(1) Potential behavioural and energetic determinants of male grey seal mating success were examined over three successive breeding seasons (1987 to 1989) on North Rona (Scotland). A total of 275 males were individually identified. Records of individual male mating success, inter-male aggression (to yield dominance indices), colony attendance patterns and detailed activity budgets were obtained. Selected individuals were caught and weighed and rates of weight loss (both absolute and proportional) and weights on date of arrival to and departure from the colony were calculated. Standard measurements were taken and a single incisor tooth extracted for age determination. (2) Length of stay on the breeding colony was the primary correlate of mating success. (3) Using records of inter-male aggressive encounters a clear dominance hierarchy was found amongst the males. Dominant males were not necessarily heavier or bigger, nor were dominant males older than subordinates on average. There were low levels of intermale aggression on the colony, and evidence of prior knowledge of relative status amongst I males. It is proposed that male dominance relationships are predominantly established in the water prior to arrival on the colony. Thus, size may not be an important determinant of male competitive ability in grey seals. (4) Mating success was also highly correlated with dominance in all three seasons. Dominant individuals were able to establish positions amongst the groups of females and maintain these for significantly longer than more subordinate males, thus giving access to more oestrus females. (5) Dominant males experienced lower daily rates of aggression and did not incur greater rates of weight loss (either absolute or proportional). (6) No evidence of energetic constraints on male mating success could be found. Due to the topography of North Rona, dominant males were able to exclude subordinates from the breeding grounds (the average sex ratio on the colony during the breeding season was approximately 1 male : 7 females). Relatively few males were therefore, able to remain on the colony for the length of time that their energy reserves permitted, thus masking any potential energetic limits on length of stay. (7) It is suggested that grey seals are sexually size dimorphic primarily due to the differing energy storage requirements of the two sexes determined by the different strategies adopted by males and females in order to maximise individual reproductive success. (8) Males that returned in successive seasons were the more dominant individuals of the previous season, therefore remained ashore for longer and gained greater mating success in the previous year. Also, returning males were younger on average than those that failed to return, were not necessarily the heavier males but were those that incurred greater proportional rates of weight loss in the previous season. (9) One male, present in all three seasons, was conspicuously successful in all three years and had by far the greatest mating success of all males observed during the course of the study. This male had been present on North Rona since at least 1980. (10) A comparative study was conducted with one field season on Sable Island (Nova Scotia, Canada). Unlike North Rona, dominance was the primary correlate of mating success. Considerable differences in the apparent sex ratios were observed between Sable (1 male : 2 females) and Rona (1:7). Also, oestrus females on Sable were spatially more evenly distributed and temporally more aggregated than on Rona. Thus, one would predict a lower environmental polygamy potential on Sable Island. However, there were no significant differences in measures of the "degree of polygyny" at the two sites. Thus, although relatively more males gained positions ashore on Sable (access was not restricted by topography), dominant individuals still monopolised mating opportunities. These results suggest that plasticity of the form of mating system shown amongst grey seal populations is limited.


This thesis describes the development and performance of a level measurement system based on estimating the round-trip-time of an ultrasonic signal. A new prototype is designed and constructed, built on the foundations of an ultrasonic speed of sound measurement system made by Wema System AS. Tests are performed and data is recorded under noisy conditions, such as vibrations created by a vibration bench at Wema HQ, and also simulated temperature changes, such as the presence of bubbles in the liquid. Different procedures for trigging the transducer is compared in terms of noise resistance and signal strength. Software is developed in Matlab as to detect ultrasonic echoes and estimate the Round-trip-time for the ultrasonic signal as to calculate a levelestimate. Properties related to the success of said software are explored, such as signal strength as a function of liquid level. A software model in k-wave is developed to simulate the ultrasonic signal propagating in an environment similar to that of the system. Finally, tests are conducted with the presence of a diesel layer on top of the DEF. A procedure for detecting a diesel layer on top is suggested, based on experimental data.


Poetry has always been under the focus of scholars' attention, though the problem of performing a comparative analysis of children's and adults' poetry has not received enough attention yet. The study undertaken is aimed to fill in this gap and provide the analysis of English poetry for adults and children with the attempt to identify some grammatical peculiarities of the corresponding poetic texts. The scope of the texts for examination is limited to English poetry of the nineteenth – twentieth centuries focused on the animal theme. The analysis of the temporal structure of the texts selected was based on the method elaborated by Ludmila Nozdrina in her work "Poetics of grammar categories" (2004). The results of the study have proved the hypothesis stated: there are some differences in temporal structuring of the nineteenth–twentieth century poetic English texts focused on the animal theme. The main difference lies in targeting the poem: whether it appeals to adults or children. The current study contains quantitative information on the usage of certain grammatical phenomena within the texts analyzed, and the attempts of their interpretations. Consequently, the study might be of particular interest for those scholars who do research on differentiating grammatical peculiarities of poetry in general and drawing differences between children's and adults' poetry, in particular.


1. Prey can increase the probability of escaping a predator attack by adopting either behavioural tactics that provide more time or less distance to escape or by increasing their escape performances. It is assumed that the ability to improve escape performances is reserved for species that respond to chronic predation risk by substantially altering morphological traits related to locomotion. This thinking is at odds with fundamental predictions of physiological stress theory that suggest performance should be enhanced both independently of and in addition to morphological change. 2. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how prey raised under chronic risk of predation can improve their escape performance independent of conspicuous morphological changes. 3. We reared herbivore grasshopper in field mesocosms with and without disarmed hunting spiders and measured their outdoor jumping performance. Grasshoppers were then transferred to the laboratory where we measured the biomechanics of their jumping to elucidate mechanisms that differentiate performance between rearing treatments. We collected second generation nymphal offspring from the field mesocosms and measured their morphology and escape performances to reveal costs associated with antipredator responses. 4. Chronically scared grasshoppers made adjustments in jumping technique that enabled them to take-off 1·2 times faster, which, in combination with additional in-flight behavioural adjustments, led to 2·6 times longer jump distances. These improvements were independent of conspicuous morphological changes but were accompanied by attendant costs: grasshoppers reared in risky environments produced smaller and less athletic offspring than grasshoppers from risk free environments. 5. The results suggest that prey do not need to undergo conspicuous morphological changes in locomotor traits before they can improve escape performance, revealing an adaptive and possibly common aspect of physiological stress reaction to predation.


Edgewise vibrations in wind turbine blades are lightly damped, and large amplitude vibrations induced by the turbulence may significantly shorten the fatigue life of the blade. This paper investigates the performance of tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) for mitigating edgewise vibrations in rotating wind turbine blades. Normally, the centrifugal acceleration at the outboard portion of a rotating blade can reach to a magnitude of 7–8 g, which makes it possible to use a TLCD with a very small mass for suppressing edgewise vibrations effectively. The parameters of the TLCD to be optimized are the mounting position, the mass ratio, the geometries, and the head loss coefficient of the damper. Based on a reduced 2‐DOF nonlinear model developed by the authors, the optimization of these parameters are carried out by minimizing the standard deviation of the edgewise tip displacement, with the consideration of both the space limitation inside the blade and the constraint of the liquid motion. The edgewise modal load for the 2‐DOF model has been calculated from a more sophisticated 13‐DOF aeroelastic wind turbine model, which includes the coupling of the blade‐tower‐drivetrain vibration and the aerodynamic damping presented in different modes. Various turbulence intensities and rotational speeds of the rotor have been considered to evaluate the performance of the TLCD. Further, the optimized damper is incorporated into the 13‐DOF model to verify the application of the decoupled optimization. The investigation shows promising results for the use of the TLCD in mitigating edgewise vibrations in wind turbine blades. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The cartilage-pannus junction has been studied in multiple sections from 23 rheumatoid joints. Changes suggesting a metaplastic reaction of the articular cartilage, termed transitional fibroblastic zone, were commonly found in hips and knees, but were rarely present in metatarsophalangeal joints, in which an invasive pannus with cartilage degradation in close association with inflammatory cells was seen. Thus when multiple sections from rheumatoid joints were examined a transitional fibroblastic zone was found in 1/15 (7%) sections from metatarsophalangeal joints compared with 29/57 (51%) and 15/48 (31%) sections from knee and hip joints respectively. In contrast, an invasive pannus occurred in 11/15 (73%) sections from metatarsophalangeal joints compared with 22/57 (39%) sections from knees and 19/48 (40%) sections from hips. These findings led to the suggestion that this pathological variation between different joints may explain the predominance of erosive change in small joints as compared with joint space narrowing with secondary osteoarthritis found in large joints in rheumatoid arthritis. Inappropriate comparisons between different joints may in part explain the variation in findings of previous histopathological studies.


A possible cause of elevated arterial pressure involves the interrelationship between autoregulation of blood flow and control of arterial blood pressure. An autoregulatory response could theoretically result in an elevated arterial pressure and an elevated peripheral resistance with normal or nearly normal cardiac output. Several experimental studies support this theory. Autoregulation of blood flow has been observed in a number of the body's tissues, and the summated effect, whole-body autoregulation, has been demonstrated in areflex dogs. An increase in cardiac output precedes an increase in total peripheral resistance, and a decrease in cardiac output precedes a decrease in total peripheral resistance. The gain of the system was calculated to be slightly greater than three. This same hemodynamic pattern, that is, an increase in cardiac output preceding an increase in resistance, has been observed at the onset of hypertension. We have observed increases in cardiac output at the beginning of salt-induced hypertension in dogs and at the beginning of hypertension secondary to fluid volume expansion in anephric patients, while other investigators have observed this hemodynamic pattern in a number of instances, including labile hypertension, perinephritis hypertension, and Goldblatt hypertension. The increased cardiac output can be caused by several factors, although in many instances the cause appears to be fluid retention. A hemodynamic response suggesting the involvement of whole-body autoregulation, that is, a decrease in cardiac output precedes a decrease in peripheral resistance, has been observed in the reversal of hypertension. Dehydrating overhydrated (and hypertensive) anephric patients and unclipping the renal artery in Goldblatt hypertension elicits this pattern, as well as administration of diuretics or several other antihypertensive drugs to hypertensives. Theoretically, the role of the kidney in hypertension is either to initiate the autoregulatory response by causing fluid retention or to allow the autoregulatory response to occur by preventing the loss of fluid in the face of an elevated arterial pressure.


