In a study of 11 organizations among 120 manufacturing, planning and sales employees, support was found for the hypothesis that a prosocial value orientation - as a personality trait - increases the likelihood that employees show a high concern for the goals of other departments. This concern, combined with a high concern for own goals, furthermore appeared to increase the likelihood of problem-solving behavior during interdepartmental negotiations. Measures of goal concerns were attained, firstly, by asking employees how important they found six specific organizational goals and, secondly, by assessing which goals were found most important by members of which department. The results of this study suggest that problem solving can be induced by selecting or developing prosocial employees, because a prosocial value orientation increases the likelihood of having broad role orientations, in which employees not only care for goals characteristic of their own department, but also for goals of other departments. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Human cloned KCNQ4 channels were stably expressed in HEK-293 cells and characterized with respect to function and pharmacology. Patch-clamp measurements showed that the KCNQ4 channels conducted slowly activating currents at potentials more positive than -60 mV. From the Boltzmann function fitted to the activation curve, a half-activation potential of -32 mV and an equivalent gating charge of 1.4 elementary charges was determined. The instantaneous current-voltage relationship revealed strong inward rectification. The KCNQ4 channels were blocked in a voltage-independent manner by the memory-enhancing M current blockers XE-991 and linopirdine with IC(50) values of 5.5 and 14 microM, respectively. The antiarrhythmic KCNQ1 channel blocker bepridil inhibited KCNQ4 with an IC(50) value of 9.4 microM, whereas clofilium was without significant effect at 100 microM. The KCNQ4-expressing cells exhibited average resting membrane potentials of -56 mV in contrast to -12 mV recorded in the nontransfected cells. In conclusion, the activation and pharmacology of KCNQ4 channels resemble those of M currents, and it is likely that the function of the KCNQ4 channel is to regulate the subthreshold electrical activity of excitable cells.


To measure the concentrations of yttrium-oxide-coated small-dispersed silicon nitride plasma powder, the air was aspirated at the amount of 10-15 litres per min through the AFA-XP filter. The filter was limed in a platinum crucible, the residuum being alloyed with Na2CO3, Na2B4O7, NaNO3 in ratio 10:5:1. The alloy was transferred into solution in which the silicon content was assessed through reactions with ammonium molybdate, and yttrium--through reactions with arsenaso III. The sensibility rate for silicon was at 0.07 mg/m3.


A topological index is a numeric quantity that characterizes the whole structure of a molecular graph of the chemical compound and helps to understand its physical features, chemical reactivities and boiling activities. In 1936, Pólya introduced the concept of a counting polynomial in chemistry and Wiener in 1947 made the use of a topological index working on the boiling point of paraffin. The literature on the counting polynomials and the topological indices of the molecular graphs has grown enormously since those times. In this paper, we study the M -polynomials of the silicate, chain silicate and oxide networks and use these polynomials as a latest developed tool to compute the certain degree-based topological indices such as first Zagreb, second Zagreb, second modified Zagreb, general Randić, reciprocal general Randić, symmetric division deg, harmonic, inverse sum and the augmented Zagreb. we also include a comparison between all the obtained results to show the better one. AMS Subject Classification: 05C07, 92E10


Over a 2-year period we have successfully inserted 70 subclavian catheters in 68 patients from 76 attempts by cephalic vein cutdown. There were no complications of catheter insertion although 40% were inserted by junior surgeons (mean survival of catheters was 16.5 days) and in 30% of patients the catheter was removed before the completion of treatment for both infective and other complications. From our results, we recommend that direct cephalic vein cutdown is the route of choice for elective subclavian access because of its safety.


Bayesian model criticism is an important part of the practice of Bayesian statistics. Traditionally, model criticism methods have been based on the predictive check, an adaptation of goodness-of-fit testing to Bayesian modeling and an effective method to understand how well a model captures the distribution of the data. In modern practice, however, researchers iteratively build and develop many models, exploring a space of models to help solve the problem at hand. While classical predictive checks can help assess each one, they cannot help the researcher understand how the models relate to each other. This paper introduces the posterior predictive null check (PPN), a method for Bayesian model criticism that helps characterize the relationships between models. The idea behind the PPN is to check whether data from one model's predictive distribution can pass a predictive check designed for another model. This form of criticism complements the classical predictive check by providing a comparative tool. A collection of PPNs, which we call a PPN study, can help us understand which models are equivalent and which models provide different perspectives on the data. With mixture models, we demonstrate how a PPN study, along with traditional predictive checks, can help select the number of components by the principle of parsimony. With probabilistic factor models, we demonstrate how a PPN study can help understand relationships between different classes of models, such as linear models and models based on neural networks. Finally, we analyze data from the literature on predictive checks to show how a PPN study can improve the practice of Bayesian model criticism. Code to replicate the results in this paper is available at https://github.com/gemoran/ppn-code.


Producing probabilistic forecasts for large collections of similar and/or dependent time series is a practically relevant and challenging task. Classical time series models fail to capture complex patterns in the data, and multivariate techniques struggle to scale to large problem sizes. Their reliance on strong structural assumptions makes them data-efficient, and allows them to provide uncertainty estimates. The converse is true for models based on deep neural networks, which can learn complex patterns and dependencies given enough data. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model that incorporates the benefits of both approaches. Our new method is data-driven and scalable via a latent, global, deep component. It also handles uncertainty through a local classical model. We provide both theoretical and empirical evidence for the soundness of our approach through a necessary and sufficient decomposition of exchangeable time series into a global and a local part. Our experiments demonstrate the advantages of our model both in term of data efficiency, accuracy and computational complexity.


Decentralized training of deep learning models is a key element for enabling data privacy and on-device learning over networks. In realistic learning scenarios, the presence of heterogeneity across different clients' local datasets poses an optimization challenge and may severely deteriorate the generalization performance. In this paper, we investigate and identify the limitation of several decentralized optimization algorithms for different degrees of data heterogeneity. We propose a novel momentum-based method to mitigate this decentralized training difficulty. We show in extensive empirical experiments on various CV/NLP datasets (CIFAR-10, ImageNet, and AG News) and several network topologies (Ring and Social Network) that our method is much more robust to the heterogeneity of clients' data than other existing methods, by a significant improvement in test performance ($1\% \!-\! 20\%$). Our code is publicly available.


Epidemiological studies suggest skeletal growth is programmed during intrauterine and early postnatal life. We hypothesize that bone development may be altered by maternal diet and have investigated this using a microswine model of maternal protein restriction (MPR). Mothers were fed a control diet (14% protein) or isocaloric low (1%) protein diet during late pregnancy and for 2 weeks postnatally. Offspring were weaned at 4 weeks of age to ad lib or calorie‐restricted food intake groups. Femur and vertebra were analysed by micro computed tomography in offspring 3–5 months of age. Caloric restriction from 4 weeks of age, designed to prevent catch‐up growth, showed no significant effects on bone structure in the offspring from either maternal dietary group. A maternal low protein diet altered trabecular number in the proximal femur and vertebra in juvenile offspring. Cortical bone was unaffected. These results further support the need to understand the key role of the nutritional environment in early development on programming of skeletal development and consequences in later life.


In this paper, a concept for the mobile robotic system by using enabling IoT technique is described and architecture for enabling the mobile robotic system using web application is also discussed. The mobile robotic system is controlled through web-based applications and the air quality of the environment is also measured. A node Micro Controller Unit (node MCU) for wireless communications is used which is interacted with robots and their microcontroller. This node MCU uploads the data to the cloud network system. The robot can be remotely controlled using web applications and data are sent and stored in the cloud successfully. By demonstrating the robotic system capabilities, it is revealed that web-based applications can be used for controlling and monitoring the robotic system, and data can be stored which can be accessed from anywhere through mobile android applications. Thus, this gives an affordable solution for accessing/monitoring the pipelines/tunnels of coal mines, oil pipelines, etc. where the exploitation of the human being is very difficult. The use of the IoT cloud also facilitates storing data which leads to a new generation of the robotic system.


The Italian wind climate is characterized by rather low annual average wind velocity, and moderately high extremes; on the other hand, Italy is one of the most seismic countries in the Mediterranean area, both in terms of frequency and intensity of earthquake occurrences . These events have to be examined to define a reliable prediction of extreme loads, and a probabilistic multi-hazard approach can be employed to investigate the performance of a structure under critical events and to ensure its acceptable performance during its entire lifetime. This paper examines the case of steel airport hangars located in areas with low seismicity, where the contribution of the wind risk can represent the most important hazard. In this framework the wind vulnerability has to be characterized with a probabilistic approach and all possible failure mechanism induced by wind loads have to be analyzed. The main objective of this paper is to provide a tool for assessment and retrofit of existing structures, as well as for the design of new structures.


In this paper the WhisperGen™ micro combined heat and power (microCHP) system, its advantages, control and possible scope for improvement are explored. Concept of active Stirling engine (ASE) is introduced. A test rig designed to test possible improvements of the efficiency and controllability of a kinematic Stirling engine based microCHP system is explained.


AIMS
This non-blinded randomised controlled trial compared the effect of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) versus local infiltration analgesia (LIA) within an established enhanced recovery programme on the attainment of discharge criteria and recovery one year after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The hypothesis was that LIA would increase the proportion of patients discharged from rehabilitation by the fourth post-operative day but would not affect outcomes at one year.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A total of 242 patients were randomised; 20 were excluded due to failure of spinal anaesthesia leaving 109 patients in the PCEA group and 113 in the LIA group. Patients were reviewed at six weeks and one year post-operatively.

RESULTS
There was no difference in the proportion of patients discharged from rehabilitation by the fourth post-operative day, (77% in the PCEA group, 82% in the LIA group, p = 0.33), mean length of stay (four days in each group, p = 0.540), day of first mobilisation (p = 0.013) or pain (p = 0.278). There was no difference in mean Oxford Knee Scores (41 points in each group, p = 0.915) or the rate of complications in the two groups.

