Introduction/objectives Pulmonary emboli (PE) secondary to deep venous thromboses (DVT) are the immediate cause of 10% of hospital deaths. Elevated basal plasma coagulation factor (F) VIII levels, now known to be synthesised by the pulmonary endothelium,1 are the strongest predictor of recurrent PE/DVT, and also associated with elevated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). The reasons for these associations are unknown. The study objectives were to determine whether novel patient-specific factors were associated with FVIII levels; PE/DVT; and/or PAP. Methods Previous studies from our group have presented data on the 1999–2005 hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) cohort of patients. In the current study, a replicate data series was generated from individuals seen between 2006 and 2010, and analysed independently to the first. Basal plasma FVIII measurements taken at least 4 months from any thrombotic event/intercurrent illness; and 32 patient-specific variables from 221 individuals, including catheter-measured PAP and verified DVT/PE, were entered into an Excel chart. Following verification, data were analysed using STATA v11c (Statacorp LP) software. Univariate analyses identified potentially associated variables, which were analysed using stepwise multiple regression analyses, to generate best-fit models. Results For FVIII, the most significant independent variables were identified as fibrinogen, age, and iron replacement therapy (IRT) (model: 4df; p<0.0001; r2 0.2014). Fibrinogen showed the most significant association with FVIII (OR 0.193, p<0.001). FVIII showed further associations with age (OR 0.006, p=0.028) and IRT (OR 0.162; p=0.075). PE/DVT was associated with IRT (OR 1.416, p=0.028). Mean PAP was associated with age (OR 0.079, p=0.007) and FVIII (OR 1.449, p=0.009). Iron deficiency did not emerge as significant in any model. SIREs software predicted specific iron response elements (IREs) in FVIII mRNA splice-variants, including one in the 5′UTR of splice-variant 2.1 Conclusions This study suggests that basal plasma FVIII levels, and associated clinical endpoints of PE/DVT and PAP, may be influenced by iron replacement therapy, possibly by modulating expression of specific splice-variants of the F8 gene. This study therefore suggests that iron replacement may increase thrombotic risk, with significant potential clinical implications for millions of people who take iron tablets.


In 2009, a new influenza A (H1N1) virus of swine origin emerged to cause human infection in the form of acute respiratory disease.1 By August 2010, more than 214 countries, communities and territories had reported laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection, including 18 449 deaths.2 Today, influenza A (H1N1) remains one of the main causes of seasonal epidemics.3 Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium that forms part of the normal flora of the skin and the respiratory and intestinal tracts. However, it is an opportunistic pathogen that causes a large number of diseases, including respiratory infections,4 and is one of the major causes of nosocomial infection and infections associated with mechanical ventilation. In recent years, methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) have become a challenge due to their difficult therapeutic management.5 Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2) cause acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and are associated with high morbidity and mortality.6 Although it usually affects immunocompromised patients, cases have also been observed in immunocompetent individuals, developing as a primary infection or reactivation of a latent infection.7 Reports of coinfection with these 3 microorganisms in immunocompetent patients are very rare.8 We report the case of a patient seen in our hospital. A 41-year-old woman, with no significant history, attended the emergency room with a 4-day history of fever, cough, bloody sputum, and dyspnea at rest. Physical examination revealed a temperature of 39.3 C; BP 100/50 mmHg; pulse 101 bpm. Of note on pulmonary auscultation were bibasilar crackles reaching the midfields. No other significant findings were noted. Clinical laboratory test results showed leukopenia with left shift, raised transaminases, and respiratory failure. Chest X-ray revealed extensive areas of bilateral lung disease, with air bronchogram in the right lung. (Fig. 1A). Chest computed tomography showed extensive pulmonary consolidation in both upper lobes and in the upper segments of the lower lobes, containing air bronchogram (Fig. 1B). The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit where she was intubated and mechanically ventilated. The bronchoalveolar lavage culture and polymerase chain reaction of bronchial secretion were


The article presents a software architecture to optimize the process of prototyping and deploying robot controllers that are synthesized using model-based design methodologies. The architecture is composed of a framework and a pipeline. Therefore, the contribution of the article is twofold. First, we introduce an open-source actor-oriented framework that abstracts the common robotic uses of middlewares, optimizers, and simulators. Using this framework, we then present a pipeline that implements the model-based design methodology. The components of the proposed framework are generic, and they can be interfaced with any tool supporting model-based design. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach describing the application of the resulting synchronous dataflow architecture to the design of a balancing controller for the YARP-based humanoid robot iCub. This example exploits the interfacing with Simulink® and Simulink® Coder™.


In 2011 England experienced the worst outbreak of urban unrest in a generation (Newburn, 2015). The cost to the public purse was significant, lives were lost and property destroyed. Immediate political pronouncements and media coverage reporting the disorder painted a picture of lawlessness and anarchy. The focus of responses from political figures and in mainstream media was on the declining moral and respect of those involved (Flint & Powell, 2012).

The day before the riots the Department for Communities and Local Government launched a consultation seeking views on extending the powers of possession to social housing providers to make the process of eviction easier and more flexible. This consultation was updated on the 10 August 2011; just four days after the riots had begun, to reflect the disorder. Within this consultation a question was added as to whether more eviction powers needed to be given to housing providers to deal with situations such as riots. Despite vociferous contestation from organisations such as Shelter, the proposals passed into legislation under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014).
To this day there remains little evidence about the actual housing tenure of the rioters. Very little has since been discussed about the use of housing-related mechanisms as a suitable way of dealing with urban unrest. Housing has remained relatively elusive in the discussion about the riots despite new powers of possession specifically geared towards social housing tenants as a result of the 2011 disorders.

This study seeks to address this gap. The exploration of the housing-urban disorder nexus is the thread running through this thesis, and it examines how the responses to the riots demonstrates contemporary rationalities for governing marginal populations and explores the apparent shift towards a more punitive society. Empirical data has been collected from 30 frontline practitioners working in housing, behaviour control and policing roles. These practitioners work in cities across England for organisations of various scales. Establishing a practitioner view was important, as these are the actors who sit between national level policy frameworks and the tenants whose day-to-day lives are governed (to a certain extent) by housing management practice. The aim of this study is to explore and attempt to understand from the perspective of one-the-ground officers and authorities why such a housing-related response to the disorders materialised, to what degree it is believed that these mechanisms are appropriate and a useful part of the behaviour-control arsenal and what, if anything, this might change for the future of governing populations.


Abstract—21st Century teaching and learning strategies related to the various methods used include the use of appropriate tools with the latest technological developments to help students to understand clearly about the content of the subject. Therefore, the need for the 21st Century teaching more focused on the development of students' higher-order thinking skills is increasingly urgent. This study aims to develop mathematics learning media based on e-learning using MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) software on the geometry of the flat side subject to improve higher-order thinking skills among secondary school students. The analysis in this study is based on the ADDIE Instructional Model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation). The respondents in this study were three lecturers who are experts in the field of mathematics education, three teachers in the field of information technology and 70 secondary school students in Yogyakarta, Indonesia was selected using the purposive sampling method. The findings of this study have shown that mathematics learning media based on e-learning using MOODLE very suitable for encouraging students to use the mind to understand, interpret, analyze and manipulate information to find possible solutions for various problems, especially related to the geometry of the flat side subject. Besides, based on mathematics learning media based on e-learning using MOODLE able to encourage students to think, to generate new ideas, to focus and to be active throughout the teaching and learning activities. The results of this study are expected can be one of the teaching tools which can help in learning activities and a catalyst for the improvement of the quality of students' thinking.


: Species composition and a number of persistence characteristics enterobacteria isolated from urine of 42 pregnant and 22 nonpregnant women with pyelonephritis (relapse, remission), from prostatic fluid of 225 males and secretions of cervical canal of 124 women with urogenital pathology (prostatitis, salpingo-oophoritis) were studied. The study revealed that enterobacteria, including Escherichia coli, prevailed in the structure of uromicroflora (66.7-83.3%) and constituted a relatively small proportion among "genital" isolates of microorganisms (19.9-22.2%). Male and female sterility and the presence of enterobacteria in the reproductive tract of patients were found to be directly correlated. Clinical isolates of enterobacteria were shown to possess pronounced seroresistance and the complex of persistence characteristics, including antilysozyme, anti-intercidal and anticomplementary activity.


Several convincing lines of evidence have shown that effective antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) can positively affect the natural course of both diseases. Indeed, maintained HBV suppression by pegylated interferon (PegIFN) or nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), eliminate the risk of liver decompensation, and improve overall survival.1 The same holds true for HCV, where viral eradication achieved by IFN or by directly acting antiviral-based therapy abolishes the risk of progression to cirrhosis and reduces, or abrogates, the risk of liver-related complications in patients with cirrhosis.1 Unfortunately, less is known about the impact of antiviral therapy in patients co-infected with both viruses. This is not a rare event, as in most countries HBV and HCV share modalities of transmission; currently it is estimated that nearly 5–20% of HBV patients and 2–10% of HCV patients have HBV–HCV co-infection.2 From a clinical standpoint, HBV–HCV co-infection has been associated with increased risk of fulminant hepatitis in the acute phase and development of cirrhosis and HCC in the long term.3 Still this has not been confirmed in all studies, probably because of significant differences in terms of ethnicity, comorbid conditions and virological profiles among the analysed cohorts.4 Patients with HBV–HCV co-infection are indeed extremely heterogeneous both in terms of infection modality—with most patients from Asia acquiring HBV infection at birth and later having HCV superinfection, whereas patients from Europe and the USA often acquire both infections concomitantly—and in terms of viral dominance of one virus over the other. …


The Non-statutory National Framework for Religious Education highlights the important contribution that Religious Education can make in the area of community cohesion by exploring how beliefs and practices vary between and within religious traditions, how they change over time and are influenced by cultural contexts. In this study the focus is the teaching of Islam at Key Stages 3 and 4, and the way in which Islam is represented across schooling and teaching, both textually and pedagogically.


