This thesis reports on a qualitative exploration of the experiences of 30 women designated as 'high risk' due to the co-existence of 'maternal obesity' (BMI ≥ 30) and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)/Type Two Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in pregnancy. This is examined in the context of medico-scientific/public health/ popular media discourses pertaining to 'maternal obesity'/GDM/T2DM in pregnancy. 'Maternal obesity'/GDM/T2DM in pregnancy are increasingly prevalent and clinically associated in manifold ways. Increasing prevalence is linked to the 'global epidemic' of 'obesity'/diabetes: now commonly referred to as 'diabesity'. Current biomedical knowledge asserts 'maternal obesity' and diabetes ('maternal diabesity') synergise in causing adverse pregnancy outcomes, have long term health implications for the offspring and contribute to an 'intergenerational cycle' of 'obesity'/diabetes. This is the first qualitative study to consider pregnancy/post-birth experiences of women with co-existing 'maternal obesity' and GDM/T2DM in pregnancy from a sociological perspective. Participants undertook a series of auto/biographical narrative interviews. Longitudinal engagement provided nuanced psycho-social insight into women's perceptions/experiences and the socio-cultural context of their lives. Analysis of pertinent 'pregnancy' Internet fora postings augmented interview data and was utilised for comparative/corroborative purposes. Participants were predominantly of low socio-economic status, congruent with epidemiological data. The concept of pregnancy 'planning' was not resonant and few women accessed/felt predisposed to access preconception care. Women did not identify as 'obese', and knowledge/perception of risks associated with the medical 'conditions' was low. Women perceived themselves to be stigmatised due to their weight in society and specifically within healthcare. Many participants were experiencing acute/chronic stress which appeared to have mediated risk perceptions/compromised diabetic regimen adherence. Expense of 'healthy' eating/diabetic diet was considered prohibitive. Women's material circumstances/socio-cultural milieux may militate against ability to minimise risk and effect lifestyle change. Policy and practice, for the most part, fails to take this into account.


Abstract Accurate stress and strain analysis in bolted joints is of considerable interest in order to design more efficient and safer aerospace structural elements. In this paper, a finite element modelling of aluminium alloy 7075-T6 bolted plates, which are extensively used in aircraft structures, is discussed. The ANSYS Finite Element (FE) package was used for modelling the joint and estimating the stresses and strains created in the joint due to initial clamping forces and subsequent longitudinal tensile loadings. A double-lap bolted joint with a single bolt and nut was considered in the study. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of the joint was generated, and then subjected to three different simulated clamping forces followed by different levels of longitudinal tensile load. 3D surface-to-surface contact elements were employed to model the contact between the various components of the bolted joint. Friction effects were considered in the numerical analysis; and moreover, the clearance between the bolt and the plates was simulated in the model. FE results revealed beneficial compressive stresses near the hole edge as a result of applying the clamping. It was found that a higher clamping force can significantly decrease the magnitude of the resultant tensile stress at the hole edge and also bearing stress in the joint when subjected to the longitudinal tensile load.


Acute pancreatitis has a mortality rate of 5–10%. Early deaths are mainly due to multiorgan failure and late deaths are due to septic complications from pancreatic necrosis. The recently described 2012 Revised Atlanta Classification and the Determinant Classification both provide a more accurate description of edematous and necrotizing pancreatitis and local complications. The 2012 Revised Atlanta Classification uses the modified Marshall scoring system for assessing organ dysfunction. The Determinant Classification uses the sepsis-related organ failure assessment scoring system for organ dysfunction and, unlike the 2012 Revised Atlanta Classification, includes infected necrosis as a criterion of severity. These scoring systems are used to assess systemic complications requiring intensive therapy unit support and intra-abdominal complications requiring minimally invasive interventions. Numerous prognostic systems and markers have been evaluated but only the Glasgow system and serum CRP levels provide pragmatic prognostic accuracy early on. Novel concepts using genetic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling and also functional imaging for the identification of specific disease patterns are now required.


Intervention by the Reserve Bank of Australia on foreign exchange markets from 1983 to 1997 is conjectured to have been determined by exchange rate trend correction, exchange rate volatility smoothing, the U.S. and Australian overnight interest rate differentials, profitability and foreign currency reserve inventory considerations. Using Probit and friction models, we show that these factors were significant influences on intervention behaviour. Consistent with the constraint of intervening only when a clear trend is apparent, we find that above average measures of deviations from trend and of volatility muted the response of the Reserve Bank.


In order to formalize Distributed Ledger Technologies and their interconnections, a recent line of research work has formulated the notion of Distributed Ledger Object (DLO), which is a concurrent object that maintains a totally ordered sequence of records, abstracting blockchains and distributed ledgers. Through DLO, the Atomic Appends problem, intended as the need of a primitive able to append multiple records to distinct ledgers in an atomic way, is studied as a basic interconnection problem among ledgers. In this work, we propose the Distributed Grow-only Set object (DSO), which instead of maintaining a sequence of records, as in a DLO, maintains a set of records in an immutable way: only Add and Get operations are provided. This object is inspired by the Grow-only Set (G-Set) data type which is part of the Conflict-free Replicated Data Types. We formally specify the object and we provide a consensus-free Byzantine-tolerant implementation that guarantees eventual consistency. We then use our Byzantine-tolerant DSO (BDSO) implementation to provide consensus-free algorithmic solutions to the Atomic Appends and Atomic Adds (the analogous problem of atomic appends applied on G-Sets) problems, as well as to construct consensus-free Single-Writer BDLOs. We believe that the BDSO has applications beyond the above-mentioned problems. demonstrate the usability of BDSOs by using them to provide consensus-free solutions to the Atomic Appends and Atomic Adds problems, as well as a consensus-free construction of a Single-Writer Byzantine-tolerant Distributed Ledger Object (BDLO).


Mutations in genes required for the exocytosis of cytotoxic granules by NK cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes are associated with early-onset familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL). In this project, we examined how certain missense mutations in genes encoding syntaxin-11 and Munc18-2 abolish exocytosis and cause disease. Furthermore, we dissected the role of another protein suspected to play a role in cytotoxic granule exocytosis, VAMP8. In the first study, we characterized an FHL5 patient (Munc18-2 p.Q432X and p.S545L) who developed Hodgkin lymphoma with underlying Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The tissue displayed high infiltrates of cytotoxic T lymphocytes responsive to EBV-derived peptides, yet the cells had dramatically reduced Munc182 protein levels and were unable to undergo cytotoxic granule exocytosis. The patient is an important example of how Munc18-2 missense mutations impairing exocytosis can lead to late-onset HLH and, due to decreased immunosurveillance, might result in cancer. In the second study, we examined the pathophysiological mechanism underlying an N-terminal syntaxin-11 mutation (syntaxin-11 p.L58P) associated with FHL4 in three unrelated patients. These patients displayed defective cytotoxic granule exocytosis despite the functionally important SNARE domain of syntaxin-11 being intact. As the p.L58 is an evolutionary conserved amino acid, we hypothesized that the mutation interrupts interactions with Munc18-2. Further, we determined whether other conserved N-terminal syntaxin-11 residues also contribute to Munc18-2 binding. We found that the interaction is dependent on both an intact syntaxin-11 N-terminal peptide as well as Habc domain because mutations in either completely abolished binding to Munc18-2. It is thus plausible that syntaxin-11, analogous to the syntaxin1 / Munc18-1 interaction, employs distinct binding modes to different domains of Munc18-2. The interruption of the syntaxin-11 / Munc18-2 interaction could explain the reduced syntaxin-11 expression levels. Lastly, cytotoxic granule exocytosis is dependent on several proteins being part of the fusion complex between a cytotoxic granule and plasma membrane, yet the vSNARE mediating granule fusion remains elusive. In the third study, we suspected VAMP8 to play a key role in this fusion process. However, VAMP8 did not localize to cytotoxic granules but instead to recycling endosomes. Upon T cell receptor stimulation, recycling endosomes were recruited to the immune synapse and fused with the plasma membrane. As VAMP8 knockdown blocked cytotoxic granule release, we hypothesized that VAMP8+ recycling endosomes might deliver an important component for the cytotoxic fusion machinery to the plasma membrane. Indeed, recycling endosomes transported syntaxin-11 to the plasma membrane, with VAMP8 knockdown hampering syntaxin-11 delivery. In summary, these data provide a deeper understanding of FHL and the molecular mechanisms of cytotoxic granule exocytosis. We describe a possible link between FHL and cancer which may have diagnostic, prognostic and treatment implications for other FHL patients. Further, we show how N-terminal syntaxin-11 mutations can cause disease, with data hinting towards a meticulous series of interaction modes necessary for syntaxin-11 maintenance and cytotoxic granule secretion. Finally, we find that VAMP8 delivers syntaxin-11 to the immunological synapse in human cytotoxic lymphocytes, demonstrating an unexpected role of recycling endosomes in cytotoxic granule exocytosis. LIST OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS I. Development of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in an adult with biallelic STXBP2 mutations. Machaczka M, Klimkowska M, Chiang SC, Meeths M, Müller ML, Gustafsson B, Henter JI, Bryceson YT. Haematologica. 2013 May;98(5):760-4 II. An N-terminal missense mutation in STX11 causative of FHL4 abrogates syntaxin-11 binding to Munc18-2. Müller ML, Chiang SC, Meeths M, Tesi B, Entesarian M, Nilsson D, Wood SM, Nordenskjöld M, Henter JI, Naqvi A, Bryceson YT. Front Immunol. 2014 Jan 14;4:515 III. VAMP8-dependent fusion of recycling endosomes with the plasma membrane facilitates T lymphocyte cytotoxicity. Marshall MR, Pattu V, Halimani M, Maier-Peuschel M, Müller ML, Becherer U, Hong W, Hoth M, Tschernig T, Bryceson YT, Rettig J. J Cell Biol. 2015 Jul 6;210(1):135-51


Any attempt to use the Bible as a basis for addressing contemporary economic issues needs to recognise the fundamental differences in underlying philosophy between economic theory and Christian belief. Neo-classical economic theory embodies a view of the world and of human nature, derived from the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century, which has become immensely influential in recent times. 'Economic man' is a rational, independent being, set in an environment of scarcity, but able to improve his welfare by transactions in a market economy. This 'anthropology' is explained and examined systematically in this book, following broadly the pattern of an economics textbook, and drawing on some recent work in methodology. In each chapter, a second part presents a contrasting view of the same subject matter drawn from the Bible as interpreted by contemporary scholars. This gives a radically different account of human life and well-being, centred on the community and its relationship with God, in which prosperity, abundance and hope for the future are divine blessings and gifts. Despite the wide gaps between economic theory and Christian belief some points of contact can be made, and there are suggestions as to how a dialogue between them might be conducted.