CONCLUSION
Both techniques provided adequate pain relief, enabled early mobilisation and accelerated rehabilitation and good patient-reported outcomes up to one year post-operatively. PCEA and LIA are associated with similar clinical outcomes following TKA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B1189-96.


Development of the appropriate CD4+ T helper (TH) subset during an immune response is important for disease resolution. With the use of naïve, ovalbumin-specific alpha beta T cell receptor transgenic T cell, it was found that heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes induced TH1 development in vitro through macrophage production of interleukin-12 (IL-12). Moreover, inhibition of macrophage production of IL-12 may explain the ability of IL-10 to suppress TH1 development. Murine immune responses to L. monocytogenes in vivo are of the appropriate TH1 phenotype. Therefore, this regulatory pathway may have evolved to enable innate immune cells, through interactions with microbial pathogens, to direct development of specific immunity toward the appropriate TH phenotype.


Vanillin separation was efficiently enhanced when vanillin-imprinted polymer particles were embedded in hollow fiber membranes. Vanillin-imprinted poly(ethersulfone) hollow fiber membranes were prepared using a dry-wet spinning method. In the preparation process of the imprinted hollow fiber membranes, the vanillin-imprinted polymer particles composed of vanillin methacrylate and methacrylic acid in divinylbenzene segments were used and embedded in poly(ethersulfone) hollow fiber membranes with different contents of the vanillin-imprinted particles at 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10, and 15 wt %. Permeability of 100 mM aqueous solutions containing each vanillin and its analog toward the imprinted membrane was examined in permeation flux and separation factor. The value of the separation factor was 32 for 10 wt % loading with 93 L/(m2 h) flux, while for 2.5 wt %, the values of separation factor and the permeation flux were 9.5 and 22 L/(m2 h), respectively. This experimental evidence indicated the importance of an alterna...


This article presents the first research into designing an active sensor inspired by electric fish. It is notable for its potential for robotics underwater navigation and exploration tasks in conditions where vision and sonar would meet difficulty. It could also be used as a complementary omnidirectional, short range sense to vision and sonar. Combined with a well defined engine geometry, this sensor can be modeled analytically. In this article, we focus on a particular measurement mode where one electrode of the sensor acts as a current emitter and the others as current receivers. In spite of the high sensitivity required by electric sense, the first results show that we can obtain a detection range of the order of the sensor length, which suggests that this sensor principle can be used for robotics obstacle avoidance as it is illustrated at the end of the article.


UNLABELLED When home enteral nutrition is needed, there is still, despite the undisputed increase in the quality of life that can be achieved with a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG), a reservation in its use because this technique and its maintenance is considered to be very costly. We aim to assess the true cost of home enteral nutrition using the oral route, a nasogastric tube, and PEG. PATIENTS AND METHODS The data of 65 patients who required home enteral nutrition during 1996, were analyzed retrospectively. The access route was a nasogastric tube in 20 cases, 18 patients had PEG, and 27 candidates used an oral route. The average age was 56 years. 50% were men and 50% were women. The most common diagnoses that led to the indication were oropharyngeal-maxillofacial neoplasms and neurological disorders. In all cases the material and formula used was assessed, as were the associated complications and the cost of the at home enteral nutrition. RESULTS The average duration of the treatment was 175 +/- 128 days, and this was similar in all three groups. The average formula/day cost was slightly higher in the patients using the oral access route. The average total day cost and the average material/day cost was slightly higher in patients with a PEG. Patients with a PEG presented fewer complications than those with a nasogastric tube. The cost derived from possible complications must be higher in the nasogastric tube group, especially considering the repeated tube changes due to obstruction or loss. CONCLUSIONS The cost of home enteral nutrition is slightly lower if one uses a nasogastric tube. The greater incidence of complications that were mild but required a tube change, in this case a nasogastric tube, suggests higher indirect costs. The oral route is associated with the need for special formulae that are more expensive.


Doxorubicin (Dox) is well known for its broad spectrum anticancer activity; however it suffers from severe toxicity. The primary goal of loading Dox in different nanodelivery systems is to decrease nonspecific organ toxicity.

Dox encapsulated liposome (Doxil) has been approved by FDA for ovarian cancer and Kaposi's sarcoma treatment in United States. However, the researchers are still going on to optimize the liposomes and to compare them to other types of nanoparticles.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) have been the focus of many promising applications due to their unique properties, low cost, availability and biocompatibility. This study illustrates a simple, safe, low cost and ecofriendly technique for green synthesis of TiO2NPs from Aloe Vera leaves extract at different pH values. Doxorubicin was loaded in liposomes and conjugated to greenly synthesized TiO2NPs. Both formulas were fully characterized then they have been injected in mice bearing Ehrlich tumor and compared to aquous solution of Dox.Tumor volume measurments and histopathological examinationwere conducted. The results reveled that both formula of Dox were more efficient than aqueous Dox solution, however, Dox encapsulated in liposomes showed more efficiency in treatment of tumor.


The transition in East Germany has been characterized by an extremely rapid privatization of state-owned enterprises and by an equally rapid process of deindustrialization. The great majority of East German SOEs have been privatized and are now genuine capitalist firms with an owner with the incentive and the power to change management behaviour. Meanwhile East Germany has been deindustrialized with employment in mining and manufacturing falling to one quarter of its pre-unification level. This paper argues that the government imposed an inconsistent policy toward employment on the privatization agency, the Treuhand. Although required to take account of the shadow price of labour in the privatization negotiations (where employment subsidies were offered to prospective purchasers), the Treuhand engaged in large-scale labour shedding prior to privatization (using the market wage). Although costly from the perspective of the economy as a whole, the Treuhand had little choice given its mandate to privatize rapidly. Finding buyers for Treuhand enterprises has required single-minded focus on the issue of corporate governance and the matching of assets to management capabilities through the policy of selling to `competent outsiders' diverted attention from the possibility that such a policy would not guarantee the retention of a minimal core of industrial activity. Late in the day, the Treuhand recognized that greater use had to be made of economies of scale in management and control to achieve the forward-looking restructuring of its remaining portfolio. It was necessary to create new institutions.


OBJECTIVES
Treatment of difficult-to-treat (D2T) RA patients is generally based on trial-and-error and can be challenging due to a myriad of contributing factors. We aimed to identify risk factors at RA onset, contributing factors and the burden of disease.

METHODS
Consecutive RA patients were enrolled and categorised as D2T, according to the EULAR definition, or not (controls). Factors potentially contributing to D2T RA and burden of disease were assessed. Risk factors at RA onset and factors independently associated with D2T RA were identified by logistic regression. D2T RA subgroups were explored by cluster analysis.

RESULTS
Fifty-two RA patients were classified as D2T and 100 as non-D2T.Lower socioeconomic status at RA onset was found as an independent risk factor for developing D2T RA (OR 1.97 (95%CI 1.08-3.61)). Several contributing factors were independently associated with D2T RA, occurring more frequently in D2T than non-D2T patients: limited drug options because of adverse events (94% vs 57%) or comorbidities (69% vs 37%), mismatch in patient's and rheumatologist's wish to intensify treatment (37% vs 6%), concomitant fibromyalgia (38% vs 9%) and poorer coping (worse levels). Burden of disease was significantly higher in D2T RA patients. Three subgroups of D2T RA patients were identified: 1) 'non-adherent dissatisfied patients'; 2) patients with 'pain syndromes and obesity'; 3) patients closest to the concept of 'true refractory RA'.

CONCLUSIONS
This comprehensive study on D2T RA shows multiple contributing factors, a high burden of disease and the heterogeneity of D2T RA. These findings suggest that these factors should be identified in daily practice in order to tailor therapeutic strategies further to the individual patient.


Introduction: Loneliness and low social support can be detrimental to the health of individuals living with Alzheimer's and related dementias (ADRD) and family care partners. Restrictions on gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 create an even greater risk for social isolation. Memory Cafés are a highly replicated program that provide individuals living with ADRD and care partners an opportunity to socialize in an inclusive and supportive environment without fear of judgment, pressure, or stigma. Following restrictions on in-person gatherings, virtual Memory Cafés offer regular social engagement opportunities in an online format. While the Memory Café model has been replicated globally, their effects on loneliness and perceived social support are generally unknown. Even less is known about their impact when operating in a virtual environment. Methods: Semi-structured interviews in Spanish and English were conducted with individuals living with dementia and family care partners who regularly attend Memory Cafés hosted by partners in a Texas Memory Café Network. Interviews took place online using video conferencing software, were transcribed, then analyzed for common themes using a combined inductive and deductive approach. Results: A total of 17 interviews were conducted with persons living with dementia (n = 5) and family care partners (n = 12) who attend Memory Cafés to learn about their perceived experiences of social connectedness since COVID-19. Care partners included spouses (n = 8) and adult children (n = 4). Interviews included attendees of different Memory Café models, including in-person only (n = 2), virtual only (n = 9), and those who attend both models (n = 6). Five key themes were identified: (1) Reprieve; (2) What is still possible; (3) Connectedness; (4) Inclusivity; and (5) Value added, with ten sub-themes supporting these main themes. Discussion: Findings substantiate evidence that Memory Cafés offer important benefits for families living with dementia, providing vital new insight into the potential for virtual Memory Cafés to offer similar benefits. Findings have implications beyond the context of COVID-19, where virtual models may support the social connectedness of those living in geographically marginalized and underserved areas. Virtual models may not address the needs of all families experiencing dementia due to lack of access to technology and limitations for virtual engagement with those experiencing later stage dementia.