It has been an immense honour to listen to
the experiences of the people of
Rotherham. The project team received a
warm welcome and felt humbled at the
extraordinary courage of victims, survivors
and their families. We wish to express our
heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part
in the study. The knowledge and opinions
shared by our participants are the
foundation of this report.
No-one wants to think about what child
sexual abuse and exploitation really
means. Recognising that children have
been humiliated, raped and tortured is
extremely distressing. As such, it is no
surprise that many felt anger and rage
when they understood that those with
authority failed to protect vulnerable
children and young people.
There is a need to face the awful reality that
child sexual abuse has always happened.
However, in the age of the internet, the
number of children at risk of sexual abuse
has increased. Those who sexually abuse
children are mostly, but not always, men.
Not discounting the vast number of boys
who have suffered abuse, most of the
known victims of sexual abuse are girls.
Both victims and perpetrators come from
every walk of life. The threat is such that we
all have a responsibility to consider what
we can do to protect every child in our
family and communities.
The public criticism of Rotherham
Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) and
South Yorkshire Police, following Professor
Jay's report was right and inevitable.
Positively, there have been several
examples of how RMBC and South
Yorkshire Police have responded to
criticism and improved the way they
respond to victims and survivors. However,
there have also been negative
consequences of public scrutiny, with many
people in the study reporting that they want
to regain pride in their hometown.
Those who took part in this study did not
shy away from exploring the difficulties they
face. Naturally, participants continue to talk
about issues of trust, as past mistakes
created a sense of vulnerability. However,
there is also evidence that healing is taking
place. Many participants made suggestions
of how they and RMBC could and should
collaborate to strengthen, individuals,
families and their communities
Indeed, there is a determination to meet
current and future needs with a sense of
collective rigour. Some of these tasks
involve developing internal structures, such
as communication and the provision of
appropriate resources. Rotherham, like
many other towns and cities in Britain, is
also faced with external threats which can
exacerbate internal challenges. An
example of this is how recognition of the
involvement of some men of Asian
Pakistani heritage, in the abuse of children
in Rotherham, led some political groups to
capitalise on fears. However, it is clear that
children are best protected in resilient
families and communities. Thankfully,
Rotherham and its people continue to
demonstrate resilience.
In addition, there is also a strong sense of
realism, no-one in Rotherham expects
perfection, but they do expect to do
everything possible to protect children and
young people. One woman made the
distinction between surviving and thriving:
"…I don't want to survive,
I want to thrive…"
We hope this report contributes to that aim
and welcome your views on the findings
from data collected between April and
June 2015. We recognise that the data is
reflective of views expressed at that time
and that RMBC and the people of
Rotherham, have continued to respond to
needs throughout the course of this
analysis process.


The 4‐year, calibrated SeaWiFS data set provides a means to determine seasonal and other sources of phytoplankton variability on global scales, which is an important component of the total variability associated with ocean biological and biogeochemical processes. We used empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on a 4‐year time series of global SeaWiFS chlorophyll a measurements to quantify the major seasonal (as well as the late El Niño and La Niña phase of the 1997–1998 ENSO) signals in phytoplankton biomass between 50°S and 50°N, and then a second analysis to quantify summer patterns at higher latitudes. Our results help place regional satellite chlorophyll variability within a global perspective. Among the effects we resolved are a 6‐month phase shift in maximum chlorophyll a concentrations between subtropical (winter peaks) and subpolar (spring‐summer peaks) waters, greater seasonal range at high latitudes in the Atlantic compared to the Pacific, an interesting phasing between spring and fall biomass peaks at high latitudes in both hemispheres, and the effects of the 1998 portion of the 1997–1998 ENSO cycle in the tropics. Our EOF results show that dominant seasonal and ENSO effects are captured in the first six of a possible 184 modes, which explain 67% of the total temporal variability associated with the global mean phytoplankton chlorophyll pattern in our smoothed data set. The results also show that the time (seasonal)/space (zonal) patterns between the ocean basins and between the hemispheres are similar, albeit with some key differences. Finally, the dominant global patterns are consistent with the results of ocean models of seasonal dynamics based on seasonal changes to the heating and cooling (stratification/destratification) cycles of the upper ocean.


I review research on psychological characteristics and sports performance and examine the literature on talent identification with particular reference to soccer to derive implications for the use of psychological variables in the talent identification and development process. Although the many cross-sectional studies of psychological characteristics and performance in all football codes conducted over the last 30 years have revealed no clear patterns, studies of both general inventories and specific variables are still being conducted. Reports on talent identification in all codes have increased in recent years, but most are descriptive in nature. In this review, I suggest that research on systematic expert observation has potential asa practical approach, but more studies of this type are needed.Considering the examination of specific psychological variables, only a solitary investigation of creativity in adolescents has shown promise. Further research on creativity and talent identification is required to replicate the positive results found in that study. In summarizing the research on psychological characteristics and talent identification, I conclude that cross-sectional research on adults cannot be extrapolated for use in talent identification with adolescents.I propose that resources would be more effectively used in the provision of psychological skills training for adolescent soccer players, pending more sophisticated research on a wider range of psychological variables. It is recommended that longitudinal or quasi-longitudinal research is essential to determine whether the same psychological variables are important for outstanding performance throughout the process of development and whether psychological variables measured during adolescence can predict outstanding performance in adulthood.


Indonesia is a country that is often seen only through Western eyes and is largely defined by western interests: exploitable resources, client power groups, corruption, ethnic disord, the power of the gun, and aborted democracy. The West has judged Indonesia through the standard tests of aid, trade, investment, political stability and ideology, rather than trying to see it from an Indonesian perspective. After half a century of 'independence' Indonesia is still struggling to assert its identity as a nation, but its ability to do so remains in question. After the Second World War, South East Asia became embroiled in the Cold War between communism and capitalism. The raw material resources of Indonesia were fought over by the old colonial powers and the newcomers like Japan, USA, China and the USSR. Communism had also put down roots in the region and Sukarno was seen by the West as a bulwark against its further expansion. In the three decades between the fall of Sukarno and the fall of Suharto the world moved on and some things did change in Indonesia for the better, but at the end of the same period most of Indonesia's old problems persisted and some had worsened. Add to these the age-old phenomena of religious and ethnic regionalism, and you are still left with the fundamental question of whether Indonesia in its present form is governable at all. As BBC South-East Asia correspondent during the period of Sukarno's downfall, Roland Challis was deeply involved in the events he describes, and has become conscious since of how much more there is to say about it all.


Nanotechnology enhancement, thermal engineering and thermal science lead to interest in development of new technology of fluids known as nanofluid. Nanometer particle size is added into base fluids are known as nanofluids material. Nanofluids is a new engineering material which use in many heat transfer application. Nanofluids offer high surface to volume ratio and compactness material compare to conventional fluids. Nanofluid has drawn high attention from researcher since it has superior thermal properties. These superior thermal properties can be used in many industries such as electronic, chemical engineering, microelectronic, transportation, manufacturing and aerospace. In such electronic industries, nanofluids offer better cooling compare to conventional fluids.
Entire analysis is conducted with air condition system which operated with nanofluids as medium for heat transfer. The analysis is conducted under the influences of volume fraction on nanofluids such as Cu-H2O, Al2O3-H2O, Cu-Eg and Al2O3-Eg. Further analysis is conducted under influences of heat exchange parameter with nanofluids present as medium of heat transfer. Analysis is performance for internal side of heat exchanger only.
Thermal physical properties are important parameter for energy saving in nanofluids air condition operated system. Thermal conductivity, density, viscosity and specific heat are main thermal physical properties which play roles in determination of energy uses in air conditioning system. Enhancement of thermal conductivity gives nanofluids, a suitable selection to be used as medium of heat transfer in air conditioning to save energy used during operation.
Method to determine energy saving is calculating increment of energy ratio for air conditioning system with nanofluids and compare to air condition system which operates with base fluids. On top of that, energy saving for nanofluids can be measured by determines pumping power required by air condition with nanofluids application to base fluids application.
Energy saving of air condition operated with nanofluids can be achieved. Selections of nanofluids are important since not entire nanofluids give signification or increment result after implementation. Alumina oxide with water give the highest increment of energy saving and copper with ethylene glycol do not result any positive result. Thermal conductivity is of the important parameter in determination of energy saving for air condition. Particle shape, particle polydisperity and particle agglomeration could be a function in determination of thermal physical of nanofluid. Further study and research is a must to clarify these variables. Anyhow, nanofluids preparation is a major challenge at present and this may limit nanofluids further research and application.


