-called protocol attacks try to introduce some sort of ambiguity during the copyright resolution process. After providing formal definitions for some common protocol attacks, we discuss the possibility of constructing watermarking schemes that are provably secure against ambiguity and copy attacks. Although there were several previous attempts to secure watermarking schemes against protocol attacks, we provide for the first time a formal security proof of our scheme. The security of the construction is based on a cryptographic primitive, namely an unforgeable public-key signature scheme, that is used to constrain the watermarking bits to have a specific form.


INTRODUCTION
Massive bleeding is a common cause of death in trauma patients. The aim of this study was to describe the number and survival within the group of trauma patients who received treatment with blood components, as well as to describe the amount and kind of blood components in acute treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Descriptive cohort investigation based on consecutively collected data on trauma patients in 2004. Information about the use of blood components was obtained from the database at the Clinical Immunological Department. Massive transfusion was defined as transfusion with 10 or more RBC (units of packed red blood cells) within 24 hours after admission to the Trauma Centre. Non-balanced treatment was defined as transfusion with more than 10 RBC without transfusion with FFP (fresh frozen plasma) or transfusion of more than altogether 30 RBC and/or FFP without transfusion of thrombocytes.

RESULTS
In 2004, 565 trauma patients were taken primarily to Aarhus Trauma Centre. 7% (42) patients received treatment with blood components within 24 hrs. 2% (11) were massively transfused and within this group 45% (5) died; one patient did not receive balanced treatment.

CONCLUSION
Acute transfusion with blood components was given to 7% of primarily admitted trauma patients in 2004. Only 2% were massively transfused and in this group mortality was high. All massive transfused patients except one received balanced treatment.


Information privacy typically concerns the confidentiality of personal identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) such as electronic medical records. Thus, the information access control mechanism for e-health services must be embedded with privacy-enhancing technologies. Role-based access control (RBAC) model has been widely investigated and applied to various applications for a period of time. This paper presents an extended framework of RBAC with privacy-based extensions to tackle such a need. With the context of e-health care informatics, this paper proposes an aggregation decision-making layer interacted with a set of autonomous RBAC models to aggregate PHI.


The objective of this paper is to obtain the spectrum of light-emitting diode (LED)-based jaundice photodynamic therapy device (JPTD), the bilirubin absorption spectrum in vivo was regarded as target spectrum. According to the spectral constructing theory, a simple genetic algorithm as the spectral matching algorithm was first proposed in this study. The optimal combination ratios of LEDs were obtained, and the required LEDs number was then calculated. Meanwhile, the algorithm was compared with the existing spectral matching algorithms. The results show that this algorithm runs faster with higher efficiency, the switching time consumed is 2.06 s, and the fitting spectrum is very similar to the target spectrum with 98.15% matching degree. Thus, blue LED-based JPTD can replace traditional blue fluorescent tube, the spectral matching technology that has been put forward can be applied to the light source spectral matching for jaundice photodynamic therapy and other medical phototherapy.