Relative positions of neurons within mature murine pelvic ganglia based on expression of neurotransmitters have been described. However the spatial organization of developing innervation in the murine urogenital tract (UGT) and the gene networks that regulate specification and maturation of neurons within the pelvic ganglia of the lower urinary tract (LUT) are unknown. We used whole-mount immunohistochemistry and histochemical stains to localize neural elements in 15.5 days post coitus (dpc) fetal mice. To identify potential regulatory factors expressed in pelvic ganglia, we surveyed expression patterns for known or probable transcription factors (TF) annotated in the mouse genome by screening a whole-mount in situ hybridization library of fetal UGTs. Of the 155 genes detected in pelvic ganglia, 88 encode TFs based on the presence of predicted DNA-binding domains. Neural crest (NC)-derived progenitors within the LUT were labeled by Sox10, a well-known regulator of NC development. Genes identified were categorized based on patterns of restricted expression in pelvic ganglia, pelvic ganglia and urethral epithelium, or pelvic ganglia and urethral mesenchyme. Gene expression patterns and the distribution of Sox10+, Phox2b+, Hu+, and PGP9.5+ cells within developing ganglia suggest previously unrecognized regional segregation of Sox10+ progenitors and differentiating neurons in early development of pelvic ganglia. Reverse transcription-PCR of pelvic ganglia RNA from fetal and post-natal stages demonstrated that multiple TFs maintain post-natal expression, although Pax3 is extinguished before weaning. Our analysis identifies multiple potential regulatory genes including TFs that may participate in segregation of discrete lineages within pelvic ganglia. The genes identified here are attractive candidate disease genes that may now be further investigated for their roles in malformation syndromes or in LUT dysfunction.


We investigate the entanglement properties of the Kondo spin chain when it is prepared in its ground state as well as its dynamics following a single bond quench. We show that a true measure of entanglement such as negativity enables to characterize the unique features of the gapless Kondo regime. We determine the spatial extent of the Kondo screening cloud and propose an ansatz for the ground state in the Kondo regime accessible to this spin chain; we also demonstrate that the impurity spin is indeed maximally entangled with the Kondo cloud. We exploit these features of the entanglement in the gapless Kondo regime to show that a single local quench at one end of a Kondo spin chain may always induce a fast and long lived oscillatory dynamics, which establishes a high quality entanglement between the individual spins at the opposite ends of the chain. This entanglement is a footprint of the presence of the Kondo cloud and may be engineered so as to attain - even for very large chains- a constant high value independent of the length; in addition, it is thermally robust. To better evidence the remarkable peculiarities of the Kondo regime, we carry a parallel analysis of the entanglement properties of the Kondo spin chain model in the gapped dimerised regime where these remarkable features are absent.


This is a review of the most relevant concepts on urticaria and angioedema, from their incidence and classification, to their pathogenia, hereditary, idiopathic factors, X-rays needs to reach a diagnosis and general therapeutic measures. The reviewing authors make note that the most important tools for the diagnosis of patients with urticaria and angioedema is the clinical history, with particular insistence on the causing factors here noted.


Abstract Infaunal bivalve shells were extracted from sediment cores taken in shallow seas off Phuket, South Thailand, and were scored for four types of taphonomic degradation to assess the effect that different types of bioturbation have on the preservation of such bioclasts. This gravel-sized fraction of off-reef biogenic (bivalve) sediments showed variation in the extent of degradation, depending on whether it was found in an area bioturbated by callianassid or alpheid shrimps. Cores taken in the alpheid area have a higher proportion of grains with poorly defined shape and ornamentation, a loss of surface luster and high levels of microbioerosion. In contrast, those from the callianassid area have a higher proportion of shiny, sharply defined fragments and a lower level of microbioerosion than those from the alpheid area. It is concluded that the different nature of bioturbation in the two areas accounts for the difference in preservation. In working the sediment, callianassids bury the gravel fraction, while alpheids repeatedly bring it to the sediment surface, thus exposing it to higher levels of physical and microbiological erosion. The shrimps' activities result in a difference in preservation potential of fine and coarse sediments, and this taphonomic bias will affect taphofacies interpretation. Rapid burial of gravel by callianassids also has implications for time-averaging, as a shell fragment's condition is more indicative of its residence time at the surface-water interface than its age.


Converters and nonlinear loads absorb reactive power and produce harmonics on both sides of the d.c. transmission systems. The demand of reactive power and harmonics cancelation are usually met by employing passive and active power filters. In this paper, a conventional passive filter and a new active power filter topology are suggested in order to improve the power quality of the d.c. transmission systems. The nonlinear application chosen here is the 12-pluse Line Commutated Converter High Voltage D.C. (LCC-HVDC) link. The passive filter is tuned at fixed harmonic and constant transmitted d.c. power while the active power filter is dynamically controlled for different values of d.c. power flow through the transmission line. To effectively control the active power filter, a modified harmonic pulse width modulation algorithm is suggested in order to minimize the source harmonics and force the a.c. source current to be in-phase with the a.c. mains. Comparison of simulation results using MATLAB/SIMULINK show that the suggested active filter is effective for transient and steady-state operating conditions.


We propose to optimize regular (affine) portions of CVODE-DENSE and CVODE-BAND solvers using the PLUTO polyhedral optimizer. We evaluate the effectiveness of polyhedral optimizations on two real-world ODEs; using both the varieties (BAND and DENSE) of solvers. We observed improvements of up to 2.4x on the DENSE solver and up to 1.5x for the BAND solver. This shows that SIMD vectorization is more suitable for BAND solver while loop tiling followed by OpenMP parallelization is more suitable for DENSE solver. Our contribution will make a viable case to apply on various loop transformations and polyhedral compilation techniques on ODE solvers. We also propose a GPU-based multi-level parallelization algorithm for solving the Hines matrix system generated by Hodgkin Huxley multi-compartment neuron model equations. The inner-level parallelism is achieved by employing fine-decomposition along with Exact Domain Decomposition method. The outer-level parallelism is obtained by applying parallel-in-time algorithm. CUDA's dynamic parallelism technique is used by the proposed algorithm to achieve multi-level parallelism on GPUs. On well-known neuron morphologies, our approach beats the sequential time method up to 2.5x. Also, the iterative part of the parallel-in -time algorithm used, i.e. the Parareal method converges in five to eight iterations with an average precision of 10−6 . Finally, We suggest an approximation strategy for Renormalization Group of Higher dimensions problem. Proposed approximation strategy is applied to tensor contraction computations present in the problem. Tensors are stored in Coordinate format.


OBJECTIVES
The patient perspective captured using Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) instruments provide insight into the patient condition not always captured by physician-derived assessment tools. Target patient population involvement is an essential component of PRO instrument development. We have reviewed the level of patient involvement in the development of PRO instruments used in the assessment of systemic sclerosis (SSc).

METHODS
A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to identify studies reporting PRO instruments in SSc. Studies were assessed to establish whether the PRO instruments had been developed specifically for SSc or adopted from other disease areas. Studies reporting PRO instruments specific for SSc were scrutinised for evidence of target patient population involvement in the development of the instrument.

RESULTS
A total of 58 PRO instruments that have been used in SSc research were identified. Twelve (21%) of these were developed specifically for outcome assessment within SSc populations. Of these, 5 (42%) had not reported any patient involvement in the development phase of the instrument. Five SSc PRO instruments (42%) involved target patient population in the domain/item generation stage. Four (33%) of SSc PRO instruments had undertaken cognitive interviewing to ensure item wording adequately captured the intended conceptual framework.

CONCLUSIONS
The majority of PRO instruments used to assess SSc have not involved significant target patient involvement in their development. By involving patients in the development of novel PRO instruments in SSc, we can ensure such instruments adequately capture the experiences most relevant to our patients.


Organic broiler farming is the emerging system of rearing in all over the world. Organic farming allows exhibiting the normal behavior and also provides welfare to birds that make the birds to exhibit their natural resistant against diseases. In international trade markets, organic meat gains importance due to consumer willingness over organic products. In organic farming, 100 percent organically produced feed ingredients are used for feeding. Brooding managements can be done as similar as to the commercial broiler production. Use of antibiotics in any form for prevention or increase the productivity is not allowed in the organic production. So, bacterial resistance and residual antibiotic level in meat will be decreased. Vaccination is allowed as per certain rules are given by organic farming committee that is when disease areas are known or expected and endemic in the region where the farm is located and those diseases are cannot prevent by management. Desi breeds or locally adaptable breeds of chickens only are allowed for organic broiler meat production. Each poultry house shall not contain more than 4800 chicks. Breeding techniques employing genetic engineering or against natural is not allowed. Slaughter age of organic method of reared birds is 81 days. It's the time for farmers to think of organic meat production to safeguard the people and increase their economic level.


OBJECTIVE To examine if leisure-time physical activity could cancel out the adverse effect of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study prospectively examined the combined effect of clinical diabetes and reported leisure-time physical activity on cardiovascular mortality. Data on 53,587 Norwegian men and women participating in the population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study (1995–1997) were linked with the Cause of Death Registry at Statistics Norway. RESULTS Overall, 1,716 people died of cardiovascular disease during follow-up through 2008. Compared with the reference group of 3,077 physically inactive people without diabetes, 121 inactive people with diabetes had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.81 (95% CI 1.93–4.07). The HR (95% CI) among people who reported ≥3 h of light activity per week was 0.89 (0.48–1.63) if they had diabetes (n = 403) and 0.78 (0.63–0.96) if they did not (n = 17,714). Analyses stratified by total activity level showed a gradually weaker association of diabetes with mortality with increasing activity level (Pinteraction = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that even modest physical activity may cancel out the adverse impact of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality.