UNLABELLED
Acute gastroentritis is one of the most common diseases in humans, and continues to be a significant cause of morbidity worldwide.

AIMS
To determine the bacterial pathogens associated with gastroenteritis in patients admitted to the Iasi Infectious Diseases Hospital in the last ten years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A total of 40481 stool samples were examined using conventional methods.

RESULTS
Bacteria were found in 7.36% of cases, and parasites in 9.64%; 83% of the cases were viral, micotic, or disbiotic. The bacterial etiology was dominated by Salmonella spp. (58.34%), Shigella spp. (27.08%), Yersinia enterocolitica 03 (8.53%), Campylobacter spp. (1.31%), other bacterial pathogens (EPEC, Aeromonas hydrophilla/caviae/sobria, Plesiomonas shigelloides, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, etc) being detected in 3.74% of the cases. Of the Salmonella species, group B (51.99%) followed by group D (45.23%) were most common. Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri were found in almost the same proportion (49.45% and 49.70%, respectively); Shigella boydii was isolated in only 0.85% of cases. The trend of gastroenteritis caused by bacterial pathogens is decreasing: from 355 cases in 2001 to 105 cases in 2010; three peaks have been recorded in 2002, 2005 (when Salmonella typhi was isolated in a patient), and 2008 (469, 409, and 252 cases, respectively). Bacterial gastroenteritis affected both sexes almost equally (122 males and 118 females). The most affected age groups were: 0 - 4 years, 15 - 24 years, 5 - 14 years and 25 - 39 years.

CONCLUSIONS
Laboratory investigations are essential in determining the etiology of gastroenteritis. Its unpredictable incidence justifies the human and material efforts aimed at controlling the spread of potentially epidemic acute gastroenteritis.


Thermal barrier coating (TBC) of a gas turbine blade suffers from high temperature oxidation. It is known that thermally growth oxidation (TGO) grows at the interface between ZrO2- 8%Y2O3 and CoNiCrAlY, and the TGO degrades the adhesive strength. The purpose of this study is to clarify the TGO growth process. Thermal aging tests of ZrO2-8%Y2O3 / CoNiCrAlY TBC systems under various temperature conditions were carried out. TGO growth process was observed by an electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA). Both TGO of Al and TGO of other elements were examined, and the thickness of the TGOs were examined. Results are summarized as follows. (1) The delamination occurred at a ZrO2-8%Y2O3 layer beside the interface. (2) The growth rate of complicated TGO which consisted of Co, Ni and Cr increased with an increase of temperature. However, the complicated TGO wasn't related with the delamination life. (3) The delamination could occur if the thickness of Al TGO increased more than about 3 μm.


Background: The human epidermal growth factor type 2 (HER2) receptor is a membrane glycoprotein tyrosine kinase. In woman, HER2 expression is diagnosed in 30% of breast carcinomas and it is associated with a worse prognosis, higher rate of recurrence and mortality. In the bitch, the HER2 overexpression in canine mammary tumors is still controversial and the prognostic value remains uncertain. Thus, we aimed to verify the HER2 expression in canine mammary carcinomas and relate it to the type and histological grade, lymph node metastasis and clinical staging. Materials, Methods & Results: Ninety bitches diagnosed with mammary carcinoma were included in this study. The inclusion criteria were bitches with complete clinical examination, thoracic radiographic examination and submitted unilateral or bilateral mastectomy. Ninety-nine samples of mammary carcinoma were used and the fragments of tumor and regional lymph nodes were fixed in 10% neutral formalin for histopathological and immunohistochemistry analysis. The lesions were evaluated by two pathologists and classified according to the type and histological grade. HER2 expression was performed by semi-quantitative analysis of the slides according to the HerceptTestTM (Dako) recommended score. Simple carcinomas were the most frequent (51.51%) followed by complex carcinomas (46.47%) and in situ carcinoma (2.02%). The histological grade of 97 carcinoma samples was attributed, except in situ carcinoma, 37 (38.14%) of the neoplasms were grade I, 50 (51.55%) grade II and only 10 (10.31%) tumors were classified as grade III. Forty bitches were submitted to clinical staging (TNM) and 42.50% of the bitches received staging in grade I and, 25% of the bitches staged in grade IV and V, with metastases. The HER2 expression, 13/99 samples (13.13%) received score +2, 19/99 (19.19%) score +1 and absence of marking (score 0) was identified in 67 samples (67.80 %). Immunostaining in hyperplastic or normal epithelial cells was evidenced, often in association with weak or moderate cytoplasmic labeling. Of the samples expressing +2 score for HER2 (n = 13), eight samples (17.39%) were complex carcinoma and five (9.80%) simple carcinomas. There was no relationship between HER2 immunostaining with age, tumor size, TNM, histological type, histological gradation, lymph node metastasis and distance. Animals with lymph node metastasis, as well as those diagnosed with distant metastasis, did not present HER2 expression in the tumors. Discussion: The simple carcinoma seems to be the most frequent type histological diagnosed in canine mammary carcinomas, followed by carcinoma in mixed tumor and complex carcinoma. Tubulopapillary carcinomas are more invasive in the female dogs as well as in the woman. Carcinomas grade I and II are more frequent and present a better prognosis for the dog. However, bitches with grade III carcinoma survived for a shorter time when compared to dogs with grade I or II tumors. A factor that may have contributed to the lower number of bitches at worst prognostic stage (EC IV and V) is the current owners' awareness that they have sought veterinary help earlier, as soon as they detect small nodules in mammary gland. Overexpression of HER2 in women breast cancer is diagnosed in 20-30% of cases, whereas in bitches, this expression is variable. Also the different percentages of canine HER2 immunostaining are due to the lack of standardization for the analysis of the immunostaining, the immunohistochemical techniques employed and the non-specificity of the HER2 antibody. In canine mammary carcinomas the HER2 expression in low and this immunostaining is not related to other established prognostic factors. This study reinforces the hypothesis put forward by other authors that in the bitch the expression of HER2 may not be related to malignancy and tumor progression.


We determined the activity of noradrenergic neurons in the nucleus of the posterior hypothalamus (PH) of sinoaortic-denervated (SAD) and sham-operated (SO) rats during cardiovascular responses to intravenous (iv) or local brain dialysis of NaCl. PH extracellular norepinephrine (NE) was collected by microdialysis from freely moving rats, and dialysate NE was measured by radioenzymatic assay. Three days after SAD or SO, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were significantly higher in SAD rats than SO rats. Basal levels of PH dialysate were also significantly elevated in SAD rats. Local dialysis of PH with hypertonic NaCl produced pressor and tachycardiac responses coupled with increased NE release in PH in both groups, but the increases in MAP and dialysate NE were larger in SAD than SO rats. Ganglionic blockade with iv hexamethonium elicited significantly larger depressor and bradycardiac responses in SAD rats, whereas the percent increase of dialysate NE was smaller than that of SO rats. The iv infusion of hypertonic NaCl produced larger pressor responses in SAD than SO rats and a significant increase in dialysate NE from PH of SAD but not SO rats. These findings indicate that 1) PH is an important site of NaCl action and 2) noradrenergic input in PH receives tonic inhibitory input from baroreflex pathways and contributes to cardiovascular hyperactivity and hypertension in SAD rats.


A 75-year-old woman had a 2-year history of severe onycholysis and chloronychia (olive green discolouration) of most of her fingernails (Figure). Fungal infection had been excluded by microscopy and culture of nail scrapings. Some nails had superficial ridges and pits, as well as translucent orange-brown discolouration of the nail beds (the "oil drop" sign). This, along with a well defined, red, scaly plaque over her right elbow, led to a diagnosis of limited plaque psoriasis. The green discolouration was a classic sign of a secondary bacterial infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Treatment was to consist of vinegar soaks (10 parts water and 1 part white vinegar applied topically for 5–10 minutes twice daily for 5 days) for the Pseudomonas infection, followed by a course of dexamethasone iontophoresis to treat the psoriatic onycholysis. (In the latter process, the fingers are held in contact with a dexamethasone solution and a low electrical current stimulates the transdermal migration of dexamethasone ions into the nail beds.)


A study was made of the content of plasma fibronectin as compared to the biochemical parameters of mineral and collagen metabolism in 177 children. Of these, there were 90 healthy children aged 1 month to 2 years and 87 children of the same age with grade I and II rickets at the height of illness. A close interrelation was established of the metabolic parameters characterizing metabolism of osseous tissue both in healthy children and in those with rickets. In the latter ones, plasma fibronectin was discovered to significantly decrease as the process becomes graver and more active. Besides, its level was found to be related to collagen metabolism.


