Abstract The global fashion industry produces a huge variety of creative goods to market. The fashion industry profits by developing creative content as in the music, film, video game, and book industries. However, unlike those industries, the fashion industry's principal creative production lies outside the domain of intellectual property law. Fashion has not been historically protected by copyright law due to differences in the legal treatment of the fine arts, like literature, music, and art, which are accorded copyright protection, and crafts, which are generally not accorded such protection. Although fashion is meant to be functional (i.e., it must fit the human body and keep it warm and dry), it is also artistic and creative. Most would agree that fashion is rarely a fine art because it also fulfills a utilitarian function, but this should not necessarily preclude designers from being able to protect their investment in truly innovative designs, as artists and musicians are able to do. The law has traditionally treated each field of IP as an instance of discrete and mutually exclusive protection. Patents protect innovation in terms of functional design, while copyrights protect artistic expression. Finally, trademarks protect goodwill and reputation. These firm divisions between patentable and copyrightable subject matter have left the creative designers of utilitarian objects such as clothing without protection. The growth of the fashion industry has spawned an increased public awareness about fashionable designer products. In light of the popularity of certain designers or specific designs, design piracy has increased exponentially. Design piracy is the copying of a designer's original designs, thereby enjoying the benefit of his/her artistic work at no expense. Copyists can thus free ride on the efforts of designers, thereby discouraging future investments in creative fashion design. Design piracy is not new; however, while it once took several years for a fashion to descend the price line into low-priced production, this progression is now nearly immediate. Technological advances have made it possible for design pirates to obtain another creator's designs and manufacture duplicates overnight. Because of the pervasiveness of design piracy, the practice of copying is now considered commonplace in the fashion industry. Accordingly, the original designers of iconic fashion pieces stand to lose substantial amounts of revenue after expending the capital necessary to create them. This study compares Korea and the United States to understand the implications of Korea's fashion design protections. This paper describes the research on fashion design protection practices in both countries, analyzes the present situation state of fashion design protection in these countries, and compares their legal principles related to fashion design protection. To this end, a literature review is presented that draws on relevant studies and national statistical data on both countries. First, the research on Korea and U.S. fashion design piracy can be summarized as follows. For fashion design in Korea, previous studies focus on the current status of counterfeit fashion goods, intellectual property protection in the fashion market and the protection of applied arts including fashion design. However, these studies have some limitations; many lack specific, concrete discussion on the current status of intellectual property and protection methods, instead providing general, comprehensive discussions. In contrast, studies in the U.S. context focus on the present situation of counterfeit goods in the fashion market, the nature of the fashion market, the essential features of design piracy and the legal protection of fashion design under the Design Piracy Prohibition Act. The breadth of studies on U.S. design piracy studies is much wider compared to those on Korea. In particular, as bills regarding the protection of design under copyright law such as DPPA or IDPPA are submitted to Congress, studies on the protection of design under legal laws are actively conducted. Fashion design protection in Korea versus the United States and the relevant legal principles can be summarized as follows. There are similarities and differences in the protection of fashion design across both countries. First, both countries are similar in terms of fashion design protection under patent law. Both countries provide some protection for fashion design under copyright law. Fashion design still lacks the criteria that have been established for literary works, but criteria are being developed to facilitate the protection of fashion design under copyright law. The most significant difference between the two countries regarding the protection of fashion design lies in the political efforts undertaken to protect fashion design. Unlike Korea, the United States has continued to enforce a separate law for the practical protection of fashion design to address two problems: first, the screening process generally takes a long time, which hinders the protection of fashion, and second, it is difficult to protect the middle area of design rights.


The moisture tension in the soil at any specified time can be expressed as a function of depth. When it is possible to express the moisture content as a function of tension, it is then possible to express moisture content as a function of depth in the soil. The equation relating moisture content and depth is integrated over the depth of the root zone to give the total quantity of water in the soil. The quantity of water in the soil at any time is then subtracted from the amount which can be held without excessive deep percolation occurring. The difference represents the amount of water that can be retained by the soil from an irrigation. This amount should be increased by the runoff, evaporation, and other expected losses, in order to determine the quantity of water that should be applied at an irrigation. Moisture tension has been measured as a function of depth by using both resistance blocks calibrated in terms of tension and tensiometers. The relationship between moisture tension and moisture content has been expressed mathematically and the quantity of irrigation water required has been applied. Good results have been obtained. Indications have been found that the amount of water required at an irrigation may possibly be calculated from climate as indicated by weather records during the irrigation interval. It does not seem likely, however, that the irrigation interval can be established for all crops on all soils in any one area from weather data alone.


Recent theoretical debates highlight the competing risk logics and varying rationalities mobilised in response to dangers and approaches to risk management. Yet the concept of uncertainty, and how it informs perceived risks, is relatively less well understood. Debates of this kind are illuminated in contexts where risks are managed as part of everyday practice. The school setting provides an example of a context in which risks are continuously negotiated amidst dominant protectionist concerns about children's well-being and safety. Such protectionist concerns are particularly pronounced for children with disabilities, as assumptions about limited capabilities complicate and structure the everyday play experiences for children. Drawing on findings from the Sydney Playground Project, in this article we aim to unpack the felt discomfort experienced by school staff in their responses to uncertain moments in children's play. We report qualitative data collected from two schools between October 2014 and September 2015 using video observations of children's play and teachers' responses to an online Tolerance of Risk in Play Scale. Our findings point to the competing logics and forms of sense-making operationalised by teachers to manage the unknown. Our analysis explored the ways in which risk strategies were (re)framed by school staff and such reframing explained their action (or inaction) in the playground and how these were underpinned by concerns about professional accountabilities. Their responses located risks within the child with disabilities, rather than the play activity itself. Another approach to uncertainty can be achieved by mobilising a discourse of trust in which 'letting-go' offers children opportunities to reflexively engage in risk-taking.


The Chicago and L.A. Schools of Urban Studies are often contrasted with one another. At one level, the contrast is obvious: studies of late-20th century Los Angeles are clearly going to produce empirical results and observations that differ from studies of early-20th century Chicago. At another level, the contrast reflects a clash of epistemologies. On the one hand, there is a long tradition of urban studies based on the scientific method, and much of this can be traced back to the Chicago School's pioneering methodological and epistemological explorations. On the other hand, there is a more recent body of research that takes a postmodern approach to knowledge (a type of approach, it can be argued, that continues to underpin the more current cultural turn in geography) first introduced into urban geography by the L.A. School. In this essay, I briefly comment on the empirical differences between L.A. and Chicago research, and show how this leads to the epistemological debate. I then focus my attention on the way in which knowledge is acquired under modern and postmodern stances. I argue that, within the realms of academic research, the "scientific method," although rejected by postmodernists, often underpins the research of those who reject it.


Nearly a decade has passed since the end of the civil-conflict which prevailed for 30-long years in Sri Lanka. Despite the evocative dark patches, tourism industry made a significant contribution to rebuild this nation during this period. However, efforts to answer even the most basic questions including, "How do tourists view Sri Lanka as a tourist destination?", have been noticeably inadequate. This paper thus, aims to explore the pre-visit destination image held by tourists regarding Sri Lanka and the role played by information sources in forming such a pre-visit image. Having conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with overseas tourists, who have not gained any travel exposure in Sri Lanka, the findings, derived from a thematic analysis, suggested that the respondents have a favourable pre-visit image, overall, towards the country. While word-of-mouth has been influential in forming such a favourable image, the government-maintained information sources were viewed in a supportive capacity.


Self-ratings of satisfaction with appearance and accomplishment of psychosocial tasks were examined by age and gender among school aged children with visible defects (cleft lip and/or palate, n = 272), or Invisible defects (cleft palate only, n = 159), and dental patients (n = 128) without clefts. Using weighted least squares ANOVA and logistic regressions, the results revealed that subjects with visible defects expressed greater dissatisfaction with their appearance than those subjects with invisible defects (p < .001). Subjects with Invisible defects consistently expressed lower problem solving ability than subjects with visible defects (p < .001) and dental patients with no defects (p < .05). Both groups with clefts expressed less social independence (p < .001); and subjects with clefts reported having more friends than other children (p < .01). Implications for clinicians and further research are discussed.


Abstract This article reports on Art-at-Work, a twenty-four-hour exhibition that took place on Auckland University of Technology's (AUT) North Shore campus on 17 July 2013. The passing away of progressive educator Elwyn S. Richardson (1925–2012) was the catalyst for this project that emerged simultaneously alongside the Elwyn S. Richardson symposium, Revisiting the early world. Researching the history of progressive education, and its relationship to art, in Aotearoa/New Zealand created an opportunity to enact a relational curatorial approach to art-centred research in education. Artworks, including archival children's works, were installed, others performed, in three re-imagined sites across the campus. The project was informed by an understanding of walking as something to do with knowing as seeing, a seeing that opens up spaces and places, and, with a nod towards Michel Serres' notion of the parasite, the practice of walking is productive in agitating points of rupture. The exhibition's audience-publics were equipped with a 'Site-Map' that invited them to construct a 'walk-talk the landscape' of their own making. It was anticipated that the points of rupture that would emerge would enable imaginings of a different ordering of events to emerge, different to those that are already known and understood as well as to those that might otherwise unfold within a narrow neoliberal narrative. The project overview offered in this article reveals our endeavour to do something different with research in education, with history, to be attentive to art, with art, making art matter, keeping art in touch, with education, in twenty-first century learning teacher education environments.