This thesis aimed to extend knowledge of the perceived motivationally-relevant influences of coaches, parents and peers during athlete development in sport. In doing so this thesis addressed existing limitations in research to date exploring social agent motivationally-relevant influences. The thesis employed a mixed-methods methodology, whereby the findings from all studies contributed to answering the thesis' aims. Study 1 retrospectively explored perceptions of coach, parent and peer motivational influence across athlete development. Four investment stage football players (M age = 18.5 years, SD = 0.6) with an average of 13 (SD = 1.4) years footballing experience, and four of their parents, were interviewed to investigate their perceptions of coach, parent and peer motivationally-relevant influence during the athletes' sampling, specialising and investment stages of development. Inductive analysis of the interview transcripts identified five categories of perceived social agent motivationally-relevant influence that were consistent amongst each social agent and across each development stage. Each social agent was perceived by participants to play a role in each of the following motivationally-relevant categories of social agent influence: relationship factors, interpersonal interactions, support for development, support for performance, and feedback and evaluation. The categories were somewhat supportive and reflective of those outlined in other models of motivationally-relevant social agent influence, and the categories were configured into a proposed model. Study 2a aimed to determine the structural nature of the proposed model of perceived motivationally-relevant social agent influence in sport, specifically to determine whether social agents were perceived to provide independent or combined influences. Two hundred and twenty-nine athletes from a wide range of sports, and representing either the sampling, specialising or investment stages of athlete development, participated in the study. Participants completed a range of psychometric measure subscales, adapted to reflect each of the three social agents, and which had been identified as relating to the categories of perceived motivationally-relevant social agent influence within the model proposed in Study 1. Using confirmatory factor analysis methods, a range of structural models were compared to determine which best fit the collected data regarding the perceived motivationally-relevant social agent influences in sport. The model which best fit the data consisted of 18 variables demonstrating that coaches, parents and peers had distinct perceived motivationally-relevant influences across 6 categories, including the splitting of the interpersonal interactions category into two distinct variables: relationships, conflict, conflict resolution, support for development, support for performance, and feedback and evaluation. Study 2a demonstrated that within, the context of the proposed model of perceived motivationally-relevant social agent influence, coaches, parents and peers have distinct but similar categories of influence. Study 2b aimed to extend the findings of Studies 1 and 2a by exploring differences in perceptions of the social agent motivationally-relevant influence between participants in the sampling, specialising and investment developmental stages. The data from the same 229 participants from Study 2a was used to explore differences between participants in each developmental stage in relation to each category of perceived motivational influence. Results identified some significant differences between developmental stages, with coaches in particular perceived to have larger motivationally-relevant influences amongst athletes in the sampling stage than those in the specialising and investment stages. The findings of Study 2b also suggested that some variables of perceived social agent motivationally-relevant influence in sport within the proposed model may not have accurately reflected the underlying constructs for some social agents, such as perceived relationship quality, support for development and support for performance with parents, or perceived conflict with the coach. In line with the mixed methods methodology, the discussion chapter considered the findings from all studies within the thesis to clarify the proposed model of perceived motivationally-relevant social agent influence during athlete development. The final model was proposed to consist of 18 latent variables representing coach, parent and peer influences in each of the following categories: relationship factors, negative interactions, positive interactions, support for development, support for performance, and feedback and evaluation. The thesis concluded with a critical consideration of this proposed model within the context of existing literature and proposals for future research directions and applied implications.


The purpose of the present study was to estimate dietary fiber components in raw vegetables and processed by different methods. Samples of 8 raw, 15 boiled, 5 fermented, 5 fried and 2 canned vegetables were analyzed. Results indicated the sample vegetables after being boiled, canned, fermented and fried, presented alterations in the dietary fiber insoluble and soluble components, e.i., by interaction or solubility tending to an increase or decrease of its components. Results obtained in the dietary fiber components of processed vegetables, in the sample analyzed, presented variations among them with the different processing techniques.


This report considers how a transition to driverless road freight transport could happen. Today's technology already makes it possible to operate automated trucks. Reduced reliance on humans to move road freight in the future could offer large cost savings for business and consumers. It could also disrupt the careers and lives of millions of professional truck drivers. Based on different scenarios for the large-scale introduction of automated road freight transport, this study makes recommendations to help governments manage potential disruption and ensure a just transition for affected drivers.Three leading transport-sector organisations joined the International Transport Forum for this study to assess benefits, costs and risks of driverless trucks. The International Road Transport Unions, the International Transport Workers' Federation and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association contributed data and insights on driverless technology in the road freight sector as well as funds for the research.This report is part of the International Transport Forum's Case-Specific Policy Analysis series. These are topical studies on specific issues carried out by the ITF in agreement with local institutions.


Summary Implant placement in the esthetic zone is a complex procedure and requires a restoration-driven approach. Proper selection of patients and implant together with individual assessment of the risk of esthetic complications are very important. Correct 3D-implant positioning and sufficient bone volume should provide long-term esthetic and function. Esthetic region is a zone in which expectations and possibilities collide. Clinician should bring the important decision on the appropriate time of implant placement. Immediate implant placement is particularly challenging in the esthetic zone. Patient desire for reduced treatment time should be weighed against the possible risk factors. Protocol of immediate implant placement in conditions of unfavourable gingival biotypes, the lack of bone or soft tissue in patients with a high smile line lead to esthetic failure which is very important in the esthetic region.


Summary

1. Current efforts to model population dynamics of high-value tropical timber species largely assume that individual growth history is unimportant to population dynamics, yet growth autocorrelation is known to adversely affect model predictions. In this study, we analyse a decade of annual census data from a natural population of big-leaf mahogany Swietenia macrophylla King to quantify the strength and duration of growth autocorrelation, and experimentally investigate the role of crown vine coverage, a major predictor of performance.

2. The sample population consisted of 358 trees >10 cm diameter. The relative contributions of predictor variables including diameter, crown vine coverage and growth history to models of growth and mortality were evaluated using Akaike's Information Criterion. Autocorrelation among trees was incorporated into growth models using generalized least squares. We experimentally removed vines from heavy-laden trees to test the strength and persistence of their impact on stem diameter growth.

3. Previous growth explained the highest amount of variation in annual diameter growth; the best-fitting model of autocorrelation was an AR(7) autoregressive model, indicating that autocorrelation persisted throughout the study period. Other factors explaining variation in growth were, in decreasing order of importance: year of measurement, crown vine coverage, diameter, crown illumination and fruit production. The best logistic regression model for mortality retained diameter growth plus crown vine coverage as predictors of risk.

4. The vine release experiment strongly supported these results. Released trees grew faster than control trees but required ≥5 years to approach growth rates of trees with minimal vine coverage. Trees with heavy vine coverage also experienced higher mortality rates.

5. Synthesis and applications. These results indicate that growth autocorrelation is strong, persistent, and an important predictor of future performance; demographic models for tree growth and yield projections can be improved by accounting for growth history. Our results also indicate that targeted silvicultural practices such as vine cutting can increase long-term growth and timber yield. These findings further current understanding of tropical tree growth and survival, and offer improved management tools for sustainable harvest practices for mahogany and similar species.


The strictly anaerobic bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum is well known for its ability to convert sugars into acids and solvents, most notably the potential biofuel butanol. However, the regulation of its fermentation metabolism, in particular the shift from acid to solvent production, remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cell-cell communication plays a role in controlling the timing of this shift or the extent of solvent formation. Analysis of the available C. acetobutylicum genome sequences revealed the presence of eight putative RNPP-type quorum sensing systems, here designated qssA to qssH, each consisting of RNPP-type regulator gene followed by a small open reading frame encoding a putative signalling peptide precursor. The identified regulator and signal peptide precursor genes were designated qsrA to qsrH and qspA to qspH, respectively. Triplicate mutants were generated for each system in C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 and screened for phenotypic changes. Endospores counts after 7 days were only affected in the qsrG-deficient strains, whereas solvent formation was affected in all mutants with the exception of the qsrD-deficient strains. The qsrB mutants were of particular interest as they showed increased solvent formation during early solventogenesis. Overexpression of qsrB considerably reduced solvent and endospore formation, suggesting that it acts as a repressor. Addition of short synthetic peptides representing internal fragments of QspB counteracted QsrB-mediated repression and restored both solvent production and sporulation. Together, these findings support the hypothesis that QssB is a functional quorum sensing system involved in the regulation of early solventogenesis and sporulation.


We analyze variations of energetic particle fluxes measured by low altitude spacecraft after interplanetary shock arrivals and around the times of significant geomagnetic storms. Data from two different spacecraft and energetic particle detectors are used and compared. First, we use data measured by the energetic particle detector (IDP) onboard the Detection of Electro-Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions (DEMETER) spacecraft. The spacecraft operated between 2004 and 2010 on a circular Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of initially 710 km, which was decreased to 660 km in December 2005. The IDP instrument measured electron flux close to the loss cone at energies between about 70 keV and 2.3 MeV (128 energy channels). Second, we use data measured by the Space Application of Timepix Radiation Monitor (SATRAM) onboard the Proba-V satellite operating since May 2013 on a circular Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 820 km. The semi-conductor based pixelated radiation detector called Timepix is capable of detecting all charged particles and X-rays with sufficiently high energies. Electron energies higher than about 2 MeV and proton energies higher than about 20 MeV are detected. We identify the times of interplanetary shock arrivals and significant (Dst < –100 nT) geomagnetic storms during the mission durations. Then we perform a superposed epoch analysis to reveal characteristic particle flux variations around these times at different energies and L-shells. Although the used satellite missions do not overlap in time, we aim to compare the revealed flux variation signatures between these two independent data sets.