Converting geothermal energy into electricity is a complex process that involves a lot of skills and disciplines, from geology to thermodynamics. Consequently, the optimal operation and maintenance of a power plant require the collection and management of a considerable amount of information. In order to manage the information collected within the power plant, ABB and STEAM developed a solution that performs remote diagnostic and predictive maintenance of any geothermal power plant. This software is a platform able to offer utilities having a wide range of geothermal power plants, an instrument for analyzing the operating conditions that go beyond pure control and automation logic, based on the principles of the Standardization of the measured data and the Formalization of the know-how. "Standardization" means that the database generated in real-time in each system is collected in a storage system (Historian), where similar engineered quantities from different sources have the same symbolic representation (TAG) within a "Library" of "Functional Units" which can describe each major component. Additionally, the behavior of such components is predicted on the basis of mathematical, thermodynamic, statistical, and graphic "rules," combined with trends and algorithms. This method also allows the comparison of similar events that occurred at different times on the same or different plants, providing diagnostic tools and increasing the staff's ability to recognize future warning symptoms. "Formalization" means that every single "rule" is based both on physical laws, as on the construction characteristics and guaranteed performance of each component and, last but not least, on experience. The "knowledge" embedded in the system represents the technical know-how coming from the human factor, historically matured on field during site operation. Formalization


Using Spanish-English bilingual Latino-Americans, this study tested whether priming Latino or American cultural representations facilitated the accessibility of the Spanish meaning or English meaning of Spanish-English homographs. Seventy-four participants were randomly assigned to a Latino prime, American prime, or no prime condition. After being primed, subjects performed an English lexical decision task wherein they indicated whether a letter string formed an English word. Homographs, English controls, and non-words were included in the array. As predicted, there was a significant prime condition by word type interaction, F(2, 70)= 5.48, p= .006, partial eta squared = .136, suggesting that prime condition modulated reaction times to homographs. Planned contrasts showed that participants in the Latino prime condition had slower reaction times to homographs than English controls, F(1, 22)= 4.84, p= .039, partial eta squared = .180, suggesting that the Latino prime facilitated access to homographs' Spanish meaning.


Human L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AT) shows large structural changes of the 300-flap and of helix H9 upon binding of L-arginine and L-ornithine, described as a closed and an open conformation (Humm, A., Fritsche, E., Steinbacher, S., and Huber, R. (1997) EMBO J. 16, 3373-3385). To elucidate the structural basis of these induced-fit movements, the x-ray structures of AT in complex with the amidino acceptor glycine and its analogs gamma-aminobutyric acid and delta-aminovaleric acid, as well as in complex with the amidino donor analogs L-alanine, L-alpha-aminobutyric acid, and L-norvaline, have been solved at 2.6-, 2.5-, 2.37-, 2.3-, 2.5-, and 2.4-A resolutions, respectively. The latter three compounds were found to stabilize the open conformer. The glycine analogs bind in a distinct manner and do not induce the transition to the open state. The complex with glycine revealed a third binding mode, reflecting the rather broad substrate specificity of AT. These findings identified a role for the alpha-amino group of the ligand in stabilizing the open conformer. The kinetic, structural, and thermodynamic properties of the mutants ATDeltaM302 and ATDelta11 (lacks 11 residues of H9) confirmed the key role of Asn300 and suggest that in mammalian amidinotransferases, the role of helix H9 is in accelerating amidino transfer by an induced-fit mechanism. Helix H9 does not add to the stability of the protein.


In this study, we proposed climate use efficiency (CUE), a new index in monitoring grassland ecosystem function, to mitigate the disturbance of climate fluctuation. A comprehensive evaluation index (EI), combining with actual vegetation net primary productivity (NPP), CUE, vegetation coverage, and surface bareness, was constructed for the dynamic remote sensing monitoring of grassland degradation/restoration on a regional scale. By using this index, the grassland degradation/restoration in the Three-River Source Region (TRSR) was quantitatively evaluated during 2001–2016, which has been an important ecological barrier area in China. Results showed the following: During the study period, the grassland of Yellow River source (SRYe) had high vegetation coverage, NPP, CUE, and low bareness, whereas Yangtze River source (SRYa) had low vegetation coverage, NPP, CUE, and high bareness. The vegetation coverage and CUE of the grassland showed upward trends, with annual change rates of 0.75% and 0.45% year −1. The surface bareness and NPP showed downward trends, with annual change rates of −0.37% year−1 and −0.24 g C m−2 yr−2, respectively. Assessment of EI revealed that 67.18% of the grassland of TRSR showed a recovery trend during the study period. The overall restoration of the SRYe was the best, followed by SRYa. However, the status of Lancang River source (SRLa) was poor.


This working paper provides input and a framework for a broader discussion of the identification of user needs that should inform the development of biotechnology statistics and indicators. This document identifies and evaluates the main types of indicators that may be required to inform policy actions. Given the embryonic state of biotechnology, the main focus for policy is on S&T policies where four main types of S&T policies – supporting biotechnology research, diffusing biotechnology knowledge and expertise, commercialising biotechnology research and encouraging the adoption (application and use) of biotechnology – are used as a framework for developing relevant statistics. In addition to more generic S&T polices, the paper explores the development of indicators by major application area – agriculture, health, industrial processing and environmental applications. The paper includes both an evaluation of how existing indicators can be used, and the types of new indicators that ...


OBJECTIVES
To investigate the long-term effects of prenatal treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) with emphasis on behavioural problems and temperament.

DESIGN
A population-based long-term follow-up study of Swedish children at risk for virilising CAH, who had received treatment prenatally with dexamethasone (DEX). The questionnaire-based follow-up was performed when the children had reached school age.

METHODS
Standardised parent-completed questionnaires were used to evaluate adaptive functioning, behavioural/emotional problems and psychopathology, social anxiety and temperament in DEX-exposed school-aged children (n=26) and matched controls (n=35). In addition, the association between parental questionnaires and children's self-ratings was investigated.

RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences between DEX-exposed children and controls in measures of psychopathology, behavioural problems and adaptive functioning. In a questionnaire on temperamental traits, DEX-exposed children were described by their parents as being more sociable than controls (P=0.042). The correlation analysis showed only modest parent-child agreement on social anxiety, i.e. the increased social anxiety in children's self-ratings was not confirmed by their parents.

CONCLUSIONS
DEX-treated children showed good overall adjustment. The parent-child agreement with respect to social anxiety was modest, highlighting the importance of multiple information sources and assessment methods. The clinical significance of the observed difference in sociability cannot be determined within the frameworks of this study. Additional studies of larger cohorts are essential to make more decisive conclusions on the safety of the treatment. Until then, it is important that parents are thoroughly informed about the benefits and potential risks and uncertainties of this controversial treatment.


Good-government reform proposals like those offered by Professors Craig Lerner and Nelson Lund generally confront several difficulties. Details matter, but most reform proposals are understandably sketchy.1 The details ordinarily would be fleshed out as the proposal works its way through the process of enactment, but this process is difficult to navigate. The politics of good-government reforms are messy because they are bound up with ordinary partisan politics, and they are obscure because it is hard to understand why politicians might be interested in (merely) good-government reforms. This brief Essay explores these difficulties as they arise in connection with some of the proposals put forth in the article by Professors Lerner and Lund.2


 This paper reinforces the need for a robust yet simplified MRV framework to make NAMAs work on a large scale providing opportunities to countries and sectors less benefited by the CDM.  The discussion focused on the transport sector – reviewed the trend and expectations of submitted transport NAMAs then examined the performance of transport projects under the Clean Development Mechanism to find lessons that may be applicable in the design of an MRV framework for supported and credited NAMAs that is practical and appropriate to the data requirements of the transport sector.  The author highlights the need for credible data to ensure that transport NAMAs can be implemented in an MRVable manner.


Absorption spectra for C-n clusters (n = 2-8) are calculated using an adiabatic time-dependent density functional formalism within the local density approximation (TDLDA). We compare the calculated spectra with those computed using a simple local density approximation approach. It is readily observed that the TDLDA spectra display a significant blue shift with respect to the Kohn-Sham eigenvalue spectra. The calculated spectra exhibit a variety of features that can be used for comparison against future experimental investigations. We also obtain a significant threshold absorption, which can distinguish different ground states of the carbon clusters.


Regulating blood cholesterol (Chol) levels by pharmacotherapy has successfully improved cardiovascular health. There is growing interest in the role of Chol precursors in the treatment of diseases. One sterol precursor, desmosterol (Des), is a potential pharmacological target for inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. However, elevating levels of the precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) by inhibiting the enzyme 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase is linked to teratogenic outcomes. Thus, altering the sterol profile may either increase risk toward an adverse outcome or confer therapeutic benefit depending on the metabolite affected by the pharmacophore. In order to characterize any unknown activity of drugs on Chol biosynthesis, a chemical library of Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs was screened for the potential to modulate 7-DHC or Des levels in a neural cell line. Over 20% of the collection was shown to impact Chol biosynthesis, including 75 compounds that alter 7-DHC levels and 49 that modulate Des levels. Evidence is provided that three tyrosine kinase inhibitors, imatinib, ponatinib, and masitinib, elevate Des levels as well as other substrates of 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase, the enzyme responsible for converting Des to Chol. Additionally, the mechanism of action for ponatinib and masitinib was explored, demonstrating that protein levels are decreased as a result of treatment with these drugs.