The dyed cotton textiles called Turkey red are a significant part of Scotland's cultural heritage and the legacy of its textile manufacturing industry, and were known for their exceptional colour and fastness to light and wash fading. This thesis is a multi-disciplinary investigation of the chemistry of these unique textiles in the context of 19th c. Scotland using historical material re-creations and modern analytical chemistry, situating the dyeing process in a historical context. This research is a significant contribution toward the continued preservation of historical Turkey red textiles.
Through a detailed, chemistry-focused examination of Turkey red methods published in English and French between 1785-1911, the key ingredients and steps for the process from a chemical perspective are identified (Chapter 1). The significance, chemistry, and previous research on the role of the oil (Chapter 2) and dye sources used (Chapter 3) are discussed to form the basis of the material re-creations and analysis. The oil is fundamental to and characteristic of the process, which is also noteworthy for being the first to replace a natural dye source (madder or garancine) with a coal-tar derived analogue (synthetic alizarin). Re-creations of dyed Turkey red, Turkey red oil, oiled calico, and synthetic alizarin provide experiential data and reference materials to test analyses prior to application on historical objects (Chapter 4).
The analysis of Turkey red oils by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) (Chapter 5) provides information used to characterise, for the first time, how the oil and cotton fibres bond to form the basis of the Turkey red complex. This is studied using conservation-based diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and solid-state NMR (ssNMR) on replica and 19th c. pieces of Turkey red (Chapter 6). Dyes analysis of these samples by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array (UHPLC-PDA) identifies chromatographic profiles of textiles dyed with natural or synthetic dye based on synthetic chemical markers. The presence of pigments on printed Turkey red is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) (Chapter 7).


The fmr1 "knockout" (KO) mouse is a model for fragile X syndrome, the most common form of heritable mental retardation (Hagerman, 2002). The present study was designed to further assess the validity of this mouse model. Specifically, in light of the prominence of social anxiety in the human FXS phenotype, the present study assessed various aspects of social behavior in fmr1 KO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates. A three-chambered apparatus was used to assess: (1) the preference for being near a novel conspecific vs being alone; and (2) the preference for a novel conspecific vs. a familiar one. In the first phase, experimental subjects were exposed to a restrained unfamiliar male mouse in one of the side compartments. Subsequently, in the second phase, a second unfamiliar male mouse was restrained in the opposite compartment. In both phases, square crossings, the time spent in each area, sniffing each restraining cage, rearing, grooming and wall climbing were measured. The results revealed that both the KO and WT mice preferred to be near a novel conspecific rather than to be alone; the magnitude of this effect was comparable in the two genotypes. Preference for a novel conspecific over a familiar conspecific was also seen in both groups, but only when the stimulus mouse was a preferred animal. When a non-preferred stimulus mouse was the novel animal, both groups showed a diminished novelty preference, but the magnitude of this effect varied by genotype. Under this condition, the WT mice showed a more pronounced negative reaction to the non-preferred mouse than did the KO mice. In addition, two other genotypic differences indicated that the KO mice may have been more anxious than controls in these social encounters: (1) a greater proportion of the KO mice had high total grooming times; and (2) the average duration of nose contact with the stimulus mouse was significantly shorter for the KO mice than for controls. These results provide further support for the validity of this mouse model, although future studies are needed to more fully characterize the social behavior alterations in the fmr1 KO mouse.


The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, it is intended to provide some preliminary results of a character recognition scheme which has foundations in on-going neural network architecture modeling, and secondly, to apply some of the neural network results in a real application area where thirty years of effort has had little effect on providing the machine an ability to recognize distorted objects within the same object class. It is the author's belief that the time is ripe to start applying in ernest the results of over twenty years of effort in neural modeling to some of the more difficult problems which seem so hard to solve by conventional means. The character recognition scheme proposed utilizes a preprocessing stage which performs a 2-dimensional Walsh transform of an input cartesian image field, then sequency filters this spectrum into three feature bands. Various features are then extracted and organized into three sets of feature vectors. These vector patterns that are stored and recalled associatively. Two possible associative neural memory models are proposed for further investigation. The first being an outer-product linear matrix associative memory with a threshold function controlling the strength of the output pattern (similar to Kohonen's crosscorrelation approach [1]). The second approach is based upon a modified version of Grossberg's neural architecture [2] which provides better self-organizing properties due to its adaptive nature. Preliminary results of the sequency filtering and feature extraction preprocessing stage and discussion about the use of the proposed neural architectures is included.


AI has demonstrated the ability to positively impact patient care across many broad areas of paediatrics, including imaging interpretation, diagnostics, disease prediction, and treatment decisions.

While there has been considerable research into applying AI-methodologies in paediatric settings, this has not yet translated to widespread use of AI in clinical practice.

The integration of AI into clinical practice is dependent on further development of such technologies and research into their ultimate effects on patient outcomes.


The significance of calculating and measuring dielectric constant is important for all the fields of study and research from biological science to electronics and telecommunication. It gives a better characterization of the material and helps to design the accurate system, and aside these two functions, it has numerous uses. Owing to its huge expediency, various measurement methods of dielectric constant of materials have been developed by scientists and engineers over the years. Each method has its limitations which affect the accuracy of the measurement; these limitations range from frequency, temperature, measurement environment to material under test.In this research work, we measured the resonant frequency of the ring resonator using different materials and then we measured the dielectric constant of different materials by using that resonant frequency. We discussed different common methods of measuring dielectric constant and the most accurate one, the resonant method, was chosen and driven upon .The project was done by making a mathematical analysis for the geometry of the ring resonator, wrote MATLAB script for the measurement of the resonant frequency, later designed and simulated in HFSS to obtain results which would be comparable to ones obtained in laboratory measurements.The ring was fabricated and taken to the laboratory for measurement of the resonant frequency for measuring dielectric constant of different materials; two monopole antennae were connected to the two ports of a vector network analyzer with one antenna serving as the transmitter and the other serving as the receiver. When we used the MUT in the gap of the ring resonator we saw frequency shift in the resonant frequency and we noted that resonant frequency.The resonant frequencies obtained were compared with the geometric parameters of the ring resonator and that of the MUT in an equation written into MATLAB script; this equation was used to extract the dielectric constant of the MUT and then we calculated the dielectric constant by using the resonant frequency of the MUT.


The paper describes the first experience with the set up, functioning and data evaluation of the remote experiment "Energy transformation" accessible via Internet (http://remotelab10.truni.sk) as a part of the e-laboratory at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Trnava University in Trnava, Slovakia. The remote experiment control and data acquisition is based on the system ISES (Internet School Experimental System) and its control program and www page are built using the environment Easy Remote ISES. The main goal of the experiment is the elucidation of the energy transformations of three types of well known energy sources – photovoltaic cell (solar energy to electrical energy), electrolyser (electrical to chemical energy of hydrogen) and fuel cell (chemical energy of hydrogen to electrical energy) and finding optimal regimes for their maximum efficiencies. The perspective of the improvement of the experiment and its exploitation is given


ABSTRACT Five new species of Urophyllum Wall. endemic to Cambodia and Viêtnam are herein described and illustrated, and U. annamense (Pierre ex Pit.) Yooprasert, Culham & Utteridge, stat. nov. is raised to species status. The new species are unique due to the morphological combination of indumentum, secondary venation, stipule shape and inflorescence structure as follows: U. bidoupense Yooprasert, Culham & Utteridge, sp. nov.: plant almost glabrous, secondary veins weakly brochidodromous, stipule glabrous, oblong-lanceolate; U. chinense subsp. latistipulum Yooprasert, Culham, Yahara & Utteridge, subsp. nov.: similar appearance to the U. bidoupense but differs with stipule ovate to elliptic, hairy along the midline; U. brochidodromum Yooprasert, Culham & Utteridge, sp. nov.: stem and branches hairy, adaxial leaf surface hairy on midrib and secondary veins, secondary veins conspicuously brochidodromous, stipule hairy, lanceolate; U. pulchristipulum Yooprasert, Culham & Utteridge, sp. nov.: plant glabrous, secondary veins festooned brochidodromous, stipule glabrous and subcordate, inflorescence sessile; U. pseudoschmidtii Yooprasert, Culham, Yahara, Tagane & Utteridge, sp. nov.: stem and branches hairy to subglabrous, secondary veins festooned brochidodromous, stipule sparsely to densely hairy, linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, pistillate flower with no staminodes. An identification key to Urophyllum species of Cambodia, Laos and Viêtnam is provided. Point occurrence maps are presented for each species, as well as provisional conservation assessments based on IUCN guidelines.


This article examines the role of strategic appropriation of public urban space for Vietnamese lesbian (les) community formation in contemporary Saigon. Through twenty-one months of ethnographic research of les events that are "hidden in plain sight," contingent invisibility is theorized as a threefold process of appropriation for les community formation and individual maneuvering around social stigma. By contingent, this article refers to invisibility that is "dependent" on a postsocialist state policing of urban space and "strategic" for les who gatekeep events. Contingent is also used as a double entendre—through familiarity and use of les spaces, a contingent becomes a "community." Contingencies of invisibility for les are demonstrated through ethnographic analysis of open-air sidewalk cafés in which les congregate, rented space for a les event, and a les-only café in Vietnam's largest metropolis. Queer invisibility is theorized as contingent and intentional, rather than a symptom of social marginalization.