Compound semiconductor GaAs crystal was grown by the pulling-down method and the Φ2" GaAs boules were obtained. The growth defects, such as growth stripes, small facets, pits and dislocations, were observed. The pits on the surface of the boule was attributed to the water content of B2O3 encapsulant and the growth defects on the tail were associated with the evaporation of As due to GaAs decomposition. The average EPD (etch pit density) was measured less than 5000 cm-2, which shows the pulling-down method was a potential technique to grow high quality GaAs crystals.


A sol type anti-felting agent containing PPD-[Si(OH)3]2 synthesized and applied to the wool with pad-dry-cure process. The structure of the prepolymer was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and the film transparency and the fiber microstructure were proved though UV-vis analysis and WAXD. The results indicated that the coating could endow a better anti-felting effect with low curing temperature at 120°C and 3 min, the area shrinking rate from13.44% of the original fabric decrease to 2.86% of the treated samples without strength decreased and handle changed stiff seriously, which accord with the IWS Test Method 31 standard.


The high demand for wireless Internet connectivity has driven the development of highly efficient radio link technologies. However, their performance can be compromised by inadvertent interactions with the higher-layer TCP flow control protocol. Maximizing the performance of wireless links requires that mechanisms operating at every layer of the protocol stack interact efficiently. This article provides a brief tutorial of some of these radio link enhancements. It then outlines how higher-layer flow control protocols should behave, and provides techniques for taming the behavior of TCP, to ensure that the performance of lower-layer enhancements is not compromised.


Six patients with asthma (American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria), maintained on inhaled beta 2-agonists alone, were treated with inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide 400 micrograms b.d.) for a period of three months. Prior to steroid therapy, baseline spirometry, bronchodilator response and bronchial hyperresponsiveness were documented and endobronchial biopsies were obtained for immunopathological analysis. Frozen sections of the biopsies were investigated using immunoperoxidase methods, with a panel of monoclonal antibodies selected to reveal the presence and distribution of lymphocyte and macrophage subsets and HLA-DR expression. After three months the studies were repeated. Studies before steroid therapy revealed a T-cell-dominated inflammation in the bronchial wall of all subjects. Baseline airway obstruction, median (range) forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 78.5 (61-109)% of predicted, with a significant bronchodilator response 20.8 (14-33)% and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to histamine geometric mean (SD) PC20FEV1 0.69 (2.5) mg was documented. Steroid therapy caused a significant reduction in bronchial hyperresponsiveness to histamine, with an increase in geometric mean PC20FEV1 to 2.22 (3.2) mg post steroid (p less than 0.03). Concurrent with a reduction in bronchodilator response and an increase in spirometric variables (improved forced midexpiratory flow (FEF25-75) p less than 0.03), there were marked reductions observed in the overall numbers of T-lymphocytes (CD 2, 5, 8), the numbers of CD45RO+ T-cells, and the numbers of macrophages (RFD1+) with the phenotype of antigen presenting cells. In all six subjects, reductions in the quantitative expression of HLA-DR molecules were also seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Embryonic stem cells are defined by their pluripotent status, which allows them to differentiate toward all cell types of an adult organism. This pluripotency can be characterized through many parameters, ranging from morphological traits, over certain enzymatic activities, to the expression of specific pluripotency factors, taken into account that these parameters may vary depending on the pluripotent stem cell type. As such, considerable differences are seen between human and mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC), or more generally stated, between primed and naïve pluripotent stem cells. This chapter offers an overview of the markers involved and the molecular biology techniques to monitor them during both ESC culture maintenance or differentiation experiments.


FDG-PET/CT imaging plays an important role in the diagnostic evaluation of cancer. However, this technique has two major limitations: a low spatial resolution and a limited system sensitivity. Consequently, the detection of small lesions (<20 mm) is limited and PET images have a relatively low signal-to-noise ratio. Since the clinical introduction of whole-body PET 20 years ago, several techniques were introduced, such as new reconstruction methods and digital detectors, to improve the image quality and diagnostic performance of PET. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the impact of these new PET techniques on the detection of small lesions in cancer imaging. We studied the influence of conventional TOF-PET scanners and small-voxel reconstructions on small lesion detectability in lung and breast cancer. Furthermore, we studied digital TOF-PET scanners and determined their impact on semi-quantitative uptake measurements, image quality and lesion detectability in patients with cancer. Moreover, we evaluated the impact of conventional and digital PET scanners on European guidelines and procedure standards (EARL) for PET imaging using two different radionuclides. We performed three retrospective and two prospective studies in patients with cancer. We found that the use of smaller voxels and digital PET technology resulted in an improved detection of small lesions with higher standardized uptake values, higher signal-to-noise ratio's, improved visual image quality and disease upstaging in some cases. We also demonstrated that images acquired with state-of-the-art PET scanners provided higher uptake values for both benign and malignant lesions. Therefore, PET readers should adapt their reference standards to distinguish benign from malignant when evaluating PET images acquired on such modern PET systems. Meanwhile, we also demonstrated that when using standardised EARL protocols and following European guidelines, conventional and digital PET systems can be used interchangeably.


When crops of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are stressed, grain set in potentially fertile florets is reduced. Cold temperatures and boron (B) deficiency during reproductive development cause grain set failure in wheat. Patterns of grain set in cold-stressed and B-deficient wheat ears were studied under field conditions in Nepal and in controlled environments in the UK. In both B-deficient and cold-stressed circumstances, ear fertility was reduced by up to 98% but the pattern of grain set within an ear was similar. Under cold-stressed conditions, florets in the uppermost one-third of the ear were 41 to 53% less fertile than those located in the middle and basal regions. Even in the unstressed crops, the top one-third of the ear was less fertile than below by as much as 8–13%. Similarly, within a spikelet, the distal florets always had fewer grains than the proximal ones. Decreased grain set following stress markedly reduced yield per ear. We conclude that fertility should be assessed on the entire ear. The determination of competent florets should be based on the presence of well-developed ovaries, feathery stigmas and the structures of anthers (which can still be seen in the sterile florets at maturity) rather than on the length of the lemma or on judgements based on visual appearance or other subjective criteria.


Radiation fluence distribution around /sup 192/Ir and /sup 198/Au seeds of the type used for brachytherapy application was measured using a NaI crystal connected to a multichannel analyzer. The radiation fluence, determined as a function of the angle between the seed axis and the direction of detection, is anisotropic with the fluence along the seed axis amounting to 78% of that perpendicular to the seed axis for seeds of both isotopes. The region of fluence reduction is broader for /sup 198/Au seeds, extending from 0-45/sup 0/; for /sup 192/Ir the decrease in fluence is evident for angles of 0-20/sup 0/. Integration of the angular distribution over 4..pi.. geometry indicated the effective activity of the implants to be 4% and 1% less than the nominal activity for the /sup 198/Au and /sup 192/Ir seeds, respectively, based on calibration measurements perpendicular to the seed axis.


Apical constriction results in apical surface reduction in epithelial cells and is a widely used mechanism for epithelial morphogenesis. Both medioapical and junctional actomyosin remodeling are involved in apical constriction, but the deployment of medial versus junctional actomyosin and their genetic regulation in vertebrate embryonic development have not been fully described. In this study, we investigate actomyosin dynamics and their regulation by the RhoGEF protein Plekhg5 in Xenopus bottle cells. Using live imaging and quantitative image analysis, we show that bottle cells assume different shapes, with rounding bottle cells constricting earlier in small clusters followed by fusiform bottle cells forming between the clusters. Both medioapical and junctional actomyosin signals increase as surface area decreases, though correlation of apical constriction with medioapical actomyosin localization appears to be stronger. F-actin bundles perpendicular to the apical surface form in constricted cells, which may correspond to microvilli previously observed in the apical membrane. Knockdown of plekhg5 disrupts medioapical and junctional actomyosin activity and apical constriction but does not affect initial F-actin dynamics. Taking the results together, our study reveals distinct cell morphologies, uncovers actomyosin behaviors, and demonstrates the crucial role of a RhoGEF protein in controlling actomyosin dynamics during apical constriction of bottle cells in Xenopus gastrulation.


The inhibition by interferons of viral replication was studied with cell-free preparations of the enzyme RNA synthetase derived from calf kidney cells infected with influenza virus and from chick embryo fibroblasts infected with Newcastle disease virus. Calf, mouse, and chicken interferons inhibited these enzymes with the same characteristic species specificity observed in tissue culture. A mechanism of action is proposed.


Evolutionary constraints which limit the forces produced during bell contractions of medusae affect the overall medusan morphospace such that jet propulsion is limited to only small medusae. Cubomedusae, which often possess large prolate bells and are thought to swim via jet propulsion, appear to violate the theoretical constraints which determine the medusan morphospace. To examine propulsion by cubomedusae, we quantified size related changes in wake dynamics, bell shape, swimming and turning kinematics of two species of cubomedusae, Chironex fleckeri and Chiropsella bronzie. During growth, these cubomedusae transitioned from using jet propulsion at smaller sizes to a rowing-jetting hybrid mode of propulsion at larger sizes. Simple modifications in the flexibility and kinematics of their velarium appeared to be sufficient to alter their propulsive mode. Turning occurs during both bell contraction and expansion and is achieved by generating asymmetric vortex structures during both stages of the swimming cycle. Swimming characteristics were considered in conjunction with the unique foraging strategy used by cubomedusae.


We measured plasma parameters of the prothrombotic state, namely thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), fibrinopeptide A (FPA). D-dimer (DD), von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG), platelet factor 4 (PF4) and serotonin (5HT) in a series of 51 adult patients with chronic uremia: 22 were on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and 29 on conservative dietary treatment. Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) was determined as well. Uremics presented significantly higher levels of TAT, FPA, DD, vWF, TNF, beta TG and 5HT than normal controls. Patients on conservative treatment showed lower levels of TAT, DD, TNF and beta TG than patients on MHD. Our results provide evidence that a prothrombotic state exists in chronic uremia and that MHD patients have a higher degree of hypercoagulation. Both hemodialysis procedure and uremia-related factors are likely to contribute to the hemostatic derangement.