The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies of the elements iron, cobalt, and nickel have been calculated by means of the linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method in the atomic-sphere approximation (ASA) within the framework of the local-spin-density approximation (LSDA). The so-called ``force theorem'' is used to express the total-energy difference, when spin-orbit coupling is included, as a difference in sums of Kohn-Sham single-particle eigenvalues. The results depend strongly on the location and dispersion of degenerate energy bands near the Fermi surface, and particular attention must be paid to the convergence of the Brillouin-zone integral of the single-particle eigenvalues. The calculated values of the anisotropy energy are too small by comparison with experiment, and we do not predict the correct easy axis for cobalt and nickel. We find that the variation of the anisotropy energy with changes in strain, in the magnitude of the spin-orbit coupling, for different choices of the exchange-correlation potential and for varying numbers of valence electrons are not capable of explaining these incorrect results. By comparing our calculated energy bands with those obtained by a full-potential linear augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method we conclude that the discrepancy is not attributable to terms in the potential that are neglected in the ASA.


In this study, we aim to determine differences in cytotoxicity of racemic deschloroketamine and its enantiomers. The synthesized racemate of this recently rediscovered and abused dissociative anaesthetic was resolved by chiral HPLC and the absolute configuration of the enantiomers was assigned using a combination of circular dichroism methods and single-crystal X-ray. Not only the absolute configuration, but also the most preferred conformers present in the crystal were successfully determined by electron and vibrational circular dichroism supported by ab initio calculations, and confirmed by X-ray. The in vitro cytotoxicity of racemic deschloroketamine and its enantiomers was determined for nine different types of cell lines. Generally, (S)-deschloroketamine exhibited higher cytotoxicity in the majority of cases. For human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293T), the (S)-enantiomer reached the IC50 below 1 mM concentration and, in consequence, proved to be twice as potent as the (R)-enantiomer. On the other hand, live-cell fluorescence microscopy imaging at sub-IC50 concentrations provided evidence for only a minor effect of deschloroketamine racemate and enantiomers on endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondria morphology in neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y.


In this paper, based on analysis of the near infrared spectral absorption of methane molecule and considering factors such as compatibility with the transmission characteristics of silica optical fiber and the price, using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) filters to replace the the traditional interference filter, a novel kind of all-fiber remote sensor utilizing FBG filters and 1.33μm high power light-emitting diode (LED) was developed for real time measurement of methane gas concentration. FBG has a low insert loss and can be produced easily compared with dielectric interference filters. Theory and experiment proved that the system has simple construct and high sensibility.


Dear Editor, We have read and reviewed the article entitled "The correlation of peripapillary and juxtapapillary choroidal thickness in healthy subjects" by Son et al. [1] with great interest. The authors investigated the peripapillary choroidal thickness (PPCT) and juxtapapillary choroidal thickness (JPCT) by using circle and radial B-scan images, respectively. The authors showed that the two measures of choroidal thickness (CT) around the optic nerve head were well correlated. However, the peripapillary choroid was generally thicker than the juxtapapillary choroid, especially in eyes with small Bruch's membrane opening area. We congratulate the authors for their precious study, and we would like to request more details and their valuable contributions to the article. The choroid is one of the most vascularized regions of the human body. Therefore, various local and systemic physiologic/pathologic conditions and environmental factors have effects on CT. It has been shown in the literature that age, sex, systemic or local diseases and their treatments, use of medicine, intraocular pressure, refractive error, axial length of the globe, and many other factors have effects on CT [2]. In addition, pregnancy, body mass index, menstrual cycle, and systemic blood pressure have a remarkable effect on CT. Furthermore, consuming food, and caffeinated or noncaffeinated drinks, and exercise before optical coherence tomography measurements can cause significant changes in CT [2]. Moreover, CT shows considerable diurnal variation and is able to increase by 50% in an hour and by four times in a few days [3]. We would like to ask authors whether all those factors have been assessed in the study.


Abstract Using the deliberately provocative strategies of "essaying" and "error", which have become central to the poetry and poetics of women experimental writers such as Kathleen Fraser, Lyn Hejinian and Rachel Blau DuPlessis, this essay charts the writer's slow understanding that lyric voice and linguistic-formal experimentalism in writing by women poets form a problematic, yet productive, interrelation. Lyric, suggests Kinnahan, is at once an apparently unmarked, naturalized poetic mode and, for women poets, a curiously over-marked, gendered category. At the same time, female experimental poets have not found a comfortable space within the avant-garde poetics loosely derived from L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E. The essay moves to explore the challenges of the lyric-language conjunction in relation to the writer's second collection, open season (2006), and suggests, through a method of trial and error, that a re-turn to lyric through the lens of international scholarship on contemporary experimental poetry by women writers can invigorate our take on the persistence of lyrical voice in poetry by South African women writers.


The performance of a crossflow anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to treat synthetic municipal wastewater was investigated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The AnMBR was operated at chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rates of 1 to 2 kg COD/m3 x d for 280 days. The permeate COD concentration was always lower than 40 mg/L, and no noticeable volatile fatty acids were detected, regardless of HRT variations, while soluble COD (SCOD) was accumulated in the reactor with decreases in HRT. The particle size reduction was relatively lower than other studies reported, even after a long operation time resulting from the low operation crossflow velocity. Approximately 30% of COD was not available for methane recovery, irrespective of applied HRTs, as a result of the COD loss by dissolved methane, sulfate reduction, and untreated COD in the permeate. The fraction of methane recovered from the synthetic municipal wastewater decreased from 48 to 35%, with the decrease of HRT from 12 to 6 hours, as a result of the increase of mixed-liquor SCOD, which was rejected and accumulated in the AnMBR. Therefore, AnMBR operation with relatively long HRTs and SRTs may be favorable, to enhance methane recovery and reduce or eliminate sludge production.


We derive new Hamiltonians for the sd shell, USDA and USDB, based on a renormalized G matrix with linear combinations of two-body matrix elements adjusted to fit a complete set of data for experimental binding energies and excitation energies for the sd-shell nuclei. These Hamiltonians provide a new level of precision for realistic sd-shell wave functions for applications to nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics.


One of the most fundamental differences between animals are size differences that are often prominent when comparing species, as well as the sexes within species. One important aim of evolutionary and ecological studies is therefore to understand the pattern of size variation. Bergmann's rule and Rensch's rule are two ideas that describe such general patterns. But whether or not these rules apply only in homoeothermic animals, or also in insects, is unclear because previous studies have shown opposing results. For two subspecies of Poecilimon veluchianus Ramme (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), we demonstrate a pattern that is opposite to what is predicted by Bergmann's rule. Rensch's rule also does not seem to apply, as sexual size dimorphism (SSD) does not change even though body size decreases with elevation in these two taxa. Our data adds to an emerging pattern that the two rules are not universally applicable in insects.


The role of flexible bronchoscopy in detecting rejection following lung transplantation was studied at four- to 10-day intervals in 47 dogs, including 31 allograft recipients, ten autograft recipients, and six controls without operations. Anastomotic narrowing inevitably occurred within the first postoperative week. After allografting without immunosuppression, anastomotic narrowing was progressive. Despite rejection, segmental and subsegmental bronchi were remarkably normal. During rejection delayed by immunosuppression, there was a 33% reversibility rate for anastomotic narrowing. Bronchial biopsies were not helpful. Mucosal exudate and pus were regularly seen when pneumonia was the cause for graft failure. We conclude that progressive bronchial anastomotic narrowing is a manifestation of rejection. Bronchoscopy will be helpful in management of human lung transplant recipients by identifying anastomotic stenosis and early endobronchial signs of pneumonia.


Purpose: Analysis of information diffusion process based on models of spread of epidemics is one of the issues considered by the researchers. Limited studies have addressed investigation and analysis of scientific information diffusion. Current study was conducted aiming at identifying scientific information diffusion process among academic faculty members using mathematical models of spread of diseases during 2016. Methodology: Mathematical models of spread of epidemics including SIS, SI, and SIR models were used for analysis of scientific information diffusion. The study was conducted using semi-experimental method on 147 faculty members in three stages including evaluation of current status at time t0, after implementation of intervention of models including susceptible, infected (informed) and recovered (information saturation). Using statistical methods, chance of disease transmission from each compartment to the next one was measured. Findings: Research findings suggested feasibility of SIS, SI, and SIR models in describing information diffusion process. People who are susceptible to scientific information will not remain in a constant state after receiving information. So that 51.6% of the people remain in a state of informed and 39.1% return to susceptible conditions. Also, only 9.3% of people will switch to saturated and unnecessary conditions. Conclusion: Application of models of epidemics spread and its extension to scientific information diffusion is accurate. In addition, mostly individuals will remain at constant state after receiving scientific information.