A total of 32 human diphyllobothriasis cases have been reported so far in Korea, excluding 21 egg-positive cases from stool examinations. Authors experienced five more human cases of Diphyllobothrium latum infection, especially infected due to eating raw flesh of redlip mullet, Liza haematocheila. Five cases were neighbors residing in the Puchon area, Kyonggi-do, who ate raw mullets (L. haematocheila) in a party in February 1996. The mullets were purchased at the Noryangjin fisheries market in Seoul. All of cases (2 males and 3 females) were 35 to 43 years old and healthy with the body weight range of 56-62 kg. They complained about gastrointestinal trouble and abdominal discomfort, but were in normal ranges of their hematology and urinalysis data. None revealed any sign of anemia. The patients experienced natural discharge of a chain of segments before, and showed diphyllobothriid eggs in their stool specimens when they visited our laboratory. They were administered with praziquantel (15 mg/kg of body weight) and 30 g of magnesium sulfate as a purgative. Two whole worms with the scolices (310-340 cm in length; 8-13 mm in width) were expelled each from two out of five cases after anthelmintic treatment, and the others expelled the parts of strobilae without scolex. The worms were identified as D. latum, based on the following biological characters: external morphologies, coiling of uterus, the number of uterine loops, position of genital opening, morphologies of cirrus, cirrus sac and seminal vesicle on the histological sections, position of vagina and uterine pore, and microscopical and SEM morphologies of the eggs.


Statistical parametric speech synthesis technologies, such as HMM-based and DNN-based ones, gain special attention from researchers because of their ability in generating speech in various voice qualities and styles. In these methods, all acoustic parameters (except durational ones) are handled in a frame-by-frame manner, which is not appropriate for prosodic features. Although relation of adjacent frames is viewed, it is not enough. Prosodic features are related to words, phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs, and should be viewed in a wider time span. One possible way to handle the features well in speech synthesis process is to model fundamental frequency (F0) movements and to apply its constraints. Among several models of F0 contours, the generation process model of F0 contours is ideal for the purpose, since it can well represent hierarchical structure of prosody as superposition of phrase and accent components keeping a clear relationship with linguistic information. A method is developed which decomposes F0 contours into three layers based on the model, and handles them as different streams in the HMM-based speech synthesis process. Advantage of the method is confirmed through objective and subjective evaluations. Issues of flexible control of prosody are also addressed.


Background Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is an asymptomatic premalignant plasma cell disorder. Prevalence and clinical outcomes of MGUS in kidney transplant (KT) recipients have been previously reported in few studies with conflicting results. Methods We conducted a retrospective study in a population of 548 KT recipients transplanted between 1998 and 2015. Results Thirty-nine (8.1%) subjects developed MGUS after KT. At diagnosis of MGUS, the average age was 52 ± 9.2 years, and 23% of the patients were younger than 50 years. Occurrence of MGUS was not influenced by age and sex. After a mean follow-up of 7.8 years, only 1 (2.5%) patient progressed to multiple myeloma. We found no differences in the incidence of solid and hematological malignancies, serious infections, graft failure, and mortality between KT patients with MGUS and a matched cohort of KT recipients without MGUS. The MGUS group had a significantly higher prevalence of monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis, premalignant condition poorly described in KT recipients. Prior history of glomerulonephritis or interstitial nephritis, as cause of renal failure, represented the only predictive factor for MGUS development. Conclusions MGUS is a premalignant disorder frequently encountered in KT recipients. We found no differences in clinical outcomes between MGUS patients and KT controls.


To explore why bubbles frequently emerge in the experimental asset market model of Smith, Suchanek, and Williams (1988), we vary the fundamental value process (constant or declining) and the cash-to-asset value ratio (constant or increasing). We observe high mispricing in treatments with a declining fundamental value, while overvaluation emerges when coupled with an increasing C/A ratio. A questionnaire reveals that the declining fundamental value process confuses subjects, as they expect the fundamental value to stay constant. Running the experiment with a different context ("stocks of a depletable gold mine" instead of "stocks") significantly reduces mispricing and overvaluation as it reduces confusion. (JEL C91, D14, G11, G12)


Regression models sometimes contain a linear parametric part and a part obtained by reducing the dimension of a larger set of data. This paper considers properties of estimates of the interpretable parameters of the model, in a general setting in which a potentially unbounded set of other variables may be relevant, and where the number of included factors or components representing these variables can also grow without bound as sample size increases. We show that consistent (and asymptotically normal, given further restrictions) estimation of a parameter of interest is possible in this setting. We examine selection of the particular orthogonal directions, using a criterion which takes into account both the magnitude of the eigenvalue and the correlation of the eigenvector with the variable of interest. Simulation experiments show that an implementation of this method may have good finite-sample performance.


Polymer semiconductors have attracted significant attention as fluorescent probes due to their high extinction coefficients, high fluorescence quantum yields, and excellent photostability. However, semiconducting polymers that exhibit emission in near-infrared (NIR) with high quantum yields and narrow bandwidth remain scarce. Furthermore, functionalization and bioconjugation of polymer semiconductors usually rely on physical encapsulation or surface modification. Here, we report an approach that utilizes robust covalent functionalization of semiconducting polymers with multiple components including biomolecules for targeted delivery and a hydrogel while maintaining a degree of independent tuning of the optical properties. The multiblock copolymers consist of an ABA architecture, where the core block consists of a NIR-emitting polymer semiconductor, and the shell block is composed of oligo(ethylene glycol) and folic acid pendant groups to provide water solubility and specificity for cell recognition. The synthesis, photophysics, self-assembly and cell studies of a series of polymer semiconductors as NIR-emitting fluorescent probes and triblock copolymer nanoparticles are presented. We demonstrate that the polymer semiconductors can exhibit emission that spans the NIR spectrum while maintaining a high fluorescent quantum yield and narrow emission. This design of block copolymers results in stable core–shell nanoparticles with the ability to specifically target and label folate-receptor positive cancer cells.


The paper surveys residents' adjustments to their local national parks and explores place-bound structuration theory as a way to explain the results. Such an approach was considered to be necessary because the international literature on local community adjustments to national parks is rather contradictory, with each study seeming to elicit different reactions from local residents. Making inferences from the literature is therefore not without risk. The study aims to assist the making of inferences by examining the placerelated local community processes that come to play when implementing and managing national parks. The study concerns Linnansaari and Seitseminen National Parks in Southern Finland; the former was created in 1950s the latter in the 1980s. Data was collected in 2007 by mailed questionnaires to household located in postal districts adjacent to the national parks. Most residents considered their local national park to have brought benefits to their locality. Nevertheless, a range of attitudes towards park-based development was found ranging from opposition to unconditional acceptance. These attitudes were conditional upon both personal and communal experiences, often consisting of challenges to established local activities (e.g. forestry) or as perceived opportunities for new activities. The time element, essential to the dialectic process of structuration, was only weakly observed. However, a greater opportunity for new (tourist-based) business was perceived by residents adjacent to the older park. A surprisingly slow place-attachment process in both areas was considered to slow the structuration process. Younger residents and residents with shorter domicile in the localities were more likely to accept park-based development than older residents and residents with longer domicile. Farmers and forest owners were more likely to oppose park-based developments. Local authorities, but less so the park authority (Metsähallitus), were considered to have hindered the integration of the parks into their communities by lack of co-operation (negotiation). While the majority of residents perceived many benefits from the national parks, the study indicated that the introduction of space-demanding projects (national parks) that had no previous (local) institutional role has disturbed the lives of local residents. This gains expression by opposition, or reserved attitudes, to the national parks, as well as a limited response to the opportunities created by the parks.


Extensive LDA and quasi-particle calculations have been performed on boron nitride (BN) single-wall and multi-wall nanotubes. Strain energies are found to be smaller for BN nanotubes than for carbon nanotubes of the same radius, owing to a buckling effect which stabilizes the BN tubular structure. For tubes larger than 9.5 Å in diameter, the lowest conduction band is predicted to be free-electron-like with electronic charge density localized inside the tube. For these tubes, this band is at constant energy above the top of the valence band. Consequently, contrarily to carbon nanotubes, single- and multi-wall BN nanotubes are constant-band-gap materials, independent of their radius and helicity. In addition, we expect them to exhibit remarkable properties under n-type doping.


This paper introduces a novel contour-based approach named deep snake for real-time instance segmentation. Unlike some recent methods that directly regress the coordinates of the object boundary points from an image, deep snake uses a neural network to iteratively deform an initial contour to match the object boundary, which implements the classic idea of snake algorithms with a learning-based approach. For structured feature learning on the contour, we propose to use circular convolution in deep snake, which better exploits the cycle-graph structure of a contour compared against generic graph convolution. Based on deep snake, we develop a two-stage pipeline for instance segmentation: initial contour proposal and contour deformation, which can handle errors in object localization. Experiments show that the proposed approach achieves competitive performances on the Cityscapes, KINS, SBD and COCO datasets while being efficient for real-time applications with a speed of 32.3 fps for 512 x 512 images on a 1080Ti GPU. The code is available at https://github.com/zju3dv/snake/.


The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori colonises approximately half of the global population and infectioncan lead to a range of gastric diseases. The temperate bacteriophages in H. pylorihave been poorly characterised, most likely due to a very high number and strain-to-strain variability of restriction modification (RM) systems, which can be easily more than 20 in any strain. This work aims to study the prevalence of bacteriophages and RM systems in over 460 strains of H. pyloriisolated from 184 gastric samples from asymptomatic subjects. H. pyloriprophages were identified using the PHASTER tool. The gold standard RM systems were downloaded from Rebase and the RM genes were identified in the 460 genomes using Blast+. The analysis for phage genomes showed 57 intact bacteriophages, ranging from 12 to 30 Kb in length, in 25 subjects (14 %). Approximately half of the bacteriophages were shown to have integrated in the Lipid A biosynthesis gene lpxD. Using 107 RM system genes, we built a presence/absence matrix of the genes in all our H. pylori genomes, which was ordered according to a maximum likelihood gene presence/absence tree generated by FastTree. This clustering revealed the presence of multiple pairs of strains, one strain carrying an intact prophage whereas the other is lacking a prophage but containing the same RM systems, potentially allowing for a prophage donor and recipient pair. The availability of this panel of donor and recipient strain pairs is an ideal starting point to study the molecular biology of bacteriophages in H. pylori.