Background: Menopause was the time of life when menstrual cycles cease and are caused by reduced secretion of the ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone. the proportion of women aged menopause increases with increasing age. This study aimed to find the relationship between employment status, age at first delivery, number of children and smoking status to the incidence of early menopause in women aged 30 to 40 years. Subjects and Method: This was a cross sectional study conducted from secondary data Indonesian Health Data Survey (IDHS), 2017. The inclusion criteria were female respondents 30-40 years old with who are married and use contraceptives. The dependent variable was early menopause. The independent variables were employment status, age at first delivery, number of children and smoking status. The data were analyzed by chi-square and logistic regression. Results: This study found that women aged 30-40 years who had menopause were 10.3%. From the multivariate results, it was found that women who had more than 2 children had a 1.4 times greater risk of early menopause (OR= 1.43, 95% CI= 1.43 to 1.26). Women who have jobs have a 0.5 times greater risk of premature menopause than women who do not work (OR= 0.55, 95% CI= 0.49 to 0.61). The most dominant variable related to the incidence of menopause is the number of children. Conclusion: The family planning program needs to be increased in order to provide counseling on long-term family planning and how to plan to have children and prepare for menopause. Keywords: early menopause, number of children, childbirth age, smoking Correspondence: Iftah Tazkiyah. Master program in Public Health, University of Indonesia. Pondok Cina, Beji district, Depok city, West Java 12345. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com. Mobile: 08118002454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.02.12


The current power and influence of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") is really quite remarkable when one considers the statute was largely ignored for its first twenty-five years of existence. This statute, meant to reign in corruption by United States companies doing business abroad; has generated billions of dollars in revenue for the United States government; prompted the development of law firm practice groups and law school courses; become the subject of numerous scholarly articles; and has, arguably, made anti-bribery efforts the highest of priorities for multinational corporations engaged in robust compliance efforts. Corporations, scholars, and the public would be silly to discount the importance of understanding and maintaining compliance with the FCPA and its international counterparts. And yet, might it be that prioritization of FCPA compliance is misguided in some instances? This Essay argues that governmental actors, industry leaders, corporations, and scholars must critically assess whether the current focus on FCPA compliance has created an environment where the FCPA has developed an outsized influence within corporations' compliance efforts. This Essay asks firms to consider whether they have become so concerned with ensuring compliance with the FCPA that they sometimes fail to identify other areas of risk that are equally, and in some instances more, serious. Specifically, firms might assess whether they sometimes (i) miss when there are broader deficiencies within their compliance programs; (ii) fail to see trends across compliance areas involving diverse regulatory and legal areas; and (iii) improperly prioritize necessary revisions to their compliance programs after significant misconduct is discovered. Instead of starting with the FCPA when creating a compliance program, this Essay urges firms to assess their risks more broadly and develop compliance programs closely targeted to their risk profiles while paying careful attention not to allow the FCPA to dominate those efforts. By doing so, firms can appropriately guard against potential FCPA compliance failures while also ensuring that they properly consider and address other regulatory and legal areas of concerns.


Recently, some attractive primal-dual algorithms have been proposed for solving a saddle-point problem, with particular applications in the area of total variation (TV) image restoration. This paper focuses on the convergence analysis of existing primal-dual algorithms and shows that the involved parameters of those primal-dual algorithms (including the step sizes) can be significantly enlarged if some simple correction steps are supplemented. As a result, we present some primal-dual-based contraction methods for solving the saddle-point problem. These contraction methods are in the prediction-correction fashion in the sense that the predictor is generated by a primal-dual method and it is corrected by some simple correction step at each iteration. In addition, based on the context of contraction type methods, we provide a novel theoretical framework for analyzing the convergence of primal-dual algorithms which simplifies existing convergence analysis substantially.


The adaptive modified Fourier decomposition method (A-MFDM), a recently proposed technique to perform the modal analysis of linear and nonlinear two-dimensional dielectric waveguides, is now extended to three-dimensional scalar structures for the first time. The method includes a strategy to automatically find quasioptimum numerical parameters of the technique, which, on the one hand, improves the accuracy in relation to the known Fourier decomposition method (FDM) and, on the other, makes the method self-adaptive. To validate the performance of the method, two linear dielectric waveguides with exact solutions have been defined and analyzed. Finally, the modal analysis of an asymmetrical rib waveguide directional coupler is carried out and the obtained results confirm the clear superiority of the A-MFDM in realistic situations.


Based on isomeric ligands, (2,4′-Hpcad = N3-(2-pyridoyl)-4-pyridinecarboxamidrazone and 2,3′-Hpcad = N3-(2-pyridoyl)-3-pyridinecarboxamidrazone), two carboxylate-bridged centrosymmetric DyIII dimers, [Dy2(2,4′-pcad)2(C2H3O2)4(H2O)2]·4H2O (1) and [Dy2(2,3′-pcad)2(C2H3O2)4(H2O)2] (2), were obtained, where DyIII ions adopted a monocapped square antiprism coordination geometry, but exhibiting different distortions. Fine-tuning the structure on using isomeric ligands had a significant impact on the magnetic properties of compounds 1 and 2. Magnetic studies revealed that 1 and 2 exhibit slow magnetic relaxation behaviours under a zero direct-current field exhibiting effective energy barriers (Ueff) of 53.5 K and 132.6 K, respectively, wherein compound 2 possesses the highest Ueff in nine-coordinated Dy2 compounds. Ab initio calculations of compound 2 for magnetic interactions, magnetic axes inclination and charge distribution around DyIII ions revealed simultaneous optimization of f–f interactions between the DyIII ions and the stronger ligand field axis of individual DyIII ion, which realizes excellent performance of 2. These findings demonstrate an efficient approach to enhancing the magnetic anisotropy barrier on using isomeric ligands.


This article examines how social relationships and the feeling of "community" are fostered among African migrant Christians. It draws on data generated from participant observation, direct observation, and semi-structured interviews as part of a larger ethnographic study of families predominantly from the African Great Lakes Region who attend two born-again churches located northeast of Boston. Departing from classic assimilation theories of immigrants in the U.S. (e.g., Gordon 1964; Park 1930; Portes and Zhou 1993; Warner and Srole 1945), I contend that psycho-social well-being of immigrants is an integral part of integration. Moreover, religion as an institution and as a system of meaning (Alba et al. 2008) serves to promote that well-being, particularly for the African diaspora, which is a smaller, heterogeneous immigrant group in the U.S. who often have strong religious affiliations. In order to understand this better, I present the characteristics and practices through which intimacy is cultivated (Bielo 2009) to engender the feeling of community and build bonding and bridging social relationships (Dryden-Peterson 2009) among a more or less heterogeneous group of African migrants. Particularly in the case of bridging social ties, I show how cert,ain distinguishing characteristics that suggest difference are minimized (e.g. country of origin, ethnicity, maternal language, and/or immigrant status), whereas others that suggest similarity (e.g., "African" and "believer") are maximized. This study demonstrates that religion is crucial in the study of immigration, an intersection that was once an important area of scholarly interest (e.g., Herberg 1955) and has only recently reemerged (Alba et al. 2008).


Abstract We determined the Fe isotope fractionation between the metal and silicate phases of two aubrite meteorites, Norton County and Mount Egerton. We find that the metallic phase is high in 57Fe/54Fe with respect to the silicate phase, with Δ57Femetal-silicate = 0.08‰ ± 0.04 for Mount Egerton and 0.09 ± 0.02‰ for Norton County. These data, combined with new measurements of 57Fe/54Fe of IIIAB iron meteorites, are used to constrain the origins of the high 57Fe/54Fe exhibited by all classes of iron meteorites. We find that if the parent bodies of the iron meteorites had chondritic bulk 57Fe/54Fe values, their cores must have been unusually small (≤8% by mass). Relaxing the constraint that the bodies were chondritic in their bulk iron isotope ratios allows for larger core mass fractions commensurate with usual expectations. In this case, the elevated 57Fe/54Fe values of iron meteorites are due in part to evaporation of melt during the accretion stages of the parent bodies and not solely the result of metal-silicate differentiation.


Sixty-eight patients with acute "transmural" myocardial infarction presenting within 6 hours (range, 1.3-5.8 hours) of onset of chest pain were given intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) at a dosage of 1 mg/kg during 90 minutes. Coronary angiography at 90 minutes revealed a patent infarct-related coronary artery in 52 patients (76%). These patients were randomized either to treatment by continuous infusion of heparin alone (27 patients) or to treatment by heparin and a maintenance infusion of rt-PA at a dosage of 0.8 mg/kg during 4 hours (25 patients). Coronary angiography was repeated 60 minutes after the start of the maintenance infusion and again after 8-14 days. Acute symptomatic reocclusion of the infarct-related artery occurred during the 1-hour observation period in five (19%) patients treated with heparin alone but in none of the patients treated with rt-PA (p = 0.05). The measured residual stenosis of the patent infarct-related coronary artery was similar in the heparin-treated and the rt-PA-treated groups at 90 minutes infusion: 66±14% versus 68±13% diameter stenosis, respectively (mean ± SD) and 1.1 ± 1.1 mm2 versus 0.82± 0.7 mm2 area (p = 0.35). At 8-14 days after infusion, residual stenosis was unchanged in the heparin-treated group, but it improved to 55 ± 17% (p= 0.001) and 1.6± 1.2 mm2 (p = 0.003) in the rt-PA-treated group. At 90 minutes of infusion, residual intraluminal thrombus was observed in 29 of the 52 patients (56%) with a comparably measured distribution in the two groups (p= 0.43). At 150 minutes, however, the extent of intraluminal thrombus was significantly reduced in the rt-PA-treated group as compared with the heparin-treated group (p= 0.03). In-hospital ischemic events (symptomatic reocclusion, unstable angina, or cardiovascular death) occurred in 12 patients of the heparin-treated group but only in three patients of the rt-PA-treated group (p = 0.03). Fibrinogen levels decreased to 65 ± 21% of baseline at 90 minutes of rt-PA infusion. During the rt-PA maintenance infusion, fibrinogen fell slightly from 63± 26 to 57 ± 28% (p= 0.18). This study shows that after successful reperfusion with 1 mg/kg rt-PA during 90 minutes, a maintenance infusion of 0.8 mglkg rt-PA during 4 hours prevents acute symptomatic coronary artery reocclusion, and it reduces the frequency of ischemic events and the severity of residual coronary artery stenosis at hospital discharge. (Circulaton 1988;78:546-556)