Introduction While ERCP is a common therapeutic procedure, to date no studies have ever been conducted which examine its availability, the types of technique or nature of training. This is a prospective study which uses descriptive data from NHS hospitals in England. Methods Between February and August 2015 a questionnaire was sent to consultants who perform ERCP. Further information was obtained from support staff by telephone, email or freedom of information request. The questions concerned the number of dedicated ERCP lists, personnel performing ERCP, the techniques used, the type of anaesthesia or sedation available, opportunities for trainees and availability of dedicated training lists. Results 146 trusts were contacted and 126 consultants responded. These consultants provided ERCP services for 170 hospitals. Not all questions were answered. Hospitals: 139 hospitals (82%) offered ERCP services of between 1 and 10 lists per week (mean 2.8, mode 2), though 1 hospital did not have a dedicated list. All 31 hospitals that did not offer ERCP (18%) did have access via a neighbouring hospital, usually within the same trust. Practitioners: Of the 373 practitioners who performed ERCP, 316 (85%) were physicians, 46 (12%) surgeons, 7 (1%) radiologists, 1 nurse and 3 unspecified. The number of practitioners per hospital ranged between 1 and 7, though most hospitals had 2. Trainees: Of the 139 hospitals performing ERCP, 69 (50%) had trainees, but only 33 (48%) of these had dedicated training lists. Techniques: Most hospitals (121/136; 89%) use short wire technique, while 69 (51%) use long wire and 54 (40%) use both. 110 hospitals practice post sphincterotomy balloon sphincteroplasty (81%). Sedation: Propofol sedation was available for ERCP in only 46/136 (34%) hospitals and general anaesthetic was available in only 70 (51%) hospitals. 90/136 (66%) hospitals had no access to propofol and 66/136 (49%) hospitals had no access to a general anaesthetic list. Conclusion This point prevalence study has shown that ERCP is widely available in England. Physicians perform the majority of ERCPs. Only 69 hospitals (50%) were training practitioners. Although relatively new, both short wire technique and post sphincterotomy balloon sphincteroplasty are commonly used. Only a quarter of hospitals had propofol lists for ERCP, despite guidance from the British Society of Gastroenterology and the Royal College of Anaesthetists 2011.1,2 References 1 http://www.bsg.org.uk/images/stories/docs/clinical/guidance/rcoa_bsg_propofol_11.pdf 2 http://www.bsg.org.uk/sections/bsg-endoscopy-articles/propofol-for-ercp-an-update.html Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This paper is devoted to the formation of a spherulitic pattern in polymers that are spatially confined. The nucleation at sample boundaries influences the spherulitic structure and accelerates the local conversion of melt into spherulites. A model of the spherulitic pattern formation in narrow strips of polymer based on the probability theory was developed to account for the effect of spherulite nucleation at sample borders. The model allows us to predict the rates of formation of the interspherulitic boundaries and also the distributions of distances from spherulite centers to the boundaries for an isothermal as well as a nonisothermal crystallization. The final length of interspherulitic lines and the final number of triple points between spherulites can also be calculated. The predictions of the model were verified by computer simulation, which reproduces spherulitic patterns observed experimentally in strips of thin films. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 2319–2329, 2005


Introduction Gastrostomies are widely used to provide enteral nutrition support. Buried Bumper Syndrome (BBS) is a recognised complication seen following gastrostomy insertion, describing the migration of the internal bumper along the stoma tract towards the skin. The consequences of BBS can be fatal. Currently, there is a paucity of knowledge about the incidence and predictors of BBS, which is addressed in this study by systematically reviewing the medical literature. Method A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Guidelines (PRISMA). Four databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINHAL, Web of Science) were utilised, and studies identified by searching for key terms relating to gastrostomy and BBS (Jan 1980 -Dec 2016). Unpublished studies were identified from conference abstract booklets. Two independent reviewers screened studies to identify those that included description of adult patients with BBS. Data was extracted relating to patient demographics, incidence, time to presentation and factors associated with BBS. Results 434 studies were initially identified (database search and grey literature). Of these, 299 (68.9%) were excluded following screening review of title and abstract (Kappa coefficient of reviewers=0.753). Of the remaining 135 studies, 85 met inclusion criteria (35 case studies, 11 case series and 39 cohort studies). No controlled trials were retrieved. In total, 16 627 patients were described post gastrostomy placement. 473 cases of BBS were reported in the literature, giving a pooled estimate incidence of 2.8% (0.46%–8.80%). The median age of presentation was 66 years, with 59.1% being in males. BBS was most frequently associated with gastrostomy tubes with thinner internal bumpers (40.7% of all reported cases), however reporting bias may have heavily influenced this outcome. The time to BBS presentation ranged from 3 days to 7 years. Common predictors of BBS reported in the literature include tight external bumpers and increased external traction made directly by the patient or during gastrostomy care. Conclusion This is the first study to systematically review the incidence of Buried Bumper syndrome and assess factors predicting its development. The paucity of high quality studies identified in this systematic review, provides the impetus to develop a national gastrostomy registry accurately assessing gastrostomy outcomes. Healthcare professionals, patients and their caregivers need to be appropriately educated about BBS, considering factors such as tightness of external bumpers and minimising external traction. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


To estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome using international dietetics federation (IDF) versus National cholesterol education program; adult treatment panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) definitions in Turkish adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 1531 (male 758 and female 773) Turkish adults, aged between 20 to 64 years. Subjects were randomly selected from the general population of Ankara. The overall prevalence of MetS, as defined by NCEP-ATPIII and IDF was 48.2 and 56.4%, respectively. The agreement between National cholesterol education program (NCEP) and IDF definitions was substantial (kappa: 0.79). The prevalence was increased significantly according to increasing age in women, but was not different by age group in men. The prevalence of MetS in all age groups was higher in women. Hypertriglyceridemia and low High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) were the criteria of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with the highest prevalence. According to IDF criteria, the frequency of participants with high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and Waist circumference (WC) was higher than the participants with adult treatment panel III (ATP III) criteria. The prevalence of the MetS was found to be very high, especially in women. The IDF definition resulted in a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than the NCEP-ATPIII in the entire Turkish population. The agreement between the IDF and NCEP definitions for metabolic syndrome was very good. Key words: Metabolic syndrome, NCEP-ATPIII, IDF, adult.


Isolates of Verticillium dahliae from cocoa (four Brazilian and one Ugandan) were screened against cocoa, aubergine, tomato, cotton, and pepper. Isolates originating from hosts other than cocoa were also inoculated. In general, all inoculated crops were systemically invaded by isolates from cocoa. Isolates from each host tended to be more aggressive on their original host. All isolates from cocoa were pathogenic to cocoa, but exhibited various degrees of aggressiveness to other crops. They induced severe symptoms on aubergine, but few symptoms on tomato, although colonization occurred up to the stem apex in both cases. Likewise, symptomless invasion of pepper was found with some Brazilian isolates. The Ugandan isolate was significantly more aggressive on cotton and pepper than the Brazilian isolates.

A Brazilian isolate from cocoa from the State of Bahia was also used to inoculate 12 common weed species from the same geographical area. Four species showed wilt symptoms, while V. dahliae was readily recovered from the stems of a further four species. The role of alternative hosts on disease spread in cocoa growing areas is discussed.


Much of developmental biology is concerned with the processes by which cells become committed to particular fates in a regulated fashion, whereas cell biology addresses, among other things, the variety of differentiated forms and functions that cells can acquire. One open question is how the regulators of the former process lead to attainment of the latter. "High-level" regulators of cell fate specification include the proneural factors, which drive cells to commit as precursors in the sensory nervous system. Recent research has concentrated on the gene expression events downstream of proneural factor function. Here we summarize this research and describe our own research that has provided clear links between a proneural factor, atonal and the cell biological program of ciliogenesis, which is a central aspect of sensory neuron differentiation.


The influence of variations in amount of carbohydrate in the diet (45 per cent or 65 per cent of total calories) and source (sucrose or corn syrup) on plasma insulin and glucose concentrations was evaluated in eight normal men. Four diets, which were alternated in a Latin square design, were consumed for 10 days. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured during an oral glucose tolerance test and over a 24-hour period while the test diets were consumed. The 24-hour study was completed with a portable, constant withdrawal pump, which allowed samples to be collected as a series of 48 consecutive, integrated, 30-minute samples. Thus, the 24-hour mean, or integrated, concentration as well as fluctuations during the day could be determined. The 24-hour integrated concentration of glucose did not vary significantly with the dietary changes tested. In contrast, two of the three methods used, to evaluate the glucose tolerance test results indicated that high carbohydrate diets improve glucose tolerance. Glucose fluctuations were significantly greater during ingestion of diets containing corn syrup than during those containing sucrose. The percentage of dietary energy supplied as carbohydrate did not influence glucose fluctuations significantly. Diets containing corn syrup were associated with significantly higher integrated concentrations of insulin than the sucrose diets. Insulin-integrated concentrations did not vary significantly with changes in the percentage of dietary carbohydrate. The insulin response to the glucose tolerance test did not vary with the source of carbohydrate and did not accurately reflect the 24-hour mean insulin concentrations. We concluded that (1) a change in the percentage of energy supplied as carbohydrate does not significantly influence the concentration of either glucose or insulin in normal subjects; (2) concentrations of glucose throughout the day are more stable when the dietary carbohydrate is sucrose than when it is corn syrup; (3) sucrose-containing diets require significantly lower insulin concentrations to maintain euglycemia than do corn syrup–containing diets; (4) glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose tolerance test do not accurately reflect the 24-hour glucose and insulin concentrations obtained during ingestion of the test diets.