ABSTRACT Student enrollment in Pennsylvania public schools continues to decline, but school costs continue to rise. In the next 5 years, the Northern Area of Allegheny County will lose the equivalent of one of the larger school districts. Substantial cuts in teaching and administrative positions have already taken effect. Over the last 25 years, Northern Area school districts have been involved in a number of cooperative efforts, including the establishment of a special education center, a technical school, and a joint purchasing program. Recent enrollment data have led to the suggestion that additional cooperative programs be instituted in such areas as energy management, maintenance supervision, and transportation management. Northern Area superintendents have already endorsed workshops on child abuse, and a January 1982 meeting of the committee selected to discuss Long Range Plans for School Improvement has isolated curriculum and instruction, instructional concerns relative to management, management issues, and staff development as four major areas of concern for a meaningful and lasting program of school improvement. The current financial situation dictates an increasing need for cooperative ventures among school districts. Included in this paper are four lengthy appendixes with numerous charts and tables concerning Northern Area Allegheny school districts. (JBM)


Smile is a non-verbal communication to express spontaneous feelings and emotions. Most patients that come to have orthodontic treatments want to have an attractive smile, but before the treatment smile has not yet been studied. There are eight components to make ideal frontal smile: lip line, smile arc, upper lip curve, buccal corridor, symmetry of smile, occlusal plane, dental and gingival components. This study was descriptive in design, in order to obtain frontal smile description before orthodontic treatment of RSGMP FKG UI patients that were grouped according to facial form, age, and gender. The results of the study show that patient smile before orthodontic treatment frequently exhibits medium lip line and the mean of incisor display at 75% of clinical crown. Most subjects show gingival display of 2 mm or less. On the smile arc, the most common features are straight smile and consonant smile. Equally common smile arc positions are those touching and not touching lower lip. The average buccal corridor is in medium smile, and thus most subjects have straight upper lip curves and symmetric smiles. DOI:  10.14693/jdi.v15i1.80


Forty isolates of Leishmania, representing all major species infecting humans and one parasite of lizards, were examined for their ability to secrete an extracellular acid phosphatase activity. This enzyme, which was originally described and characterized from a Sudanese strain of L. donovani, was detected in the culture supernatants of all species of promastigotes examined except for L. major and L. tarentolae. There were quantitative differences among species in their levels of enzyme activity and in the sensitivity of the exoenzyme to inhibition by L(+) tartrate. Upon electrophoresis in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels, extracellular acid phosphatase from L. braziliensis panamensis, L. tropica, and L. mexicana showed distinctive patterns which were similar for all isolates of a given species, while enzymes from L. donovani isolates differed from one another in relative electrophoretic mobility. Enzymes from all species appeared heterogeneous, showing either discrete multiple bands or single diffuse bands on gels stained for enzyme activity. Although the biological function of the extracellular acid phosphatase is presently unknown, the exoenzyme may be of value as a diagnostic or taxonomic characteristic.


This study aimed to develop an in vitro denture plaque biofilm to model denture malodour. No previous studies have attempted to characterize the malodour associated with dentures and the effect of Candida spp. (main aetiological agent of denture-related stomatitis) on malodour. Pooled denture plaque microcosms and 'model' denture plaque biofilms (pooled saliva supplemented with additional microbial species) with and without addition of candida were grown aerobically at 37 °C for up to 13 days in a constant depth film fermenter (CDFF) on denture acrylic discs. Sample discs were removed, rinsed in sterile water and placed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The discs were vortex mixed to remove the biofilms, diluted in PBS and plated in duplicate onto general and selective media. The composition and stability of the biofilms over time were assessed. CDFF-grown microcosms and 'model' denture plaque biofilms were relatively stable in composition, with streptococci remaining the dominant microbial group. Model denture plaque biofilms were comparable in composition to denture plaque microcosms. This model system has the potential for evaluation of agents that might affect these parameters such as denture cleansers and other oral hygiene treatments.


Food and eating have always encompassed more than the simple intake of nutrients; therefore, when thinking about food consumption, we need to examine several groups of influencing factors whose correlations from the aspect of the consumer are described by a complicated matrix. This paper focuses on the selection of signs indicating new and innovative consumer behaviours, and on the megatrends that are the driving forces of transitions and that lead to the consequences of strikingly reconsidered consumer decisions nowadays. The authors stress that there are qualitative and structural changes in food consumption in Hungary, with an increasing quantity of differentiated consumer demands appearing, a few of them influencing our everyday decisions even atthe concept level. The findings of primary research originated from a personal questionnaire survey consisting of 2001 respondents, in which we also focused on the attitude towards eating and media consumption related to gastronomy.This paper is an introduction to the market segments detectable in the present Hungarian population aged 15–74 in the topics concerned.


Authors of articles published in Information Today Inc. periodicals, including Computers in Libraries magazine, may deposit copies of their work in their institution's repository 90 days after publication.


Background and aim: Spirituality is considered as one of the dimensions of health, along with physical, psychological and social health which includes an element of excellence and transcendence. However, it is unclear whether contemporary medical professors in Iran still considering this concept in their training program. This study assesses the professors' attitude toward considering spirituality and spiritual counseling and training during medical education among medical students.Materials and methods: This is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis method. 43 participants, who were main stakeholders in medical education were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected using structured interviews from September to October 2017, which continued until data saturation.Ethical consideration: the principles of ethics and integrity in the research, citation and literature analysis were taken into consideration.Finding: Three main themes and their categories were extracted from analysis of data. The themes are (1) helping to solve the students' spiritual problems and challenges (2), Psycho-spiritual characteristics of medical student (3), training spiritual concepts.Conclusion: A majority of professors acknowledged the use of spirituality concepts in medical education. It seems that implementation of such programs requires attention to facilitating factors and challenges proposed by those involved.


Purpose Dysregulated circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in various cancers, and could serve as diagnostic biomarkers. However, research focusing on the roles of the circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is limited. This research aimed to explore the expressions of hsa_circ_0036722 in LSCCs and its diagnostic significance. Materials and Methods The expression levels of the circular RNA, hsa_circ_0036722, and its parental gene, RHCG, in 41 pairs of LSCC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were validated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The diagnostic values of hsa_circ_0036722 alone and combined with RHCG in LSCC were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Bioinformatics analysis predicted likely cross-talk between hsa_circ_0036722 and RHCG. Then, qRT-PCR and luciferase reporter assay were used to examine the effect of hsa_circ_0036722 on miR-1248 and miR‑1248 on RHCG expression. CCK-8 assays were conducted to investigate their effects on LSCC cell line. Results Hsa_circ_0036722 and RHCG were downregulated in LSCC tissues (P < 0.0001). The expression level of hsa_circ_0036722 was significantly correlated with the differentiation level of LSCC (P = 0.018). The area under the ROC curve of hsa_circ_0036722 was 0.838, which reached 0.859 when hsa_circ_0036722 was combined with RHCG as a biomarker. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0036722 could directly sponge miR-1248 to antagonize its inhibitory effect on RHCG. And downregulation of hsa_circ_0036722 could promote the proliferation of LSCC cell line through upregulating miR-1248. Conclusion Our results indicated that hsa_circ_0036722 was downregulated in LSCC, which regulate the function of RHCG in LSCC via inhibiting miR-1248, and it could serve as a potential diagnostic marker for LSCC.


Targeted therapy is a promising approach for treatment of neuroblastoma as evident from the large number of targeting agents employed in clinical practice today. In the absence of known crystal structures, researchers rely on homology modeling to construct template-based theoretical structures for drug design and testing. Here, we discuss three candidate cell surface proteins that are suitable for homology modeling: human norepinephrine transporter (hNET), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), and neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (NTRK2 or TrkB). When choosing templates, both sequence identity and structure quality are important for homology modeling and pose the first of many challenges in the modeling process. Homology modeling of hNET can be improved using template models of dopamine and serotonin transporters instead of the leucine transporter (LeuT). The extracellular domains of ALK and TrkB are yet to be exploited by homology modeling. There are several idiosyncrasies that require direct attention throughout the process of model construction, evaluation and refinement. Shifts/gaps in the alignment between the template and target, backbone outliers and side-chain rotamer outliers are among the main sources of physical errors in the structures. Low-conserved regions can be refined with loop modeling method. Residue hydrophobicity, accessibility to bound metals or glycosylation can aid in model refinement. We recommend resolving these idiosyncrasies as part of "good modeling practice" to obtain highest quality model. Decreasing physical errors in protein structures plays major role in the development of targeting agents and understanding of chemical interactions at the molecular level.


As digital circuits approach the GHz range, and as the need for high performance wireless devices increases, new simulation tools which accurately characterize high speed interconnects are needed. In this paper, a new macromodelling algorithm for time domain simulation of interconnects is presented. The algorithm incorporates Householder LS curve-fitting techniques. The approach generates a universal macromodelling tool that enables simulation of interconnects in a modified version of SPICE. This results in a method that conveniently incorporates accurate EM models of interconnects, or experimental data into a circuit simulator. The time domain simulation results using this new tool are compared with results from other simulators.


Cognitive function is multidimensional and complex, and research in multiple species indicates it is considerably impacted by age and gonadal hormone milieu. One domain of cognitive function particularly susceptible to age-related decrements is spatial memory. Gonadal hormones can alter spatial memory, and they are potent modulators of brain microstructure and function in many of the same brain areas affected by aging. In this paper, we review decades of animal and human literature to support a tertiary model representing interactions between gonadal hormones, spatial cognition and age given that: 1) gonadal hormones change with age, 2) age impacts spatial learning and memory, and 3) gonadal hormones impact spatial learning and memory. While much has been discovered regarding these individual tenets, the compass for future aging research points toward clarifying the interactions that exist between these three points, and understanding mediating variables. Indeed, identifying and aligning the various components of the complex interactions between these tenets, including evaluations using basic science, systems, and clinical perspectives, is the optimal approach to attempt to converge the many findings that may currently appear contradictory. In fact, as discoveries are being made it is becoming clear that the findings across studies that appear contradictory are not contradictory at all. Rather, there are mediating variables that are influencing outcome and affecting the extent, and even the direction, of the effects that gonadal hormones have on cognition during aging. These mediating variables are just starting to be understood. By aligning basic scientific discoveries with clinical interpretations, we can maximize the opportunities for discoveries and subsequent interventions to allow individuals to "optimize their aging" and find their own map to cognitive health as aging ensues.