Zooarchaeological enquiry of animals and their products in the post-medieval period has largely been disregarded in British archaeology. Yet, there is multitude of ways in which animals can inform upon the profound social and economic changes that took place during this era. This research reveals how fruitful the study of post-medieval animals can be in improving our understanding of: the meat trade; agricultural economies; urban history; industries; livestock 'improvement'; urban culture; and food consumption in England. The thesis explores the transformations in the production and consumption of animals and animal products by drawing upon primary and secondary faunal data and historical accounts. Primary investigations of animal bones excavated from Chester were analysed along with secondary faunal data from the city, in order to undertake a detailed zooarchaeological analysis of an urban centre, and to consider the potential challenges of undertaking post-medieval faunal analyses. Zooarchaeological data from urban sites in England were also sourced from grey literature and published reports to conduct a regional review of animal bones from the post-medieval period. These investigations showed that innovations in agriculture and the industrialisation of food production had a considerable effect on the size and shape of livestock, which coincided with the introduction of imported breeds and morphotypes. Animals provisioned to towns and cities reflected regional husbandry practices as well as urban supply and demand for various meat and animal products for consumption, crafts and industries. The diversity of wild mammals and birds on domestic sites demonstrated the increasing wealth generated in industrial Britain and the emergent middle classes' desire to emulate elite tastes. Other evidence points to the environmental repercussions that hunting, urban expansion and industrialisation had on the proportion of wild


Biomedical translational research can be facilitated by integrating clinical and research data. In particular, study cohort identification and hypothesis generation is enabled by the mining of integrated clinical observations and research resources. The "informatics for integrating biology and the bedside, " or i2b2, framework is widely used for this biomedical data mining. The i2b2 "star schema" data model using entity-attribute-value (EA V) formatted concepts is a very efficient strategy for querying large amounts of data. However, until the most recent i2b2 release, the utility of the platform was somewhat constrained by the limitations on being able to express "facts about facts" - i.e., modify the observations about the patients. We have found that exploiting the new modifier functionality has significantly and favorably impacted the design of i2b2 ontologies, leading to easier and more meaningful query results.


The leakage of sensitive data has been a major concern in Android ecosystem. Analysts therefore propose dynamical taint tracking to effectively track the data flow of accessed data. However, the off-the-shelf taint tracking systems lack byte-granularity support for storage tracking. In this paper, we propose DROIT+ which uses the fine-grained storage tracking technique to track data flow among Android storages. DROIT+ is able to reveal the composition of data flows. Storage tracking on Android is difficult since data flows of apps may span heterogeneous media including memory, SD cards, NAND Flash, and network adapters. To capture a whole picture of data flows in storage, we formally define data flow and propose our method from both logical and physical perspectives. The method has also been implemented as an extension to the proposed tracking system, DROIT. Two case studies and two benchmark tools are used for the evaluation in terms of storage tracking ability, network tracking ability, and efficiency, respectively. The result shows that DROIT+ provides a better coverage using byte-granularity taint tracking.


Most of the May 1997 edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics is devoted to a series of eight original articles about the population genetics of inherited variation in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Both genes have undergone multiple mutations, the resultant alleles have migrated with the people in which they occur, and disease associated mutations have persisted because they generally have little impact on reproductive fitness. The proportion of high risk families with breast or ovarian cancer attributable to BRCA1 mutations varies considerably, being highest in Russia (79%), with Israel (47%) and Italy (29%) following. Two alleles are common in Russia, and one of these (5382insC) is also the commonest in Europeans. The other common Russian mutation (4153delA) has not been detected elsewhere, however. In contrast, nearly all BRCA1 mutations in Italian families are unique. A total of 20-25% of high risk families in Britain, France, Scandinavia, and Hungary have BRCA1 mutations, and everywhere BRCA1 mutations are more common than BRCA2 mutations. Inherited BRCA1 mutations explain <20% of high risk families in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Norway, and Japan. Recent data confirm that BRCA2 mutations are more common than BRCA1 mutations in families with male breast cancer, and they account for 19% of familial male breast cancer in the USA. The difference in frequency of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations is examined, and the former appear to be 1.5-2 times more common than the latter (except in Iceland). The lower prevalence of BRCA2 mutations could be accounted for by the existence of fewer mutations, lower penetrance, or later age of onset of BRCA2 breast cancer. The lifetime risks of breast cancer associated with the two genes are approximately equal, but the age of onset is later in BRCA2 mutation carriers. The presence of specific mutations in such varying proportions in different populations reflects founder effect, population drifts, and specific waves of migration (the British and the French populations share the most alleles). The age ofsome of the mutations can now be estimated. For example, the 185delAG mutation is likely to be >2000 years old, and data collected about the 5382insC mutation suggest that it has a Baltic origin, during the Mediaeval period, about 38 generations ago. The 185delAG BRCA1 mutation occurs with a similar frequency in Iraqi/Iranian and Ashkenazi Jewish families, yet breast and ovarian cancer ratios are considerably higher in the Jewish group. Further studies of these two groups could indicate other genetic, environmental, and possibly even cultural contributors to the development of malignancy.


We obtained late-time optical and near-IR imaging of SN 2008S with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). We find that (1) it is again invisible at optical (UBVR) wavelengths to magnitude limits of approximately 25 mag, and (2) while detected in the near-IR (HK) at approximately 20 mag, it is fading rapidly. The near-IR detections in March and May 2010 are consistent with dust emission at a blackbody temperature of T ~ 900 K and a total luminosity of L ~ 40000 Lsun, comparable to the luminosity of the obscured progenitor star. If it is a supernova, the near-IR emission is likely due to shock heated dust since the elapsed time from peak is too long to support a near-IR dust echo and the decline in luminosity is shallower than the 56Co slope. If it is reprocessed emission from a surviving progenitor, a dust photosphere must have reestablished itself closer to the star than before the transient (~40 AU rather than 150 AU), unless there is a second, cooler dust component that dominates at mid-IR wavelengths. The continued rapid fading at roughly constant temperature favors transient emission, but the SED peaks in the mid-IR and future Spitzer observations will be needed to close the case.


Self-Efficacy Theory (SET; Bandura, 1986, 2000) has generated research and practice ramifications across areas of psychology. However, self-efficacy has yet to be assessed in a legal context. The present paper juxtaposes self-efficacy with self-confidence in terms of theoretical foundations and practical implications, with attention to the area of witness testimony. It is concluded that the concept of witness self-efficacy possesses thorough theoretical grounding as a potential target for witness preparation. As such, we put forth an integrated model of witness preparation featuring self-efficacy bolstering techniques within an established witness training framework.


A panel of 48 single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNPs) was developed for use in a population genetic analysis of the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica sampled from the lower Chesapeake Bay. The SNPs were developed from published and unpublished sequencing data and developed to be used on a Fluidigm Biomark. A selection of 95 SNPs were chosen initially for development and the best 48 were selected for downstream applications. This project was a collaboration with the non-profit Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to examine their oyster reef restoration project in the Lafayette River, Virginia. The CBF wanted to test a hydrodynamic connectivity model designed to predict where oyster larvae produced in the Lafayette River would settle within the river. To test the model, oysters from Tangier Island, VA and the Haskin NEH hatchery strain were planted in the Lafayette River at locations corresponding to locations within the model with the expectation that the oysters would spawn the following summer. Baseline geographic oyster samples were taken from the nearby rivers; the Lafayette, Elizabeth and James Rivers before deployment of the planted test oysters. Newly recruited oyster spat were sampled from the Lafayette River in the summer following deployment of the planted test oysters. The baseline samples and spat were genotyped and compared to each other with the panel of 48 SNPs. Assignment tests were performed to identify the source population(s) for the spat. There was no population structure defined by Fst values among oysters sampled from the lower Chesapeake Bay. The Haskin NEH oysters were genetically different from the other oysters in the study; however, the Tangier Island oysters were not different from the oysters in the lower Chesapeake Bay. The low Fst values among the oysters from the lower Chesapeake Bay suggest that the connectivity of the reefs is high. The hydrodynamics of the region mix drifting larvae produced by oysters across the region as seen in the genotypic profile of the spat recovered in the Lafayette River. Heterozygote deficiencies suggestive of a Wahlund effect were observed; however, high rates of migration likely work to counter balance stable population substructure. Alternatively, the heterozygote deficiencies could represent hidden variation not accessible by the methods used in this thesis. Some population structure exists with increasing geographic distance consistent with a pattern of isolation by distance among the populations sampled for this project. Assignment tests did not identify any spat as a product of the NEH oysters and assignment of spat to Tangier Island origin is inconclusive. The genetic data obtained were not able to provide unequivocal support for the predictions of oyster spat distributions by the connectivity model, although, the data do support the overall circulation patterns in the region predicted by the model. OYSTER REEF CONNECTIVITY INFERRED VIA POPULATION GENETIC ANALYSIS OR POPULATION GENETICS OF THE EASTERN OYSTER, CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA: EXAMINATION OF RESTORATION IN THE LAFAYETTE RIVER, VIRGINIA


In the construction of high-rise buildings, large span structures and tall structures, the combinatorial design structure of high strength concrete, steel fiber concrete, prestressed tendon and ordinary steel bar is a main measure to bring the advantages of high strength concrete into full play. This paper studies the nonlinear constitutive relations of high strength concrete, steel fiber concrete and steel bar. By using finite element method, this paper carries out a numerical simulation of the whole monotonic loading process of box prestressed continuous beam of high strength concrete - steel fiber concrete and gets comparatively detailedc calculating results, which provide a theoretical reference for the reasonable combinatorial design of high strength concrete,steel fiber concrete, prestressed tendon and ordinary steel bar.