Predation experiments have shown that the large eyespots (concentric rings of contrasting colors) found on the wings of several lepidopteran species intimidate passerine predators. According to the eye mimicry hypotheses, the intimidation is caused by predators associating the eyespots with the presence (of the eyes) of their own enemy. The conspicuousness hypothesis suggests, instead, that it is simply the conspicuousness of eyespot patterns that is intimidating, possibly due to a sensory bias. We studied how the number of eyespots, 2 or 4, influences intimidation. We predicted that if eye mimicry is important, the maximum response would be reached with a pair of eyespots. On the other hand, if conspicuousness is important, then more than 2 eyespots should result in an even stronger response. The peacock butterfly, Inachis io, has 4 large eyespots on its wings. We presented naive insectivorous birds (pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca) 2 different prey items made from wings of dead peacock butterflies and a mealworm between the wings. One group of birds received prey that had no or only 2 eyespots visible and the other group received prey that had no or all 4 eyespots visible. Eyespots clearly increased hesitation before attacks. Because the birds were naive, this difference in response to the eyespots was innate. Importantly, there was no difference in attack latency between 2 and 4 eyespots. We conclude that it is unlikely that conspicuousness as such has selected for eyespots in the peacock butterfly. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.


In the years 1943–1945 a thorough investigation of the crimes committed by the Germans during their occupation of the Soviet areas was conducted within the framework of the Extraordinary State Commission on Reporting and Investigating the Atrocities of the German Fascist Occupants and their Henchmen and the Damages inflicted by them to Citizens, Kolkhozes, Public Organizations, State Enterprises (henceforth ESC, or the Commission). The Commission collected a considerable number of findings demonstrating that the Germans perpetrated atrocities against civilian population and caused tremendous damage to the economy in the occupied areas of the Soviet Union. Numerous findings pertaining to the Holocaust of the Soviet Jews were also gleaned. The Commission represented only the tip of the iceberg in the ramified network of Soviet investigation activities. Many Soviet agencies and individuals got involved in this work. However, only a tiny part of the ESC findings were made public in the Soviet Union. For the most part, they were kept in the Soviet archives, inaccessible to independent scholars. Soviet authorities sanctioned to use these sources very rarely throughout the postwar history, when they transferred to the West some material collected by the ESC in order to support accusations against former Nazis pending in Western courts. As the Commission's files were made accessible after the collapse of the Soviet Union some studies based on the ESC findings emerged. However, the way the Commission functioned and the impact of this process on documenting the Holocaust drew only scarce attention from scholars. The present article seeks to explore the process of the Soviet on-the-spot investigations of German crimes with a focus on the Holocaust. Then, an attempt is made to examine the way the Commission's on-the-spot findings were processed and how this process reflected the genocide of the Soviet Jewish population, most specifically with the respect to the dimensions of the Holocaust. Apart from presenting the general picture, the analysis of the aforementioned process of "data processing" in the ESC zeros in on the district of Kiev.


The paper is focused on the assessment of the ride comfort of that farm tractors. The problem of assessing the ride comfort is crucial due to the fact that operators spend part of their own lives on board of such machines, exposed to whole body vibrations potentially harmful for their health.The paper deals with the experimental measurement of the relevant vibration occurring at the tractor body, at the cabin and at the seat. The focus is on which accelerations are actually relevant and have to be taken into account.A number of farm tractors have been instrumented and run under monitored conditions. The test track was equipped with a number of cleats able to force at resonance the cabin and the seat. The six motions of the tractor body and the six motions of the cabin were measured. The motion of the seat was measured. The signals have been processed in the time domain.Some interesting occurrence have been highlighted referring to the amplification that a badly regulated seat can provide under certain circumstances.The comfort index was computed according with ISO 2631 and other standards. The acceleration of the seated subject was described at different positions on the body. It turned out that the acceleration of the head was particularly relevant for establishing a comparison among different tractors.Synthetic indices have been derived from the measured data able to correlate the subjective drivers' feeling with the measured level of vibration.The conclusion is that for a proper comparison of the ride performance of different farm tractors a huge number of measurements are needed. There is no possibility to record only the vertical accelerations to assess the ride comfort of farm tractors.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


The tibial nerve is one of the two terminal branches of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the human body. The tibial nerve originates from the L4-S3 spinal nerve roots and provides motor and sensory innervation to most of the posterior leg and foot. In addition to its motor branches, the branches of the tibial nerve include the medial sural cutaneous nerve, medial calcaneal nerve, and the medial and lateral plantar nerves.


The purpose of this project is to design and develop a pattern recognition system with using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) that can recognize the type of image based on the features extracted from the choose image. Also I am comparing any two methods of neural network. This system which can fully recognizing the types of the data had been add in the data storage or called as training data. The Graphic User Interface in Neural Network toolbox is used. This is the alternative way to change the common usage of the MATLAB which are use the command insert at command window. From this kind of system, we just need to insert the features data or training data. The recognition done after we insert the test data. The system will recognize whether the output is match with the training data. Then output will produce a kind of graph that describes the feature of the data which is same as the training data.


The correlation among heat input (HI), microstructure and properties in heat affected zone of ASTM A572 GR.65 steel (GR.65 steel) was investigated using optical microscopy (OM), Vickers hardness tester and Charpy-V-Notch (CVN) testing. The result shows that due to the restriction by the Nb(CN) precipitates, the grain size in coarse grain heat affected zone (CGHAZ) at a heat input of 10 kJ/cm is 75 µm, which is half as that at the heat input of 40 kJ/cm. It is indicated that weld preheating is beneficial to the toughness in CGHAZ at low heat input of 10 kJ/cm, while it appears the opposite effect at high heat input of 40 kJ/cm. The heat input has a great influence on dissolution of precipitated particles and the austenite grain size, which contributes a lot to the microstructure and properties of GR.65 steel.


Since the year of 2000 it has been legal for companies in Sweden to repurchases their own stocks. The purpose of this study is to examine if it has been possible to make a positive abnormal return in Stockholmsborsen by buying stocks in companies that has announced a buyback program. Our study includes 59 companies that have accomplished a buyback program throw the years of 2000 to 2006. To calculate the abnormal return we use the BHAR method with Affarsvarldens generalindex and branchindex as benchmarks. The result shows a significant positive abnormal return of 23,56 percent the first 12 month after the announcement with Affarsvarldens generalindex as benchmark. When the branchindex is used as benchmark the result shows a positive abnormal return of 10,96 percent under the first 12 month. Furthermore we consider that our result support the Underreactionhypothesis because the positive abnormal return has a tendency to grow exponential.


Effective communication between healthcare provider and patient is crucial, yet research indicates that this communication relationship is often unsatisfactory in both developed and developing countries. Several studies exist on provider-patient communication, but a synthesis of findings on ideal communication appears to be lacking. Thus, this study argues that health literacy and effective communication are important catalysts to enhance the coordinated management of meaning in health communication. For this study, in-depth interviews were conducted in the Mafikeng community in South Africa's North-West province to collate a variety of patients' perspectives on the challenges they face when communicating with doctors. Recurrent among the findings were semantic, psychological, physiological, institutional and structural barriers that could hinder effective communication. Practical implications are that all stakeholders should be proactive in promoting effective health communication. Theoretical implications have a bearing on policy formulation, implementation and revision, particularly the indigenous language policy to promote research on the development of medical terminology in indigenous languages.


Until the wave of political violence in 2018, the Nicaraguan model for community-based policing (COP) was viewed by many as the means by which the country had avoided the crime and insecurity reported elsewhere in Central America. Paralleling these positive claims, the Nicaraguan National Police have emphasized particular characteristics of the COP model as the basis of this success. The Nicaraguan COP model is founded on three ethical pillars i.e. that it is communitarian, proactive and preventative. In this article, we detail the development of the Nicaraguan community-policing model and evaluate its historical and persisting significance as the guarantor of law and order through a critical evaluation of these claims and characteristics. The article demonstrates the abiding significance of the Nicaraguan COP model, and the distinctive nature of its operation. In contrast to prevailing regional trends there is much to learn from policing that emphasizes dialogue with the community over a reliance on technological or strong-arm solutions. However, the article also observes severe challenges regarding its current capacities and its erosion as a result of the pressures of presidential authoritarianism, political corruption and securitization . This erosion of the COP model has negatively affected the conditions of human security in Nicaragua and is a significant factor explaining the character of recent violence.