PURPOSE
The North Central Cancer Treatment Group performed a phase III trial to determine whether chemotherapy plus either bid radiation therapy (RT) or daily (qd) RT resulted in a better outcome for patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). No difference in survival was identified between the two arms. This secondary analysis was performed to examine the relationship between patient age and outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Two hundred forty-six patients were randomized to receive etoposide plus cisplatin and either RT qd or split-course RT bid. This retrospective study compared the outcomes of patients aged >/=70 years ("elderly patients") with those of younger individuals. Of the 244 assessable patients, 63 (26%) were elderly, and 181 (74%) were younger individuals.

RESULTS
The 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 39% and 18%, respectively, in patients younger than 70 years, compared with 36% and 13%, respectively, in elderly patients (P =.4). Grade 4+ toxicity occurred in 62% of patients younger than 70 years compared with 81% of elderly patients (P =.007). Grade 4+ hematologic toxicity occurred in 56% of patients younger than 70 years, compared with 78% of elderly patients (P =.003). Grade 4+ pneumonitis occurred in 1% of those younger than 70 years, compared with 6% of elderly patients (P =.02).

CONCLUSION
Toxicity, especially myelosuppression and pneumonitis, was more pronounced in the elderly patients receiving combined-modality therapy for locally advanced NSCLC. Despite increased toxicity, elderly patients have survival rates equivalent to younger individuals. Therefore, fit, elderly patients with locally advanced NSCLC should be encouraged to receive combined-modality therapy, preferably on clinical trials with cautious, judicious monitoring. Future studies should explore ways to decrease toxicity of therapy in elderly patients.


Inorganic membranes continue to attract a lot of attention in various fields including industry and academia, due to the great potential they have shown in various applications. Recently, some studies have focused on the water -permeable metallic membrane reactor involving liquid-phase reversible reactions including esterification reactions. Among the membranes considered, inorganic membrane have been found to be the perfect membrane for the esterification reaction process because they can allow heterogeneous catalysts to be deposited easily on the surface of the membrane; this results in increase in the yield of products. The use of inorganic ceramic to selectively eliminate water from the reaction product during esterification of lactic acid is yet another important application that has attracted a lot of attention. In this work, the initial study of heterogeneous catalyst behaviour and carrier gas permeation with inorganic ceramic membrane for lactic acid esterification applications was carried out. Dowex 50W8x, Amberlyst 36, Amberlyst 15 and Amberlyst 16 cation-exchange resins were used as heterogeneous catalysts. The SEM/EDXA of the resin catalyst was investigated in order to determine the surface morphology of the resin. The EDXA of the catalysts showed the presence of sulphur which confirms the sulfonic acid group in the structure of the polymeric compound. The permeation properties of inorganic ceramic membrane with the carrier gases were also analysed between the gauge pressures of 0.01-1.00 bar at the temperature of 60oC (333 K). The membrane was coated twice using silica solution before the permeation experiments. The carrier gas permeance of the silica membrane showed a linear dependence on the inverse square root of the gas molecular weight indicating Knudsen mechanism of transport. Gases with highest viscosity value exhibited the least permeance indicating viscous flow contribution. It was concluded that Knudsen and viscous mechanisms plays a major role in the carrier gas permeation with inorganic ceramic membrane.


The 9th International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group Annual Meeting (ITMIG 2018) was held from October 24th to 27th, 2018 in Seoul, Korea. This important conference highlighted the latest scientific and clinical developments related to the management of thymic malignancies and brought together established scientists and clinicians from all over the world who have interest in the field of thymic tumor research. The meeting was a great success. It was a great honor for the editorial team of Mediastinum to conduct a brief interview with Dr. Jeanne Ackman who shared with us the progress and the current challenges of TNM staging system for diagnosis and treatment of thymic Tumors.


Statistical tests, oriented towards optimum distinction between normal and abnormal behavior, may be applied to the results of static perimetric examinations. Such tests are also important for establishing whether significant progression has occurred. A prototype version of an analytical program is presented here; it evaluates the data stored in the memory of the automated perimeter Octopus. Statistical decisions are printed out in verbal form. Reservations regarding conclusions are discussed. Correlated long-term fluctuations in thresholds complicate the separation of true progression from insignificant coincidence.


In the research area of crop yield density estimation and in particular in risk analysis, little emphasis has been given to the appropriateness of transformation methods (e.g., removing a linear trend) and how such transformations impact the reliability of the empirical distribution functions and the resulting probability estimates. Similarly, there is little consensus on the impact of environmental variables (e.g., rainfall and temperature) on empirical distributions of yields. Using historical county corn yield data for Arkansas and Louisiana and nonparametric methods, this empirical analysis shed light on the importance of data transformation in crop risk analysis. Results demonstrate that inappropriate data treatment can lead to misestimation of probability density estimates.


Various authors have suggested the possibility of a link between biological age and sexual activity. Zelnick (1981) described the relationship between sexual activity and age at menarche. To determine the relationship between biological age and age at first sexual intercourse, we presented a questionnaire to 450 students attending a comprehensive secondary school in Montreal. Age at menarche and age at first conscious ejaculation were used to measure biological age. A partial correlation was made between biological age and age at first sexual intercourse by controlling for chronological age. The results were r = 0.24 (p <0.029) for female students and r = 0.21 (p <0.08) for male students. The value of the correlation was weak but significant where the female students were concerned. For the male students, the value of the correlation could not be determined due to the insufficient number of respondents. Biological age would appear to be an indicator of the age at which sexual activity first occurs. This indicator could be used by clinicians directly, and to develop a more general model for determining the age at which sexual activity first occurs.


Erythroid leukemia (ERL or AML‐M6) is an uncommon subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, the clinical, morphological, and genetic behavior of which needs further characterization. We analyzed a homogeneous group of 23 de novo AML‐M6 patients whose bone marrow cells showed complex karyotypes. We also analyzed eight leukemia cell lines with erythroid phenotype, performing detailed molecular cytogenetic analyses, including spectral karyotyping (SKY) in all samples. The main features are: (1) A majority of patients (56%) had hypodiploidy. Loss of genetic material was the most common genetic change, especially monosomies of chromosome 7 or 18, and deletions of chromosome arm 5q. Taken together, 87% of the cases displayed aberrations involving chromosome 5 or 8. (2) We describe a novel, cryptic, and recurrent translocation, t(11;19)(p11.2;q13.1). Another translocation, t(12;21)(p11.2;q11.2), was found to be recurrent in a patient with ERL and in the K562 cell line. (3) MLL gene rearrangements were detected in 20% of cases (three translocations and three amplifications) and, overall, we defined 52 rearrangements (excluding deletions) with a mean of 2.3 translocations per patient. (4) Of the structural aberrations, 21% involved chromosomes 11 and 19. Most of the rearrangements were unbalanced; only 13 reciprocal translocations were observed. The general picture of chromosomal aberrations in cell lines did not reflect what occurred in patient samples. However, both primary samples and cell lines shared three common breakpoints at 19q13.1, 20q11.2, and 21q11.2. This is the first molecular cytogenetic description of the karyotype abnormalities present in patients with ERL. It should assist in the identification of genes involved in erythroleukemogenesis. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


. Results of the theoretical assessment with the use of traction research carried out in the field conditions were presented in the article. The assessment concerned the selection issue of the ratio in the power transmission system of a tractor, which met the requirements of universal tractors of 4.0 kN class. The maximum power and the engine torque and the ratio of the power transmission system, of the accepted tractor was assumed. Theoretical analysis was carried out for three travelling speeds on four types of ground - such assumptions reflected the universal character of the tractor exploitation. Values of slide and traction force, determined earlier, were used for calculations. The result of the analysis was the power value determination, engine torque and the rotational speed of an engine on particular gears. On the basis of the analysis, which was carried out, the most advantageous ratio in the power transmission system of the tractor including variety of exploitation conditions was indicated. It was proved that exploitation of the tractor on various grounds with the same travelling speed requires the use of different ratios.


Two methods are developed for measuring low-temperature spectral emissivities in the infrared region. Neither of these has apparently been employed previously. One of them, which is only an approximate method, was followed by measurements of three common alloys. The values of emissivity obtained agree reasonably well with those calculated from the reflectivity data of others for similar materials.


The purpose of this research was to explore how National Hockey League (NHL) players developed mental skills over the course of their careers. Retrospective semi-structured interviews were conducted with six current or former NHL players. Participants had 1-13 seasons of NHL experience (M years of NHL experience = 9, SD = 4). Interview transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analysis. We identified three stages of mental skills development. The first stage was characterized by the development of personal characteristics and life skills (rather than mental skills per se) during participants' early involvement in hockey. Personal characteristics and life skills included interpersonal skills (e.g., respect, building relationships), and commitment and effort (e.g., work ethic, deliberate practice). The second stage, performance characteristics development, involved the development of focus (e.g., self-awareness and being 'present') and confidence (e.g., positive mindset and perseverance), most often beginning during the participants' junior hockey career. The third stage was performance skills development, which reflected the development of performance-specific mental skills. This typically occurred during our participants' professional careers. At this point in their careers, participants appeared to possess discreet mental skills (e.g., visualization, goal setting, self-talk, and self-reflection) and were able to strategically use these skills in pre-, during-, and post-game routines. Overall, this study suggests that the development of personal characteristics, life skills, and performance characteristics set a foundation for the later development of performance-specific mental skills. From a practical perspective, these findings may be useful for informing mental training approaches for young hockey players.Acknowledgments: This project received funding from a Mitacs Accelerate partnership [IT12607].