In this paper we propose a novel approach for face anti-spoofing called Extended Division Directional Ternary Co-relation Pattern (EDDTCP). The EDDTCP encodes co-relation of ternary edges based on the centre pixel gray values with its immediate directional neighbour and its next immediate average directional neighbour, which is calculated by using the average of cornered neighbours with directional neighbours. The proposed method is robust against presentation attacks by extracting the spatial information in all directions. Three Experiments were performed by using all the four texture descriptors (LBP, LTP, LGS and EDDTCP) and the results are compared. The proposed face anti-spoofing method performs better than LBP, LTP and LGS.


The Government has given Banverket (the Swedish Rail Administration) the task of suggesting a strategic network for combi terminals (using rail and another mode). Banverket has in turn given VTI the task of carrying out model simulations to aid the Combi Terminal Investigation. The investigation has defined strategic networks (Network I, II, III) with four, seven and ten terminals as possible scenarios. In each of the networks the transfer costs in the combi terminals are assumed to decrease by 15 and by 30 percent. We calculate with the help of the Swedish national freight model SAMGODS how modal-split between lorry, wagonload rail and combined transport are affected and how transport volumes differ in the scenarios with adjusted transfer costs. The freight owners, choice of transport solution is assumed to use the minimal generalised costs. We calculate that transport work by combined rail in Sweden increases by 20 to 26 percent with a 30 percent cost decrease is assumed. Redistribution is calculated to mainly shift from wagonload to combined transport. The actual size of the redistribution is however difficult to be sure of due to uncertainties in the input cost data. Road transport is calculated to reduce to a lesser amount. We calculate significant redistribution from road to combined rail when testing a kilometer tax for lorries.


Pectobacterium and Dickeya species, usually referred to as soft rot Enterobacteriaceae, are phytopathogenic genera of bacteria that cause soft rot and blackleg diseases and are responsible for significant yield losses in many crops across the globe. Diagnosis of soft rot disease is difficult through visual disease symptoms. Pathogen detection and identification methods based on cultural and morphological identification are time-consuming and not always reliable. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection method with the species-specific primers is fast and reliable for detecting soft rot pathogens. We have developed a specific and sensitive detection system for some species of soft rot Pectobacteriaceae pathogens in the Pectobacterium and Dickeya genera based on the use of species-specific primers to amplify unique genomic segments. The specificities of primers were verified by PCR analysis of genomic DNA from 14 strains of Pectobacterium, 8 strains of Dickeya, and 6 strains of non-soft rot bacteria. This PCR assay provides a quick, simple, powerful, and reliable method for detection of soft rot bacteria.


Twenty cases of inverted-L and C osteotomies were analyzed retrospectively to evaluate the stability of the surgical results. The incidence and degree of relapse are reported for each procedure. Possible compensatory mechanisms, which may be active in counteracting the skeletal relapse observed, are discussed. Several methods of compensating for the anticipated relapse are described. Since tabulation of the original data, 12 of the 20 patients have been followed up for an additional 6 to 12 months. Seven patients had been treated with the inverted-L osteotomy. In these patients, there was an additional 4% loss of the amount of correction in anterior facial height and 8% loss in posterior facial height. Five patients were in the C osteotomy group. An additional 3% of the initial advancement was lost in this interval. Significant occlusal changes were not observed in any of the cases and the skeletal results were still acceptable.


The graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a class of two-dimensional layered material. The ever-growing research on this fascinating material is due to its unique visible light absorption, surface, electrocatalytic, and other physicochemical properties that can be useful to different energy conversion and storage applications. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting reaction is one of the promising applications of g-C3N4, wherein it acts as a durable catalyst support material. Very recently, the construction of g-C3N4-based binary and ternary heterostructures exhibited superior PEC water splitting performance owing to its reduced reunion of e-/h+ pairs and the fast transfer of charge carriers at the heterostructure interface. This review compiles the recent advances and challenges on g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts for the PEC water splitting reaction. After an overview of the available literature, we presume that g-C3N4-based photocatalysts showed enhanced PEC water splitting performance. Therefore, it is believed that these materials have tremendous opportunities to act as durable catalyst support for energy-related applications. However, researchers also considered several limitations and challenges for using C3N4 as an efficient catalyst support material that must be addressed. This review article provides an overview of the fundamental principles of PEC water splitting, the current PEC water splitting research trends on g-C3N4-based binary and ternary heterostructured electrodes with respect to different electrolytes, and the other key factors influencing their photoelectrochemical performance. Finally, the future research direction with several recommendations to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of these materials is also provided at the end.


Stock price forecasting has been in the center of interest of the stock market analysts and of the research community during the last four decades. A number of important studies have been con-ducted dealing primarily with the forecasting effectiveness of various models and methods; however, short-term stock price forecasting has not been sufficiently analyzed, thus crea-ting a need for comparative studies between discriminant standard and advanced techniques. The objectives and the scope of this paper emanates from the above remarks. An integrated computational forecasting system is developed, encompassing representa-tive techniques (multiple regression, exponential smoothing, neural net-works and Adaptive Network based Fuzzy Inference System -ANFIS), and a practically exhaustive comparative stu-dy of the performance and behavior of these techniques as well as the role of their core parameters in short-term stock price forecasting, is conducted. Interesting conclusions about the fore-casting abilities of the tested methodo-logies are drawn, while the impact of the models' parameters on the methods' behavior and the feasibility for accurate stock price predictions are evaluated.


This paper, published in two parts, is an analysis of the links between the 'agrarian question' in the Ecuadorian Andes and the creation of a network of indigenous-peasant organizations that became the backbone of the national indigenous movement. I explore the relations between agrarian change and social change, drawing on a monographic study carried out in Cotopaxi Province, in the central sierra of Ecuador, from the 1960s to the beginning of the twenty-first century. In the first part, I emphasized how the transformations unleashed by the crisis of the hacienda regime marked a rupture that consolidated the dense organizational scaffolding in the rural milieu. In this second part, I examine how development agencies, especially non-governmental organizations (NGOs), played a fundamental role in strengthening those structures (1980s and 1990s). The history of the Union of Peasant Organizations of Northern Cotopaxi (UNOCANC) is one such example: born from the struggle for haciendas, inputs from the development apparatus enabled the rise of local elites who turned the organization into one of the most militant in the country. In this paper, I draw attention to aspects seldom mentioned in the specialized bibliography, namely a detailed study of how peasant differentiation, the origins of which lay in hacienda hierarchies, and which was upheld in turn by the agrarian distribution, was accelerated by the actions of NGOs, which continued to favour those indigenous peasants with more power and economic resources. Thus, divergences were consolidated and internal fissures opened up in organizations that are at the root of the crisis of representation experienced by ethnic platforms in the Ecuadorian Andes today.


In 2012 to 2014, Agroscope tested 18 diploid and 19 tetraploid varieties of Italian ryegrass at five sites in terms of their suitability for cultivation; four of the diploid and eight of the tetraploid varieties had already been recommended, and were retested. Yield, vigour, juvenile development, competitive ability, persistence, winter-hardiness, resistance to leaf
diseases and bacterial wilt, and digestibility were assessed. In the diploid group, the new cultivars «Rabiosa» and «LI 0615» met the agronomic requirements for recommendation, excelling chiefly owing to their high yields. On the basis of the results, the hitherto-recommended variety «Rangifer» is no longer being recommended, and is being deleted from the List of Recommended Varieties of Forage Plants. In the tetraploid group, «LI 0735»
impressed with its solid scores in all traits, and clearly fulfilled the agronomic
requirements. The previously listed varieties «Ellire», «Zebu», «Alces» and «Gemini» no longer meet the requirements for recommendation, and are being deleted. In order to be recommended, the new cultivars «LI 0615» and «LI 0735» must pass the test for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability of traits in addition to the agronomic test.