Ways in that to identify 'alternative assessment procedures that mirror actual performance are explored. The paper focuses on how high schools in three Texas school districts adopted alternative assessment methods and the variables which led to the actual implementation of these procedures by the classroom teachers. The information is intended to provide useful data to school officials interested in initial implementation of alternative assessment in their districts or in making this implementation process more efficient. It is revealed that alternative forms of assessment have shown promise as educational reform but that this reform is seldom utilized throughout a school district. The questions center on teacher and administrator variables, such as knowledge, training, and attitudes; and demographic variables, such as teacher subject area, teacher experience, and size of the school district. It was found that the most important variable leading to the implementation of alternative assessment procedures is each teacher's knowledge level. Teachers who were most likely to use such procedures were those who had a clear understanding of the theory behind alternative assessment, with a firm command of the methodology necessary to implement the procedures in the classroom. It is recommended that alternative assessment theory and practice should be encouraged or made mandatory in all teacher education programs and should be included as a part of state teacher certification. The teacher and administrator interviews are appended. (RJM) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************************


In studies by continuous flow electrophoresis the coumarin anticoagulant drug warfarin sodium was found to be bound solely to the albumin fraction of the plasma proteins. The interaction was studied in detail by equilibrium dialysis of solutions of crystalline human plasma albumin and warfarin sodium. Analysis of the data showed that albumin possesses a single strong binding site for warfarin with an association constant of 154,000 at 30 C and secondary classes of several sites with a much lower affinity. The free energy of binding for the first anion determined at 3° and 370 C was -6.54 and -7.01 kcal per mole, respectively. The standard enthalpy change for the interaction was -3.48 kcal per mole, and the entropy change was +11.2 U. The negative enthalpy change was surprisingly large and the positive entropy change small for an anion-albumin interaction, suggesting significant nonionic binding. The inability to saturate the albumin binding sites, even when high concentrations of warfarin were used, is consistent with a reversible configurational alteration of the albumin molecule during the binding process. The thermodynamic data indicate that the albumin binding sites for warfarin sodium are formed during the process of binding, rather than being preformed as in antigen-antibody reactions. The strength of the binding process suggests that many of the pharmacodynamic characteristics of warfarin sodium in man are determined by its strong interaction with plasma albumin. Such correlations of the physicochemical interactions and biologic effects of the coumarin anticoagulant drugs should lead to a better understanding of their mechanisms of action.


Rationale: Aberrant pancreatic tissue in the gastrointestinal tract is a relatively common finding. However, malignant transformation is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of ectopic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the stomach wall. Patient concerns: A 38 year old male presented with nausea, bloating, abdominal distention and weight loss for 4 months. Diagnoses: Endoscopy of upper gastrointestinal tract was performed twice with 2 months interval and a stenotic pyloric part was observed with a suspected submucosal lesion. It was sampled both times, however the pathology findings of the mucosal biopsies were unremarkable with no identifiable neoplastic structures. CT scan and MRI was performed and showed a thickened pyloric wall with a submucosal lesion 15 × 15 mm in diameter. Blood levels of tumor markers carcinoembrionic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 were within a normal range. Interventions: Pyloric stenosis progressed and the patient underwent a Billroth type I distal gastric resection with D2 lymphadenectomy. Pathologic examination revealed a well differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma arising in the heterotopic pancreatic tissue (Heinrich type III). The resection margins and lymph nodes were free of tumor. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with 6 courses of XELOX. Outcomes: No disease recurrence is reported in 12 months follow-up. Lessons: Aberrant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the stomach is a rare finding, however this pathology should be included in the differential diagnosis of gastric submucosal lesion causing pyloric stenosis.


Organic nanotubes with controlled dimensions were prepared from photo-cross-linkable core–shell bottlebrush copolymer precursors composed of an inner degradable polylactide block and an outer block containing photoactive coumarin functionalities. Bottlebrush copolymer precursors with diblock copolymer branches were synthesized by a grafting-from method using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) to prepare a well-defined backbone first, followed by ring-opening and RAFT polymerizations to install side chains. Shell-cross-linked bottlebrush nanostructures were prepared by UV irradiation at 365 nm, which promoted [2 + 2] cyclodimerization of the peripheral coumarin functionalities. Subsequent degradation of the polylactide core provided hollow cylindrical nanoparticles held together by dimerized coumarin units in the shell layer. The length and the inner diameter of the nanotubes were consistent with the structural dimensions of the bottlebrush copolymer precursors.


The purpose of this article is to examine the statistical characteristics of binary sequences with the aim of uncovering the implicit cues that people use when making forecasts of what comes next. Information theory was used to quantify these statistical characteristics. In 2 experiments people were presented with 100 intact sequences of 20 Xs and Os and simply asked to forecast whether the 21st event in each sequence will be an X or an O. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds associated with these forecasts under different experimental manipulations. In a third experiment people judged the forecastability of sequences in a paired-comparison task. The results from the first 2 experiments showed that third-order redundancy (i.e., information provided by knowledge of the preceding pairs of events) was the most salient cue influencing forecasts. Experiment 3 showed that judgments of forecastability were based on this cue as well. When examining intact sequences with the goal of forecasting what comes next, people are more sensitive to higher-order transitional probabilities than has been previously suggested. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).


Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyze the mechanical properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) parts manufactured through fused filament fabrication and compare these results to analogous ones obtained on polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA–wood specimens to contribute for a wider understanding of the different materials used for additive manufacturing. AQ: 4 Design/methodology/approach – With that aim, an experimental based on an L27 Taguchi array was used to combine the specific parameters taken into account in the study, namely, layer height, nozzle diameter, infill density, orientation and printing velocity. All samples were subjected to a four-point bending test performed according to the ASTM D6272 standard. Findings – Young's modulus, elastic limit, maximum stress and maximum deformation of every sample were computed and subjected to an ANOVA. AQ: 5 Results prove that layer height and nozzle diameter are the most significant factors that affect the mechanical resistance in pieces generated through additive manufacturing and subjected to bending loads, regardless of the material. Practical implications – The best results were obtained by combining a layer height of 0.1 mm and a nozzle diameter of 0.6mm. The comparison of materials evidenced that PLA and its composite version reinforced with wood particles present more rigidity than ABS, whereas the latter can experience further deflection before break. Originality/value – This study is of interest for manufacturers that want to decide which is the best material to be applied for their application, as it derives in a practical technical recommendation of the best parameters that should be selected to treat the material during the fused filament fabrication process.


THE INFLUENCE OF GRAIN REFINER ON DENDRITE ARM SPACING OF ALUMINUM ALLOY ADC 12 . ADC 12 is the common used materials for die casting process in producing automotive components. Grain refiner was added to aluminum ADC 12 to increase mechanical properties by decreasing grain size and improving fine distribution of gas porosity. Grain refiner also give positive effect in aluminum fluidity, where the proper addition of grain refiner will increase the fluidity. The purpose of present research is determining correlation between grain refiner addition and dendrite arm spacing, which also indirectly related to the grain size. 100% scrap of aluminum ADC12 and Al5Ti1B grain refiner were used as raw materials. Melting process has been done in a 1400 gr crucible with cokes and oxygen as the fuming energy. Argon was introduced into crucible at least in 1 minute for degassing. After degassing process accomplished, 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 % grain refiner Al5TiB, which have been choosen as experimental variable, were charged into crucible. Vacuum suction machine has been utilized to measure the aluminum fluidity at 680 0 C, the common ADC 12 pouring temperature. Samples for microstructural analysis were tooken at the tip of specimen from vacuum suction test. Measurement of dendrite arm spacing (DAS) was conducted by SIGMA SCAN Pro.5 Software. The result indicated that at 680 0 C, the addition up to 0.15% Al5Ti1B grain refinement reduced 50% dendrite arm spacing from 8.8 im (without grain refiner) to 4.5 im. Over 0.15% Al5Ti1B, the refinement stopped and DAS increased caused by the complex intermetallic phase (Ti-Al, Ti-B) has nucleated from the excess grain refiner.


Public concern about food safety in Europe has grown in response to the BSE scandal and problems with Salmonella and Campylobacter, etc. Such health and safety considerations are among the most important incentives for buying organic food, and have helped to promote rapid growth in the organic sector.

Against this background the present article reviews food safety from an organic perspective. To our knowledge this has not been done previously. A novel definition is introduced which incorporates safety aspects of both the product and the agri-food-system. A Driving force-State-Impact-Response (DSIR) framework, that incorporates recent findings relating to organic products, is employed to analyse processes that control the safety of food. The safety of the agri-food-system is still poorly understood, but an introduction to the concept is given because of its relevance in an holistic organic setting.

It is generally felt that safety is greater with organic than with conventional foods, mainly because of the precautionary principle followed in the formulation of organic regulations and in the assessment of food safety. High standards of product safety in organic foods are promoted by a) lower nitrogen applications (which reduce nitrate concentrations), b) the ban on pesticides (which results in almost no pesticide residues), and c) the ban on prophylactics and the requirement for double retention times in animal production systems (to ensure low concentrations of medicine residues). These effects may minimise the incidence of cancer and the transfer of resistance genes from animal production systems to human pathogens.

Examples of reduced product safety in organic products can also be found, for example: a) mycotoxins in organic cereals exposed to inappropriate storage conditions, and b) Salmonella and Campylobacter infections caused by the extended exposure of animals to out-door conditions. It is however possible to reduce these risks. In particular, regulation of the processing of organic foods results in higher product safety due to a limit of no more than 5% non-organic components, and the ban on irradiation, colouring agents, sweeteners, synthetic additives, flavouring, GMOs and trans fatty acids. There seems to be a trend towards higher agri-food-system safety in organic compared to conventional farming systems due to a) the provision of more information through the labelling of organic food, and b) lower impacts on the environment.


This paper uses graduate survey data and econometric methods to estimate the incidence and wage/job satisfaction effects of over-education and overskilling among immigrants graduating from EU 15 based universities in 2005. Female immigrants with shorter durations of domicile were found to have a higher likelihood of overskilling. Newly arrived immigrants incurred wage penalties' which were exacerbated by additional penalties resulting from overskilling in the male labour market and overeducation in the female labour market. Established immigrants were found to enjoy a wage premia, particularly within the male labour market, with no evidence of disproportionate wage impacts arising as a consequence of mismatch. Female immigrants were generally found to have a significantly lower probability of being job satisfied relative to native female graduates.


Advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) were developed to reduce the number of car accidents by issuing driver alert or controlling the vehicle. In this paper, we tested the robustness of Mobileye, a popular external ADAS. We injected spoofed traffic signs into Mobileye to assess the influence of environmental changes (e.g., changes in color, shape, projection speed, diameter and ambient light) on the outcome of an attack. To conduct this experiment in a realistic scenario, we used a drone to carry a portable projector which projected the spoofed traffic sign on a driving car. Our experiments show that it is possible to fool Mobileye so that it interprets the drone carried spoofed traffic sign as a real traffic sign.


Although parental care occurs in most phyla encompassing a wide array of forms, little is known about its evolution in invertebrates. Two types of egg capsules have been known among ovoviviparous New Zealand hydrobiid gastropods, elastic capsules and simple membranes. Based on a phylogenetic analysis using two mtDNA sequence fragments, I asked whether the second state was derived from the first or whether brooding had multiple origins. The evolution of ovoviviparity was also investigated in the context of habitat transition between brackish and freshwater. Maximum parsimony and Markov chain models of character state transformations in a maximum likelihood framework suggested that hydrobiids have invaded freshwater three times independently. Two of these invasions were followed by the evolution of ovoviviparity, probably in adaptation to changing water levels during periods of irregular precipitation. The syntopy of two congeneric species, one oviparous and the other one brooding, indicated that the transition between reproductive modes must have occurred rapidly.


The electron spin relaxation process in n-type GaAs crystals driven by a fluctuating electric field is investigated. Two different sources of fluctuations are considered: (i) a symmetric dichotomous noise and (ii) a Gaussian correlated noise. Monte Carlo numerical simulations show, in both cases, an enhancement of the spin relaxation time by increasing the amplitude of the external noise. Moreover, we find that the electron spin lifetime vs. the noise correlation time: (i) increases up to a plateau in the case of dichotomous random fluctuations, and (ii) shows a nonmonotonic behaviour with a maximum in the case of bulks subjected to a Gaussian correlated noise.


The objective of this work was to review the entire literature on pancreatic surgery in order to best define the surgical indications and the specifics of their management. The bibliographic research was done on Pubmed over the period from January 1995 to June 2015, using French and English as the languages of publication. The two main indications discussed here are the management of cancer and chronic pancreatitis. Surgery in the cirrhotic patient exposes the patient to a higher risk of complications than in the non-cirrhotic patient. Child-Pugh and MELD scores should be used to assess risk and guide operative decision. Child-Pugh classes B and a MELD score value greater than 15 are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. However, if suitable selection is made of cirrhotic patients who are candidates for pancreatic surgery, long-term survival seems to be equivalent to the non-cirrhotic group. No risk factors for long-term survival have been reported. In conclusion, cirrhotic patients, candidates for pancreatic surgery must be correctly selected, cirrhosis exposes to a higher risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality.


The aim of this work is to investigate the applicability of using the neural network techniques in change detection of remotely sensed data. In addition, the tuning parameters of the network, such as encoding the output classes, adding the momentum term, and learning rate, are investigated in order to achieve best network performance. Neural network-based change detection system in this study is implemented using back propagation-training algorithm. This trained network is designed to be able to detect efficiently any variation between two images and provide adequate information about the type of changes. In an effort to meet these requirements, neural network scheme with improvement factor, leaning rate and momentum term is proposed to monitor environmental changes in Toshka area, Egypt. Two sets of satellite images with different dates are used, the first set contains of two sample satellite images, the second set of images acquired on 1984, 2000 and 2003.Comparing the output of the proposed model with the mostly used change detection techniques; ratio and classification, results show a great potential as the proposed scheme was able to identify not only the changed and non-changed area but also it was capable to identify the nature of these changes.


Epidemiological studies suggested drinking green tea is inversely associated with esophageal cancer but results remain inconclusive. Moreover, inconsistent observations found high temperature drinks are associated with esophageal cancer. A population‐based case–control study was conducted in a high‐risk area (Dafeng) and a low‐risk area (Ganyu) of esophageal cancer in Jiangsu province China from 2003 to 2007. It aimed to explore green tea drinking and tea temperature with the risk of esophageal cancer, and to compare the difference between different risk regions. Using identical protocols, 1,520 cases and 3,879 healthy controls were recruited as study subjects in 2 regions. Detailed information was collected to assess green tea drinking habits. Unconditional logistic regression was used to obtain OR and 95% CI. Results showed that ever drinking green tea elevated OR in both counties (Dafeng OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.9–1.5; Ganyu: OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.4). Drinking tea at high temperature was found to increase cancer risk in both areas (Dafeng: OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2–2.9; Ganyu OR = 3.1 95% CI = 2.2–4.3). However, after further adjustment for tea temperature, ever drinking tea was not related to cancer in either county (Dafeng: OR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.7–1.3; Ganyu: OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9–1.7). For dose‐response relationships, we observed positive relationship with monthly consumption of tea (p for trend = 0.067) and tea concentration (p for trend = 0.006) after further adjustment for tea temperature. In conclusion, green tea drinking was not inversely associated with esophageal cancer in this study. However, drinking tea at high temperatures significantly increased esophageal cancer risk. There was no obvious difference of green tea drinking between low‐ and high‐risk areas. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Enclosed with No. 1845. One of toughest problems Secretary [George C.] Marshall has to face is that of Argentina; no unanimity in Washington; some believe with Spruille Braden that Peron regime has not carried out its obligation to purge the country of Nazi influence; school represented by Ambassador Messersmith holds that while Peron has not yet completely de-Nazified the Argentine, he has gone a long way, and U.S. should adopt friendlier attitude; Marshall apparently following a "wait and see" policy, but he will have to tackle problem soon; Marshall eager to build up solid hemisphere bloc and to hold the long postponed inter-American defense meeting at Rio; hemispheric program will fall short of objective if it excludes Argentina, but unity cannot be achieved by condoning "hotbed of fascism."


Globalization has produced a distinctive stage in the social history of populational projections, with a growing tension between nation state-based solutions and anxieties and those formulated by global institutions (Powell, 2011). Globalization, defined here as the process whereby nation-states are influenced (and sometimes undermined) by trans-national actors. Human identity has, itself, become relocated within a trans-national context, with international organisations (such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) and cross-border migrations, creating new conditions and environments for many displaced people (Estes, Biggs, & Phillipson, 2003). This paper examines the work of Appadurai and the extent to which has had a large impact on understanding the global dynamics of cultural, technological, political and economic change.


The author uses nationally representative data on matched pairs of public school principals and teachers to test whether principal–teacher disagreement about the severity of school problems is associated with teacher turnover. More specifically, the author tests a managerial efficacy hypothesis that proposes that employees will be less likely to leave their jobs when their managers perceive problems to be severe, holding employees' perceptions of the same problems constant. The author also tests a managerial buffering hypothesis that proposes that employees' perceptions of problem severity will be more weakly related to their turnover probability when managers perceive problems to be severe. Little evidence is found for either hypothesis, raising questions about public school principals' ability to translate problem recognition into problem remediation. More generally, the findings suggest a reexamination of the generic claim that "management matters," which implies that public managers have the power to do things that can help employees perform their jobs well.


Understanding the dynamics of groundwater–surface water interaction is needed to evaluate and simulate water and solute transport in catchments. However, direct measurements of the contributions of different flow routes from specific surfaces within a catchment toward the surface water are rarely available. For this study, we physically separated the tile drain discharge toward a 43.5 m ditch transect from the groundwater–plus–overland flow routes. Direct groundwater flow and ephemeral overland flow were jointly captured in three sheet pile in‐stream reservoirs, while the effluent from three tile drain outlets was collected in vessels. Our flux measurements showed that, in response to a rainfall event, the tile drain contribution to the total ditch discharge decreased from 80% to 28%. We used these flow route measurements to calibrate a field‐scale integrated water transport model. The HydroGeoSphere code was used because it simultaneously solves the flow regimes in the variably saturated domain, the tile drain domain, and the surface flow domain. This simultaneous solution is needed for a correct representation of the mutual interactions between groundwater flow, tile drain flow, and ditch water flow. Our model produced a flow distribution between the flow paths which deviated only 2% from the measured flow distribution. A sensitivity analysis showed that model parameters related to tile drain entrance resistance and to the resistance to water flow through the surface water system controlled the water flow route distribution but with little effect on groundwater levels. This indicates that a model calibration based on groundwater levels alone does not necessarily produce a correct representation of the flow route contributions.


CFOs are under increased scrutiny and many companies have consequently become shortsighted, focusing on quarterly results at the expense of the big strategic picture. This approach is wrought with irony, as it inadvertently promotes practices that undermine the very thing companies are striving to achieve: the creation of long‐term shareholder value. The solution lies in a hybrid approach, focusing on both short‐term and long‐term results. Winning companies not only articulate long‐term strategies but also develop detailed implementation plans that are quite literally roadmaps to success. These roadmaps are typically marked with short‐term milestones aligned with the longer‐term direction – the short‐term targets serving as clarion calls that signal deviations from the roadmap. The challenge is complex, as CFOs (and, of course, CEOs) must truly understand market expectations, know what drives the stock price, and determine what role they can play to influence value in a positive way. It all hinges on some tough questions, including: can companies really manage the value of their business and, ultimately, tie it back to their stock price? and can they align the actions of an entire organization with the objectives of its owners and providers of capital? Indeed, many companies are implementing strategies aimed at creating increased value for investors. Sustainable value creation requires strategy, capability, information, decisions and actions to be aligned and focused on the key drivers of value for an organization. This is what will generate sources of competitive advantage over time.