Growth factors are signaling molecules that are typically secreted at the site of repair by many different cell types including platelets, stem cells, and fibroblasts. Since Montalcini and Hamburger first described the nerve growth factor (NGF) in 1951, this epoch-making discovery has initiated the detection of a multitude of other growth factors that alter cell growth, cell differentiation, and proliferation, which is essential for wound healing and tissue repair and regeneration. Several growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and nerve growth factor (NGF) play a key role in brain or spinal cord injury and acute organ injuries. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases vascular permeability, induces angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, which is applied in treatment of ischemic heart disease.

Treatment with growth factors is beginning to gain worldwide prevalence, mainly in plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, the molecular mechanisms of growth factors treatment are still undefined. Thus, further investigations on mechanisms of growth factors in basic and clinical research are urgent. Therefore, we have invited the researchers to contribute few research/review papers to provide evidence that supports the application of growth factor in prevention or treatment of diseases.

In this special issue, we have invited some papers hoping to shed light on some aspects of this very interesting field. We have collected 8 papers by scientists from 4 countries. In the submitted research papers, H. Wang et al. summarize the current understanding of the NGF signaling in retina and the therapeutic implications in the treatment of glaucoma. NGF offers the promise of actually restoring visual function through acting on the TrkA receptor; however, the future of NGF-dependent treatments in the armamentarium of glaucoma therapy as most of the present studies were in animal models, hence, randomized, controlled glaucoma clinical trials need to be performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of NGF in the treatment of glaucoma. While M. Ammendola et al. review antitumor and antiangiogenic potential of three agents which are able to inhibit the functions of mast cells (MCs) tryptase: gabexate mesylate, nafamostat mesylate, and tranilast, the authors suggest that future awaited clinical studies aim to evaluate the truly efficacy of the tryptase inhibitors as a novel tumor antiangiogenic therapy. J. Cai et al. concluded the neuroprotective efficacy of neurotrophins (NTs) (NGF, BDNF, FGF-2, IGF, NT3, and NT4/5) in animal models, highlighted outstanding technical challenges, and discussed more recent attempts to harness the neuroprotective capacity of endogenous NTs using small molecule inducers and cell transplantation. On the other hand, J.-C. Chen and colleagues demonstrated that NGF exist multiple bioactivity except for the neuronprotective activity. They found NGF accelerates the healing of skin excisional wounds in rats and the fibroblast migration induced by NGF may contribute to this healing process; moreover, the activation of PI3K/Akt, Rac1, JNK, and ERK may be involved in the regulation of NGF-induced fibroblast migration. In two very interesting research papers, Z.-G. Feng et al. have shown that tobacco plants express Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF1) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using a Potato virus X- (PVX-) based vector (pgR107). The plant-derived KGF1 promotes the proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells and significantly stimulates wound healing in the diabetic wounded rat model. This finding indicated that KGF1 from tobacco maintains its biological activity, implying prospective industrial production in a plant bioreactor. While X.S Wang suggested endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is the key mechanism for regulating FGF21 in several metabolic diseases. This study showed FGF21 is the target gene for activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP). ER stress increased the half-life of mRNA of FGF21, which may partly explain the mechanism of increasing FGF21 levels in metabolism disease. In the following papers, H. Nawa et al. discussed neuregulin-1 (NGR1) and EGF to rodent pups, juveniles, and adults and characterized neurobiological and behavioral consequences. The cytokine-driven dopaminergic dysfunction might illustrate some of the psychopathological features of schizophrenia, although it is possible that the responsible factors might be other cytokines other than EGF, NRG1, or virokine. L.-J. Xiang ea al. investigated the hair growth promoting activities of three approved growth factor drugs, FGF-10, FGF-1, and FGF-2. They observed that FGFs promoted hair growth by inducing the anagen phase in telogenic C57BL/6 mice. FGFs-treated group showed earlier induction of β-catenin and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in hair follicles, suggesting that FGFs promotes hair growth by inducing the anagen phase in resting hair follicles and might be a potential hair growth-promoting agent. Finally, J. Song et al. summarized the recent findings on the association between risk factors for vascular dementia and adiponectin including aging, diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and stroke. The authors suggested that further studies are necessary to examine the role of adiponectin in vascular dementia, and the regulation of adiponectin levels and receptors of adiponectin would be important for the prevention and treatment of vascular dementia.


This guide is an introduction to family history. The resources available here will help you find your family in the US Census and other places.


The spectral response of resonantly enhanced photodiodes is analyzed theoretically and verified experimentally. Comprehensive design guidelines and formulas are given for device structures containing a metal reflector, a contact layer, and optional grading layer, an absorbing layer, and a quarter-wave stack (QWS). The analysis shows, for instance, that the quantum efficiency of a Schottky photodiode with a 162-nm GaInAs absorbing layer can be enhanced 3.7-fold by using a 41-layer AlInAs/AlGaInAs QWS. The number of layers required could be much lower for other material systems and/or if the substrate is removed. Experimentally, 50% enhancement is demonstrated for a 475-nm-thick absorbing layer at 1.52 mu m by using a 16-layer QWS. The resonance width is approximately 4.4%. >


The results of neuropsychological investigation of 808 children and adolescents from the age of 7 to 18, out of whom 689--patients with local damages of brain (tumors, arachnoidal cysts, vessel pathology, congenital hydrocephaly), 119--health ones were analyzed. All patients, healthy and ailing were divided into four age groups: preschoolers 7-9 years old, preteenagers 10-12 years old, teenagers 13-15 years old, and adolescents 16-18 years old. Were detected the disorders of cognitive functions and there dependence on the character of pathologic processes of the brain and age.


LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.
Developments in research have made culturing human embryos beyond the 14-day limit seem technologically feasible. In the article "Emerging Human Embryo Research Technologies, the 14-day Rule, and the Special Status of the Embryo," the authors examine a proposal for new human embryo and embryoid research guidelines by reviewing the history of the 14-day limit and emerging areas of research that are impacted by these guidelines. However, as noted by the authors, changes in science policy should not be developed solely by scientists. Instead, policy development should reflect the reality of science as a public endeavor. After 40 years of consensus, any attempts to revoke the 14-day limit on the in vitro culturing of human embryos should rely on public and stakeholder engagement.


One of the main objectives of the 2003 CAP reform was that to enhance farm competitiveness and make farmers able to catch market signals and adjust their production level and specialization accordingly. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the effects of decoupling in Italy COP sector comparing the estimated results of some structural and economic indicators of a sample of farms before and after the 2003 reform using data from the Italian Institute of Statistics and of the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The analysis shows an improvement of income in farms that kept COP production specialization through the years under study. At the same time, farms that opted for a different specialisation in the post reform period improved their economic performance. All this suggests that coupled support had become a constraint rather than an opportunity and that the 2003 reform, decoupling farm support from production, has contributed to a more efficient and market-oriented COP sector in Italy.


The influence of technology on war is overrated. Technology does not win wars. It does not lose wars. It does not even fight wars. People do. New technology is the handmaiden of change, but even technologies that take the human "out of the loop" have a hand behind the handmaiden. New technologies pose far fewer new ethical challenges to warfare than is often supposed. The current wave of technological innovation, which is largely derivative of innovations in data processing and transmission, will not change the traditional relationship between technology and ethics in war very much.


Indonesia is a country which most of the population is islamic, so of course in the life of the economy should be based on existing principles of sharia. At present, it must be admitted that the principles of sharia have grown in various fields of economy, including Banking, Insurance, and Capital Markets. However, in the Capital Market, although some of its instruments have been found in the Capital Market, the redulation is very minimal. This research is aimed at assisting Financial Services Authority in implementing Roadmap of Sharia Capital Market starting 2015 to 2019 to find a concept of Capital Market Law in accordance with Sharia Principles, so that Sharia Principles can be applied in isolation and different from Market Law regulation Conventional Capital that has been done. Research is a normative juridical research because it focuses on the rules of legislation using empirical data. The approach used is the approach of legislation and concept approach. Sharia Capital Market is a place for investors and emitents whose business field is not contrary to Sharia principles to conduct buying and selling activities in a way that uses the principles of sharia. The implementation of Sharia principles in Shariah Capital Market is in the business field of issuers, contracts used, and there are also arrangements related to Sharia Capital Market Experts.


A decade ago, the convergence of GPS with mobile telephony first allowed media artists to map the city's psychogeography. With such technology having now become widespread, the artistic novelty of this approach has somewhat diminished. While the field of 'locative media' has been and continues to be productive of both work and of critique, this essay questions some of its conceptual commitments and critical interpretations. As the technological assemblages upon which locative media are based are themselves constantly shifting, the essay considers adapting conceptual approaches accordingly. To this end, an argument is put forth for expanding the concept of locative media, built upon Bruno Latour's recent engagement with new media and design practices which he characterizes in terms of the act of assembling rather than debunking. Drawing further on actor-network theory, an alternative interpretation of the metaphor of cognitive mapping is developed in which a core concept of locativity, that of proximity, is redefined in terms of tracing the connections of networked objects, this as opposed to the often repeated association of locative media with Situationist psychogeography. An assembly of practices are examined which trace logistics and give voice to multiple nonhuman ontologies.