The epithermal alteration, affecting the Tertiary pyroclastic rocks of NW Sardinia and forming large kaolin deposits, can be attributed to the action of acid fluids circulating through faults and fractures and crossing a paleo-surface at about 200 m depth, where fluids flowed laterally in the upper part of the groundwater. The NW part of Sardinia, has been cited recently in several works (Gold mines of Sardinia, 1998; Lattanzi, 1999; Simeone & Simmons, 1999) as a suitable environment for the formation of precious metal deposits. The Romana and Tresnuraghes areas, where the largest kaolin deposits of the island outcrop, were investigated using mineralogical and stable isotope studies, for defining the environment of formation and the characteristics of the mineralizing fluids, and aimed at applications in mining exploration. Five different alteration facies were recognized. Silicization (silica veins, silicified rocks, sinter), advanced argillic (kaolinite 1T-1Md + silica minerals + or - alunite) and intermediate argillic (montmorillonite + cristobalite + kaolinite 1 Md) alterations, were recognized in both investigated areas. The argillic (illite + montmorillonite + quartz) and sericitic alterations (illite + quartz + or - potassium feldspar), only occur at Tresnuraghes. The presence of these two alterations, in association with the silicization (sinter), suggests a low-sulfidation type epithermal system for Tresnuraghes. At Romana, the hydrothermal mineral alteration, reflecting the circulation of lower pH fluids than those of Tresnuraghes, probably originated in a high-sulfidation type epithermal system. Studies on hydrothermal mineralogical associations, performed for each alteration facies, suggest: i) a steam-heated environment of formation, ii) temperatures ranging from 100 degrees to 200 degrees C, iii) mineralizing fluids circulating near to the Miocene paleo-surface, and iv) a shallow extension in depth of the alterations, which can be related to the neutralization of fluids by water-rock interaction phenomena. Estimated temperatures and stable isotope data (delta 18 O and delta 2 H) indicate that low temperature meteoric waters, mixed with steam, circulated at shallow depths and formed the kaolin mineralization. The downward decrease in the intensity and rank of alteration suggest that the movement and neutralization of the acid fluids were mainly per descensum. As acid leaching zones capping high-sulfidation and low-sulfidation systems are common in epithermal precious metal deposits around the world (Sillitoe, 1993; Simeone & Simmons, 1999), the presence of the advanced argillic alteration, in both investigated areas, suggests that further research, for recognizing possible precious metal deposits, should be undertaken. The mineralogical and geochemical features of Locchera kaolin quarry (Romana), formed by hotter and more acid fluids than the other deposits, suggest a suitable area for detailed prospecting aimed at precious metal deposits.


Automatic self-talk of elite athletes provides valuable insight into their emotional experience and self-regulation strategies in competition. To date, there is a shortage of research examining elite junior athletes' automatic self-talk in competition through a qualitative lens. Despite parents' key role in the well-being and performance of their child, there is no study about junior elite athletes' and their parents' self-talk during a competition. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the content of elite junior tennis players' automatic self-talk as well as the content of their parents' self-talk regarding their emotions during important matches. In each of the two cases under investigation, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with a tennis player and his or her most dedicated parent. The results were analyzed using Yin's (2014) multiple-case study strategy and Polkinghorne's (1995) narration inquiry strategy. An analysis of automatic self-talk content was conducted individually for each case, followed by an intra-case and cross-case analysis. The results reveal that each player's and parent's automatic self-talk is related to their own subjective emotional experience during the matches. The findings highlight similarities in athletes' and parents' self-talk patterns, reflecting the potential influence of parents in athletes' performance pressure and their goal-directed self-talk strategies. The differences observed between the self-talk of players and their parents demonstrate the relevance of examining their profiles to better understand the origin of individual differences in self-talk.


Using the publicly available Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER (Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) database from 2003 to 2019, we evaluated associations between decedent characteristics and location of death for patients with ovarian malignancy. We found that Black, Native American, Asian American, and Hispanic patients were more likely to die in hospitals than White patients, despite an overall reduction in hospital deaths and an overall increase in hospice facility deaths. Additionally, patients with lesser educational attainment were more likely to die in nursing facilities and less likely to die in hospice facilities. Although there may be some contribution from cultural preferences, these findings may represent disparities in access to palliative care affecting people with cancer from racial and ethnic minoritized groups.


Heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful and powerful non-invasive tool for quantitative assessment of cardiac autonomic function. Recent studies have shown that low heart rate variability is an indication of increased risk for cardiac diseases and sudden cardiac death. Yoga has been associated with improved cardio-respiratory performance. Thirty male regular yoga practitioners doing yoga for more than 3 years, age between 25-45 years (yoga group) and 30 male non-yoga practitioners, age-matched (control group) were included. A computerized Niviqure ECG system with HRV software was used for heart rate variability recording. Our results show that frequency-domain parameters like LF power, LF n.u, and LF/HF ratio were significantly lower in yoga group compared to control group. Time-domain parameters like mean RR, NN50, pNN50 were significantly higher in yoga group compared to control group. We conclude that the yoga increases heart rate variability by optimizing the autonomic functions, which is a good indicator of cardiac autonomic activity during rest.


Organic food can be understood as a platform for long-term sustainable development, as well as a tool to enhance quality of human alimentation and life. School is an ideal environment to learn good dieting habits. Organic food is often a common part of school catering in foreign countries. This issue is currently widely discussed topic in the Czech Republic. Following the end of the Bioschools (BiosIŒkoly) project of the Ministry of Agriculture, no significant increase in the use of organic food in schools has been observed. The question is whether the problem is on the side of the canteens or the parents. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the approach of parents towards organic food in school canteens in primary and nursery schools in Prague, capital city of Czech Republic. The key method used was a questionnaire survey in year 2013 with 1500 questionnaires distributed to the parents. Based on the survey results three hypotheses were laid down and statistically tested. The research was conducted under the CZU PEF IGA 20131014 project.


SUMMARY

Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for the most severe form of human malaria, replicates asexually in erythrocytes. The capacity to express and switch antigenically variant proteins on the surface of the host cell allows the parasite to evade host immune responses and contributes to its success in establishing long lasting and relapsing infections. An insight into the physiology of variant antigens may lead to better control measures against severe disease, ideally aiding in the generation of anti-malaria vaccines. The rif (repetitive interspersed family) gene family constitutes the largest of these variant antigen families and is encoded by more than 150 gene copies per haploid genome. In this thesis, different aspects of RIFIN biology were investigated.
In the first part, I analyzed membrane association and topology of RIFINs using antisera directed against semiconserved regions of these proteins. Sequential extraction of proteins from infected erythrocytes indicated that RIFINs are membrane-spanning and anchored in a fashion similar to the major virulence protein of Plasmodium, PfEMP1. Results from protease protection assays revealed protein anchorage by one transmembrane domain, in contrast to the widely accepted model predicting a two-transmembrane topology. Moreover, with respect to domain exposure there appeared to be two topologically distinct pools of RIFIN proteins.
In view of this variability between RIFIN proteins, I focused on classification and characterization of distinct RIFIN subgroups in the second and third parts of my thesis. Based mainly on the presence or absence of a 25 amino acid peptide, two structurally distinct families were evident. Immunofluorescence analysis of asexual and sexual blood stages showed that members of the larger and more diverse A-type RIFIN family were exported into the host cell and associated with host membranes, while variants of the smaller and more conserved B-type RIFIN subgroup displayed a parasite-restricted pattern. Most probably, this intriguing disparity in sub-compartmentalization reflects differences in protein functions. Importantly, it was demonstrated experimentally for the first time that RIFINs are associated with both the invasive stages and sexual forms of P. falciparum, identifying them as multistage antigens, thereby corroborating their biological significance in the parasite.
Since A-type variants were shown to be differentially regulated throughout development, I investigated the upstream non-coding regions of rif genes thought to encode regulatory motifs. Phylogenetic analysis led to the definition of five major rif gene supgroups, members of which were found to share similar genomic organizations and protein features. Subclassification in such a way has previously allowed a correlation of PfEMP1 subgroups with disease phenotypes, and may now pave the way for a similar assignment of RIFIN subtypes.
In conclusion, RIFINs were identified as a highly diverse family of structurally distinct members, likely to play different roles in malaria disease. The classification of RIFINs into subgroups now provides a solid foundation for gaining a better understanding of the physiological roles inherent to these variant antigens.


Identifying customers who have the intention to build long-term relationships is beneficial for banking and life insurance organisations as it will afford marketers the opportunity to segment customers according to their relationship preferences. This may prevent money and resources being spent with little effect trying to develop a relationship with customers who do not intend to build a long-term relationship with the organisation. However, it is difficult to understand the nature of relationship intention without understanding the constructs used to measure relationship intention, namely involvement, expectations, forgiveness, feedback and fear of relationship loss. The purpose of this study is to determine whether these five relationship intention constructs are applicable to the banking and life insurance industries in Gauteng, South Africa. Data was gathered from 401 banking (n=202) and life insurance (n=199) customers. Findings confirm that the five constructs to measure relationship intention are applicable to the selected services and identified an additional four factors that support some of the five constructs. However, no differences were found between respondents with different relationship lengths and their views pertaining to the identified factors.


This paper analyzes the adoption and impacts of improved maize varieties (IMVs) on food security in Ethiopia. Survey data collected in 2011 from 2455 sample households in 39 districts was used in the analysis. Endogenous switching regression model supported by binary and generalized propensity score matching methods was used to empirically assess the impact of IMV adoption on per-capita food consumption expenditure and perceived household food security status. Results show that education of household head, farm size, social network, and better agro-ecologic potential for maize production are the major determinants of household decisions to adopt IMVs. In addition, the average per-capita food consumption is high for adopters and the impact of IMV adoption on per-capita food consumption is slightly higher for non-adopters had they adopted IMVs. Thus, policies and development strategies encouraging further adoption of IMVs could enhance food security of smallholder farmers in maize-based systems.


The limits for the positioning accuracy of a direct linear drive based on a vacuum air bearing with a voice coil for high precision positioning are investigated using different control techniques.

The original contributions of this research are as follows:
- The slider of a vacuum air bearing linear drive has been positioned in the nanometer range using the special control techniques of Forced Dynamic Control (FDC) and Observer
Based Robust Control (OBRC) for the first time. The results have been compared with those obtained with Sliding Mode Control (SMC) and conventional cascade control. The
Matlab/Simulink simulations show good agreement with the experiments implemented using dSPACE.
- A rotational vibration mode due to the compliance of the air cushion has been discovered.
It has been concluded that it is observable due to the displacement between the position measurement encoder location and the centre of mass of the moving part. The impact of this on the performance of the aforementioned controllers has been investigated by simulation using a specially derived dynamic model and the validity of the results confirmed experimentally. Each controller has been shown to give varying degrees of active damping of the vibration mode and the two robust control techniques, OBRC and SMC, have been shown to achieve the highest positioning accuracy.

