We did not discuss causality, nor did we raise the issue of investigating causality by using control groups for patients in the Penn Psychotherapy Project (Archives1980;37:471-481). These are Dr Loranger's main complaints, which I will do my best to answer. He is correct that we assumed, but did not prove, that the psychotherapy was a causal agent. In fact, we believe that it was the psychotherapy that had the most important impact. We also readily acknowledge that a small part of the benefits might have been attributable to events in the person's life. But proving the degree of, or even the existence of, causality is a difficult task—we only know that event A (the treatment) was followed by event B (the outcome). As Dr Loranger and many others have suggested, one approach to the issue of causality would be to compare our treated group with an untreated group.


How free are students and teachers to express unpopular ideas in schools and universities? Not free enough, Joan DelFattore suggests. Wading without hesitation into some of the most contentious issues of our times, she investigates battles over a wide range of topics that have fractured school and university communities - homosexuality-themed children's books, research on race-based intelligence, the teaching of evolution, the regulation of hate speech, and more - and with her usual evenhanded approach offers insights supported by theory and by practical expertise. Two key questions arise: What ideas should schools and universities teach? And what rights do teachers and students have to disagree with those ideas? The answers are not the same for all schools as they are for public universities. But far from drawing a bright line between them, DelFattore suggests that we must consider public education as a whole to determine how, and how successfully, it deals with conflicting views. When expert opinion clashes with popular belief, which should prevail? How much independence should teachers have? How do we foster the cutting-edge research that makes America a world leader in higher education? What are the free-speech rights of students? This uniquely accessible and balanced discussion deserves the full attention of everyone concerned with academic goals and agendas in schools.


A major consideration in planning and executing military deployments is determining the routes available for moving troops and equipment. Part of this planning means ensuring that all of the bridges along the routes are able to support the specialized equipment needed. Because few trained and experienced bridge analysts are available, an automated tool is required to assist military engineers and planners in quickly and accurately determining the capacity or Military Load Classification of bridges. This tool must be flexible enough to handle various types of bridges, run on multiple platforms (Sun UNIX and PC Windows), be usable by engineers with various levels of experience, and be able to utilize various analysis methods depending on the amount of information available.


Abstract The AixMICADAS facility is in part dedicated to research on radiocarbon (14C) calibration by means of various archives. For this purpose, we are improving upon the capacity to accurately date subfossil wood. In the current study, nine chemical pretreatment protocols are tested on six wood samples of known ages. The optimization based on 14C ages, 13C/12C ratios, carbon % and overall mass yield % leads us to favor the acid-base-acid-bleaching pretreatment (ABA-B). This efficient method is shown to provide a residue of holocellulose with optimal blanks equivalent to an age of 51,300 14C BP with a standard deviation of 1500 yr based on 25 analyses. The seven wood samples from the Sixth International Radiocarbon Intercomparison (SIRI) are then analyzed as a further verification of the accuracy of our method. As a first scientific contribution, we studied two tree-ring sequences from subfossil pines (Barb12 and Barb17) collected in the southern French Alps. New 14C analyses were performed at high resolution (every third year) and are shown to agree well with results obtained previously by high precision β-counting on CO2 from large samples at lower resolution for Barb17 and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) data for Barb12. The new 14C series are then matched to the Kauri and YDB chronologies: the new sequence of Barb12-17 tentatively corresponds to the interval between 12,836 and 12,594 cal BP within the Younger Dryas cold period. The 14C comparison between the Barb12-17 sequence from France and the Kauri sequence from New Zealand allows calculating the 14C Inter-Hemispheric Gradient (IHG), with an average value of ca. 57 yr. The IHG stayed relatively high throughout the studied period. Interestingly, the IHG exhibits a transient maximum value (ca. 100 yr) during the period of rapid Δ14C rise (12,750–12,720 cal BP), a behavior that could be due to a delayed response of the Southern Hemisphere.