Measles virus (MV) infects a variety of lymphoid and non-lymphoid peripheral organs. However, in rare cases, the virus can persistently infect cells within the central nervous system. Although some of the factors that allow MV to persist are known, the contribution of host cell-encoded microRNAs (miRNA) have not been described. MiRNAs are a class of noncoding RNAs transcribed from genomes of all multicellular organisms and some viruses, which regulate gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. We have studied the contribution of host cell-encoded miRNAs to the establishment of MV persistent infection in human neuroblastoma cells. Persistent MV infection was accompanied by differences in the expression profile and levels of several host cell-encoded microRNAs as compared to uninfected cells. MV persistence infection of a human neuroblastoma cell line (UKF-NB-MV), exhibit high miRNA-124 expression, and reduced expression of cyclin dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), a known target of miRNA-124, resulting in slower cell division but not cell death. By contrast, acute MV infection of UKF-NB cells did not result in increased miRNA-124 levels or CDK6 reduction. Ectopic overexpression of miRNA-124 affected cell viability only in UKF-NB-MV cells, causing cell death; implying that miRNA-124 over expression can sensitize cells to death only in the presence of MV persistent infection. To determine if miRNA-124 directly contributes to the establishment of MV persistence, UKF-NB cells overexpressing miRNA-124 were acutely infected, resulting in establishment of persistently infected colonies. We propose that miRNA-124 triggers a CDK6-dependent decrease in cell proliferation, which facilitates the establishment of MV persistence in neuroblastoma cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe the role of a specific miRNA in MV persistence.


The results of investigation on a stereovision system for 3-D perception are presented. A 3-D space data can be reconstructed from a pair of 2-D images, the basis of stereo vision and computation equations are given. Also error of depth estimation and ways to minimise it are surveyed. The systems' hardware design and the ways to synchronise cameras to avoid incorrect map reconstruction due to asynchronous frame capturing are presented. The results of experimental investigation: measured and extrapolated distances at certain disparities using 6 mm and 2.5 mm lenses, error of distance measurement distribution are presented. The results show that usage of longer focus lenses is more useful at long range perception. Also the results show that the system surveyed is suitable for autonomous robot navigation system. Ill. 7, bibl. 8 (in English; summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).


The relevance and importance of Samuel P. Hay's book, "Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency," has only increased over time. Written almost half a century ago, it offers an invaluable history of the conservation movement's origins, and provides an excellent context for understanding contemporary enviromental problems and possible solutions. Against a background of rivers, forests, ranges, and public lands, this book defines two conflicting political processes: the demand for an integrated, controlled development guided by an elite group of scientists and technicians and the demand for a looser system allowing grassroots impulses to have a voice through elected government representatives.


Purpose of the article: Employee engagement, which has been acclaimed as one of the key determinants of the organisational performance, largely depends on employees' dispositions. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of high performance work practices (HPWPs) on employee engagement. Methods: The study is based on a cross-sectional survey which examined a representative sample of three hundred and ninety-one employees (391). Six participating banks were selected randomly while the respondents were judgmentally selected among the banks. Structured questionnaires were provided to the sample the respondents and the data gathered were analysed using SPSS version 20. Scientific aim: This study seeks to provide scientific evidence of the efficacy of using a bundle of complementary human resource (HR) practices rather than single HR practice to engage skilled employees. Findings: The study revealed that a combination of all the four selected HPWPs as a bundle, significantly predicted employee engagement. However, only employee training and development as a single HR practice variable, significantly predicted employee engagement, while employee empowerment, performance appraisal and performance related pay were insignificant. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for human resource (HR) managers to understand and apply the most productive bundle of HR practices in nurturing employee engagement for desirable organisational outcomes. Based on the findings, a bundle of HR practices, which have complementary qualities, is imperative for employee engagement. This study has contributed to highlighting the organisational factors fostering employee engagement and ameliorating employees' and organisational performance in Nigeria.


The SAD mouse is characterized by the expression of human SAD hemoglobin (Hb), a super S Hb with a higher tendency to polymerize than HbS due to the presence of two additional mutations, Antilles beta 23Ile and D Punjab beta 121Glu. Monovalent cation transport was studied in erythrocytes from SAD-1 (Hb SAD = 19%) and beta-thal/SAD-1 (Hb SAD = 26%) mice. Erythrocytes containing Hb SAD exhibited dehydration, increased maximal rate of Na(+)-K+ pump, unchanged Rb+ flux via the Gardos channel, and increased K(+)-Cl- cotransport. K(+)-Cl- cotransport was defined as Cl(-)-dependent (substitution with sulfamate or methanesulfonate) okadaic acid-sensitive K+ efflux. Volume regulatory decrease via K(+)-Cl- cotransport was also increased in swollen SAD erythrocytes compared with controls. K(+)-Cl- cotransport was stimulated by staurosporine in all mouse strains, but the extent of stimulation was reduced in beta-thal/SAD-1 mice. Treatment with dithiothreitol reduced K(+)-Cl- cotransport activity in SAD-1 and beta-thal/SAD-1 mice to levels similar to that of control strains, indicating that reversible sulfhydryl oxidation contributes to the activated state of K(+)-Cl- cotransport in mouse erythrocytes that express transgenic human Hb SAD.


This paper measures economic integration in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region using a composite index. The weights of the index are obtained from a two-stage principal component analysis. In the first stage, we obtain a convergence index to measure the extent of convergence among the main macroeconomic indicators of a sample of AP economies. In the second stage, we use indicators of trade, FDI, and tourism, as well as the convergence index, to compute the weights for the composite index. We found that economic convergence in the AP region increased until 1998 but has since fallen back. The integration of trade, investment, and people flows increased between 1990 and 2000, weakened slightly to 2003, and has since picked up again. Among the 17 sample economies, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei are the most integrated with the AP region and Indonesia and China are the least integrated.


Winner, Mitchell A. Wilder Award for Publication Design, Texas Association of Museums Folks across the West know a cowpoke named Jake. A good-hearted guy, he's always up to his eyebrows in debt or drought or prickly pears looking for them dad-blamed ole wild cows. In fact, he's so real a fella that it's hard to believe that Ace Reid made him up. This book brings together 139 of Ace Reid's popular "Cowpokes" cartoons, reproduced in large format to show the artistry and attention to detail that characterized Reid's work. Grouped around themes such as work, weather, bankers, and friends, they reveal the distinctive "you might as well laugh as cry" sense of humor that ranch folks draw on to get through hard work and hard times. In the foreword, Washington Post cartoonist Pat Oliphant offers an appreciation of Reid's "Cowpokes" cartoons, noting that "Ace's work has a magic of its own, and it owes nothing to anyone else." Reid's longtime friend Elmer Kelton recounts Ace's life and career in the introduction, describing how a shy boy who grew up on ranch work transformed himself into an artist-entrepreneur who never met a stranger and who made ranch work the subject of his real love, cartooning. This collector's volume belongs on the shelf of everyone who loves the "Cowpokes" cartoons, knows a fella like Jake, or enjoys the dry wit of the American cowboy.


In the inversion of land surface temperature (LST) from satellite data, obtaining the information on land surface emissivity is most challenging. How to solve both the emissivity and the LST from the underdetermined equations for thermal infrared radiation is a hot research topic related to quantitative thermal infrared remote sensing. The academic research and practical applications based on the temperature-emissivity retrieval algorithms show that directly measuring the emissivity of objects at a fixed thermal infrared waveband is an important way to close the underdetermined equations for thermal infrared radiation. Based on the prior research results of both the authors and others, this paper proposes a new approach of obtaining the spectral emissivity of the object at 8–14 µm with a single-band CO2 laser at 10.6 µm and a 102F FTIR spectrometer. Through experiments, the spectral emissivity of several key samples, including aluminum plate, iron plate, copper plate, marble plate, rubber sheet, and paper board, at 8–14 µm is obtained, and the measured data are basically consistent with the hemispherical emissivity measurement by a Nicolet iS10 FTIR spectrometer for the same objects. For the rough surface of materials, such as marble and rusty iron, the RMSE of emissivity is below 0.05. The differences in the field of view angle and in the measuring direction between the Nicolet FTIR method and the method proposed in the paper, and the heterogeneity in the degree of oxidation, polishing and composition of the samples, are the main reasons for the differences of the emissivities between the two methods.


IV-ethylmaleimide (NEM), an alkylating agent that covalently binds sulfhydryl groups, and dithiothreitol (DTT, Cleland's reagent), which reduces disulfide bridges to sulfhydryl groups, affected drug-induced contractions of rabbit aorta. NEM depressed aortic responses to potassium chloride (KC1), norepinephrine, serotonin, histamine, and angiotensin II. This action was attributed to an interaction of NEM with sulfhydryl groups vital to either the membrane function or the contractile apparatus. DTT had minimal effects on responses to KC1, norepinephrine, and serotonin; it potentiated aortic contractions produced by histamine and abolished responses to angiotensin II. Enhancement of the histamine response by DTT was not accompanied by an effect on the histamine-metabolizing enzymes or by an alteration in the KB and pA2 values for pyrilamine. The results suggest that a disulfide bridge plays a prominent role in both histamine and angiotensin receptor activity of rabbit aorta. With regard to the histamine receptor system, two possibilities exist: (1) reduction of a disulfide bridge at some vital point increases receptor activity or (2) the histamine receptor system, normally in a reduced state, is oxidized in the artificial environment of the tissue bath and needs to be reduced to regain full activity.