At the outset, it was found necessary to mount the vacuum air bearing on a large seismic block to eliminate vibration modes that would impair the positioning accuracy. The aforementioned rotational vibration mode, however, remained. An initial attempt was made to alleviate this
problem by raising the natural frequency of vibration through increasing the prestress pressure differential of the vacuum air bearing and therefore the amount of energy required to cause a given amplitude of vibration of the slider. This, however, was found to excite higher and
audible vibration modes in the aluminium structure of the moving part and therefore abandoned in favour of obtaining active vibration damping from the controllers. In order to achieve this using the FDC method, a modification had to be made in the form of an artificial measurement variable from an observer. The overall accuracy obtained from the robust SMC and OBRC approaches were found to be the best and were improved further by fixing an additional seismic
block to the stator of the voice coil, thereby permitting higher gains in these controllers that would otherwise cause oscillatory instability.

In summary, the research has led to control techniques that can be recommended for motion control systems based on vacuum air bearings whose positioning accuracy has to be in the nanometer range.


We report on strain measurements in Ni-Mn-Ga, Ni-Mn-In, Ni-Mn-Sn and Ni-Mn-Sb polycrystalline alloys as a function of temperature and magnetic field. Experiments are carried out in the austenitic and martensitic phases of the alloys. It is shown that in the cubic phase the magnetostrain is similar for all systems but by contrast very different behaviour is found when a field is applied in the martensitic phase. In the latter case, magnetic shape memory and magnetic superelasticity is obtained for Ni-Mn-Ga and Ni-Mn-In, respectively. The physical reasons for the different behaviour are discussed.


: Active vaccination against HBV-infection results in a very high protection rate. Therefore, all persons at risk should be vaccinated. Acute HBV-infection seems to progress to chronicity in a minority of adults. Unfortunately, treatment of chronic HBV-infection with interferon and Lamivudine is effective only in about 40% of patients, leading to a complete virus elimination. However, relapse-rates are high. Additionally, mutant viruses arise in the case of Lamivudine treatment (YMDD-mutants). Interestingly, Adefovir, a new nucleoside analogue, seems not to induce virus-mutants, at least after a therapy of 48 weeks. HBV-DNA declines rapidly, transaminases normalize in more than 2/3 of the patients, liver histology improves. As mentioned, active vaccination against HBV is very effective in preventing the infection. Unfortunately, this is not the case in HCV-infection. So far, the development of an HCV-vaccine is mainly hampered due to the variability of the HCV (RNA) virus. Untreated, more than 2/3 of the HCV-infected patients with acute HCV-positive hepatitis develop chronicity. Chronic hepatitis C can be treated preferably with a combination therapy (pegylated interferons + Ribavirin). Sustained response rates average 50 per cent (and more). However, treatment of non-responders as well as the treatment of relapsers remain an unresolved problem.


Oral drug delivery system has various drawbacks like poor bioavailability due to hepatic metabolism (first pass) and the tendency to produce rapid blood level spikes (both high and low), leading to a need for high and frequent dosing, which can be both cost prohibitive and inconvenient. In present study transdermal drug delivery of Fentanyl was developed to overcome the first pass metabolism and to reduce frequency of dosing compared to oral route. Matrix type of transdermal patches were developed by using polymers Eudragit-L100, HPMC K4M and HPMC K15M. Transdermal patches were prepared by employing solvent casting method. Propylene glycol and Tween80 were selected as permeation enhancer and plasticizer. Formulations were prepared with the varying concentrations polymers ranging from F1-F6, and all the formulations were evaluated for various physical parameters, invitro drug release studies by using dialysis membrane. Among all the formulations F6 formulation was found to be best and shown 96.97% drug release in 12 hours. For F6 formulation release kinetics was applied and it was observed that the formulation was following peppas mechanism of drug release. Drug excipients compatibility studies were carried out by using FT-IR and it was observed that they were no interactions.


Abstract. We found that ambient and laboratory-generated secondary organic aerosols (SOA) form substantial amounts of OH radicals upon interaction with liquid water, which can be explained by the decomposition of organic hydroperoxides. The molar OH yield from SOA formed by ozonolysis of terpenes (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene) is  ∼  0.1 % upon extraction with pure water and increases to  ∼  1.5 % in the presence of Fe2+ ions due to Fenton-like reactions. Upon extraction of SOA samples from OH photooxidation of isoprene, we also detected OH yields of around  ∼  0.1 %, which increases upon addition of Fe2+. Our findings imply that the chemical reactivity and aging of SOA particles is strongly enhanced upon interaction with water and iron. In cloud droplets under dark conditions, SOA decomposition can compete with the classical H2O2 Fenton reaction as the source of OH radicals. Also in the human respiratory tract, the inhalation and deposition of SOA particles may lead to a substantial release of OH radicals, which may contribute to oxidative stress and play an important role in the adverse health effects of atmospheric aerosols.


Recognition of the importance of forests for local livelihoods, biodiversity and the climate system has spurred a growing interest in understanding the factors that drive forest-cover change. Forest transitions, the change from net deforestation to net reforestation, may follow different pathways depending on a complex interplay of driving forces. However, most studies on forest transitions focus on the national level rather than the local level. Here, case studies from 10 villages in Yunnan, China, are used to clarify the complex interactions among various pathways of forest transitions, derive insights on the underlying drivers that shaped the forest transitions, and determine the importance of changes in drivers over time. The results demonstrate that China's recent forest transition was caused by a range of interrelated pathways that were mediated by local circumstances. The degradation of forest ecosystem services caused by rampant deforestation and forest degradation created a scarcity of forest products and triggered state-initiated afforestation efforts, particularly in the 1990s, which continue to be important. More recently, economic development concomitant with smallholder intensification spurred reforestation, while the importance of state forest policy declined. The complexity of local land-use changes demonstrates the difficulty of identifying distinct transition pathways and calls for a more diverse approach that recognizes the interdependence of local processes.


End of course presentations for INTA 2083 - Meaning of Global Citizenship. Presented on December 4, 2013 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm in A French building room 104.


Using the Seiberg-Witten map, we obtain a quantum electrodynamics on a noncommutative space, which has arbitrary charge and keep the gauge invariance to at the leading order in theta. The one-loop divergence and Compton scattering are reinvestigated. The noncommutative effects are larger than those in ordinary noncommutative quantum electrodynamics.


Examination of all available specimens currently identified as Progamotaenia festiva from macropodid and vombatid marsupials together with comparison with published genetic data has allowed the recognition of seven new species based on morphological differences: P. adspersa sp. nov. from Macropus irma (Jourdan) from Western Australia, P. aemulans sp. nov. from Macropus dorsalis (Gray) from Queensland, P. corniculata sp. nov. from Lagorchestes conspicillatus Gould from Queensland, P. dilatata sp. nov. from Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest) from Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, P. onychogale sp. nov. from Onychogalea unguifera (Gould) from Queensland, P. pulchella sp. nov. from Setonix brachyurus (Quoy & Gaimard) from Western Australia, and P. vombati sp. nov. from Vombatus ursinus (Shaw) from Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital territory. Progamotaenia fellicola (Nybelin, 1917) comb. nov. is resurrected and is reported from Macropus agilis (Gould) from Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia as well as from Papua New Guinea. Within the redefined taxon P. festiva (Rudolphi, 1819), three morphotypes were recognised: the first lacking a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals, found in M. giganteus Shaw (type host), M. rufus (Desmarest), M. robustus Gould and M. dorsalis, the second with a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals, found in M. parryi Bennett and M. robustus and the third, with a space between the testis fields and the osmoregulatory canals but with a greater number of testes per segment, found in M. antilopinus (Gould) and M. robustus. Because the morphotypes are not entirely concordant with the genetic groups identified within P. festiva, all have been retained provisionally within this taxon.


Stephen Ressler, United States Military Academy Colonel Stephen Ressler, P.E. is Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. He earned a B.S. degree from USMA in 1979, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree from Lehigh University in 1989, and a Ph.D. from Lehigh in 1991. An active duty Army officer, he has served in a variety of military engineering assignments around the world. He has been a member of the USMA faculty for 16 years, teaching courses in engineering mechanics, structural engineering, construction, and professional practice.


Koineization – the development of a new, mixed variety following dialect contact – has well-documented outcomes. However, there have been few studies of the phenomenon actually in progress. This article describes the development of a new variety in the English New Town of Milton Keynes, designated in 1967. The article is structured around eight "principles" that relate the process of koineization to its outcomes. Recordings were made of 48 Milton Keynes-born children in three age groups (4, 8, and 12), the principal caregiver of each child, and several elderly locally born residents. Quantitative analysis of ten phonetic variables suggests that substantial but not complete focusing occurs in the child generation. The lack of linguistic continuity in the New Town is demonstrated, and the time scale of koineization there is discussed. Finally, it is shown that demography and the social-network characteristics of individuals are crucial to the outcomes of koineization.