Severe forms of chronic venous insufficiency and lymphedema require strong compression-pressure, which exceeds the pressure exerted by medical compression stockings (>40 mmHg). The aim was to investigate if patients are able to apply a Velcro-band compression device (Circaid Juxta Lite™) themselves with sufficient pressure. Thirty-one patients (CEAP C6=23, C5=5, C3=2, mixed ulcer=1) applied Juxta Lite™ on their own legs after a short instruction and were asked to readjust the pressure by their subjective feeling. Sub- bandage pressure was measured after application and 24 h later. In 30 patients without arterial occlusive disease the median sub- bandage pressure values on day 1 and day 2 were 44,5 mmHg (IQR 42-48), and 46 mmHg (IQR 44-48,25) respectively. One patient with an arterialvenous leg ulcer showed pressures of 34 and 36 mmHg. All measured pressure values corresponded to the pursued target range, demonstrating that adequate self application of Velcro bands is feasible and that patents can maintain this pressure by re-adjustment. Source: this paper is an abridged translation of Mosti G, Partsch H. Druckmessungen unter Klettverschluss-Kompression - Selbstbehandlung durch feste, unelastische Beinwickelung. Vasomed 2017;5:212-6.


The limiting membrane of the lysosome contains a group of transmembrane glycoproteins named lysosome-associated membrane proteins (Lamps). These proteins are targeted to lysosomes by virtue of tyrosine-based sorting signals in their cytosolic tails. Four adaptor protein (AP) complexes, AP-1, AP-2, AP-3, and AP-4, interact with such signals and are therefore candidates for mediating sorting of the Lamps to lysosomes. However, the role of these complexes and of the coat protein, clathrin, in sorting of the Lamps in vivo has either not been addressed or remains controversial. We have used RNA interference to show that AP-2 and clathrin-and to a lesser extent the other AP complexes-are required for efficient delivery of the Lamps to lysosomes. Because AP-2 is exclusively associated with plasma membrane clathrin coats, our observations imply that a significant population of Lamps traffic via the plasma membrane en route to lysosomes.


A downscaled drive train with a 6.5 kW fuel cell and a 10 kW supercapacitor module was realized and tested. The voltage levels and the energy flow between fuel cell and supercapacitor were controlled by an electronic unit. The combined fuel-cell/supercapacitor drive train was tested with a modified New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The 60 V, 60 F supercapacitor module consisted of 2 x 24 capacitors in series having a capacitance of 800 F each. The capacitors had a max. specific energy of 2.75 Wh/kg and a max. specific power of 6.5 kW/kg. An active electronic unit managed voltage balancing among the 24 capacitors in series. The capacitor module had a max. total energy of 30 Wh and a total max. power of 45 kW and could deliver 10 kW over a period of 6 seconds. It was demonstrated that a supercapacitor is an energy storage device that can be used efficiently in vehicle applications for recuperating braking energy and boosting peak power.


An increasing number of small RNAs (sRNAs) have been shown to regulate critical pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In bacteria, regulation by trans-encoded sRNAs is predominantly found in the coordination of intricate stress responses. The mechanisms by which sRNAs modulate expression of its targets are diverse. In common to most is the possibility that interference with the translation of mRNA targets may also alter the abundance of functional sRNAs. Aiming to understand the unique role played by sRNAs in gene regulation, we studied examples from two distinct classes of bacterial sRNAs in Escherichia coli using a quantitative approach combining experiment and theory. Our results demonstrate that sRNA provides a novel mode of gene regulation, with characteristics distinct from those of protein-mediated gene regulation. These include a threshold-linear response with a tunable threshold, a robust noise resistance characteristic, and a built-in capability for hierarchical cross-talk. Knowledge of these special features of sRNA-mediated regulation may be crucial toward understanding the subtle functions that sRNAs can play in coordinating various stress-relief pathways. Our results may also help guide the design of synthetic genetic circuits that have properties difficult to attain with protein regulators alone.


The idea of water clarification by natural coagulants is many centuries old. Naturalcoagulants like Moring oelifera, Mangifera indica and Prunusarmeniaca,Strychnospotatorum are used for the treatment of waste waters. Nirmali Seed is a naturalcoagulant material with polyelectrolytes. These polyelectrolytes are responsible forcoagulation property of Nirmali seeds. In general, the studies rampant in the literaturereported application of Nirmali seed powder as water extract or as powder with doseselection using jar test. The treatment in most of the cases is based upon coagulation andremoval. But in this study it has been modified that the methodology to suit our objectivesas wanted to test the potential of Nirmali seed as a solid bio-sorbent surface in solidsolution equilibrium adsorption studies. The dose selection has been done keeping in mindthe amount of polyelectrolyte released when the seed powder is left in solution. Theproperty of physi-sorption aided with chemi-sorption with minimum dose has been givenimportance in the present study.The chief goal of this study is to find out the feasibility of applications of Nirmali Seedsfor both Iron (II) reduction as well as disinfecting agent for sewage samples.