A rheological study of mixed micelles formed by PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer P123 and nonionic surfactant C12EO6 in aqueous solutions has been carried out with the purpose of investigating the time dependence of a shape transition of the mixed micelles and characterizing the shape before and after the transition. The rheology results presented in this report give clear evidence that the P123-C12EO6 mixed micelle grows and changes gradually in shape from spherical to elongated (rodlike) geometry with increasing temperature. These results are in accordance with the results found in the parallel dynamic and static light scattering and calorimetrical investigation.1,2 By using steady-state rheology, the time dependence of the sphere-to-rod transition of the mixed micelle system was carefully followed with time and temperature as simultaneously recorded variables in the experiments. This was performed by a designed novel experimental procedure. A temperature ramp was applied at a rate of 2.6 degrees C/min from a temperature below to a temperature above the shape transition at a constant shear rate while the viscosity of the solution was measured. The investigation was limited to two different compositions, surfactant-to-copolymer molar ratios (MR=nC12EO6/nP123) of 2.2 and 6.0 with varying total concentration from 1.5 to 21 wt % in comparison with the neat component. At low concentration, a slow transition was observed, which indicated that the mixed micelles are still growing into rods for several minutes after reaching the final temperature. At a total concentration of 4.0 wt % and above, the system reached equilibrium quickly. A concentration-dependent kinetic process is therefore anticipated, which was also found in the time-resolved static light scattering experiments previously performed (Löf, D.; Schillén, K.; Olofsson, G.; Niemiec, A.; Loh, W. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111, 5911). At concentrations above 10 wt %, shear-thinning behavior was observed for the mixed solutions, which strongly suggests the extended shape of the mixed micelles after the shape transition. The obtained zero-shear viscosity at the investigated molar ratios was found to be lower with higher molar ratios, which indicates that the mixed micelles both in the spherical and in the rodlike state becomes smaller with higher content of C12EO6. These results correlate well with the obtained results from the previous dynamic light scattering measurements on the same system (Löf, D.; Schillén, K.; Olofsson, G.; Niemiec, A.; Loh, W. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111, 5911).


Considering the effect of CO2 emission together with the depletion of fossil fuel resources on future generations, industries in particular the transportation sector are in deep need of a viable solution to follow the environmental regulation to limit the CO2 emission. Thermoelectrics may be a practical choice for recovering the waste heat, provided their conversion energy can be improved. Here, the high temperature thermoelectric properties of high purity Bi doped Mg2(Si,Sn) are presented. The samples Mg2Si1-x-ySnxBiy with x(Sn) ≥ 0.6 and y(Bi) ≥ 0.03 exhibited electrical conductivities and Seebeck coefficients of approximately 1000 Ω-1 cm-1 and -200 μV K-1 at 773 K, respectively, attributable to a combination of band convergence and microstructure engineering through ball mill processing. In addition to the high electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, the thermal conductivity of the solid solutions reached values below 2.5 W m-1 K-1 due to highly efficient phonon scattering from mass fluctuation and grain boundary effects. These properties combined for zT values of 1.4 at 773 K with an average zT of 0.9 between 400 and 773 K. The transport properties were both highly reproducible across several measurement systems and were stable with thermal cycling.


Background: The impact of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) on brain structure and function is unknown. Objectives: The aim of this study was to study the multimodal brain MRI alterations in MOGAD and to investigate their clinical significance. Methods: A total of 17 MOGAD, 20 aquaporin-4 antibody seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (AQP4 + NMOSD), and 28 healthy controls (HC) were prospectively recruited. Voxel-wise gray matter (GM) volume, fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and degree centrality (DC) were compared between groups. Clinical associations and differential diagnosis were determined using partial correlation and stepwise logistic regression. Results: In comparison with HC, MOGAD had GM atrophy in frontal and temporal lobe, insula, thalamus, and hippocampus, and WM fiber disruption in optic radiation and anterior/posterior corona radiata; DC decreased in cerebellum and increased in temporal lobe. Compared to AQP4 + NMOSD, MOGAD presented lower GM volume in postcentral gyrus and decreased DC in cerebellum. Hippocampus/parahippocampus atrophy associated with Expanded Disability Status Scale (R = −0.55, p = 0.04) and California Verbal Learning Test (R = 0.62, p = 0.031). The differentiation of MOGAD from AQP4 + NMOSD achieved an accuracy of 95% using FA in splenium of corpus callosum and DC in occipital gyrus. Conclusion: Distinct structural and functional alterations were identified in MOGAD. Hippocampus/parahippocampus atrophy associated with clinical disability and cognitive impairment.


Traditionally, closure of ventricular septal defects (VSDs) has been a surgical procedure, however in 1988 Lock et al. [1] ushered in the era of percutaneous ventricular septal defect closure when they reported on the results of transcatheter VSD closure using the Rashkind double umbrella device in six patients with congenital and acquired VSDs. These investigators also reported on the technique of using an arteriovenous wire loop as part of the closure that is still in use today. Since their initial report, multiple devices other than the Rashkind device have been used to close VSDs including devices that are specifically designed for this purpose. Percutaneous VSD closure has therefore become an acceptable alternative to surgical closure of muscular, traumatic, postoperative residual and post-infarct VSDs. Transcatheter device closure remains controversial for perimembranous VSDs however secondary to the risk of heart block. The purpose of this paper is to report on the current status of percutaneous closure of VSDs.


The recent interest in using microorganisms for biofuels is motivation enough to study bioconvection and cell dispersion in tubes subject to imposed flow. To optimize light and nutrient uptake, many microorganisms swim in directions biased by environmental cues (e.g. phototaxis in algae and chemotaxis in bacteria). Such taxes inevitably lead to accumulations of cells, which, as many microorganisms have a density different to the fluid, can induce hydrodynamic instabilites. The large-scale fluid flow and spectacular patterns that arise are termed bioconvection. However, the extent to which bioconvection is affected or suppressed by an imposed fluid flow and how bioconvection influences the mean flow profile and cell transport are open questions. This experimental study is the first to address these issues by quantifying the patterns due to suspensions of the gravitactic and gyrotactic green biflagellate alga Chlamydomonas in horizontal tubes subject to an imposed flow. With no flow, the dependence of the dominant pattern wavelength at pattern onset on cell concentration is established for three different tube diameters. For small imposed flows, the vertical plumes of cells are observed merely to bow in the direction of flow. For sufficiently high flow rates, the plumes progressively fragment into piecewise linear diagonal plumes, unexpectedly inclined at constant angles and translating at fixed speeds. The pattern wavelength generally grows with flow rate, with transitions at critical rates that depend on concentration. Even at high imposed flow rates, bioconvection is not wholly suppressed and perturbs the flow field.


The equity derivatives market in India has undergone remarkable changes in terms of instruments introduced. Introduction of single stock futures, amidst great misgivings, was solely responsible for placing Indian exchanges in the topmost position in the global scenario. Till 2006-07, single stock futures were the most traded instruments in the Indian equity derivative segment. But, post-Global Financial Crisis, there has been a continuous drift in favour of index options from single stock futures. There has been a continuous decline in the share of single stock futures, the gain being that of index options. This is considered as a clear indication towards mature stock market. Even though the inception of derivative trading has significantly influenced the trading volatility in the capital market segment, it is yet to be seen whether the introduction of derivatives has achieved its purpose or not. The present study is an attempt to study the impact of volatility on the stock market after the introduction of derivatives in Indian segment. The study takes into account a period of thirteen years, from 9th November 2001 to 31st March 2014. A bunch of Nifty companies which satisfy the set criteria are selected for the study. The study reveals that there exists causality between the futures and spot prices of these companies. These companies are found to be co-integrated in the long run as well as in the short run.


During project execution, especially in a multi-project environment unforeseen events arise that disrupt the project process resulting in deviations of project plans and budgets due to missed due dates and deadlines, resource idleness, higher work-in-process inventory and increased system nervousness. In this thesis, we consider the preemptive resource constrained multi-project scheduling problem with generalized precedence relations in a stochastic and dynamic environment and develop a three-phase model incorporating data mining and project scheduling techniques to schedule the R&D projects of a leading home appliances company in Turkey. In Phase I, models classifying the projects with respect to their resource usage deviation levels and an activity deviation assignment procedure are developed using data mining techniques. Phase II, proactive project scheduling phase, proposes two scheduling approaches using a bi-objective genetic algorithm (GA). The objectives of the bi-objective GA are the minimization of the overall completion time of projects and the minimization of the total sum of absolute deviations for starting times for possible realizations leading to solution robust baseline schedules. Phase II uses the output of the first phase to generate a set of non-dominated solutions. Phase III, called the reactive phase, revises the baseline schedule when a disruptive event occurs and enables the project managers to make "what-if analysis" and thus to generate a set of contingency plans for better preparation.


The traditional literature on Mexico's formerly hegemonic party, the PRI, notes the importance of the 'informal rules of the game' in determining outcomes, such as who will be the PRI's presidential candidate. This article argues that the onset of electoral competition allowed weaker actors within the party to strengthen their position by reforming the statutes in order to give them decision-making power previously denied them. However, this was a difficult process. President Salinas was able to overturn statutory reforms, while President Zedillo was not. Now that the PRI has lost the presidential elections, internal mechanisms of distributing selective benefits become even more important because of the loss of the omnipotent president who once exacted cooperation from all actors within the party and the regime.