The effect of (NH4)2S and CS2 chemical etches on surface chemistry and contacting in Sb2Se3 solar cells was investigated via a combination of x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and photovoltaic device analysis. Thin film solar cells were produced in superstrate configuration with an absorber layer deposited by close space sublimation. Devices of up to 5.7% efficiency were compared via current–voltage measurements (J–V) and temperature-dependent current–voltage (J–V–T) analysis. XPS analysis demonstrated that both etching processes were successful in removing Sb2O3 contamination, while there was no decrease in free elemental selenium content by either etch, in contrast to prior work. Using J–V–T analysis the removal of Sb2O3 at the back surface in etched samples was found to improve contacting by reducing the potential barrier at the back contact from 0.43 eV to 0.26 eV and lowering the series resistance. However, J–V data showed that due to the decrease in shunt resistance and short-circuit current as a result of etching, the devices show a lower efficiency following both etches, despite a lowering of the series resistance. Further optimisation of the etching process yielded an improved efficiency of 6.6%. This work elucidates the role of surface treatments in Sb2Se3 devices and resolves inconsistencies in previously published works.


Platelet adhesion to fibrinogen through integrin αIIbβ3 triggers actin rearrangements and cell spreading. Mice deficient in the SLP-76 adapter molecule bleed excessively, and their platelets spread poorly on fibrinogen. Here we used human platelets and a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell expression system to better define the role of SLP-76 in αIIbβ3 signaling. CHO cell adhesion to fibrinogen required αIIbβ3 and stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of SLP-76. SLP-76 phosphorylation required coexpression of Syk tyrosine kinase and stimulated association of SLP-76 with the adapter, Nck, and with the Rac exchange factor, Vav1. SLP-76 expression increased lamellipodia formation induced by Syk and Vav1 in adherent CHO cells (p < 0.001). Although lamellipodia formation requires Rac, SLP-76 functioned downstream of Rac by potentiating adhesion-dependent activation of PAK kinase (p < 0.001), a Rac effector that associates with Nck. In platelets, adhesion to fibrinogen stimulated the association of SLP-76 with the SLAP-130 adapter and with VASP, a SLAP-130 binding partner implicated in actin reorganization. Furthermore, SLAP-130 colocalized with VASP at the periphery of spread platelets. Thus, SLP-76 functions to relay signals from αIIbβ3 to effectors of cytoskeletal reorganization. Therefore, deficient recruitment of specific adapters and effectors to sites of adhesion may explain the integrin phenotype of SLP-76−/− platelets.


Local governance enables decentralisation, and is thus, more empowering to citizens, it is widely believed. In this paper, I examine how the most local level activities of the state are unmistakeably influenced by the national level discourse. This, I do by inspecting the working of the ward council meetings in one ward of a village in Kerala, the lowest level of working of the local self-government bodies. I show that discourses legitimised in these local governance bodies are counterproductive to the bahujans, from the local to the national level. Hence, development pursued by these bodies, meant for empowerment through local participation, is disempowering and against the interests of the majority of the nation: the bahujans. This paper, set as it is, in Kerala, one of the few states to fully implement decentralisation, and serves as an example for states trying to strengthen it, has lessons for those interested in democratic and inclusive development.


PURPOSE
A diagnostic wax try-in has been recommended to correctly design the future prosthesis for edentulous maxillae and to predict its effect on the supporting oral tissues. The objectives of this study were to analyze (1) the reliability of this diagnostic tool in planning fixed implant-supported prostheses and (2) the amount of prosthetic compensation required.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nine female patients participated in this prospective study (mean age, 53.6 years). After anamnesis, clinical examination, and preoperative analysis, the patients underwent preoperative prosthetic preparation, and the wax try-in was fabricated. To evaluate the efficiency of the diagnostic wax try-in, three profile cephalograms were taken of each patient: (1) with the initial conventional prosthesis, (2) with the wax try-in, and (3) with the implant-supported prosthesis. Two analyses were carried out for the assessment of lip support: the nasolabial angle and Steiner's S-line. To analyze the amount of prosthetic compensation, two measurements-vertical and horizontal distances- were obtained for each wax try-in and final prosthesis.

RESULTS
For the Steiner's S-line, the results of the statistical tests indicated no significant difference between the initial and final prosthesis for the upper (P = .237) and lower lips (P = .237), and between the wax try-in and final prosthesis for the upper (P = .463) and lower lips (P = .463). Regarding the nasolabial angle, the results of the statistical tests indicated no significant difference between the initial and final prosthesis (P = .594), and between the wax try-in and final prosthesis (P = .800). Regarding prosthetic compensation, the results of the statistical test indicated no significant difference between the vertical (P = .753) and horizontal evaluations (P = .855) carried out for the wax try-in and those for the final prosthesis.

CONCLUSION
On the basis of the data collected, it was concluded that the methods of replacing muco-supported prostheses with implant-supported fixed prostheses were efficient at maintaining the original lip design. The wax try-in was capable of predicting the future lip design and the prosthetic compensation of the final prosthesis. More studies are required to consolidate these data.


In this paper we describe the analysis, planning, design, development, implementation and evaluation of a new online Graduate Certificate in Genomic Counselling and Variant Interpretation (GCGCVI) at The University of British Columbia (UBC). Genetic counselling is now a prerequisite for diagnostic genomic testing in many countries, demanding that genetic counselling practitioners have up-to-the-moment genomic counselling skills and knowledge. Current practitioners reported a desire for more training in this rapidly developing field: our international survey revealed substantial interest in online continuing education addressing themes such as testing and clinical bioinformatics, applied variant interpretation, evidence-based genomic counselling, and other emerging genomic topics. However, our market analysis found no post-graduate program globally that offered such training. To fill this gap, our oversight team of genetic counsellors and geneticists therefore guided development of curriculum and materials, and online learning specialists developed rigorous interactive asynchronous online graduate courses through collaboration with subject matter experts, following best practices in online learning design. Since launch in September 2020, we have gathered learner feedback using surveys and focus groups, and we have used learning analytics to understand how learners engaged with each other and with course materials. Together, these have helped us understand learner behaviour and guide the continuous process of design improvement to support the learning goals of this audience of professional learners. Our courses have been reviewed and approved by the UBC Faculty of Medicine, UBC Senate, and the Province of British Columbia Ministries of Advanced Education and Health, and assessed by the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC, USA) and the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (CAGC) to enable learners to receive North American continuing education credits. To date, 151 individuals from 18 countries have succeeded in one or more course and 43 have completed the entire certificate.


This book offers a unique, critical perspective on the history of Peruvian archaeology by a native scholar. Leading Peruvian archaeologist Henry Tantalean illuminates the cultural legacy of colonialism beginning with "founding father" Max Uhle and traces key developments to the present. These include the growth of Peruvian institutions; major figures from Tello and Valcarcel to Larco, Rowe, and Murra; war, political upheaval, and Peruvian regimes; developments in archaeological and social science theory as they impacted Andean archaeology; and modern concerns such as heritage, neoliberalism, and privatization. This post-colonial perspective on research and its sociopolitical context is an essential contribution to Andean archaeology and the growing international dialogue on the history of archaeology.


Objective To evaluate trends in outpatient versus inpatient hysterectomy for endometrial cancer and assess enabling factors, cost and safety. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, patients aged 18 years or older who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer between January 2008 and September 2015 were identified in the Premier Healthcare Database. The surgical approach for hysterectomy was classified as open/abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic or robotic assisted. We described trends in surgical setting, perioperative costs and safety. The impact of patient, provider and hospital characteristics on outpatient migration was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Results We identified 41 246 patients who met inclusion criteria. During the time period studied, we observed a 41.3% shift from inpatient to outpatient hysterectomy (p<0.0001), an increase in robotic hysterectomy, and a decrease in abdominal hysterectomy. The robotic hysterectomy approach, more recent procedure (year), and mid-sized hospital were factors that enabled outpatient hysterectomies; while abdominal hysterectomy, older age, Medicare insurance, black ethnicity, higher number of comorbidities, and concomitant procedures were associated with an inpatient setting. The shift towards outpatient hysterectomy led to a $2500 savings per case during the study period, in parallel to the increased robotic hysterectomy rates (p<0.001). The post-discharge 30-day readmission and complications rate after outpatient hysterectomy remained stable at around 2%. Conclusions A significant shift from inpatient to outpatient setting was observed for hysterectomies performed for endometrial cancer over time. Minimally invasive surgery, particularly the robotic approach, facilitated this migration, preserving clinical outcomes and leading to reduction in costs.


The paper explains the theory of bureaucracy developed by William A. Niskanen. While sociologist Max Weber's analysis treats the bureaucrats as "eunuchs" or automatic machines creating the public well-being, Niskanen tries to apply standard neo-classical economic models to explain the behaviour bureaucracy as a whole. On this background he concludes that the bureaucracy will concentrate on bargaining process with the sponsor and not on improving the quality of its services. This is a simple explanation why the bureau provides systematically worse products and services to its customers than the standard firm operating on the market.


CONTEXT
Alemtuzumab is an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Between 20-40% of alemtuzumab-treated MS patients develop autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) as a side effect.

OBJECTIVE
To determine whether MS disease progression following alemtuzumab treatment differs in patients that develop AITD compared to those who do not.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS
A retrospective analysis of 126 patients with relapsing-remitting MS receiving alemtuzumab from 2012 to 2017 at a tertiary referral centre.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Thyroid status, new relapses, Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) change and disability progression following alemtuzumab were evaluated.

RESULTS
Twenty-six percent (33 out of 126, 25 female, 8 male) of alemtuzumab-treated patients developed AITD, 55% of which was Graves' disease. EDSS score following alemtuzumab was reduced in patients who developed AITD compared to those who did not (median [IQR]; AITD: -0.25 [-1 - 0.5] vs non-AITD: 0 [1 - 0]. P=0.007]. Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that the development of AITD was independently associated with EDSS score improvement (p=0.011). Moreover, AITD patients had higher relapse-free survival following alemtuzumab (p=0.023). There was no difference in the number of new focal T2-lesions and contrast-enhancing MRI lesions developed following alemtuzumab between the two groups.