A reaction stress model is introduced in this paper and its applications for the crystallographic texture simulation are also discussed with the comparison to the classic Taylor type model and the self consistent model. This model took the external deformation stress tensor as an initial point, and the activation process of slip systems as well as the orientation evolutions was simulated step by step. Certain relaxation of reaction stress were introduced during tensile or drawing deformation, which predicts the tensile direction distribution along the orientation line between <111> and <100> in the inverse pole figure besides the <111> and <100> fiber texture. The simulation agrees with the common experimental observations. The model supplies a simple way to follow the deformation process in the main part of polycrystals, in which the effect of grain orientation and its interaction with the surrounding matrix are considered.


Abstract Sanidine composition and bulk geochemistry of volcanic ash beds from the East Baltic indicate the subalkaline nature of the volcanism near the margins of the Baltica plate during the Silurian. Several bentonites in the Wenlock include a previously unknown sanidine with 48 to 58 mol % of the Na+Ca component. In contrast to the earlier Telychian volcanism, sodium-rich sanidine occurs in ash beds which originate from relatively moderately evolved dacitic magma. The studied material from two drill cores integrated with previous research enables production of a more complete list of 49 volcanic eruption layers for the lower to middle Wenlock in the East Baltic. This updated list of bentonites characterized by their sanidine compositions forms a good basis for future integrated bio- and chemostratigraphic correlations in northern Europe.


Two of the most important criteria for a sensor array beam-pattern are beamwidth and side-lobe level. A narrower beamwidth means a better angular resolution and well separation of close sources. The beamwidth of a sensor array is directly proportional to array aperture, the beamwidth gets narrower as array aperture increases. However, increase in array aperture means increase in number of used sensors due to Nyquist spatial rate and this means increase in cost and computational load. Therefore, sparse arrays which violate Nyquist spatial rate are used. To cancel grating lobes occurred due to violation of Nyquist rate a weight optimization is implemented. In this paper, an approach which does not need weight optimization for grating lobe cancellation is presented. This method is inspired from nonlinear apodization (windowing) method. The necessary information to cancel grating lobes is obtained from a sub-array contained in the sparse array and this sub-array obeys Nyquist spatial rate.


This contribution explores the way in which the Indian state and the incipient Maoist state in central India mimic while repudiating each other. As against theories of sovereignty which see it either as authored from below (contract theory) or scripted from above (domination), or irrelevant to the extent that subject and state are co-constituted by regimes of power (cf. Foucault), I argue that in civil war, the display and practical exercise of statehood and sovereignty is critical. However, this is primarily aimed not at putative citizens but at the enemy. I look at the way in which the Indian state impersonates guerilla tactics in order to fight the Maoists, and the way in which the Maoists mimic state practices of governmentality. Each side identifies its own 'citizens' through uniforms and lists of people killed, and inscribes its 'territory' with memorials to its martyrs. For the presumed citizens of these mimetic states, however, it is precisely these markers of identity and legibility which make them more vulnerable. Membership of parallel regimes holds out both promise and precarity.


Simulation of fluid flow in porous media has a wide range of applications including design of rockfill embankments, design of sand filters, or efficient management of ground water and oil reservoirs. Various efforts have been made during the past century to conduct such simulation modeling using both Darcy and non-Darcy laws. The nature of flow in porous media consists of a part which is under pressure and another part near the phreatic line which is exposed to atmosphere. Accordingly, a coupled pressurized-free surface flow model should be conceptualized using the network of pore body and pore throat. An effective modeling tool like an open source public domain software can then be used. In this study EPANET was modified to accommodate the nature of flow involved. For the verification purposes, a physical model was built in the Hydraulic Lab at the School of Engineering in Shiraz University. Steady state water surface profile and outflow discharge were monitored for different upstream water levels. This data were then used to calibrate and validate the developed computer model. Results showed that a satisfactory agreement between computer model and experimental records can be obtained for a wide range of upstream flow conditions. In a majority of cases, computer model captures more than 99% of variability in observed outflow discharge or water surface profile.