Abstract The primary objective of this study was to compare urban and peri-urban mammal assemblages and relate variation in these communities to local differences in vegetation. We surveyed 15 locations in both urban and peri-urban habitats (n = 30). Boundaries of our survey areas coincided with those of National Park Service (NPS) areas in central Virginia. Over a 14-month period, we used five trap-types to document species in three guilds. A total of 9 and 15 species were documented at urban and peri-urban locations, respectively. Top predators Canis latrans (Coyote) and Felis rufus (Bobcat) were undetected at urban sites, while mesopredators were consistently more abundant. The absence of four small prey species and reduced abundances of the most common native generalist, Peromyscus leucopus (White-footed Mouse), were also associated with urban locations. Multivariate analyses of relative abundance data indicated significantly dissimilar mammal communities in urban and peri-urban locations. Shrub cover was highest in peri-urban locations, while grass cover was highest in urban sites—a pattern that was only marginally significant due to greater variability among these sites. The exotic grass Microstegium vimineum (Japanese Stiltgrass) was present at several urban sites and contributed to the complex relationship between percent grass cover and the small-mammal assemblages that we surveyed. Our results suggest that disturbances that reduce the recruitment of shrubs and other native plants and promote the spread of invasive grasses may have severe consequences for small-mammal communities. In addition, culturally preserved areas within both survey sites (i.e., battlefields planted with fescue grasses) were inhospitable to most small-mammal species and wildlife in general. In many NPS areas, there is great opportunity for development of adaptive management strategies that integrate ongoing NPS efforts to control invasive plant species with the enhancement of wildlife habitat in both culturally and naturally preserved areas. There is an urgent need for the conservation of native habitat in NPS areas and non-park sites threatened by urbanization. The primary focus of these efforts should include the control of exotic species and mesopredators, facilitation of native shrub recruitment, and, in many of these areas, the ecological restoration of historic sites. NPS lands in urbanized areas offer unique conditions for wildlife management and abundant opportunities for conserving native communities.


We study customer preference for the bike share system in the city of London. We estimate a structural demand model on the station network to learn the preference parameters and use the estimated model to provide insights on the design and expansion of the bike share system. We highlight the importance of network effects in understanding customer demand and evaluating expansion strategies of transportation networks. In the particular example of the London bike share system, we show that the currently implemented station density rule is far from ideal. We develop a new method to deal with the endogeneity problem of the choice set in estimating demand for network products. Our method can be applied to other settings, in which the available set of products or services depends on demand.


One of the reasons that topological methods have a limited popularity for the visualization of complex 3D flow fields is the fact that such topological structures contain a number of separating stream surfaces. Since these stream surfaces tend to hide each other as well as other topological features, for complex 3D topologies the visualizations become cluttered and hardly interpretable. This paper proposes to use particular stream lines called saddle connectors instead of separating stream surfaces and to depict single surfaces only on user demand. We discuss properties and computational issues of saddle connectors and apply these methods to complex flow data. We show that the use of saddle connectors makes topological skeletons available as a valuable visualization tool even for topologically complex 3D flow data.


Abstract In the wake of massive trauma, the purpose of literature is to constantly work against a smoothing-over of the painfully disruptive character of the event. With his latest novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer has ventured to represent the traumatic events of September 11 and to interlace them with those of the Allied firebombing of Dresden in 1945. Combining linguistic virtuosity with typo-graphical and other visual elements, Foer attempts to come as close to the disruptive nature of trauma (representation) as possible, and achieves what Ulrich Baer has described as "mock[ing] the black and white simplicity of printing paper" (Baer 2002, 2). In this contribution I argue that, contrary to what certain critics have maintained, Foer's use of visual interludes betrays no inability on his part to adequately convey his story by means of language. Instead of treating these elements as a meagre and unconvincing surrogate for language, they should be seen as complementary to the narrative. Some-times the visualisation of trauma in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close even goes beyond what language can convey