Mental illness affects 25-30% of US adults ages 18 years and older in a given year. Of those individuals, about 41% fail to utilize mental health services. Research indicates that being African American and between the ages of 18 and 29 are associated with decreased rates of service utilization. Yet, less is known about the factors related to mental health service utilization among a specific subset of these groups, namely, African American emerging adults. Using empirically-tested theoretical frameworks as its foundation, this dissertation study aimed to address this gap in literature by examining specific predisposing, enabling, and need factors: e.g., gender, educational attainment, employment, mental health insurance coverage, perceived emotional support, perceived racial discrimination, evaluated need, and perceived need) associated with mental health service utilization by recency of use: e.g., lifetime and past 12 month utilization) and provider types utilized: e.g., mental health versus non-mental health sector) among this group. Secondary analyses was conducted of a nationally representative sample of African American emerging adults: n=806), drawn from the National Survey of American Life. This study found that being female as well as having an evaluated need or a perceived need for services were significantly associated with greater odds of lifetime, past 12 month, and mental health sector providers. This study is a first step in future research to better understanding the factors associated with service utilization among this underserved population.


In the present study some qualitative and quantitative features of the reticular formation of the medulla oblongata, pons and midbrain have been elucidated by cytoarchitectonic methods in the dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The studies have demonstrated that similar to land mammalia, the dolphin has a reticular formation made up of spatially open cell groups lying in the deepest parts of the brain stem. Cytoarchitectonically the component parts of the reticular formation show a number of peculiarities enabling us to distinguish separate nuclei. In the dolphin peculiar architectonics have been observed in the nucleus gigantocellularis medullae oblongatae, nucleus papillioformis or the nucleus reticularis tegmenti Bechterewi and the nucleus centralis superior medialis seu ventralis. Fairly poor in cells are the nucleus centralis caudalis pontis and the nucleus centralis oralis pontis. We failed to single out as autonomous nuclei cell groups corresponding to the nucleus funiculi lateralis and the nucleus paratrochlearis of the land mammalia. The size and density of cells in nuclei have a number of peculiarities. The analysis of the ratios of the brainstem volume to that of reticular structures has shown them to be the smallest in the dolphin as compared with land mammals. The smaller share held by the brain-stem reticular formation and its cytoarchitectonic features can be associated with the functional properties resulting from the greater specialization of some of brain-stem systems (e.g. auditory, vestibular, extrapyramidal etc.) in the dolphin in comparison with land mammals.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Although aortic valve replacement is associated with a major benefit in high-gradient (HG) severe aortic stenosis (AS), the results in low-gradient (LG, mean gradient <40 mm Hg) AS are conflicting. LG severe AS may be subdivided in classical low-flow (left ventricular ejection fraction <50%) and LG (CLF-LG); paradoxical low-flow (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% but stroke volume index <35 mL/m2) and LG; and normal-flow (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% and stroke volume index ≥35 mL/m2) and LG. The primary objective is to determine in the PARTNER 2 trial (The Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) and registry the outcomes after aortic valve replacement of the 4 flow-gradient groups. Methods: A total of 3511 patients from the PARTNER 2 Cohort A randomized trial (n=1910) and SAPIEN 3 registry (n=1601) were included. The flow-gradient pattern was determined at baseline transthoracic echocardiography and classified as follows: (1) HG; (2) CLF-LG; (3) paradoxical low-flow-LG; and (4) normal-flow-LG. The primary end point for this analysis was the composite of (1) death; (2) rehospitalization for heart failure symptoms and valve prosthesis complication; or (3) stroke. Results: The distribution was HG, 2229 patients (63.5%); CLF-LG, 689 patients (19.6%); paradoxical low-flow-LG, 247 patients (7.0%); and normal-flow-LG, 346 patients (9.9%). The 2-year rate of primary end point was higher in CLF-LG (38.8%) versus HG: 31.8% (P=0.002) and normal-flow-LG: 32.1% (P=0.05) but was not statistically different from paradoxical low-flow-LG: 33.6% (P=0.18). There was no significant difference in the 2-year rates of clinical events between transcatheter aortic valve replacement versus surgical aortic valve replacement in the whole cohort and within each flow-gradient group. Conclusions: The LG AS pattern was highly prevalent (36.5%) in the PARTNER 2 trial and registry. CLF-LG was the most common pattern of LG AS and was associated with higher rates of death, rehospitalization, or stroke at 2 years compared with the HG group. Clinical outcomes were as good in the LG AS groups with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction compared with the HG group.


Birds pose a remarkable threat to aviation safety. Since 1960, bird strikes - collisions between birds and aircraft - have caused at least 30 hull losses of commercial aircraft, 19 of them resulting in a total of 194 fatalities. Due to increasing population sizes, especially of large birds and a rise in global air traffic, the danger of bird strike is expected to rise in the future. The risk is largest below 3000 ft and as such in airport environments. Within the airport system, air traffic control has a major role in guiding the air side movements. Therefore, air traffic control is an important partner in the so called airport collaborative decision making process. In negotiations with airlines, airport operations and ground handlers, air traffic control has a significant influence on decisions about handling of congested traffic situations or disruptive events. Supporting air traffic control with a bird strike advisory system might not only improve the traffic guid-ance, but also planning activities of airport management if air traffic control provides the additional information to the other stakeholders. A current DLR project considers the integration of information about short- and long-term predictions for bird activity at and around an airfield to the airport management system. The project's scope lies on evaluating how the additional information is taken into account for the decision-making of the airport stakeholders. For this purpose, workshops in a serious gaming environment and a Human-in-the-Loop simulation environment were performed. This paper describes the chosen approach as well as the obtained results.


This study evaluated unprepared canal areas, volume of dentine removal, and dentine thickness after the progressive enlargement of the buccal canals of 22 maxillary molars, with and without the MB2, using instruments with the same tip size (0.25 mm) but 4 different tapers (0.03, 0.05, 0.06 and 0.08 v). Micro-CT scans were performed after each instrument. Data were compared using a general linear mixed model post hoc comparisons with Kenward-Roger for Wald F tests (α = 5%). After each treatment step, it was observed an increase in the percentage volume of removed dentine and a decrease in the unprepared areas and dentine thickness at the pericervical region of all canals (p < 0.05). The percentage reduction of dentine thickness in MB2 canal was higher than in the mesiobuccal and distobuccal canals (p < 0.05). Knowledge of pre-operative dimensions and dentine thickness before enlargement of buccal canals of maxillary molars is an important factor to avoid excessive dentine removal.


BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) may be beneficial in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). However, the effects of G-CSF on MI are still controversial and the molecular mechanism of G-CSF treatment for repair of the infarcted heart is not fully understood. METHODS Mice were divided into three groups: Control, MI and MI treated with G-CSF. Four weeks after MI, we examined cardiac function by Doppler echocardiography and measured non-infarcted myocardial mRNA expression by northern blot analysis. RESULTS Cardiac function decreased significantly in the MI groups compared with the sham-operated groups. Additionally, the ratios of E wave to A wave peak velocity (E/A) in the MI groups were higher than in the control group. E/A in G-CSF MI mice was significantly lower than in control MI mice (p<0.01). Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) mRNA expression was significantly increased in the MI groups compared with the control group (p<0.01). Furthermore, mRNA expression in the G-CSF MI group was significantly higher than in the Control MI group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS G-CSF can prevent the LV remodeling process after MI that accompanies progressive cardiac dysfunction. One of the mechanisms of G-CSF treatment for cardiac remodeling after MI may be overexpression of MMP-2 in non-infarcted myocardium.


Several experimental studies have demonstrated that certain steroid hormones can induce differentiation of mouse myeloid leukemic cells to macrophages and granulocytes. We have shown that high-dose methylprednisolone treatment (HDMP, 20-30 mg/kg/day) can induce differentiation of leukemic cells to mature granulocytes in children with different morphological subtypes of acute myeloblastic leukemia (FAB AML M1, M2, M3, M4). In addition, apoptosis can also be induced in vivo and in vitro in AML blast by HDMP treatment. Short-course (3 to 5 days) HDMP treatment increases the hematopoietic CD34- positive progenitor cells in both bone marrow and peripheral blood in children with AML. Acceleration of leukocyte and neutrophil recovery has been obtained by the administration of short-course HDMP in chemotherapy-induced neutropenic children with AML. The addition of HDMP to anti leukemic chemotherapy increased the complete remission rate and prolonged the duration of remission in children with AML and significantly improved the outcome of AML children who presented with extramedullary infiltration. We suggest that the possibility of HDMP-induced differentiation and apoptosis should be evaluated in patients with other malignant diseases.


This chapter is about the use of computer simulation as a method of social research: the logic behind the method, the stages that one needs to go through and the pitfalls to be avoided. To start, we need to define some terms. We shall assume that there is some 'real world' phenomenon which you, the researcher, are interested in. This we call the target (Doran and Gilbert 1994; Zeigler 1985). The aim is to create a model of this target that is simpler to study than the target itself. We hope that conclusions drawn about the model will also apply to the target because the two are sufficiently similar. However, since our modelling abilities are limited, the model will always be simpler than the target. For example, we might model the real market for the wholesale supply of fish with a simpler system where both suppliers and purchasers are represented by computer programs standing in for complex and multifaceted businesses and their customers (cf. Weisbuch et al. 1997). In the social sciences, the target is always a dynamic entity, changing over time and reacting to its environment. It has both structure and behaviour. This means that the model must also be dynamic. We can represent the model itself as a specification – a mathematical equation, a logical statement or a computer program – but to learn something from the specification, we need to examine how the behaviour of the model develops over time. One way of doing this is using an analytical method. This entails deriving the model's future structure from the specification by reasoning, perhaps using logic or more often by using mathematics. For example, we might have a model of the relationships between a set of macroeconomic variables and use algebra to derive the outcome if one of those variables changes over