Therapeutic efficacy of topiramate in essential tremor (ET) was assessed in comparison with propranolol in two groups which included 24 and 20 patients, respectively, aged from 21 to 83 years (mean age 53 years). Along with clinical examination, a number of scales: Clinical rating scale for tremor, scale of functional disturbances and Visual-analogous scale have been administered. The efficacy of topiramate was comparable to that of propranolol in 83% and 75% cases, respectively. However topiramate has some therapeutic advantages compared to propranolol; it may be prescribed for all clinical forms regardless of sex (its efficacy is higher in women), age and illness duration, both in earlier and later onset, familial and sporadic variants of ET (propranolol is more effective in patients with family history of ET). Moreover, in contrast to propranolol, topiramate may be prescribed to patients with predisposition to arterial hypertension and bradicardia, bronchial spasms of diabetes mellitus and heart rhythm disturbances.


In this work, consideration is given to capillary convection on ferrofluids from the concentration gradient induced when a nonhomogeneous magnetic field is applied. It is known that mass transfer along an interface between two fluids can appear due to a gradient of the surface tension in the so-called Marangoni effect (or Gibbs–Marangoni effect). Because the surface tension is both thermal and concentration dependent, Marangoni convection can be induced by either a thermal or a concentration gradient, where in the former case, it is generally referred as thermocapillary convection. Now, it has been theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that a ferrofluid under the action of a non-homogeneous magnetic field can induce a concentration gradient of suspended magnetic nanoparticles, and also the effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface tension has been measured. Therefore, by deductive reasoning and taking into account the above mentioned facts, it is permissible to infer ferrohydrodynamic capillary convection on magnetic fluids under the presence of a magnetic gradient field. Utilizing a simplified physical model, the phenomenon was investigated and it was found that ferrohydrodynamic-Marangoni convection could be induced with particle size in the range up to 10 nm, which is the range of magnetic fluids to escape magnetic agglomeration.


This work includes 2 parts: main theoretical elements and 1 case study. Theoretical elements define and explain concepts such as: stress, stress management, counseling and organizational change. In the case study these elements are applied on a research unit development. The reason for the analysis was the tense situation existing in the company. Work methodology included: observation, direct discussions with staff (in small groups) and the application of a questionnaire consisting of 6 modules. On that base, major dominant stressful manifestations were determined. Following the obtained results solutions have been proposed to management and employees. In the last part, there are presented the obtained results from the implementation of some of proposed solutions.


ABSTRACT Compression tests of prepared mixtures of varying proportions of ooid and lime mud under continuous and intermittent increase of force to 96,000 lbs (43,636 kg) (equivalent to 7636 psi or 555 kg/cm2) show that ooids may remain undeformed, volume reduction notwithstanding. Survival of undeformed ooids appears to be a function of lime-mud content. A high proportion of lime mud keeps the ooids in a floating dispersed state and force acts isotropically on these particles. Hence a linear relationship exists between increasing proportion of lime mud and proportion of undeformed ooids. As the proportion of lime mud increases that of broken ooids decreases. Hence ooids (and shell fragments) remain unbroken in micritic limestones, even though the original carbonate sediment may have undergone significant compaction. Furthermore grains in a grain-supported sediment are liable to greater degree of deformation than grains in a mud-supported sediment. Deformation of particles may not accompany shrinkage in volume under compactive stress. Experimental compaction resulted in crushed, buckled, faulted, split, spalled, and diagonally fractured ooids. Incremental confining pressure yielded concavo-convex and longitudinal contacts, whereas continuous increase in confining pressure resulted in concavo-convex contacts only. In uncompacted samples all observed grain contacts are point contacts. Prelithification compaction of ooids in carbonate sediments, in contradistinction to deformed lithified rock, rarely displays a homogeneous deformation fabric. Inhomogeneous deformation of grains thus appears to be an important characteristic for distinguishing a fabric generated by overburden compaction of unlithified sediment from that of tectonically deformed rigid rocks.


Balled-and-burlapped red maple (Acer rubrum) trees were planted in holes backfilled with 1) native soil, 2) 50:50 (v/v) aged pine bark: soil, 3) 50:50 (v/v) Mr. Natural Concentrated Landscape Media (CLM): soil, and 4) 100% CLM. The CLM is an improved, proprietary soil amendment composed of top soil, pine humus, granite sand, crushed granite, expanded shale, and composted poultry litter. The CLM: soil treatment increased fibrous root growth within the planting hole after five months but did not increase shoot growth. Aged pine bark induced nitrogen deficiency symptoms and reduced shoot growth during the first year. Shoot growth of the treatments did not differ after two years. The data support use of native soil in backfilling planting holes.