Nucleophagy is a specific type of autophagy, a process for the degradation of non-essential parts of the nucleus under starvation conditions. Nucleophagy can be subdivided into Atg39 and Atg40 dependent macronucleophagy (Mochida et al., 2015) and piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus (PMN), also called micronucleophagy (Roberts et al., 2003). PMN takes place at the contact site between nucleus and vacuole, the nucleus-vacuole junction (NVJ) (Roberts et al., 2003). The backbone of the NVJs is formed by the interaction of Nvj1 and Vac8 (Pan et al., 2000a). Furthermore, Osh1 and Tsc13 are part of this cellular contact site (Kohlwein et al., 2001; Levine and Munro, 2001).
Surprisingly, within this study it was shown, that degradation of GFP-Osh1, a marker protein for PMN, can be degraded independent of Nvj1. Recently, the structure of Osh1 was partially solved and it was shown, that a mutated version of Osh1, Osh1_A159V, is impeded in its interaction with Nvj1 (Jeong et al., 2017). Comparison of GFP-Osh1 and GFP-Osh1_A159V degradation showed equal results for both constructs in different deletion strains. This suggests, that impeded interaction of Osh1 and Nvj1 or the absence of NVJs results in an autophagic degradation of GFP-Osh1 different from PMN. Therefore, Nvj1-GFP is considered to be a better marker for PMN measurement. However, a genetic negative control for PMN isn't available at the moment. Also, a truncated version of Nvj1, Nvj1∆318-321, that is known to bind to Vac8 and impedes Vac8 dimerization, but still forms proper NVJs (Jeong et al., 2017) can not serve as negative control for PMN measurement. This construct was shown to localize to the perinuclear ER and was degraded to a greater extent as Nvj1-GFP via Atg39 dependent macronucleophagy.
The N-terminus of Nvj1 is known to be essential for strict localization to the perinuclear ER (Millen et al., 2008). In this study it was shown, that the hydrophobic core of the N-terminus is crucial for the degradation of Nvj1. Therewith, this marker protein can be used as negative control for PMN measurement. This suggests a role of the hydrophobic core of Nvj1 in the bulging of the NVJ into the vacuole and therewith PMN/ NVJ-phagy.

Degradation of Nvj1-GFP was completely blocked in atg39∆cells. Therewith, this study showed for the first time, that Atg39 is not only essential for macronucleophagy (Mochida et al., 2015), but also plays an important role in PMN.

Due to the lack of negative control for PMN measurement, several genes were tested in regard to their involvement in PMN. All tested genes, including NVJ2, SCS2, GLC8 and YMR310C were shown to be dispensable for PMN. However, in scs2∆ cells the NVJs appeared to be affected.

Degradation of the nucleolar marker Nop1-GFP was shown to be independent of Nvj1 and therewith PMN. This means, that Nop1-GFP is mainly degraded via Atg39 dependent macronucleophagy (this study) (Mochida et al., 2015). Based on these results is seemed to be reasonable that the main goal of PMN is not the degradation of nuclear material, but the degradation of the NVJ together with the associated protein machinery. Therefore, PMN should be renamed into NVJ-phagy.

Finally, the two marker proteins Nab-NLS-mCherry and Pho8-GFP were tested in regard to their ability for measuring of PMN/ NVJ-phagy or the differentiation between micro- and macroautophagy, respectively. Unfortunately, both marker proteins appeared not to be suitable for the intended purpose.