Permanent pacemaker therapy in children with complete heart block is necessary occasionally. Ten patients ranging in age from 8 months to 15 years were treated with an implanted P-wave, synchronous epicardial pacemaker. Indications for implantation were persisting postsurgical heart block, congestive failure, syncopal attacks, and arrhythmias. There were two deaths not attributed to pacemaker malfunction. The remaining eight children have been followed up for 38 to 108 months. There have been 27 pulse generator replacements. Twenty-three were for battery exhaustion, three for electromechanical failure, and one was due to arrhythmia. Rhythm disturbances have occurred on eight occasions. There have been no infections. It is concluded that the implanted P-wave synchronous pacemaker is an effective method of therapy when indicated for children with complete heart block.


The Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the most widely research paradigms, having received much attention from the research community in the last few years. IoT is the paradigm that creates an internet-connected world, where all the everyday objects capture data from our environment and adapt it to our needs. However, the implementation of IoT is a challenging task and all the implementation scenarios require the use of different technologies and the emergence of new ones, such as Edge Computing (EC). EC allows for more secure and efficient data processing in real time, achieving better performance and results. Energy efficiency is one of the most interesting IoT scenarios. In this scenario sensors, actuators and smart devices interact to generate a large volume of data associated with energy consumption. This work proposes the use of an Edge-IoT platform and a Social Computing framework to build a system aimed to smart energy efficiency in a public building scenario. The system has been evaluated in a public building and the results make evident the notable benefits that come from applying Edge Computing to both energy efficiency scenarios and the framework itself. Those benefits included reduced data transfer from the IoT-Edge to the Cloud and reduced Cloud, computing and network resource costs.


The role of tunnel cations in the electrochemistry of α-MnO2 materials has been long discussed and demands investigation as the electrochemistry of α-MnO2 materials is strongly dependent on the material specific properties (i.e. morphology, surface area, crystallite size, and chemical composition). Here, we systematically synthesized a series of α-MnO2 samples with differing K+ content but similar physicochemical and morphological properties allowing direct investigation of the role of tunnel cation (K+) on the lithium ion electrochemistry of α-MnO2 cathodes. The nanofibrous α-MnO2 materials have a chemical composition of KxMn8O16·yH2O, where 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75 and 0.53 ≤ y ≤ 0.81. The α-MnO2 materials have similar morphology, crystallite size (17–19 nm), surface area (66–76 m2 g−1), and tunnel water content (0.53–0.81). The electrochemistry of the α-MnO2 materials was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling, and galvanostatic intermittent titration type tests. The α-MnO2 materials with 0 to 0.32 K+ content showed discharge curves with higher voltage, higher specific energies, and improved capacity retention compared to the 0.75 K+ containing α-MnO2 material. Fewer structural distortions were observed in lithiated samples with lower K+ content through modelling of X-ray absorption spectroscopy data indicating improved structural stability of those samples which positively impacted the electrochemistry.


Video synchronization is an essential processing step in many multimedia applications, and various methods have been proposed in the literature each of which addresses the problem from a different point of vantage. In this article, we present an information theoretic approach to video synchronization, based on the state-of-the-art in hybrid video coding. Time series derived from the videos' instantaneous bitrate demand are correlated in a robust manner employing the recently published ConCor algorithm. We enhance ConCor with integrated normalization capabilities in order to improve its shape-oriented matching performance. Furthermore, we present a mathematical framework to derive the most suitable ConCor parameters given a specific class of input videos. In an extensive experimental analysis, we give an insight into the representation of synchronization-relevant scene changes with bitrate data, and examine the influence of encoding parameters on the synchronization performance. Experiments on diverse video input substantiate the reliable performance of our easy to implement, yet effective video synchronization algorithm which distinguishes itself in that it operates largely without manual intervention.


It has been proposed that issues of organizational behaviours should be incorporated in the study for predicting subordinate citizenship behaviour. This research had one objective: to assess the impact of four behaviours ‐ leader-member exchange, organizational inflexibility, perceived organizational support and interactional justice ‐ on organizational citizenship behaviour. The subjects of this study were all full-time employees with their managers who working in the educational organization in Iran. This study surveyed 220 respondents. The sampling frame of the respondents was obtained from educational organization in Shiraz city in Iran. Data were collected on a structured questionnaire containing standard scales of transformational leadership behaviours, LMX, and organizational citizenship behaviours. After establishing the psychometric properties of the scales, hypotheses were tested through statistical analysis of the data. Results indicate that four variables are more likely to predict citizenship behaviour.


Drainage systems juxtaposed with modern depositional environments within the Sperchios rift allow detailed analysis of the relationships between drainage catchments. sediment supply and alluvial fan/fan delta geometries. Prominent footwall escarpments within the rift are created by E–W-trending normal faults, and variations in the topography of these escarpments are related to fault segmentation and bedrock lithology. Drainage catchments within the rift are classified on the basis of morphology, area, bedrock lithology and relationship to fault geometries. Five drainage domains can be identified within the Sperchios rift: (i) footwall, (ii) hanging wall, (iii) transfer zone, (iv) axial and (v) karst domains. Bedrock lithology has a major control on the size of catchments in all drainage domains. In addition, topographic lows associated with transfer zones along the border fault are sites of major drainage catchments and act as conduits for sediment supply to the rift. Variations in drainage catchments, the resultant sediment supply and accommodation development along the rift produce a range of stratigraphic architectures. Along fault segments, low sediment supply and high subsidence rates lead to aggradational sequence sets, whereas progradational sequence sets develop at transfer zones where rates of sedimentation are high and the rate of subsidence is low.


Literacy workstations in language arts classes have been used for at least two decades in grades K-12 as valuable teaching resources, but their implementation is more limited at the college level (Chavez, 2019a). Currently, there is more research at the elementary classroom, followed by middle school, high school and college level. There is also some research about workstations in the job place. However, there is still debate on whether or not language arts workstations are helpful or not in language classes (Hampton et. al, 2015; Reese, 2011). This work supports the first theory and provides a guide of how to create Spanish language arts workstations. The workstations included use the four modes of language: listening, speaking, reading and writing as recommended by Carreira (2012). The results support a correlation between workstations and high academic success rate and high attendance rate among other results.


The aim of this study was to determine age and sex based reference ranges for eight liver function biochemical parameters for the adult population of North Rift Valley region. This was a population based crosssectional study carried out at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in collaboration with the Regional Blood Transfusion Center, North Rift. A total of 400 volunteer blood donors were screened and 367 (211 males and 156 females) free from human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C virus, and syphilis were used in the analysis. Cobas Integra® 400 plus was used to analyze the eight liver function clinical chemistry parameters. Reference ranges were constructed using nonparametric methods to estimate 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of distribution as lower and upper reference limits, respectively. Significant age specific differences in the North Rift Valley Kenyan reference ranges were observed for alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase while significant sex related differences were also observed for total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, total and direct bilirubin. The developed North Rift Valley Kenyan liver function clinical chemistry reference ranges differ from the American values commonly used in Kenyan Hospitals. This study provides adult sex and age specific liver function reference range values to be used in North Rift Valley region. This study recommends adoption of these reference ranges in North Rift valley and determination of similar values for other regions in Kenya.


This paper considers the problem to reconstruct and approximate multidimensional signals from nonuniformly distributed samples. Using multivariable spectral decompositions of functions in terms of empirical orthonormal basis functions we establish the exact recovery of a signal from its samples provided that the signal is band-limited in a well defined generic sense. The relation to sampling and approximate reconstruction of tensors is indicated. For non-band-limited signals expressions for the alias error are derived. An operator is introduced that reflects the alias sensitivity. The maximum alias sensitivity is characterized as the maximum eigenvalue of a suitably defined tensor operator. Results are illustrated by an example of signal reconstructions from partial measurements of a heat diffusion process.


Background—Anemia is known to be a prognostic marker for patients with heart failure. However, little is known about the prognostic value of changes in hemoglobin (Hgb) over time or about the causes of anemia. Methods and Results—Retrospective analysis of Valsartan Heart Failure Trial data indicated that the quartile of patients with the biggest average decrease in Hgb over 12 months (from 14.2 to 12.6 g/dL) had significantly (P≤0.01) increased risk of subsequent hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR], 1.47), morbid events (HR, 1.41), and death (HR, 1.6) compared with the quartile that exhibited little change in Hgb over 12 months (from 13.7 to 13.8 g/dL). Increasing Hgb was significantly associated with lower mortality in patients with (HR, 0.78) and without (HR, 0.79) anemia at baseline. Anemia at baseline and the changes in Hgb were independently associated with serum albumin, blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, B-type natriuretic peptide, and C-reactive protein. Lack of anemia at baseline and increases in Hgb over 12 months were not associated with smaller left ventricular diameters or higher ejection fractions. Conclusions—Changes in Hgb over 12 months were inversely associated with subsequent risk of mortality and morbidity, independently of the effects of baseline anemia and other important predictors. Several factors were independently related to anemia at baseline and changes in Hgb, suggesting multiple causes of anemia in patients with heart failure. These findings raise important questions about the optimal level of Hgb in patients with moderate to severe heart failure and how to achieve them.