CONCLUSION
Graves' disease was the most common form of AITD developed by MS patients following alemtuzumab. This study suggests that MS patients who develop AITD may have an improved response to alemtuzumab, as measured by reduced disability and lower relapse rate.


The continuous demand for increase in power output for new wind parks under strict cost constraints, the greater wind resource at elevation and the desire for fewer machines per Mega-Watt to reduce operations resulted in a demand for bigger turbines. The drive train is an important component in realizing reliable and robust wind turbines. This paper investigates a geared wind turbine. In this type a gearbox is used to convert the low rotor speed to the required high generator speed. In the market several solutions are available to constrain the gearbox in the nacelle. The used configuration significantly determines the gearbox response to rotor loads and the transmission of gearbox vibrations to the turbine. This paper investigates the effectiveness of three configurations: the three point mounting, the double bearing configuration and the hydraulic damper system. The flexible multibody modeling technique can be used to accurately characterize gearbox dynamics. The goal of this work is to use an experimentally validated multibody model of a wind turbine drive train to characterize the ability of the three configurations to minimize the introduction of non-torque loads in the gearbox and the ability to isolate the gearbox vibrations from the rest of the turbine.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


Makassar was one of those early-modern Southeast Asia kingdoms which has been seen as exemplifying The Age of Commerce, both in its trade based prosperity in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, and its decline into insignificance following conquest by the Dutch East Indies Company in 1667. However, statistical analysis of the Dutch harbourmasters registers (which listed incoming and outgoing non-Company traffic) reveals that Makassar actually succeeded in establishing new and profitable networks after a difficult period of transition. Initially the Company confined the port's private sector overseas trade and shipping within narrow limits, but by the middle of the eighteenth century new routes and traders had emerged. Whereas slaves and rice had once been predominant exports, focused upon the colonial centres of Batavia and Maluku, by the mid-1700s sea produce, in particular sea cucumbers, had become the most important commodity. This marine product was in great demand in China, and the consequent dramatic shift in Makassars commercial profile was reflected in new patterns of exchange, within which Chinese merchants and skippers gradually surpassed all other ethnicities in importance. This volume provides detailed material on shipping, crews, armament, routes, merchandise and skippers, and hence offers unique insights into both the trade of Makassar itself, and the wider transformations of Asian commerce in the eighteenth century.


Abstract PT Bank Kalbar Pontianak is one of the enterprises engaged in banking services. To win the competition and become the leading bank in West Borneo, Bank Kalbar have a vision and mission. The Bank's vision is to become a leading bank Kalbar (regional champion) in the respective regions with competitive products and services, has an extensive network, and professionally managed in boosting regional economic growth. vision, as mentioned above in addition be based on a foundation of good corporate governance (GCG) and risk management, should also be supported by three pillars, namely a strong institutional resistance, ability as an agent of regional development and the ability to serve the needs of the community. Problem in PT Bank Kalbar Pontianak associated with computer networks is the quality of the data that is less than the maximum network which broke the network, the data transfer speed is less than the maximum time for each Uploud and Download long enough. QoS (Quality of Service) is technology that applied to the WAN (Wide Area Network) that allows network administrators to be able to handle a variety of effects due to congestion (congestion) on the traffic flow of packets in the network. QoS parameters are delay / latency, jitter, packet loss, throughput, MOS, echo cancellation and PDD. QoS is needed to minimize packet loss, delay, latency and delay variation (jitter), convincing performances, mixing voice and data packets on the network is dense, and can optimize the queues to priority services such as traffic voice and traffic shaping / buffering on the network WAN. Based on calculations, it can be concluded the average value for each parameter for peak hours and hours of quiet is a delay of 24.36 ms with the index of 4, jitter of 20.44 ms with the index of 4, throughput amounted to 28.48% with the index of 4 , packet loss amounted to 0% with the index of 4. Kata kunci - Quality of Service, Delay, Jitter, Throughtput, Packet Loss.


Technical developments in neurobiology have reached a point where the acquisition of high resolution images representing individual neurons and synapses becomes possible. For this, the brain tissue samples are sliced using a diamond knife and imaged with electron-microscopy (EM). However, the technique achieves a low resolution in the cutting direction, due to limitations of the mechanical process, making a direct visualization of a dataset difficult. We aim to increase the depth resolution of the volume by adding new image slices interpolated from the existing ones, without requiring modifications to the EM image-capturing method. As classical interpolation methods do not provide satisfactory results on this type of data, the current paper proposes a re-framing of the problem in terms of motion volumes, considering the depth axis as a temporal axis. An optical flow method is adapted to estimate the motion vectors of pixels in the EM images, and this information is used to compute and insert multiple new images at certain depths in the volume. We evaluate the visualization results in comparison with interpolation methods currently used on EM data, transforming the highly anisotropic original dataset into a dataset with a larger depth resolution. The interpolation based on optical flow better reveals neurite structures with realistic undistorted shapes, and helps to easier map neuronal connections.


SB5 is approved as a biosimilar to the adalimumab (ADA) originator. Bio- and efficacy equivalence, as well as comparable safety and immunogenicity have been demonstrated in Phase I and III randomised clinical trials. In this study we want to describe the trough levels and effectiveness of switch to a biosimilar in a real-life Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) population.

 In 2 Belgian IBD centres, patients in clinical remission or stable response and treated with ADA originator were offered to enter a phase IV, interventional trial of switch to biosimilar SB5. Assessments were done at baseline, at 8 weeks, 6 and 12 months post-switch. Therapy type and dosing regimen remained unchanged the first 8 weeks; after week 8, dose adjustments could be made based on trough level and/or at the discretion of the treating physician. Trough serum ADA concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The primary outcome measurement was the description of ADA trough level over time after the switch. The secondary outcome measurements were secondary loss of response (SLOR) (defined at physician's discretion), disease activity scores and biochemical assessments (faecal calprotectin (fCal), leukocyte count (LC) and C-reactive protein (CRP)).

 In the study, 110 patients were enrolled from whom 84 had Crohn's disease and 26 had ulcerative colitis. By 12 months, SB5 was stopped in 5 patients because of high ADA antidrug antibodies at both baseline and at week 8. Nine patients presented with SLOR of whom 3 discontinued treatment with SB5, the remaining 6 patients received treatment optimisation. Table 1 displays the core results concerning the ADA trough levels over time. Table 2a and 2b display disease activity scores and biochemical parameters at the different time points.

 In this pragmatic, interventional phase IV trial, ADA trough levels remain within the therapeutic range after switch from originator to SB5. The proportion of patients in our study with SLOR is in line with what is described in literature. In patients persisting on SB5, no change in disease activity over time is observed, based on both disease activity scores and biochemical parameters.


Genetic diversity of natural Huperzia chinensis population in Northwest region of Vietnam was analyzed based on the DNA fingerprint data induced by ISSR and SCoT methods separately and combined data from both methods. The genetic diversity parameters and genetic distances among individuals based on SCoT technique were higher than ISSR technique [expected heterozygousity (HeS) was 0.2812; Shannon index (IS) was 0.4153; Percentage of polymorphic bands (PPBS) was 75.44%; Genetic similarity coefficients (GSCsS ) were in range of 0.561 - 0.947 with the average value (AGSCS) of  0.758 revealed by SCoT technique compared to HeI was 0.2394; II was 0.3515; PPBI was 60.87%, GSCsI were 0.551 - 0.986 and AGSCI was 0.860 revealed by ISSR technique. Combined data showed that genetic diversity level of investigated population (He was 0.2583; I was 0.3804; PPB was 67.46%, higher than genetic diversity level of Huperzia serrata population in the same distribution area which was previously evaluated by the same markers. Combined data also indicated the genetic similarities among individuals (GSCs) were 0.579 - 0.960 with the average (AGSC) of 0.814. ISSR method reflected more loci in the investigated plants than SCoT method but SCoT method could differentiate the tested samples better and reflects genetic diversity at higher level than ISSR method.


A problem ubiquitous in almost all scientific areas is escape from a metastable state, or relaxation from one stationary distribution to a new one1. More than a century of studies lead to celebrated theoretical and computational developments such as the transition state theory and reactive flux formulation. Modern transition path sampling and transition path theory focus on an ensemble of trajectories that connect the initial and final states in a state space2, 3. However, it is generally unfeasible to experimentally observe these trajectories in multiple dimensions and compare to theoretical results. Here we report and analyze single cell trajectories of human A549 cells undergoing TGF-β induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a combined morphology and protein texture space obtained through time lapse imaging. From the trajectories we identify parallel reaction paths with corresponding reaction coordinates and quasi-potentials. Studying cell phenotypic transition dynamics will provide testing grounds for nonequilibrium reaction rate theories.


Data Warehouses and On-Line Analytical Processing systems rely on a multidimensional model that includes dimensions, hierarchies, and measures. Such model allows to express users' requirements for supporting the decision-making process and to facilitate its afterward implementation. Although Data Warehouses typically include a spatial or location dimension, this dimension is usually represented in an alphanumeric format. However, it is well-known that a visual representation of spatial data allows to reveal patterns that are difficult to discover otherwise. Further, a multidimensional model is seldom used for representing spatial data.
 In this work we propose an extension of a conceptual multidimensional model with spatial dimensions, spatial hierarchies, and spatial measures. We also consider the inclusion of topological relationships and topological operators in the model. We analyze different scenarios showing the significance and convenience of the proposed extension.


The integration of the wave energy devices (WECs) into existing or new coastal structures could be a realistic solution to reducing their very high costs (Vicinanza et al., 2014). Nowadays very few devices have been constructed in full scale and no one is in commercial phase. The paper presents the prototype of an innovative breakwater for wave energy conversion installed in the port of Naples in 2015. The device is denominated OBREC (Overtoppin g BReakwater for Energy Conversion) and represents the world's first WEC prototype completely embedded into a breakwater, which exploits the wave overtopping process. This article shares the entire design process, from concept, the preliminary design in small scale to the full-scale prototype construction.