The Geological Survey of Italy, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research is realizing the Sheet N.348 Antrodoco (Central Italy) of the Hydrogeological map of Italy as a cartographical test of the Italian hydrogeological survey and mapping guidelines, in the frame of the Italian Geological Cartography Project. The study area is characterized by structural units deeply involved in the Apennine Orogeny (Latium and Abruzzi region territory, Rieti and L'Aquila provinces) and including deposits of marine carbonate shelf, slope, basin and foredeep environments hosting relatively large amounts of groundwater resources. The map was realized to obtain the best possible representation of all hydrogeological elements deriving from field surveys, in order to characterize the hydrogeological asset. A control network for monthly measurement of surface and groundwater flow rates and hydrogeochemical parameters was performed. Data were uploaded in a geographic information system to perform the present preliminary hydrogeological cartography consisting in a main map showing the following hydrogeological complexes based on relative permeability degree (from bottom to top): i) calcareous (Jurassic-Cretaceous; high permeability); ii) calcareous-marly (Upper Cretaceous-Middle Eocene; intermediate permeability); iii) marly-calcareous and marly (Upper Eocene- Upper Miocene; low permeability); iv) flysch (Upper Miocene; low permeability); v) conglomeratic-sandy and detritic (Upper Pliocene- Pleistocene; intermediate permeability); vi) alluvial (Quaternary; low permeability). Among other elements shown in the main map there are hydrographical basin and sub-basin boundaries, stream gauging stations, meteo-climatic stations, streamwater-groundwater exchange processes, hydrostructure boundaries, point and linear spring flow rates, groundwater flow directions. Furthermore, complementary smaller-scale sketches at the margin of the main map were realized (e.g., hydrogeological structure map, hydrogeological complex map based on effective infiltration information, hydrogeological crosssections).


The author argues that conceptual history is becoming increasingly indispensable due to the historical trend in political practices to move from a politics of answers to given questions to a politics of thematizing the questions themselves, that is, of agenda-setting. The very understanding of a certain question as contingent and controversial marks a politicizing change in the agenda. From the perspective of the history of concepts, the formulation of questions themselves become politically key issues, given that rhetorical problems of the renaming and reinterpretation of the meaning, significance and normative color of concepts play a key role in the decisions regarding inclusion and exclusion. Assuming that concepts function as "pivots" in the contemporary controversy, there is at least some possibility for change in terms of rendering the controversy intelligible by means of the instruments of conceptual history, if conceptual history were ever to play a direct political role, it might concern teaching politicians the styles of both a conceptual reading of politics and a political reading of the uses of concepts.


This paper deals with a stochastic process for the approximation of the root of a regression equation. This process was first suggested. by Robbins and Monro [1]. The main result here is a necessary and sufficient condition on the iteration coefficients for convergence of the process (convergence with probability one and convergence in the quadratic mean).


An Eulerian network model for air traffic flow in the National Airspace System is developed and used to design flow control schemes which could be used by Air Traffic Controllers to optimize traffic flow. The model relies on a modified version of the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) partial differential equation (PDE), which contains a velocity control term inside the divergence operator. This PDE can be related to aircraft count, which is a key metric in air traffic control. An analytical solution to the LWR PDE is constructed for a benchmark problem, to assess the gridsize required to compute a numerical solution at a prescribed accuracy. The Jameson-Schmidt-Turkel (JST) scheme is selected among other numerical schemes to perform simulations, and evidence of numerical convergence is assessed against this analytical solution. Linear numerical schemes are discarded because of their poor performance. The model is validated against actual air traffic data (ETMS data), by showing that the Eulerian description enables good aircraft count predictions, provided a good choice of numerical parameters is made. This model is then embedded as the key constraint in an optimization problem, that of maximizing the throughput at a destination airport while maintaining aircraft density below a legal threshold in a set of sectors of the airspace. The optimization problem is solved by constructing the adjoint problem of the linearized network control problem, which provides an explicit formula for the gradient. Constraints are enforced using a logarithmic barrier. Simulations of actual air traffic data and control scenarios involving several airports between Chicago and the U.S. East Coast demonstrate the feasibility of the method