Using a large set of firm-level survey data from the euro area since 2009, we analyse how firms use their information to form expectations on the availability of bank finance. Our results suggest that firms update what otherwise look like adaptive expectations on the basis of the latest information in their information set. As in the previous literature, the hypothesis that expectations fulfil the (orthogonality) conditions of the rational expectations hypothesis is rejected by the data. We find evidence that this is not only due to information imperfections but also to some type of misspecification of the expectations' model that firms are using. In addition, we find some evidence that companies that have not used bank finance recently tend to do worse at forecasting its availability next period. To test how policy announcements may affect expectations, we concentrate on the possible effects of the ECB policy announcements of summer 2012, which included among other things the announcement of the European Central Bank's Outright Monetary Transactions Program (OMT). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find evidence of forward-looking expectations. In particular, shortly after the OMT announcement the forecast of "informed" firms were more upbeat compared to the control group of firms. This moreover was true in both vulnerable and non-vulnerable countries, suggesting that it was the relevance of the information about the future of the banking system that most mattered for expectations at the time, more than the immediate impact of the announced policy measures. JEL Classification: C83, D22, D84


A versatile and prolific composer whose works dominated opera houses in the late 1830s and 1840s, Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) had an enormous influence on subsequent opera composers, including Verdi. Yet the texts of many of his operas pose numerous problems, partly due to the accumulation of changes made by generations of interpreters. With the renewed popularity of his operas, the need for a critical edition became keenly felt. This highly acclaimed edition does not aim to publish all his works, but should offer a variety of operas, from those still in repertory to a selection of titles that are especially significant for historical or musical reasons. The critical edition of "Maria Stuarda", based principally on the rediscovered autograph score, restores the two-act structure, the original opening chorus, a substantial part of the first finale, and Donizetti's original phrasing and orchestration. Appendices include an overture (1835) and original vocal variants. One of Donizetti's most brilliant comedies, "Il Campanello" was initially written as a farce with spoken dialogues, but was revised by the composer with recitatives and new pieces. Based on several newly examined sources, the critical edition presents both the original and revised versions. "La Favorite" was a huge success from the start and a mainstay of the Paris Opera for decades. Yet the version known in this century reflects a coarsely manipulated Italian adaptation of the original. The critical edition reconstructs the 1840 French version from autograph material that in many cases has been examined for the first time. Appendices include an alternate cabaletta in Act Three and contemporary vocal variants.


Introduction: Limited options exist for cardiovascular support of the trauma patient in extremis. This patient population offers challenges that are often considered insurmountable. This article identifies a heterogeneous group of trauma patients in extremis who may benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Methods: Data were sourced from the medical records of all patients placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation following trauma at a Level I Trauma Center between 1 December 2016 and 1 December 2017. Results: All patients were male (N = 7), mostly with blunt injuries (n = 5), with an average age of 41 years and with an average Injury Severity Scores of 33 (median = 34). Two out of seven patients survived (28.5%). Survivors tended to have a longer duration on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (13.5 vs 3.8 days), had extracorporeal membrane oxygenation initiated later (15 vs 7.8 days), and had suffered a blunt injury. Two patients were initiated on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (both non-survivors) and five were initiated on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (two survivors, three non-survivors). Five patients were heparinized immediately (one survivor, four non-survivors), and two patients were heparinized after clotting was noted in the circuit (one survivor, one non-survivor). Three of the seven (42.8%) patients suffered cardiac arrest either prior to, or during, the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (all non-survivors). Discussion: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in the trauma patient in extremis is not standard; however, this article demonstrates that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is feasible in a complex, heterogeneous patient population when treated at designated centers.


Under this heading are included news items of the National research council and its activities and summaries of progress made by the research committees of its Division of Enigineering during the current month.


An udder health control programme was described in two previous papers of a series of three. The objectives, material required, an extensive farm interview and procedures used during the farm visits in this model were presented. The model is based on a five-point schedule. In the present paper, the various feasibilities of evaluation and analysis which may be performed using the system of recording described are introduced. This includes evaluation of the clinical and subclinical mastitis situation on the farm, as well as an assessment of the economic losses due to this situation. The evaluations are required to constantly motivate the farmer to perform the activities recommended, to illustrate to which extent an improvement in udder health status has been achieved and to correct the objectives for the farm, if necessary. Analysis and evaluating activities require additional knowledge, investment of time and devotion from the practitioner.