We study the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond pulses in the anomalous dispersion region of microstructured fibers, where soliton fission mechanisms play an important role. The experiment shows that the output spectrum contains, besides the infrared supercontinuum, a narrow-band 430-nm peak, carrying about one fourth of the input energy. By combining simulation and experiments, we explore the generation mechanism of the visible peak and describe its properties. The simulation demonstrates that the blue peak is generated only when the input pulse is so strongly compressed that the short-wavelength tail of the spectrum includes the wavelength predicted for the dispersive wave. In agreement with simulation, intensity-autocorrelation measurements show that the duration of the blue pulse is in the picosecond time range, and that, by increasing the input intensity, satellite pulses of lower intensity are generated.


The availability of reliable analytical models is essential to the optimal design of energy harvesters and for the prediction of the system behavior. In this paper, we consider a low-input nonlinear system based on a flexible buckled beam forced in a bistable configuration. The harvester has been demonstrated to generate power in the excess of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$400~\mu \text{W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with the optimal resistive load of 15 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{k}\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a monotonic input with root-mean-square accelerations of 13.35 m/s2. The power generated is suitable for powering low-power measurement systems or sensor nodes. This paper focuses on a methodology for the modeling of the mechanical dynamical behavior of the device subject to a periodic impulsive signal. A measurement protocol for the evaluation of system's hidden quantities, the beam's restoring force, and the beam's displacement between its stable states is introduced. A second-order behavioral model with a nonlinear term representing the beam's restoring force has been used. In order to model the nonlinearity, two different potential energy functions have been compared by fitting the models to the experimental data with different constrains, through a performance index evaluating the fitting error.


Melanogenesis in Cryptococcus neoformans begins with the oxidation of dihydroxyphenylalanine by the enzyme phenol oxidase. The succeeding steps are very rapid. Two intermediates, dopachrome and 5,6-dihydroxyindole, have been isolated and characterized by high performance liquid chromatography. A pathway of melanin formation in C. neoformans is proposed, based on the presence of these intermediates.


Do retailers exert market power in the fresh fruit and vegetables markets? In the EU countries, as the retail industry distributes a significant part of fruit and vegetables, a non competitive behavior might have significant impact on consumption, on surplus and welfare. In this paper, we shed some light on the degree of non-competitive distortions in the French fresh fruit and vegetable markets. We analyze the market of tomato. The analysis is based on aggregate data on final consumption and prices at both shipper and consumer levels in France. The structural model is composed of a system of demand equations, supply equations and pricing equations which include terms that capture the oligopoly and oligopsony power of the retail sector and that account for product differentiation. We show that: i) elasticity of demand varies during the year ii) the exercise of market power decreases over time iii) if markets were competitive, retail price would decrease by about 2% to 12% depending on the year while shipping price might be 10% to 54% higher than observed. As a general result quantities consumed would not change significantly. We conclude that the retail sector exerts a moderate market power.


This article studies the deformability of Fang Ren Glass Cloth in strengthening autoclaved fly ash brick masonry, based on the experiment of the mechanical behavior of specimens under single-direction loading. It also analyzes grid sticking method and the effect of U、L trim strips anchoring of specimens. One polymer mortar specimen and three strengthening specimens are used in the experiment. The results illustrates that the cracking load、ultimate load and deformability of strengthened masonry are higher than the un-strengthened one. The study has also shown that anchoring is important; the effect of strengthening is remarkable when anchored well.


In this paper, we use a digital signal processor (DSP) to implement a real-time H.263+ codec. We use fast algorithms to reduce the codec computational complexity. Furthermore, the C programs are modified to take advantages of the DSP architecture and its C compiler features to reduce the on-chip memory and to increase the processing speed. In addition, a simple but effective ratecontrol algorithm is implemented to maintain the target bit rate. We can encode about 20 QCIF frames/second using one TI DSP. And the average decoding speed is about 26 QCIF frames/second.


This "little" textbook of surgery has enjoyed exceptional popularity among medical students for more than a decade, and if there has ever been justification for a concise guide to clinical practice, then this third edition nicely fills that slot. The complexities of surgical practice and the increased obligations of the practitioner to incorporate surgical judgment in the fund of knowledge upon which he draws for the proper management of patients has clearly become overwhelming to the neophyte student. There is a natural tendency among members of this group to emphasize in their undergraduate medical training those areas which they think will be most helpful to them in future practice. It must be kept in mind that most medical students do not choose surgery as a lifetime career. It is my view, then, as a teacher of surgery, that the surgical education presented to medical students—andespeciallythose who are


Objective An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of crude glycerin (0%, 6%, 12%, and 18%) used as a substitute for corn in lamb feed on the quantitative characteristics of the carcass. Methods A total of 40 crossbred Santa Inês lambs that were four months old with a mean initial weight of 21.0±0.8 kg were randomly distributed in four treatments with ten replicates. The animals were slaughtered after 66 days of confinement. The effects of crude glycerin as a replacement for corn in the diet of the lambs on the carcass characteristics, commercial cut weight and yield and carcass measurements were studied. Results There was an increasing linear effect for body weight at slaughter with the replacement of corn by crude glycerin. The dry matter and metabolizable energy intakes, weight of the empty body, hot carcass weight and cold carcass weight showed a quadratic effect, with maximum crude glycerin levels estimated at 10.9%, 9.8%, 10.83%, 11.78%, and 11.35%, respectively. The initial pH was not influenced by the replacement of corn for crude glycerin, while the final pH presented a quadratic effect. The other parameters of the carcass and the weights and yields of commercial cuts were not influenced. There was also no effect of the diets on carcass morphometric measurements, except for the thoracic perimeter and the carcass compactness index, which presented quadratic and linear effects, respectively. Conclusion Crude glycerin can replace up to 18% of corn because it favours muscle tissue deposition without promoting changes in the main carcass characteristics of lambs.


The VP7 and VP4 genes of seven antigenic mutants of simian rotavirus SA11 4fM (serotype 3) selected after 39 passages in the presence of SA11 4fM hyperimmune antiserum, were sequenced. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated the following. (i) Twice as many amino acid substitutions occurred in the VP7 protein than in VP4, which has a molecular weight twice that of VP7. (ii) Most amino acid changes that occurred clustered in six variable regions of VP7 and in two variable regions of VP4; these variable regions may represent immunodominant epitopes. (iii) Most amino acid substitutions that occurred in VP7 and VP4 of these mutants were also observed in antigenic mutants selected with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (NMAbs); however, some amino acid substitutions occurred that were not selected for NMAbs. (iv) On VP7, some of the neutralization epitopes appeared to be interrelated because amino acid substitution in one site affected binding of specific NMAbs to other sites, while other neutralization epitopes on VP7 appeared to be independent, in that amino acid substitution in one site did not affect the binding of NMAbs to another distant site.


BACKGROUND
In the Netherlands there is no up-to-date information about the attitude of the public to (discharged) psychiatric patients. Also, very little is known about which population groups hold stigmatising views.

AIM
To measure the public's attitudes to (discharged) psychiatric patients and to find out whether these attitudes differ according to the background characteristics (e.g. demographics, respondent's psychiatric history).

METHOD
In our study we used attitudes collected via the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2, a psychiatric epidemiological study of the adult general population (n = 6646; aged 18-64 years). The psychiatric history of the respondents was assessed by means of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0.

RESULTS
More than 70% of the respondents stated that they had no objection to having a (discharged) psychiatric patient as a neighbour, friend or colleague. However, their ´willingness´ declined markedly, namely to less than 30%, when they were asked if they would be willing to have a (discharged) psychiatric patient as their son-in-law or baby-sitter. A comparison with other earlier Dutch studies indicates that since 1987 the willingness of members of the public to let (ex-)psychiatric patients participate in their private and/or family life has increased only very slightly.

CONCLUSION
Nowadays, just as in past decades, most Dutch citizens are not opposed to living alongside (discharged) psychiatric patients, but they have reservations about letting such persons participate in their private and family life.


: Avian spermatozoa are characterised by high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in particular docosatetraenoic (DTA, 22:4n-6) and arachidonic (AA, 20:4n-6) acids. As a result they are vulnerable to lipid peroxidation, which is considered to be an important factor of male infertility. Antioxidant systems are expressed in spermatozoa and seminal plasma and b 나 ild three major levels of antioxidant defense. The first level is based on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) which is, in conjunction with glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase and metal-binding proteins, responsible for prevention of free radical formation. The second level of defence is responsible for prevention and restriction of chain reaction propagation and includes chain-breaking antioxidants such as vitamin E, ascorbic acid, glutathione and some others. The third level of antioxidant defence deals with damaged molecules, repairing or removing them from the cell and includes specific enzymes such as lipases, proteases, DNA repair enzymes etc. In the review, profiles of PUFAs and the two first lines of antioxidant defence in avian spermatozoa are characterised. Dietary manipulation of the breeder's diet (PUFA, vitamin E and selenium) as an effective means of modulating fatty acid composition and antioxidant system is also considered. Antioxidant properties of seminal plasma and efficiencies of inclusion of antioxidants into semen diluents are also characterised. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2001. Vol 14, No. 7 : 1024-1050)


Panels were made from Arundo donax L. particles bonded with different non-modified starches as adhesive without chemical additives by hot-pressing at a low temperature (110 oC) and pressure (2.6 N/mm2). The experimental panels were tested for their physical and mechanical properties according to the procedures defined by the European Union (EN) Standard. The microstructure of samples was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Panels manufactured with potato starch had the highest modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity, meeting the standard for load bearing (grade P4 for indoor use in dry ambient) (EN 312: 2003). Panels made with corn starch and wheat flour, at a 10% level and three pressing cycles met the standard for general uses (grade P1). Panel bonded with rye bran flour achieved the best internal bond strentgh. The water resistance was poor and needs to be improved.