We evaluated the renal and hormonal responses to volume expansion induced by water immersion in subjects with diabetic nephropathy (n = 12) and in healthy control subjects (n = 9). Immersion induced similar average increments in sodium excretion (±223 vs. 176 μmol/min) and comparable decrements in renovascular resistance (RVR; –15 vs. – 16 U). However, whereas the control subjects responded uniformly, the response among diabetic subjects was highly variable, with a subset of patients exhibiting paradoxical antinatriuresis and vasoconstriction. Immersion was associated with marked elevation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in plasma of diabetic versus control subjects (61 ± 9 vs. 19 ± 2 pM, respectively; P < 0.001). Yet for each picomolar increment in plasma ANP during immersion, the corresponding increases in urinary excretion of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (26 vs. 279 pmol/min) and sodium (9 vs. 47 μmol/min) and the reciprocal lowering of RVR (0.7 vs. 1.9 U) were blunted in the diabetic versus control group. Volume contraction in the postimmersion period was associated with disproportionate antinatriuresis and renal vasoconstriction in the diabetic group, despite a persistent elevation of ANP (29 ± 2 vs. 16 ± 2 pM, P < 0.01). We propose that renal insensitivity to ANP in diabetic nephropathy could contribute to altered vasoreactivity and abnormal excretory responsiveness to changing plasma volume. Blunted natriuresis in response to ANP release and enhanced sodium retention during volume contraction could account for the expanded extracellular fluid volume that has consistently been reported to accompany the development of diabetic nephropathy.


Al-Cu-Fe-B quasicrystalline and Mo coatings were obtained on the mild steel and brass substrates by thermal spraying routes for the purpose of replacement of Mo coatings with quasicrystalline ones. Quasicrystalline coatings were prepared by air plasma spraying and/or HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) techniques followed by subsequent heat treatment, and Mo coatings, wire flame spraying. For comparative studies of important properties for industrial application, mechanical properties, bonding strength, surface energy, and tribological behavior were investigated based on microstructural characterization. Basic mechanical properties such as hardness, fracture toughness, and elastic modulus of quasicrystalline coating showed comparable values with those of Mo coatings. De-bonding tests of coatings deposited onto brass substrate indicated that the bonding strength of quasicrystalline coatings obtained by HVOF techniques exhibit higher value to Mo coatings. Non-sticking property analogized from surface energy calculation and friction coefficient of quasicrystalline coatings also showed better performance during the tests. It is suggested from this investigation that the quasicrystalline coating can be effectively used as a replacement of the Mo coating, which has shown a recent steep price rise and problems of accidental existence of minor environment harmful elements such as Cr6+, Pb, Cd, and Hg.


OBJECTIVE
  To determine the type, prevalence, and prognosis of ocular and periocular lesions in free-living little owls (LO) and scops owls (SO), injured by blunt trauma.

PROCEDURES
  Medical records from LO and SO with ocular or periocular lesions secondary to blunt trauma were reviewed. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed in all birds. Short protocol electroretinography (ERG) and ocular ultrasound were performed as dictated by the case.

RESULTS
  During the study period, a total of 158 LO and 99 SO with blunt trauma were admitted. Among these, 43 LO (27.8%) and 27 SO (27.3%) had ocular or periocular lesions. Bilateral injuries (72.1% LO and 81.5% SO) were more common than unilateral. Common findings in both species were: corneal erosions/superficial ulcers, anterior and posterior uveitis, cataracts, hyphema, posterior synechia, vitreal hemorrhage, and retinal detachment. Electroretinography was performed in 32 LO and eight SO, which had posterior segment lesions or opacity of the transparent media. Normal to nonrecordable b-wave amplitudes were observed. Follow-up was available in 13 LO and 11 SO. Among these, nine LO (14 eyes) and 10 SO (17 eyes) had resolution of the clinical signs following medical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular lesions are common in LO and SO injured by blunt trauma. Electroretinography is a valuable diagnostic tool to assess the severity of retinal dysfunction secondary to blunt trauma and to determine the response to medical treatment. A complete ophthalmic examination is a determining factor in the early management of trauma in these species.


OBJECTIVE
Bites from the brown recluse spider and other arachnids from the genus Loxosceles frequently induce necrotic skin lesions that can be recalcitrant to treatment and disfiguring. The authors used a rabbit model of dermonecrotic arachnidism to address the therapeutic efficacy of intradermal (id) polyclonal anti-Loxosceles Fab fragments (alphaLoxd Fab) raised against Loxosceles deserta spider venom.