Background: The Cleveland Clinic Health System (CCHS) consists of a large tertiary care center and 10 regional hospitals. It is organized both clinically and administratively into multispecialty organ based Institutes rather than departments. The CCHS re-introduced a regional initiative to standardize stroke care in 2008. Medina Hospital is a 118-bed community hospital in rural North-eastern Ohio, where there is a high stroke burden and previously minimal IV tPA use. Medina Hospital joined the CCHS Stroke Network in November 2009. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that after joining the formally organized stroke CCHS system of care, the proportion of stroke patients receiving IV tPA and the timeliness of administration of acute thrombolytic therapy would both significantly increase. Methods: Data was analyzed from our prospective participation in the Get with the Guidelines-Stroke and the Ohio Coverdell Stroke Registries. Baseline data regarding quality, outcomes and stroke performance measures were reviewed. CCHS initially supported acute stroke care in early 2010 with a telemedicine cart and then introduced 24/7 emergency, on-site, CCHS neurologist, acute stroke call coverage in late 2010. Standardized CCHS stroke care pathways and order sets were also introduced in 2010. The proportion of stroke patients treated with IV tPA in 2010 and 2011 (post- joining CCHS) was compared to 2009 (2-sided Fisher's exact test), and door-to-needle times were compared from 2010 to 2011 (unpaired t-test). Results: IV tPA treatment utilization increased from 0/69 patients (0%) in 2009 to 9/67 patients (11.8%) in 2010 [exact p=.0033] and 11/46 (19.3%) in the first 7 months of 2011 [exact p=.0001]. Door-to-needle times improved from a mean of 81.4 (95%CI 66.4 to 96.4) minutes in 2010 to 61.7 (95% CI 52.7 to 70.8) minutes in 2011 (p=.0158). Conclusions: Participation in an organized formal collaborative regional hospital stroke treatment network resulted in dramatic improvements from zero IV tPA utilization to greatly exceeding the national benchmark averages for both percentage treatment with IV tPA and door-to-needle time in a rural area where patients previously had minimal access to acute stroke expertise.


A patient with hypercalcaemia due to a parathyroid adenoma, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is described. Although both conditions are common, it is suggested that the association between HCM and parathyroid hypercalcaemia may be more frequent than is accounted for by coincidence.


ABSTRACT In recent years, chemical biology and chemical genomics have been increasingly applied to the field of microbiology to uncover new potential therapeutics as well as to probe virulence mechanisms in pathogens. The approach offers some clear advantages, as identified compounds (i) can serve as a proof of principle for the applicability of drugs to specific targets; (ii) can serve as conditional effectors to explore the function of their targets in vitro and in vivo; (iii) can be used to modulate gene expression in otherwise genetically intractable organisms; and (iv) can be tailored to a narrow or broad range of bacteria. This review highlights recent examples from the literature to illustrate how the use of small molecules has advanced discovery of novel potential treatments and has been applied to explore biological mechanisms underlying pathogenicity. We also use these examples to discuss practical considerations that are key to establishing a screening or discovery program. Finally, we discuss the advantages and challenges of different approaches and the methods that are emerging to address these challenges.


The purpose of this thesis is to provide a user-friendly educator's resource, which identifies vision problems related to the learning task. Access to this resource will be facilitated by its placement on the internet system. At present, the information on the world wide web regarding vision in learning is inconsistent and cumbersome, if one's effort is to retrieve specific information in one learning problem area. It is our hope that this web page is more straightforward and captivating to the layperson seeking answers to questions about vision. The web page will secondarily serve as a positive marketing tool for the college, and for Pacific University at large.


A spontaneously occurring or electrically elicited hyperpolarizing activation (HA) in L cells was previously shown to be due to a specific increase in the membrane K+ permeability (Nelson et at. 1972. J. Gen. Physiol. 60:58--71). Intracellular injection of Ca++ elicits an identical hyperpolarizing response which suggests that the increased K+ permeability associated with the HA is mediated by an increase in cytoplasmic Ca++. In zero-Ca, EGTA-containing saline the proportion of cells in which HA's can be evoked decreases, but the amplitude of those HA's that are produced is comparable to that of HA's in normal Ca saline. Co++ does block the HA but only after a period of 2 h or longer; D-600 does not affect the HA. The observations, with others, suggest that the primary source of the Ca mediating the HA response is intracellular. In L cells the endoplasmic reticulum forms morphologically specialized appositions with the surface membrane which resemble structures at the triads of muscle that are thought to mediate coupling between surface membrane electrical activity and contraction via Ca release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The similar structures in L cells may mediate coupling between surface membrane electrical, mechanical, or chemical stimuli and the HA response via release of Ca from the endoplasmic reticulum. Surface-coupled release of Ca from intracellular stores might also regulate a number of other intracellular functions in nonmuscle cells.


The originally propagated view that the Marshall Plan was an altruistic endeavor through which the U.S. saved Europe from collapse and starvation has long been dismissed and replaced with a more realistic approach to international affairs. Whereas Realpolitik and the perception of the evermore menacing Cold War made it inevitable that Marshall Plan aid and its counterpart funds would become a weapon in the ideological conflict of the two political ideologies, the overwhelming body of literature looks at the Marshall Plan either from a political and diplomatic or from an economic viewpoint. Beyond general statements that the Marshall Plan was used as a weapon in the Cold War, relatively little research has been carried out into how this weapon was wielded. This is even truer for the counterpart funds, which are usually only mentioned in passing in the literature, if at all. This is despite the fact that Marshall Aid in general and the counterpart funds in particular had actually quite a significant impact in Cold-War propaganda and economic matters in Western Europe, which most likely contributed to the declining appeal of communism. This article will look at the specific action of American and, after September 1949, German authorities in the use of counterpart funds to demonstrate their significance.


The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including disposable e-cigarettes, has been prevalent. Existing chemical analyses of ENDS focused on e-liquids rather than aerosols and failed to consider particle sizes and aerosol respiratory deposition fractions, which are key factors for inhalation doses. This study investigated the organic chemical and metal constituents in size-segregated ENDS aerosol and assessed the deposited doses and health risks of these substances. Aerosol chemical analyses were conducted on two popular disposable ENDS products: Puff Bar (Grape) and Air Bar (Watermelon Ice). An ENDS aerosol was generated and delivered into a Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor to collect size-segregated aerosol samples, in which organic chemicals and metals were analyzed. Daily and lifetime doses for each chemical were estimated. Cancer and non-cancer risk assessments were conducted based on the deposited doses. We found that e-cigarette aerosol contains certain harmful organic chemicals and metals documented to result in respiratory problems. Estimated respiratory cancer risks corresponding to chromium from both ENDS products and nickel from Air Bar (Watermelon Ice) were substantially above the conventionally acceptable risk. The method, findings, and implications can contribute to the extant literature of ENDS toxicity studies as well as inform tobacco regulation and future large-scale studies.


A brief glimpse of a scene can guide subsequent eye movement behaviour but it is still unclear how prior activation of target knowledge influences early scene processing and later eye movements. Using the gaze-contingent 'flash-preview moving window' (FPMW) paradigm to restrict access of peripheral vision during visual search, we manipulated whether identity of search targets was presented before or after scene previews. As expected, windowed search for a target was more efficient following a 250ms scene preview, whereas knowing the target identity prior to scene preview led to further improvements in how search was initiated and executed. However, in Experiment 2 when the target was not present during scene previews, only metrics reflecting the initiation of search continued to be modulated by prior activation of target knowledge. Experiment 3 provided new evidence to suggest that the search benefits from scene previews are maintained even when participants are repeatedly searching through the same type of scene for the same type of target. Experiment 4 replicated Experiment 3 whilst also controlling for differences in integration times. We discuss the robust findings of scene preview search benefits and the flexibility of the FPMW paradigm to measure how the first glimpse affects search.


This study examines the ability of P450cam to catalyze the formation of 2-ethylhexanoic acid from 2-ethylhexanol relative to its activity on the natural substrate camphor. As is the case for camphor, the P450cam exhibits stereoselectivity for binding (R)- and (S)-2-ethylhexanol. Kinetic studies indicate (R)-2-ethylhexanoic acid is produced 3.5 times as fast as the (S)-enantiomer. In a racemic mixture of 2-ethylhexanol, P450cam produces 50% more (R)-2-ethylhexanoic acid than (S)-2-ethylhexanoic acid. The reason for stereoselective 2-ethylhexanoic acid production is seen in regioselectivity assays, where (R)-2-ethylhexanoic acid comprises 50% of total products while (S)-2-ethylhexanoic acid comprises only 13%. (R)- and (S)-2-ethylhexanol exhibit similar characteristics with respect to the amount of oxygen and reducing equivalents consumed, however, with (S)-2-ethylhexanol turnover producing more water than the (R)-enantiomer. Crystallographic studies of P450cam with (R)- or (S)-2-ethylhexanoic acid suggest ...