General Introduction Editorial Principles Bibliography Chronology Volume 1: 1870-1880 These early texts highlight the role of women in the formulation of the aesthetic movement. Ouida's novels emphasize the importance of beauty and art, even above considerations of morality. Links between emergent aestheticism and the literary mainstream are reflected in the poetry of both Meynell and Fane, while Broughton's portrayal of a male aesthete satirises the movement's close association with Oxford and Oscar Wilde. Ouida [Marie Louise de la Ramee] Folle-Farine (1871), excerpts Princess Napraxine (1884), excerpts A C Thompson [Alice Meynell] Preludes (1875) The Colour of Life and Other Essays on Things Seen and Heard (1896) Rhoda and Agnes Garrett Suggestions for House Decorating in Painting, Woodwork and Furniture (1876) Violet Fane [Mary Montgomerie Lamb, Mary Montgomerie Singleton, Mary Montgomerie Currie and Lady Currie] The Queen of Fairies (A Village Story) and Other Poems (1876) A Mary F Robinson [Mary Darmester and Mary Duclaux] A Handful of Honeysuckle (1878) Rhoda Broughton Second Thoughts (1880), excerpt Editorial Notes List of Sources Volume 2: 1880s and 1890s The writing of the 1880s and 1890s saw the aesthetic movement in multiple guises. Crane's focus on art forms a central tenet of aestheticism and Malet's emphasis on the visual sits at the heart of her fiction. Wooton's short stories examine the female aesthete's interests and temperament and Levy's poems explore melancholy as the condition of the modern age. In 'Equal Love', Bradley and Cooper - writing as Michael Field - push at the boundaries of aestheticism towards decadence. Lucy Crane Art and the Formation of Taste, Six Lectures by Lucy Crane (1882), excerpt Lucas Malet [Mary St Leger Harrison, nee Kingsley] Mrs Lorimer (A Sketch in Black and White) (1882), excerpts The Wages of Sin: A Novel (1891 rpt 1893), excerpts Amy Levy A Minor Poet and Other Verse (1884) Janey Sevilla Campbell [Lady Archibald Campbell nee Callendar] Rainbow Music or The Philosophy of Harmony in Colour Grouping (1886) Mabel Wotton A Pretty Radical and Other Stories (1890), excerpts Michael Field [Katharine Bradley and Edith Cooper] A Question of Memory (1893), excerpts 'Equal Love', Pageant (1896) Florence Farr [Florence Emery] The Dancing Faun (1894) Una Taylor Nets for the Wind (1896), excerpts Editorial Notes List of Sources Volume 3: Yellow Book Writers All the authors represented here contributed to The Yellow Book. The publication was so influential that the 1890s became known as 'the yellow nineties'. Lee and D'Arcy write with authority on art and aesthetics, while much of the poetry of Marriott-Watson's The Bird-Bride is inspired by works of art. Music and art infuse the work of Custance's Opals, whereas A Light Load by Radford resonates with love, loss and despair. The short stories included continue the themes of aestheticism, with Nesbit's portrayal of an independent woman with whom the story's narrator falls in love, and Syrett tells the tale of an impoverished artist whose work is compromised by commercialism. Vernon Lee [Violet Paget] Baldwin (1886), excerpts Juvenilia (1887), excerpts Graham R Tomson [Rosamund Marriott Watson] The Bird-Bride: A Volume of Ballads and Sonnets (1889) Gilbert H Page [Ella D'Arcy] 'The Smile', Argosy (1891) 'In a Cathedral', Argosy (1892) 'Personality in Art', Westminster Review (1893) John Oliver Hobbes [Pearl Richards] A Sinners Comedy (1894) Some Emotions and a Moral (1891) Charlotte Mew 'Passed', Yellow Book (1894) Dollie Radford A Light Load (1891) Songs and Other Verses (1895) Edith Nesbit 'Miss Lorrimore's Career', Sylvia's Journal (1894) Netta Syrett 'Fairy Gold', Temple Bar (1896) Olive Custance Opals (1897) Editorial Notes List of Sources


There are few resources amongst contemporary Chinese literary criticism that manage to weave such insightful literary readings and incisive historical research as Kristin Stapleton's Fact in Fiction: 1920s China and Ba Jin's Family. The book accomplishes three feats, as set out by Stapleton in her introductory chapter, simultaneously incorporating a history of twentieth-century Chengdu (and its relevance to the developments in China during this period, more broadly) alongside the author's biography of Ba Jin's formative years in the city and the historiographical context of his novel Family. Such an undertaking by a less skilled author would have, perhaps, produced a work which simplifies the rich historical underpinnings of Ba Jin's Family to supplementary readings of the novel, coupled with incidental evidence of the political and social machinations of the city in which its author grew up. Not so under Stapleton's careful guidance. By reading the social and economic development of early twentiethcentury Chengdu as much as its fictional counterpart in Ba Jin's Turbulent Stream trilogy, Stapleton provides a perceptive reading of Family which invites the reader to consider how fiction can enrich and enliven our understanding of history.


The present article describes an algorithm developed for computing the position and the equivalent diameter of bubbles featuring in two-dimensional fluidized beds simulated by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) multiphase-flow codes. The program is presented for two-dimensional systems; nevertheless, following the same logic herein outlined, it can be easily extended to the more general case of three-dimensional beds. In this work, by "equivalent diameter" it is meant the diameter of the circle having the same area as the bubble. The procedure is intended as a useful tool in the validation of the results of numerical simulations aimed at investigating the fluid-dynamic behavior of fluidized beds operating in the bubbling regime. The algorithm, presented here without making reference to any specific programming language, can be run in any CFD commercial code, provided that the language and the syntax used are consistent with those required by the particular code adopted. The logic of the program is first illustrated in general terms, and afterwards by making reference to an illustrative example regarding a Geldart Group B powder fluidized by means of air. In this specific case, the equations of motion used to describe the dynamics of the system have been based on the work by Mazzei et al. (2006), the commercial CFD code used has been CFX 4.4 and the programming language applied to implement the algorithm has been Visual Fortran 6.6.


A FORWARD-BACKWARD FLUENCE MODEL FOR THE LOW-ENERGY NEUTRON BOLTZMANN EQUATION Gary Alan Feldman Old Dominion University, 2003 Director: Dr. John Tweed In this research work, the neutron Boltzmann equation was separated into two coupled integro-differential equations describing forward and backward neutron fluence in selected materials. Linear B-splines were used to change the integro-differential equations into a coupled system of ordinary differential equations (O.D.E.'s). Difference approximations were then used to recast the O.D.E.'s into a coupled system of linear equations that were solved for forward and backward neutron fluences. Adding forward and backward fluences gave the total fluence at selected energies and depths in the material. Neutron fluences were computed in single material shields and in a shield followed by a target configuration. Comparison was made to Monte Carlo modeling of the Boltzmann equation for the same material configuration. Slabs of aluminum, copper, and Martian regolith served as single material shields. The Forward-backward model fluences are accurate for energies above 4 MeV at all depths in these media. There is less accuracy for energies below 4 MeV, but the forward-backward model results are more accurate than past calculations and provide approximately an order of magnitude improvement. An aluminum shield followed by a water target configuration was also investigated using the forward-backward model. The resulting fluence is accurate in the aluminum shield, but less accurate in the water target. It is suspected that this is largely due to inaccuracies in the material cross sections that were used in the modeling. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Dr. Herbert 0 . Feldman and Mrs. Charlotte F. Feldman. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.


A polarizing interferometer has been constructed for the measurement of transfer functions of photographic objectives. The polarizing system of the interferometer consists of a modified Savart plate of effectively varying thickness to obtain a continuous lateral shift of the aperture of the objective and of a Soleil–Babinet compensator for the accurate measurement of the phase of the function. Fringes have also been observed whose deformations represent lateral aberrations. Comparisons were made between the experimental results and those which were obtained by geometric-optical calculations from the lateral aberrations.


In this study we investigated the relationship between the sensitivity to forest fragmentation of bird species and their habitat spatial distribution. We hypothesized that a homogenous spatial distribution is associated to habitat-generalist species, which would tend to be less sensitive to forest fragmentation; in contrast, a heterogeneous spatial distribution would drive to an increase of sensitivity to forest fragmentation. We concentrated on analyses of the suboscine birds, which are known to be closely associated to microhabitats. Field data was obtained in the Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy (23°27′ S, 51°15′ W), southern Brazilian Atlantic forest. This reserve has high Biotic Integrity levels, with a relatively high number of recorded suboscines. Forty three species of suboscines were recorded, of which 21 species were considered to have high sensitivity and 22 to have low sensitivity to forest fragmentation. There was no association between levels of sensitivity to forest fragmentation and spatial distribution of suboscines. We only found significant correlation with the group of the subcanopy suboscines at the northern portion of Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy. Therefore, we found a weak relationship between spatial distribution (habitat specialization) and sensitivity to forest fragmentation. The fact that habitat-specialist birds tend to live at the northern portion of Godoy State Park, which has the first type of terrain in a landscape to be converted into agriculture, indicate that that region has special importance for conservation.