: The future isn't what it used to be!" Medical group managers must take this humorous truth as gospel. Managed care and capitation are rapidly changing everything about medical group planning and budgeting. Profit centers will cease to exist and instead, all departments will become cost centers. Specialists and primary care physicians will find themselves in very different--and much less comfortable--roles. Administrators must strive to keep the whole team working together even in the face of unprecedented stress. Incentives may change, but quality of care and patient satisfaction will need to stay high and even improve to ensure survival. The budgeting process can be an important tool for helping to prepare for the evolution of medical groups, but first the implications of medical marketplace reform must be understood and accepted. This task will be emotionally and intellectually challenging. Accepting the shape of our future is painful but necessary. The choice is clear: rapidly evolve or disappear.


The UK's transport infrastructure is one of the most heavily used in the world. The performance of these networks is critically dependent on the performance of cutting and embankment slopes which make up £20B of the £60B asset value of major highway infrastructure alone. The rail network in particular is also one of the oldest in the world: many of these slopes are suffering high incidents of instability (increasing with time). This paper describes the development of a fundamental understanding of earthwork material and system behaviour, through the systematic integration of research across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Spatially these range from microscopic studies of soil fabric, through elemental materials behaviour to whole slope modelling and monitoring and scaling up to transport networks. Temporally, historical and current weather event sequences are being used to understand and model soil deterioration processes, and climate change scenarios to examine their potential effects on slope performance in futures up to and including the 2080s. The outputs of this research are being mapped onto the different spatial and temporal scales of infrastructure slope asset management to inform the design of new slopes through to changing the way in which investment is made into aging assets. The aim ultimately is to help create a more reliable, cost effective, safer and more resilient transport system.


Objective: The objective of the pilot program was to evaluate the utility of the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) in aiding clinicians in making fitness for work determinations. Methods: A 10-minute PVT was incorporated into fitness for work examinations by occupational health staff at two integrated refining/petrochemical plants. Based on all evidence from the clinical examination, including PVT results, clinicians made their fitness for work determination. Results: Employees who were determined to be fit for work had significantly fewer PVT errors than did employees determined to be unfit for work or fit for work with limitations, with t(98) = −14.71, P < 0.001. Conclusions: The pilot assessed a new application of the PVT as an adjunct to occupational health evaluations focused on determining fitness for work. Results demonstrated that the PVT can be a valuable tool for this purpose.


Efficient intracellular delivery of exogenous macromolecules is a key operation in biological research and for clinical applications. Moreover, under particular in vitro or ex vivo conditions, harvesting the engineered cells that maintain good viability is also important. However, none of the methods currently available is truly satisfactory in all respects. Herein, a "two-in-one" platform based on a polydopamine/poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (PDA/PNIPAAm) hybrid film is developed, showing high efficiency in both cargo delivery and cell harvest without compromising cell viability. Due to the strong photothermal effect of PDA in response to near-infrared irradiation, this film can deliver diverse molecules to a number of cell types (including three hard-to-transfect cells) with an efficiency of ∼99% via membrane-disruption mechanism. Moreover, due to the thermoresponsive properties of PNIPAAm, the cells are harvested from the film without compromising viability by simply decreasing the temperature. A proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates that, using this platform, "recalcitrant" endothelial cells can be transfected by the functional ZNF580 gene and the harvested transfected cells can be recultured with high retention of viability and improved migration. In general, this "two-in-one" platform provides a reliable, universally applicable approach for both intracellular delivery and cell harvest in a highly efficient and nondestructive way, with great potential for use in a wide range of biomedical applications.


This study undertaken to screen a potential wound healing activity of an ethanolic extract of Anacardium occidentale (Ao)leaves in Wistar rats. Excision wound of 500mm2created on the back of Wistar rats. A total of thirty adult Wistar rats were prescreened and divided into five groups of six rats each. Group I and II rats were treated by normal saline (control) and povidone-iodine (standard drug), respectively. Group III and IV with 0.5% and 2% of Anacardium occidentale ointment (test drugs), respectively, and Group V rats treated with anti-wound healer drug dexamethasone, i.m. + 2% Anacardium occidentale. All drugs were applied topically except Inj. dexamethasone. In the model of excision wound, the wound healing effect was determined by parameters such as the percentage of wound contraction, duration of epithelialization, and histopathological examination. All drugs, povidone-iodine, 0.5%, and 2% of the Ao ointment treated group of rats showed a statistically significant increase (P<0.05) in the % of wound contraction on 5th and 6thdays Vs.Control rats. In contrast,povidoneiodine, 2% Ao ointment and (dexamethasone + 2% Ao)treated rats decreased the period of epithelialization which was statistically significant (P<0.05) compared to the control. However, the standard povidone-iodine treated rats showed a maximum increase in the percentage of wound contraction and minimum period of epithelialization, followed by a higher dose of 2% Ao extract. The plant extract 0.5% and 2% of Ao showed a significant increase in the rate of wound contraction as compared to the standard drug povidone-iodine also. The combination of (2%Aoextract+dexamethasone) drug-treated rats decreased the rate of wound contraction on 5th, 9th days; whereas, povidone-iodine increased on all days, i.e., 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th days,which was statistically significant (p<0.05) Vs. Normal saline. The povidone and 2% of Ao extract hastened the rate of wound healing activity, which was evident by maximum reepithelialization and presence of the collagen fibers. In our study, the topical application of Anacardium occidentale leaf extract has shown promising wound healing activity; however, it failed to reverse the anti-wound healing property of steroids.


Introduction: Occurrence of landslides depends on several factors such as the composition and structure of earth materials, rainfall level, temperature, groundwater regime and cover crops. Landslides are a main natural hazard in Iran, because of its special geological conditions and its mountainous active tectonic regime. Linear civil structures, such as roads, highways and railways, face serious problems in Iran, because of their long length which exposes them to several various geological features. For analyzing the stability of these structures, several geophysical methods, such as electrical tomography methods are frequently used. The main purposes of geophysical surveys are reconstruction of landslide geometry, detection of sliding surface (between sliding mass and bed rock), and exploration of the groundwater flow regime which is a stimulant factor before landslide occurrence. * طبار هدنراگن : نفلت : 61118202 021 راگنرود : 88630548 021 email@example.com E-mail: 18 هرود ،اضف و نيمز كيزيف ةلجم 36 هرامش ، 1 ، 1389 Regional Geology: Based on the geological map of Sarab (1:100000), Rhyolitic and Dacitic lavas form the bed rock of the region with basaltic highlands. A major portion of road on the path consisted of alluvial river terraces and their great ability to absorb water which caused muddy materials to overflow and spontaneously move towards the valley. The main reason for this hazard is the base loss in down range. The landslide occurred several years after the utilization of the road, indicating the involvement of another factor which is the increase in intense rainfall during the previous months. This causes the region's high vulnerability and lack of base, during landslides. Electrical Tomography: Electrical tomography or electrical resistivity tomography (ERI) is a geophysical technique for imaging sub-surfaces structures (sliding surface in this case) from electrical measurements made at the surface or boreholes. So the first stage in our electrical tomography was sending an electric current into the ground and then measuring the response of the earth in voltage. In the next step for building the inversed resistivity model, the algorithms of well know software Res2dinv (for making two-dimensional inversed model) and Res3dinv (for making three-dimensional inversed model) was used. A simple way to utilize blocky inverse modeling is the application of the ordinary least square equations. In this method, the model that best fits the data is achieved through a method of optimization. Discussions and Conclusion: The Schlumberger array was used for data acquisition. From 99 soundings which were carried out in this area, 90 soundings are selected for inversed modeling in 6 profiles. Due to the high noise levels in the surface, more damping (attenuation) coefficient was considered for surface data. Subsurface materials due to water absorption have more moisture with low resistivity, in contrast with the mass above the sliding surface, with relatively higher resistivity. 2D Electrical Tomography generally shows the location of Landslide Valley that can be seen most particularly in place of resistivity profiles P4 and P5. 3D Electrical Tomography has also been used for acquiring a 3D view from the sliding surface. In these models, the sliding surface is at depths up to 60m. Application geotechnical data may improve the inverse modeling images for upcoming exploration programs.


Based on similarity of male genitalia, the malaria vector Anopheles trinkae Faran from the eastern Andean piedmont of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia was determined by Peyton (1993) to be a junior synonym of An. dunhami Causey, then known from a single locality in Amazonian Brazil. Following an appraisal of molecular, chromosomal, and morphological characters, we conclude herein that the 2 taxa are specifically distinct and remove An. trinkae from synonymy with An. dunhami. Eggs of the 2 species are distinguished easily by the anterior crown, long floats, and closed deck that occur only in An. trinkae. The X chromosome of larval polytenes is divisible into R and L arms in An. dunhami, but not in An. trinkae. A phenogram based on banding pattern scores from 18 random amplified polymorphic DNA primers separated with 100% resolution An. dunhami, An. trinkae, Anopheles nuneztovari Gabaldón and Anopheles darlingi Root. In the ITS2 region of rDNA, 25% of base sites distinguished An. trinkae from An. dunhami and 21% from the related An. nuneztovari; males of these 3 species had accessory glands of significantly different sizes. Preliminary isoenzyme screening indicated that 3 of 11 loci were diagnostic for separating An. trinkae from An. dunhami. The results indicate that An. dunhami is related more closely to An. nuneztovari than to An. trinkae and illustrate the merits of a multidisciplinary approach to mosquito systematics.