METHODS
Fab fragments were prepared by papain digestion and affinity chromatography from the IgG fraction of L. deserta antivenom raised in rabbits. Eighteen inbred New Zealand white rabbits were assigned to six groups of three. The rabbits received L. deserta venom (3 microg, id) injections into each flank. Cohorts of rabbits received single id injections (at one venom site/rabbit) of 30 microg alphaLoxd Fab at different times (T = 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours) after venom injection. In each rabbit the opposite flank was left untreated. As an additional control, one group of rabbits (T = 0) received nonspecific Fab (30 microg, id) in the opposite flank. Dermal lesions were quantified as a function of time through the use of a series of digital photographs and imaging software. In addition, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, a measure ofneutrophil accumulation, was determined in lesion biopsies. Lesion areas and MPO activities were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS
Lesion areas and MPO activity were markedly reduced when alphaLoxd Fab was administered very early after venom injections. As the interval between venom inoculation and antivenom treatment increased, the therapeutic benefit of alphaLoxd Fab decreased. The final time tested that demonstrated therapeutic efficacy of alphaLoxd Fab was T = 4 hours. Lesion attenuation was no longer apparent when alphaLoxd Fab was given 8 hours post inoculation.

CONCLUSIONS
Intradermal administration of alphaLoxd Fab attenuates Loxosceles-induced dermonecrotic lesion formation when given up to 4 hours after venom inoculation in this rabbit model.


The IPCC has assessed a variety of pathways that could still lead to achievement of the ambitious climate targets set in the Paris Agreement. However, the longer time that climate action is delayed, the more the achievement of this goal will depend on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies and practices. In the models behind these pathways, the main CDR technology is Bioenergy combined with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS). We review the role that BECCS could play in reaching net-zero targets based on the existing 1.5°C scenarios. Such scenarios presented in the literature typically have BECCS at a GtCO2 per year scale. We also assess the potentials and obstacles for BECCS implementation at the national level, applying Sweden as a case study. Given that BECCS deployment has scarcely started and, thus, is far from capturing 1 GtCO2 per year, with lead times on the scale of multiple years, we conclude that there will be a large implementation gap unless BECCS development is immediately intensified, emissions are reduced at a much faster pace or removals realized through other CDR measures. In the national case study, we show that Sweden has favorable conditions for BECCS in that it has large point sources of biogenic emissions, and that BECCS has been identified as one potential "supplementary measure" for reaching the Swedish target of net-zero emissions in 2045. Yet, work on planning for BECCS implementation has started only recently and would need to be accelerated to close the implementation gap between the present advancement and the targets for BECCS proposed in a recent public inquiry on the roles of supplementary measures. An assessment of two ramp-up scenarios for BECCS demonstrates that it should in principle be possible to reach the currently envisaged deployment scales, but this will require prompt introduction of political and economic incentives. The main barriers are thus not due to technological immaturity, but are rather of a socio-economic, political and institutional nature.


Coronal quasi-periodic fast-propagating (QFP) magnetosonic waves are scare in previous studies due to the relative low temporal and spatial resolution of past telescopes. Recently, they are detected by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Here, two cases of QFP waves are presented. The analysis results indicate that QFP waves are tightly associated with the associated flares. It is indicate that QFP waves and the associated flares are possibly driven by the same physic process such as quasiperiodic magnetic reconnection process in producing flares.


"S-II" Symptom Check-list which allows for a fast diagnosis of neurotic disorders. A result of 165 points suggests the incidence of such disorders with the probability of 90%. The methodology of the construction of the check-list intends for the application of questions most common in those ill due to neurotic disorders (owing to the change in frequency) and the most possibly equal amount of questions on the symptoms common to women and men. Thanks to this the norm for women and men is identical. SCL S-II Symptom Check-list is a shortened and actualised version of the "O" Symptom Check-list, developed in 1975. It is similar to the SCL-90 and highly correlated with it, but it does not contain the variables concerning the psychotic symptoms. Thanks to this, its' accuracy (specificity) in the diagnosis of neurotic disorders is high. 4 pairs of questions allow for the judgement of answer reliability. 10 scales were singled out in the questionnaire. They are only of a helpful value and do not allow for a one-sided diagnosis of the type of the disorder, listed in the ICD-10. The scale results can, however make the correct diagnosis easier.


The star 53Psc (HD 3379, B2.5IV) has been observed as variable by several authors (Sareyan et al., 1979) with frequencies around 10cd 1 and has been classified as a /SCephei star. Conversely, other authors (e.g. Percy, 1971) found it to be constant. New high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio, spectroscopic observations have been performed at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence in 1996 over 11 nights. The spectral domain covers around 200 A and is centered on H<5. Radial velocities were deduced from an auto-correlation technique with a scatter around 0.4kms. No high frequency variations are observed. Three frequencies have been detected with a false alarm detection above the 1 % level. A fourth one may be present but its amplitude is below this 1 % level. Results are displayed in Table 1.