The purpose of this research is to concentrate on aspects of organisation culture in an advertising agency and how they help us in understanding professional tensions and conflicts. To do so I have looked within advertising agencies and endeavoured to understand their organisational dynamics. Advertising business is known for stress and tension (Kover and Goldberg, 1995). From the tension of 'pitching' Is a key step in winning a client account, here several agencies are invited to respond in person to the advertise brief. This is an important stage to demonstrate potential and add value to the product or client. Based on aesthetic values the client the makes a judgement to pass the responsibility to pass the responsibility to develop an advertisement for the product for a client to the development of an advert, the agency goes through a variety of stages where conflict, stress, internal politics and tension influence the outcome. One such tension which this research attempts to understand is the ongoing professional tussle between the creative division of an advertising agency and management. This tension between the two bodies has been studied by advertising research however these studies have only attempted to describe the conflicts that exist as well as suggest what the advertising industry can do in an attempt to tackle these scenarios. Alternatively this research applies concepts of Organisational Behaviour (OB) such as culture and identity to grasp the reasons behind this professional tension. It also recognises a strong link between identity and culture. Therefore the research challenges the common view of organisational culture, that is, it portrays culture as a form of normative control unlike the conventional notion of culture as the means of unison and conformity without resistance within an organisation. This approach will examine what role culture plays in the professional lives of an advertising agency. To analyse the role of culture as a form of control I developed a methodology that targets multiple facets of organisational culture. This research is based on a case study of an Aotearoa, New Zealand based advertising agency (pseudonym Organisation B). It involved the use of various research approaches including story or narrative analysis and rich pictures to capture the core assumptions, values and beliefs that sometimes surfaced as resistance within this agency. As a result of completing this case study I achieved some understanding of reasons that may trigger tension within an agency. I learnt of the normative and bureaucratic forms of controls used within this contemporary organisation and the rationale behind their development which I have referred to as the overarching story of Organisation B. This research also provides a new dimension to advertising research by focusing on the role of organisational culture and identity in fostering professional conflicts within an agency. This research has emphasized the role of organisational culture as a control mechanism for those in management positions. In this particular agency this is achieved via the development of a 'laid back' and 'casual' culture which is carefully designed by the owners of the business thus providing them an opportunity to curtail any resistance originating within the culture. Nevertheless, members of this agency continue to channel their resistance by striving towards the ideal creative identity. The implications of the findings to the larger advertising industry suggest that: i) Growing advertising agencies need to consider fractional views embedded in their organisational structures and realise that cultural change does not happen in isolation. ii) The research also proposes that having a strong culture is not synonymous to success and unity among a workforce. iii) There is a need to maintain a balance between creativity and strategic planning, as they are both crucial in an advertising industry.


We report on a diode-pumped Tm:KYW microchip laser generating 1 W continuous-wave output power. The laser operates at a wavelength of 1.94 μm in the fundamental TEM(00) mode with 71% slope efficiency relative to the absorbed pump radiation and 59% slope efficiency relative to the incident pump radiation. The optical-to-optical laser efficiency is 43%.


America has a historic and highly romanticized affair with the ideal of the private and the individual as appropriate units of focus in determining social good. If a child is part of that private landscape, it is deemed a private matter. Children are like any other item of consumption, a matter of individual preference and individual responsibility. This stance has even been taken by self-identified feminist legal scholars and scholars otherwise aligning themselves with progressive positions. Of particular relevance to debates about dependency are feminist attempts to show the ways in which the dichotomous concepts of public and private have significant political implications. The idea that the private is generally preferable as a means of responding to need and dependency is more and more firmly enmeshed with our sense of social justice.This article argues the opposite, asserting the necessity of a public responsibility for dependency – a status or condition that historically has been deemed appropriately assigned to the private sphere. The privatization of dependency continues unequal and gendered division of family labor, which burdens women more than men.Dependency warrants a more public, supportive, and collective response to the needs of caretakers. Caretaking labor should not be viewed as socially productive only when directed at improving the situation of others. The arguments made about exploitation in regard to caretaking are applicable to the situation of those who are providing for the needs, growth, and maintenance of society and its institutions but whose labor is undervalued within our version of the ideology free market capitalism. Arguments that began with recognition of caretaking evolve into a claim for universal provision of basic social goods based simply on recognition of un- or undercompensated contributions to society and its institutions and the fact that contributions should be valued in a public, positive, and egalitarian fashion.


The present study deals with the anomalous heat capacity peak and thermal conductivity of BaVS$_3$ near the metal-insulator transition present at $69$ K. The transition is related to a structural transition from an orthorhombic to monoclinic phase. Heat capacity measurements at this temperature exhibit a significant and relatively broad peak, which is also sample dependent. The present study calculates the entropy increase during the structural transition and we show that the additional entropy is caused by enhanced electron scattering as a result of the structural reorientation of the nuclei. Within the model it is possible to explain quantitatively the observed peak alike structure in the heat capacity and in heat conductivity.


Abstract. The incidence of neonatal septicaemia associated with prolonged rupture of foetal membranes, discoloured amniotic fluid and/or maternal fever was investigated. A total of 807 blood cultures were performed on 329 neonates, the placental end of 239 umbilical cords and on 239 mothers. The study showed that in 97% of the neonates with a complicated delivery there was no evidence of septicaemia. Septicaemia was verified in 3% of the infants, and was intimately associated with low birth weight (p=0.02), neonatal asphyxia (p<10‐4), clinical evidence of septicaemia (p<10‐4) and maternal fever (p=0.002). The incidence was particularly high in premature infants with neonatal asphyxia (27%) and in neonates born to febrile mothers (20%). None of the mothers showed any evidence of septicaemia, and haematogenous, transplacental spread of infection to the child was not seen. Routine prophylactic antibiotic therapy in neonates with a complicated delivery should therefore be reserved, in our opinion, for those infants at high risk of infection.


Depression is a debilitating disorder that often starts manifesting in early childhood and peaks in onset during adolescence. Neurocognitive impairments have emerged as clinically important characteristics of depression, but it remains controversial which domains specifically index pre-existing vulnerability, state-related or trait-related markers. Here, we disentangled these effects by analysing the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development dataset (n = 4626). Using information of participants' current and past mental disorders, as well as family mental health history, we identified low-risk healthy (n = 2100), high-risk healthy (n = 2023), remitted depressed (n = 401) and currently depressed children (n = 102). Factor analysis of 11 cognitive variables was performed to elucidate latent structure and canonical correlation analyses conducted to probe regional brain volumes reliably associated with the cognitive factors. Bayesian model comparison of various a priori hypotheses differing in how low-risk healthy, high-risk healthy, remitted depressed and currently depressed children performed in various cognitive domains was performed. Factor analysis revealed three domains: language and reasoning, cognitive flexibility and memory recall. Deficits in language and reasoning ability, as well as in volumes of associated regions such as the middle temporal and superior frontal gyrus, represented stateand traitrelated markers of depression but not pre-existing vulnerability. In contrast, there was no compelling evidence of impairments in other domains. These findings—although cross-sectional and specific to 9–10-year-old children—might have important clinical implications, suggesting that cognitive dysfunction may not be useful targets of preventive interventions. Depressed patients, even after remission, might also benefit from less commonly used treatments such as cognitive remediation therapy.


phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) is an essential enzyme for the NAD + salvage pathway and dysregulated in diabetes. Hypothesis: Nampt activation results in rescued NADH/NAD + ratios and provides pharmacological changes necessary for diabetic cardioprotection. Computer docking shows that P7C3 allows for enhanced Nampt dimerization and association. Methods: To test the pharmacological application, we utilized male leptin receptor-deficient ( db/db ) mice and treated with Nampt activator P7C3 (1-(3,6-Dibromo-carbazol-9-yl)-3-phenylamino-propan-2-ol). The effects of four-week P7C3 treatment on cardiac function were evaluated along with molecular signaling changes for p-AKT, p-eNOS, and SiRT-1. Results: The cardiac function evaluated by ECG and Echo were significantly improved after four-weeks of P7C3 treatment. Biochemically, higher NADH/NAD + ratio in diabetic heart were rescued by P7C3 treatment. Moreover, activities of Nampt and Sirt1 were significantly increased in P7C3 treated diabetic hearts. P7C3 treatment significantly decreased the blood glucose in diabetic mice with 4-week treatment as noted by glucose tolerance test and fasting blood glucose measurements compared with vehicle treated mice. P7C3 activated Nampt enzymatic activity both in vitro and in the 4-week diabetic mouse hearts demonstrates the specificity of the small molecule. P7C3 treatment significantly enhanced the expression of cardioprotective signaling; p-AKT, p-eNOS, and Beclin 1 in diabetic hearts. Nampt activator P7C3 allows for decreased infarct size with decreased Troponin I and LDH release, which is beneficial to the heart. Conclusions: Overall, the present study shows that P7C3 activates Nampt and Sirt1 activity, decreases NADH/NAD + ratio, resulting in improved biochemical signaling providing cardioprotection. We show that P7C3 is effective in the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The novel small molecule is anti-arrhythmic and improves the ejection fraction in diabetic hearts. The study successfully demonstrated that P7C3 decreases the infarct size in heart during myocardial infarction and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Biochemical and cellular signaling show increased NAD + levels, along with Nampt activity involved in upregulating protective signaling in the diabetic heart. Based on the cardioprotective properties P7C3 has high therapeutic potential for rescuing heart disease. and enhances, Nampt activity resulting in a significant increase in intracellular NAD + levels 2014), suggesting that P7C3 stimulation of Nampt could be adapted to mitigate intracellular rises in NADH/NAD + ratio in stressed cells of the diabetic heart. In a recent report, we demonstrated that Nampt activation by P7C3 protects the diabetic skeletal muscle (Manickam et al., 2022), however, the cardioprotective effects of P7C3 has not been investigated. We hypothesized that Nampt activation by P7C3 rescues diabetic cardiac function. In the present study, utilizing P7C3 as a Nampt activator in db/db mice, we show that P7C3 mitigates cardiac dysfunction by successfully enhancing key signaling molecules downstream of Nampt to promote cardioprotective features. The roles of NAD + and Nampt were previously investigated as anti-ischemic 2014; Zhang 2019) and anti-aging factors der Veer al., 2007; Imai, 2010; Yoshida 2019), however, the effects in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury along with metabolic basis and signaling of Nampt activation by P7C3 remains unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the activity of Nampt in diabetic hearts and identify pharmacological benefits that P7C3 offers in the diabetic heart via upregulating protective metabolism.