NKG2D is a critical activatory molecule expressed on cytotoxic cells such as NK cells, γδ T cells and subsets of αβ T cells [1]. Ligation of NKG2D acts to trigger cytotoxicity of NK cells and acts as a co-stimulatory molecule on T cells. The ligands that bind to NKG2D, known as NKG2DL, are grouped into two families and comprise eight different proteins termed MIC-A/B and ULBP1-6 (Figure 1a). Importantly, these proteins are expressed on the surface of cells in response to stress signals such as viral infection or transformation and act to trigger cellular elimination by cytotoxic effector cells. A striking feature of NKG2DL is the considerable polymorphism within both gene families [2] and specific alleles have been associated with increased risk of autoimmune disease or relapse after stem cell transplantation. ULBP6 is the most polymorphic gene within the ULBP family and in recent work our team contrasted the molecular and functional correlates of the two most common protein variants, ULBP601 and ULBP602 (Figure 1b) [3]. Strikingly, surface plasmon resonance and x-ray crystallography revealed that the R>L polymorphism within ULBP0602 generated an energetic hotspot within the NKG2D-ULBP6 interaction (Figure 1c), resulting in an affinity of 15.5 nM, between 10 and 1000-fold greater than the affinities of other ULBP-NKG2D interactions. Paradoxically, this very strong interaction between NKG2D and the ULBP0602 allele had the effect of impairing NKG2D-mediated effector functions (Figure 1b). This was most likely related to impaired serial engagement of ULBP6 binding, but conceivably cleavage and release of a high affinity soluble ULBP602 protein isoform from the cell surface capable of blocking NKG2D binding could also contribute. Although previous studies on MICA have highlighted that the hierarchy of responses to different polymorphic MICA variants varied between individuals [4], the enhanced response to ULBP0601 compared to ULBP0602 was universally observed across different donors [3], consistent with an important role in immune regulation. The mechanisms that underlie the association of NKG2DL alleles with clinical disorders such as autoimmunity [5] or tumor-specific responses [6] are unclear but these data indicate that variation in the strength of the NKG2D-mediated cellular response is an important factor. This further points towards the potential development of novel therapeutic approaches including regulation of the expression level of NKG2DL proteins or modulation of the strength or extent of NKG2D-NKG2DL interaction. The critical role of NKG2DL in tumour-specific immune responses is highlighted by the fact that tumours frequently evolve a range of mechanisms to evade NKG2D-mediated responses. These include NKG2DL cleavage from the surface, and NKG2D downregulation which is frequently observed on cytotoxic cells in patients with cancer [7]. Interestingly, recent in vivo murine studies have shown that ectopic expression of NKG2D ligands on tumor cells can be sufficient to mediate control of tumor growth[8]. In order to fully understand how the NKG2D-NKG2DL axis can be targeted in patients with cancer it will be necessary to increase understanding of the fundamental properties of these receptors. These studies will require a detailed profile of NKG2DL expression within different human tumours and how this may be influenced through procedures such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The central importance of NKG2D interactions within immune homeostasis has been relatively under investigated but an emerging hope is that detailed interrogation of the significance of natural alleleic variation within the ULBPL family members [3] will serve to guide approaches to therapeutically manipulate NKG2D-NKG2DL interactions. Editorial


Background: Following birth asphyxia there is a robust inflammatory response. NLRP3 is a receptor of the innate immune system. Upon activation, NLRP3 forms an inflammasome together with ASC and procaspase-1 to mediate release of IL-1β and IL-18. NLRP3 has previously been shown to be upregulated following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in mice, but with no early effect on brain injury. Objective: We aimed to evaluate if deficiency of NLRP3 or ASC protects against neonatal HI brain damage 7 days after hypoxia-ischemia. Methods: C57BL/6J, NLRP3–/–, and ASC–/– mice were subjected to unilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by hypoxia at P9. Brain infarction, apoptosis, and microglial response were evaluated, as well as total RNA sequencing and examination of plasma levels of systemic proinflammatory cytokines. Results: NLRP3–/– mice showed significantly increased brain infarction volumes compared to wild-type (Wt) mice, while ASC–/– mice showed reduced brain infarction volumes after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. The amount of activated microglia was increased in NLRP3–/– mice, while decreased in ASC–/– mice compared to Wt mice. Total RNA sequencing showed an impaired inflammatory transcriptional response in the hippocampus of NLRP3–/– mice. Plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were not affected, but TNF was lower in NLRP3–/– and ASC–/– mice compared to Wt mice. Conclusion: ASC deficiency is neuroprotective in neonatal HI brain damage in mice, while NLRP3 deficiency increases brain damage.


The revenue model of online portals is based on access to consumers and their preference information through offerings of "free" personalized services. Extant research has characterized consumer behavior in this context by a personalization for privacy (p4p) ratio, which represents consumer's tradeoff between value for personalized services and nonmonetary privacy costs incurred in sharing their preference information. In determining the optimal level of services, two factors affect a portal's personalization strategy: its marginal value for preference information (MVI) and its ability to enforce consumers' usage of services. Counter to intuition, our results show that a monopolist is indifferent to enforcement abilities, even if social welfare is strictly higher in the absence of enforcement. Our duopoly model reveals that when portals do not enforce services usage, a symmetric equilibrium exists if and only if the MVI of both portals is high and no equilibrium is found otherwise. On the other hand, when portals enforce services usage there are two possible outcomes: (1) an asymmetric equilibrium exists if one portal has high marginal value for information and the other has sufficiently lesser MVI, and (2) a symmetric equilibrium exists if and only if both portals have high MVI. We discuss our results in light of portals' usage enforcement and from the perspective of a regulator who is interested in social welfare in the presence of privacy concerns.


The research and development of attractive smart clothing, with truly embedded technologies, demands the merging of science and technology with art and design. This paper looks at a comparatively new and unique design discipline that has been given little prior consideration. The concept of 'wearables' crosses the boundaries between many disciplines. A gap exists for a common 'language' that facilitates creativity and a systematic design process. Designers of smart clothing require guidance in their enquiry, as gaining an understanding of issues such as; usability, manufacture, fashion, consumer culture, recycling and end user needs can seem forbidding and difficult to prioritise. This paper presents a design tool in a format that can be understood by practitioners who come from a range of backgrounds. The representation of the 'critical path' is intended as a tool to guide the design research and development process in the application of smart technologies.


BACKGROUND
Back pain is a common disorder, with the doctor being the first point of contact for help. Biopsychosocial management of back pain has been shown to be problematic. Meeting patients' expectations is alleged to play a vital role in concordance, adherence and satisfaction. A more potent aspect, however, could be a state of matched patient- doctor expectations with regard to the consultation process and outcome, but this aspect has not been fully investigated and there is currently no valid and specific measure of this dimension.

AIM
To report on the development of a newly designed patient and doctor expectations questionnaire that measures the matching of their expectations with regard to the back pain consultation in primary care, and to establish the validity and internal consistency of the new tool.

METHODS
A literature review was carried out and a draft 36-item questionnaire was developed. Thirty-eight subjects (7 researchers, 20 patients and 11 doctors) tested the questionnaire. Each subject gave feedback on the questionnaire design and was also asked to fill in a previously validated tool, the Patients' Intentions Questionnaire (PIQ), to establish the concurrent validity of the newly designed expectations questionnaire. Construct validity was established by calculating the Spearman correlation coefficient, and Cronbach's alpha was computed to reflect the internal consistency of the instrument.

FINDINGS
The results of the validity questionnaire showed that the questionnaire was perceived as simple, clear and easy to understand and appropriate to the intended aim. Spearman correlation coefficients between the Patients' Expectations Questionnaire and PIQ showed significant correlation ( r = 0.65), reflecting good concurrent validity, while Cronbach's alpha was 0.831, reflecting good internal consistency.

CONCLUSION
The newly designed questionnaire showed good face, content and construct validity as well as good internal consistency, and thus can be used as a valid and reliable measure for back pain-specific expectations of the process and outcome of the consultation in primary care settings.


We examine the optimal dynamic portfolio decisions for investors who acquire housing services from either renting or owning a house. Our results show that when indifferent between owning and renting, investors owning a house hold a lower equity proportion in their net worth (bonds, stocks, and home equity), reflecting the substitution effect, yet hold a higher equity proportion in their liquid portfolios (bonds and stocks), reflecting the diversification effect. Furthermore, following the suboptimal policy of always renting leads investors to overweigh in stocks, while following the suboptimal policy of always owning a house causes investors to underweigh in stocks. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.


Serious pelvic injuries are associated with a high mortality rate,1 ,2 which has remained persistently high even with advances in hospital care. Hypovolaemia is often a significant contributing factor to these deaths1 ,3 If haemorrhage from pelvic injuries could be controlled or reduced in the prehospital environment, then survival rates might increase.

Improved mortality has been seen with catastrophic haemorrhage from limb injuries after the introduction of the battlefield tourniquet and topical haemostatic dressings.4 However, compared with bleeding from pelvic injuries, external haemorrhage is simple to recognise and the success of intervention easier to observe.

Pelvic binding devices provide a simple alternative to surgical fixators. These devices can be applied in the prehospital environment, potentially allowing control of unseen major haemorrhage.2

This article reports the finding of a consensus meeting on the prehospital management of pelvic injuries held in March 2012 and examines the evidence associated with pelvic binding devices and their application.

A review of the literature was undertaken prior to the consensus meeting. The Medline Database was searched using PubMed and Google Scholar was also used. The search terms were Pre-hospital management of pelvic injuries, Pelvic circumferential compression devices, pelvic binders, SAM pelvic sling, T-POD, PelvicBinder, Geneva belt and London pelvic sling. Further articles were identified from the references of retrieved articles. Manufacturers' websites were reviewed for further information regarding specific products.

### Consensus outcomes:

The initial management of any patient with a suspected pelvic injury must include the usual safety precautions. During scene assessment, visual clues to the mechanism of injury will help determine the likelihood of a pelvic injury.

The primary survey should deal with external catastrophic haemorrhage then any significant airway …


The 3D conceptual models and relevant algorithms based on Open GL are developed for characterizing and visualizing the fracture networks and seepage paths in fractured rocks. The standard database interface and the application program interface were designed by using Visual Basic software development tool in the Windows operating platform. The OpenGL-based visualization capability was incorporated for the 3-D fracture networks and seepage paths. The model and algorithms have been tested using a large number of fracture data that were obtained from the field fracture investigation. It has been shown that the visual effects offered by the program could present a lot of fracture information and make a comprehensive understanding on the structures of the fracture network to the users. It is observed that the program developed could quickly, correctly and effectively fulfill a series of the complex and tedious displaying and processing procedures as to a 3-D fracture network. Consequently, visualization efficiency can be then significantly increased. As a result, complex processing and visualization pertinent to the fractured rocks such as groundwater flow and solute transport become more practicable at a large field scale particularly.