Systems Integration (SI) is an important element of Systems Engineering. It involves the integration of hardware, software, products, services, processes, and humans. The ever‐increasing scale of complexity of systems and its impact on the business requires that we revisit the processes involved in the development and integration of a system. This paper proposes a Systems Integration Process Model (SIPM) based on a comprehensive lifecycle view of systems integration. As part of the ongoing SI research at Stevens Institute of Technology, the authors have developed a Systems Integration Framework (SIF) which incorporates the relevant aspects of integration from a lifecycle perspective and sets a foundation to an end‐to‐end approach to SI. Our end‐to‐end approach focuses on how integration issues can be addressed up‐front to minimize integration related complexities and challenges later on in the system engineering process. This paper discusses the merits and benefits of applying the SIPM to evaluate and improve current SI processes in organizations. The paper provides, in addition to an overview of the SI framework, the activities included in the model. The model was pilot tested to evaluate the SI processes at a government agency. The results were used to provide recommendations for SI process reengineering. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng


A centralized wireless communication network in which upstream and downstream traffic is transmitted over separate channels is studied. A random multiple access scheme, slotted idle signal multiple access with collision detection (S-ISMA/CD), is proposed, together with a modification of the scheme used in advanced mobile phone service systems by applying collision detection to it. The S-G (throughput versus offered load) performance of both schemes is evaluated. The dynamic characteristics of the system with finite population on the upward channel are studied using EPA (equilibrium point analysis). It is shown that both schemes have high channel efficiency and that S-ISMA/CD has a little better performance on the downward channel.<<ETX>>


Peripheral blood eosinophils from patients with eosinophilia and from healthy subjects were studied for surface immunoglobulins, receptors for the Fc region of IgG, complement receptors, and spontaneous rosette formation with sheep and mouse erythrocytes. Eosinophils were found to have receptors for complement and for aggregated IgG, and to have the same two types of complement receptors as do lymphocytes and monocytes. Immune adherence type receptors were specific for C4 or C3b, while C3d receptors were specific for C3d but unreactive with C4. Eosinophils differed from fully mature neutrophils in that the former had C3d receptors and relatively weak immune adherence (C4 or C3b) receptors, while the later did not have the C3d receptors and had strong immune adherence receptors. Eosinophil phagocytosis of complement-receptor bound erythrocytes was dependent on the presence of IgG in the antibody coating the red blood cells; this requirement for IgG resembled that found in neutrophil phagocytosis. No surface Ig or spontaneous erythrocyte rosette formation was observed with eosinophils.


The objective is to design an adaptive controller for a pressure tank using online identification to obtain the mathematical model of the system. The method considered nonparametric and parametric identification recursive least squares to obtain a ARMAX model of the system dynamics. An adaptive controller for controlling autotuning pressure was developed. The simulation was carried out by two operating ranges. The results show that it has reached a convergence time of 1 s., an identification with extended least squares, a settling time of 10 s. and steady-state error of 3% for the controlled variable. Based on the study, it is concluded that the controller has an acceptable performance against the nonlinearities of the process and does not require re-tune the controller to significant changes in the model or due to perturbance.


The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of afterlife beliefs and ego integrity as two mediators of the negative relationship between intrinsic religiosity and personal death anxiety in later life. One hundred forty-three older adult British Christians responded to both initial and follow-up postal surveys containing questions on their religious and death attitudes. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that intrinsic religiosity predicted lower personal death anxiety via fostering more benign afterlife beliefs and ego integrity. This study demonstrated that intrinsic religiosity had a negative indirect effect on personal death anxiety through the joint agency of more benign afterlife beliefs and greater ego integrity. It also provided empirical evidence in support of the role of intrinsic religiosity in promoting psychosocial well-being in later life.


Purpose To identify prognostic factors for the outcomes of empirical antifungal therapy, we performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study in immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancies. Materials and Methods Three hundred seventy-six patients (median age of 48) who had neutropenic fever and who received intravenous (IV) itraconazole as an empirical antifungal therapy for 3 or more days were analyzed. The patients with possible or probable categories of invasive fungal disease (IFD) were enrolled. Results The overall success rate was 51.3% (196/376). Age >50 years, underlying lung disease (co-morbidity), poor performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) ≥2], radiologic evidence of IFD, longer duration of baseline neutropenic fever (≥4 days), no antifungal prophylaxis or prophylactic use of antifungal agents other than itraconazole, and high tumor burden were associated with decreased success rate in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, age >50 years (p=0.009) and poor ECOG performance status (p=0.005) were significantly associated with poor outcomes of empirical antifungal therapy. Twenty-two patients (5.9%) discontinued itraconazole therapy due to toxicity. Conclusion We concluded that empirical antifungal therapy with IV itraconazole in immunocompromised patients is effective and safe. Additionally, age over 50 years and poor performance status were poor prognostic factors for the outcomes of empirical antifungal therapy with IV itraconazole.


The decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the dramatic change of the Mediterranean world in late antiquity have ever been discussed in history. The present paper outlines, from the point of view of medical history, some recent tendencies of research, including those which bring in scientific evidence.


OBJECTIVE
Research comparing patients who received liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has produced varying outcomes regarding survival and disease-free survival. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that influence the disease-free and overall survivals of those who have undergone LT for HCC and to compare the outcomes of living versus deceased donor liver transplants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed data on patients aged 18 and above who received LT for HCC from 2006 to 2022. Patients with a follow-up period of less than 6 months and who did not meet the University of California San Francisco criteria were excluded. The data from 58 patients were analyzed. We split the patients into living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) (group 1) and deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) (group 2).

RESULTS
The mean age was 56 ± 8.1 years. There were 49 males and 9 females. The median of the alphafetoprotein (AFP) level and model for end-stage liver disease score was 10.1 ng/mL and 11, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year disease-free survival rates were 86%, 76.5%, 76.5%, and 76.5%, respectively. The survival rates for the same periods were 94.8%, 74.9%, 70.6%, and 67.4%. The receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that AFP > 31.8 ng/mL and a total tumor size >3.85 cm raise the likelihood of HCC recurrence post-LT.

CONCLUSION
Based on the current literature, the overall survival and disease-free survival rates are influenced by factors such as AFP value, total tumor number, and total tumor diameter. In our study, the AFP value and total tumor size had an impact on the recurrence of HCC, and the survival rates were comparable on LDLT and DDLT.


A neutral fragment of the carbohydrate part of the molecule was isolated in the form of a cyclic acetal (3.5-dinitrobenzoate) from carminomycins II and III belonging to anthracyclines. The acetal preserved all the asymmetric centers. Methanolysis of the cyclic acetal resulted in formation of aldol dimethyl acetal and propylene glycol (3,5-dinitrobenzoate) with isolated asymmetric centers. On the basis of the optic and spectral properties of these compounds it was found that carminomycins II and III differed in the configuration of 2 asymmetric carbon atoms, i.e. acetal atom and the atom in propylene glycol. They had configurations of R (--) in carminomycin II and S (+) in carminomycin III. The third asymmetric center of the acetal in both antibiotics was the same, i.e. S(+).


Purpose We examined the effect of stress on the pathophysiology of bladder stability in terms of enzyme levels, Rho-kinase, and bladder relaxation. Materials and Methods A total of 48 female Sprague-Dawley rats were studied in scheduled stress environments for 7, 14, and 28 days; 24 rats were in the control group and 24 rats were in the test (stressed) group. Results Estrogen decreased significantly whereas testosterone and dopamine increased significantly in the stress group (p<0.05). Rho-kinase was significantly increased in the rats exposed to stress stimuli for 14 days (p<0.05). Collagen types I and III in the bladder tissue were significantly higher in rats exposed to stress for 14 days and 28 days (collagen type I in the 14-day group, p<0.01; collagen type I in the 28-day group, p<0.05; collagen type III in the 14-day and 28-day groups, p<0.05). Voiding frequency increased significantly as the duration of stress exposure was prolonged, in addition to a significant decrease in volume per voiding (p<0.05). Conclusions The changes observed in micturition pattern, factors that contribute to smooth muscle contraction, and relaxation in the female rat bladder support the hypothesis that stress affects bladder stability.


The full abstracts of the Distinguished Lecturers' talks and the Lecturers' biographies appeared in the June 2009 issue of the Magazine. This information can also be obtained by sending an email request to firstname.lastname@example.com, or via a link at http://www.ieeeaps.org.