The accelerating level of interest in arctic oil and gas exploration was demonstrated in the overwhelming response to recent lease sales in the Alaskan OCS region. As development increases, the potential for accidental oil spills in the arctic marine environment increases. The need for reliable systems to detect oil trapped in a range of ice conditions remains at the forefront of continued efforts to improve response to ocean spills.


BACKGROUND Anaesthesia for awake craniotomy aims for an unconscious patient at the beginning and end of surgery but a rapidly awakening and responsive patient during the awake period. Therefore, an accurate pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model for propofol is required to tailor depth of anaesthesia. OBJECTIVE To compare the predictive performances of the Marsh and the Schnider PK/PD models during awake craniotomy. DESIGN A prospective observational study. SETTING Single university hospital from February 2009 to May 2010. PATIENTS Twelve patients undergoing elective awake craniotomy for resection of brain tumour or epileptogenic areas. INTERVENTION Arterial blood samples were drawn at intervals and the propofol plasma concentration was determined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The prediction error, bias [median prediction error (MDPE)] and inaccuracy [median absolute prediction error (MDAPE)] of the Marsh and the Schnider models were calculated. The secondary endpoint was the prediction probability PK, by which changes in the propofol effect-site concentration (as derived from simultaneous PK/PD modelling) predicted changes in anaesthetic depth (measured by the bispectral index). RESULTS The Marsh model was associated with a significantly (P = 0.05) higher inaccuracy (MDAPE 28.9 ± 12.0%) than the Schnider model (MDAPE 21.5 ± 7.7%) and tended to reach a higher bias (MDPE Marsh −11.7 ± 14.3%, MDPE Schnider −5.4 ± 20.7%, P = 0.09). MDAPE was outside of accepted limits in six (Marsh model) and two (Schnider model) of 12 patients. The prediction probability was comparable between the Marsh (PK 0.798 ± 0.056) and the Schnider model (PK 0.787 ± 0.055), but after adjusting the models to each individual patient, the Schnider model achieved significantly higher prediction probabilities (PK 0.807 ± 0.056, P = 0.05). CONCLUSION When using the 'asleep-awake-asleep' anaesthetic technique during awake craniotomy, we advocate using the PK/PD model proposed by Schnider. Due to considerable interindividual variation, additional monitoring of anaesthetic depth is recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT 01128465.


Although it has been well established that Ca(2+) plays a key role in triggering keratinocyte differentiation, relatively little is known about the molecules that mediate this signaling process. By analyzing a bovine corneal epithelial subtraction cDNA library, we have identified a novel gene that we named CLED (calcium-linked epithelial differentiation), which encodes a messenger RNA present in all stratified squamous epithelia, hair follicle, the bladder transitional epithelium, and small intestinal epithelium. The deduced amino acid sequence of CLED, based on a bovine partial cDNA and its full-length, human and mouse homologues that have been described only as ESTs, contains 2 EF-hand Ca(2+)-binding domains, a myristoylation motif, and several potential protein kinase phosphorylation sites; the CLED protein is therefore related to the S100 protein family. In all stratified squamous epithelia, the CLED message is associated with the intermediate cell layers. Similar CLED association with cells that are above the proliferative compartment but below the terminally differentiated compartment is seen in hair follicle, bladder, and small intestinal epithelia. The only exception is corneal epithelium, where CLED is expressed in both basal and intermediate cells. The presence of CLED in corneal epithelial basal cells, but not in the adjacent limbal basal (stem) cells, provides additional, strong evidence for the unique lateral heterogeneity of the limbal/corneal epithelium. These results suggest that CLED, via Ca(2+)-related mechanisms, may play a role in the epithelial cell's commitment to undergo early differentiation, and that its down-regulation is required before the cells can undergo the final stages of terminal differentiation.


Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is a safe and active treatment available for non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs). In particular, two monoclonal antibodies raised against CD20, that is Zevalin (90Y-ibritumomab-tiuxetan) and Bexxar (131I-tositumomab) received FDA approval for the treatment of relapsing/refractory indolent or transformed NHLs. RIT is likely the most effective and least toxic anticancer agent in NHLs. However, its use in the clinical setting is still debated and, in case of relapse after optimized rituximab-containing regimens, the efficacy of RIT at standard dosage is suboptimal. Thus, clinical trials were based on the hypothesis that the inclusion of RIT in myeloablative conditioning would allow to obtain improved efficacy and toxicity profiles when compared to myeloablative total-body irradiation and/or high-dose chemotherapy regimens. Standard-activity RIT has a safe toxicity profile, and the utility of pretherapeutic dosimetry in this setting can be disputed. In contrast, dose-escalation clinical protocols require the assessment of radiopharmaceutical biodistribution and dosimetry before the therapeutic injection, as dose constrains for critical organs may be exceeded when RIT is administered at high activities. The aim of the present study was to review and discuss the internal dosimetry protocols that were adopted for non-standard RIT administration in the myeloablative setting before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with NHLs.


In the Eighth Olympian, for Alcimedon of Aegina, Pindar recounts a story (31–46) that, according to a notice in the scholia, is not found in earlier Greek literature. Aeacus was summoned from Aegina to Troy by Apollo and Poseidon to help in the construction of the city's fortifications. Smoke, says the poet, would one day rise from the very battlements Aeacus built. The wall newly completed, a portent appeared: three snakes tried to scale the ramparts but two fell to earth while one succeeded in entering the city. Apollo immediately interpreted this sign: Troy would be taken 'owing to the work of Aeacus' hand' and would, moreover, be taken 'by the first and the fourth generations'. If there is literary invention here, it would seem that Pindar has drawn inspiration from three passages of our Iliad: (i) 7.452–3, Apollo and Poseidon toiled to build a wall for Laomedon; (ii) 6.433–4, there was one spot in the wall of Troy that was especially vulnerable; (iii) 2.308–29, the seer Calchas declares an omen involving a snake to signify the eventual destruction of Ilium. The general import of the passage is clear enough — descendants of Aeacus play a prominent part in the Trojan war and in the capture of the city. But the details of the portent and of the prophecy have caused much perplexity, for they cannot easily be made to correspond to the history they prefigure. It is the numbers in Pindar's account that are the chief source of confusion. On the model of the omen interpreted by Calchas (where a snake eating nine birds represents a lapse of nine years before the sack of the city) the three snakes in the Pindaric story might reasonably be expected to represent the lapse of three generations before Aeacus' great-grandson Neoptolemus played his conspicuous part in the final agony of Troy. But this interpretation of the portent forces us to explain away the fact that Troy was also destroyed by Aeacus' son, Telamon, as Pindar repeatedly insists in his Aeginetan odes (Nem. 3.37, 4.25; Isth. 6.26–31): if the snakes are taken to represent generations, one of the unsuccessful snakes in fact represents a successful conqueror. This is a disturbing inconcinnity.


Background It is unclear if new costimulatory blockade agents, such as the cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4-Ig molecule belatacept (BEL), promote or inhibit the potential for immunologic tolerance in transplantation. We therefore tested the in vitro effects of BEL on human regulatory T cells (Tregs) in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) alone and in combination with maintenance agents used in transplant recipients. Methods BEL, mycophenolic acid (MPA), and sirolimus, either alone or in combination, were added to healthy volunteer Treg-MLR, testing (a) 3H-TdR incorporation for inhibition of lymphoproliferation and (b) flow cytometry to analyze for newly generated CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ Tregs in carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester–labeled MLR responders. In addition, the modulatory effects of putative Tregs generated in the presence of these drugs were also tested using the lymphoproliferation and flow cytometric assays. Results In comparison with medium controls, BEL dose-dependently inhibited both lymphoproliferation and Treg generation in human leukocyte antigen DR matched and mismatched MLRs either alone or in combination with MPA or sirolimus. However, MPA alone inhibited lymphoproliferation but significantly enhanced Treg generation at subtherapeutic concentrations (P<0.01). In addition, purified CD4+CD127- cells generated in MLR in the presence of MPA and added as third component modulators in fresh MLRs significantly enhanced newly developed Tregs in the proliferating responder cells compared with those generated with BEL or medium controls. Conclusions BEL alone and in combination with agents used in transplant recipients inhibits the in vitro generation of human Tregs. BEL might therefore be a less optimal agent for tolerance induction in human organ transplantation.


A MnO2 -CNT-graphene oxide (MCGO) nanocomposite is fabricated using graphene oxide (GO) as a surfactant to directly disperse pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the subsequent deposition of MnO2 nanorods. The resulting MCGO nanocomposite is used as a supercapacitor electrode that shows ideal capacitive behavior (i.e., rectangular-shaped cyclic voltammograms), large specific capacitance (4.7 times higher than that of free MnO2 ) even at high mass loading (3.0 mg cm(-2) ), high energy density (30.4-14.2 Wh kg(-1) ), large power density (2.6-50.5 kW kg(-1) ), and still retains approximately 94 % of the initial specific capacitance after 1000 cycles. The advanced capacity, rate capability, and cycling stability may be attributed to the unique architecture, excellent ion wettability of GO with enriched oxygen-containing functional groups, high conductivity of CNTs, and their synergistic effects when combined with the other components. The results suggest that the MnO2 -CNT-GO hybrid nanocomposite architecture is very promising for next generation high-performance energy storage devices.