First‐line cytoreductive drug of choice in high risk essential thrombocythemia (ET) is currently hydroxyurea, a practice based on the results of a randomized study; second‐line drugs of choice include pegylated interferon‐α, busulfan and anagrelide. Anagrelide clinical trials were pioneered by the late Murray N. Silverstein (1928‐1998) of the Mayo Clinic whose studies led to FDA approval in March 1997. The current study represents a retrospective examination of the potential impact of anagrelide therapy on survival and disease complications in ET. 1076 patients with ET were considered (median age 58 years; females 63%); risk distribution, according to the international prognostic score for ET (IPSET), was 28% high, 42% intermediate, and 30% low. Overall (OS), myelofibrosis‐free (MFFS) and thrombosis‐free survival data were compared for ET patients diagnosed before and after the 1997 FDA approval date for anagrelide; a significant difference was apparent in OS (P = .006; HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1‐1.7) and MFFS (P < .001; HR 4.2, 95% CI 2.7‐6.5), in favor of patients diagnosed prior to 1997; the difference was sustained during multivariable analysis that included IPSET. Similarly stratified survival data in polycythemia vera (n = 665) and primary myelofibrosis (n = 1282) showed no similar impact on survival (P = .3 and .17, respectively). The current study represents a retrospective analysis and suggests significantly decreased OS and MFFS in ET patients diagnosed after the FDA approval date of anagrelide. Whether or not anagrelide therapy was to blame for the worsening of OS and MFFS over time cannot be assumed and requires validation in a prospective study.


Adult females were examined from November until spring in northern Norway (30" N) to determine the fraction with the quadrithek and the fraction with the trithek setal pattern on the antennule. The quadrithek (Q) pattern is a male characteristic in which odd numbered, proximal segments carry 2 aesthetascs and 2 setae; the trithek (T) pattern has 1 aesthetics on all antennular segments. The frequency of quadrithek females (%Q = 100 X [Q/T]) varied with season. It peaked at 38% in February, declining to 25 % in March. Higher proportions appeared early, consistently between years, i.e. higher proportions were found among the first females emerging from the stock of resting copepodids. In light of the hypothesis of Fleminger (1985; Mar Biol 88:273-294) that females w t h the quadrithek pattern result from sex switching by genetic males, we tested whether %Q in newly moulted females could be altered by separate exposure of the maturing CVs to adult males or females. The experiments were run with specimens from Gratsund during the last 3 wk prior to moulting of CVs in the field. Of females not exposed to adults as CVs, 35% had quadrithek patterns, while those exposed to adult males or females produced 33 and 37% quadritheks respectively. In these experiments, presence of adult Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) did not influence the proportion of females with male characteristics. No evidence for sex specific pheromones was found and therefore the stimulus for sex change was not revealed. A possible influence of the environment on C. finmarchicus sex determination (ESD) is suggested and discussed.


AIM: To analyse the expression of multidrug resistance (MDR) related proteins at different steps in colorectal carcinogenesis. METHODS: The presence of three MDR related proteins (Pgp, MRP1, and LRP/MVP) was studied by means of immunohistochemistry in normal, adenomatous, and malignant colorectal epithelium. Formaldehyde fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections of 17 samples of colorectal tissue were used (normal mucosa, n = 4; adjacent mucosa, n = 5; adenoma, n = 5; carcinoma, n = 3). RESULTS: For all three proteins, expression was found in the surface epithelium and the upper parts of the crypts in normal colon. In the adenomas, staining was seen along the complete length of the crypts. In the carcinomas analysed, all epithelium showed positive staining. Mucosa adjacent to either carcinoma or adenoma showed staining patterns mostly resembling those of normal mucosa, but sometimes some extension of staining was seen along the crypt. CONCLUSIONS: These proteins already show increased expression in the adenoma stage. In the absence of adequate mucin production in adenomas, MDR related proteins could be an important factor in protecting the epithelium against further environmentally induced genetic damage. This could be one of the reasons why only about 5% of colorectal adenomas will actually progress to carcinomas.


The in vitro lability of factors V and VIII in plasma has been studied. In agreement with previous reports, an increase in anticoagulant concentration renders both factors more labile (cation-deficient decay), as does an increase in the pH above 7.3 (alkaline-decay). Calcium appears to be the plasma cation which protects factors V and VIII against in vitro loss of activity. The protection obtained by the addition of other divalent cations depended on the type of plasma used. When resin-EDTA plasma was made cation free by dialysis at 4 degrees C and then incubated at 37 degrees C, the rapid loss of factors V and VIII activity could be prevented by prior addition of strontium, manganese and magnesium. In oxalate plasma, nickel, manganese, cadmium and strontium were effective. The alkaline decay of both factors V and VIII is irreversible. Partial reversibility of the cation-deficient decay was demonstrated for factor V, but not for factor VIII. The temperature coefficient for both the cation-deficient and alkaline decay is 2-3, suggesting an enzymatic rather than a physical reaction. There was no evidence to implicate thrombin, plasmin or trypsin since inhibitors of these enzymes failed to modify either type of decay.


Abstract We analyzed the taxon richness and endemism of tortoises and freshwater turtles in the world's premier biodiversity conservation priority areas and countries with greatest turtle richness. Turtle hotspots include biodiversity hotspots (BHS), high-biodiversity wilderness areas (HBWA), and additional turtle priority areas (TPA) previously identified. We present taxon richness and endemism values for the 16 turtle hotspots with highest richness and endemicity. These 16 turtle hotspots together contain 262 species (83% of total), of which 149 (47%) are endemic to these areas combined, and 134 species (43%) are endemic to just a single priority area. At the terminal taxon (subspecies) level, these 16 areas harbor 342 taxa (79%), of which 210 (48%) are endemic to these combined areas, and 195 (45%) are endemic to a single priority area. These 16 BHS, HBWA, and TPA account for less than 24 million square kilometers, or 16.0% of planet Earth's land surface, with an estimated 10.4 million square kilometers of original habitat remaining, or 7.0% of the planet's land surface. Twenty-one countries are recorded to harbor 15 or more species of non-marine turtles, with the percentage of endemic species ranging from 0% to 88%. Collectively, these 21 countries are inhabited by 275 (87%) species and 352 (81%) taxa, of which 115 (37%) species and 175 (40%) taxa are endemic to just a single country. Identification of these conservation priority areas and countries should assist conservation of turtles worldwide by focusing on areas where the greatest number of species and taxa can be secured and where the authorities and institutions that exist hope to accomplish these goals.


Estrogen receptor (ER) mRNA is dramatically increased in sheep myometrium and endometrium during glucocorticoid-induced premature labor and term spontaneous labor. However, the underlying mechanism for the up-regulation of uterine ER in labor is still unknown. We used ovariectomized (OVX) non-pregnant sheep to analyze the role of estradiol and progesterone in the regulation of myometrial and endometrial ER protein and ER mRNA in vivo. Twenty-one OVX ewes were treated with saline (n = 6), or with estradiol infused i.v. for 2 days (50 micrograms/day, n = 5), or with an intravaginal progesterone sponge for 10 days (containing 0.3 g progesterone, n = 5), or with an intravaginal progesterone sponge for 10 days with estradiol (50 micrograms/day) administered on Days 9 and 10 with the progesterone sponge still in place (n = 5). The ER protein concentration in both cytosolic and nuclear compartments, analyzed by Western blot, increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the myometrium after estradiol treatment, while progesterone alone had no detectable effect on ER level. Elevated ER protein was observed only in the nuclear fraction of endometrium. However, when estradiol was given together with progesterone treatment, progesterone antagonized the up-regulatory effect of estradiol on the ER level both at the endometrium and myometrium. The changes in cellular ER mRNA followed the pattern observed at the ER protein level. Estrogen receptor mRNA was elevated significantly (p < 0.01) only in estradiol-treated ewes. Expression of the ER gene in ewes receiving progesterone alone or progesterone combined with estradiol was similar to that of the control group. From these observations we conclude that ER gene expression and active ER synthesis in nonpregnant sheep myometrium and endometrium are estradiol-dependent. Progesterone antagonizes this estrogen action. Progesterone down-regulated the elevated ER mRNA when used together with estradiol. In situ hybridization showed that ER mRNA was evenly distributed in the smooth muscle cells and blood vessels of the myometrium and the epithelial cells of the glands in endometrium. In conclusion, we have observed estradiol-dependent activation of ER gene expression as well as active ER synthesis in the nonpregnant sheep myometrium and endometrium. Progesterone acted as an antagonist of estradiol on ER gene expression.


Surgical tactics in Crohn's disease (CD) was elaborated by the authors, basing, on analysis of modern views on pathogenesis, peculiarities of clinical course, possibility of diagnosis and experience of treatment of the disease. It envisages a modern diagnosis of the disease, prognostication of the recurrence and postoperative complications occurrence, the indications optimization, the choice of surgical treatment method Application of the surgical tactics elaborated for CD in 121 patients have permitted to improve objective estimation of the disease severity, to prognosticate the complications occurrence, to optimize indications for surgical treatment and the choice for method o conditionally radical, restorational, reconstructive--restoration stages of operative intervention, to reduce the disease recurrence rate, postoperative complications and postoperative lethality.