The effective protection of a klystron in a high-power transmitter requires the diversion of all stored energy in the protected circuit through an alternate low-impedance path, the crowbar, such that less than 1 joule o f energy is "dumped" into the klystron during an internal arc. A scheme of adding a bypass inductor in the crowbar-protected circuit of the high-power transmitter was tested using computer simulations and actual measurements under a test load. Although this scheme has several benefits, including less power dissipation in the resistor, the tests show that the presence of inductance in the portion of the circuit to be protected severely hampers effective crowbar operation.


Sustainable development requires change in who makes decisions as well as in their content. The field theory of behavioural change is used here to structure a discussion of professionalism in urban design for sustainability. Sustainability and professionalism (both concepts defined by their users) are channelled subjectively, there are barriers in cities, designers act as gatekeepers, learning takes place. There follow sections on cities, designers, learning and research. There is more wealth and more poverty. In addition the cultural diversity of the urban population is becoming ever more evident. Sustainability depends on the interaction between designers and users, on new forms of practice and on new forms of urban development. There needs to be more focus on the improvement of participatory decision-making, and on new forms of communication, in design practice. This argues against a too narrow interpretation of academic standards in schools of architecture and encourages the reevaluation and further development of pragmatic approaches and the transmission of practical skills. Business School methods could be used. A good deal of previous research could usefully be looked at again with the sustainability agenda in mind, including a better understanding of skills. In conclusion, professionals need more multi-disciplinary practice and greater participation in it by lay citizens.


In recent years, researchers have argued that an examination of emotion is essential to analyses of gendered power. Working in alignment with this project, studies have analysed power and emotion at an individual level, but there is a dearth of research examining how gendered emotional responses to systemic power reinforce and perpetuate the gendered exercise of power during policymaking process. As such, we have little understanding of how emotions play an organising role in the reproduction of systemic gender inequities.

To examine these processes, we focus on the institutional responses to a highly emotional and gendered political issue. Over the last decade, Australia has seen extensive reforms to its child custody laws and child support system, stemming from a Public Inquiry into Child Custody conducted in 2003. The impetus for this inquiry arose after intense lobbying by men's rights groups who claimed that they were the victims of oppressive policies and administrative systems that impinged on their rights as fathers and disproportionately favoured the interests of mothers. Conversely, government and academic research pointed to the financial hardships faced by lone mothers and fathers' widespread non-compliance with custody and child support agreements.

Focusing exclusively on reforms to the child support system that resulted from the 2003 Inquiry process, recent analyses have noted the gendered treatment of witnesses and their evidence and the material and symbolic outcomes that disproportionately disadvantaged women and their resident children. While these analyses have identified the systemic operation of gendered power, they do not explain why men's accounts of the problem and its solutions were privileged.

In this paper, we present the results of content and discourse analyses of witness statements and public submissions to the Inquiry. The findings suggest that men's and women's emotional responses were referenced to whether they felt that the child support system privileged their interests, and their partner's perceived deference to that system.

Men's and women's emotional responses were afforded more or less legitimacy during the policy making process. Men's anger was interpreted as evidence of the injustices faced by fathers, but women's anger was dismissed as self-interest and reflective of a bias against fathers. Further, claims made by women produced angry responses from committee members, aligning with Lyman's (2004) claim that dominant groups feel defensively angry when it is suggested that they examine their privilege. These gendered emotional processes were incorporated into policy recommendations that buttressed male privilege and perpetuated gender inequities. Cumulatively, these processes had substantial effects on the social distribution of resources. These findings highlight the strategic potential of masculine emotion in law reform processes in which social scientific evidence may be depreciated in favour of more resonant accounts of experience.


Many mothers can find themselves increasingly isolated and overwhelmed after giving birth to a new baby. This period can be a source of extreme stress, anxiety and depression, which can not only have an economic impact on national health services, but can also have long-term effects on the development of the child. At the same time, social media use among most new mothers has become ubiquitous. This research investigates the role of social media, potentially as a mechanism for social support, among Australian mothers of young children aged from birth to 4 years. The findings indicate that participants had mixed responses to their social media use. While social support was deemed a benefit, there were also some negative aspects to social media use identified. The findings highlight the need to critically interrogate social media's ability to act as a source of social support for new mothers.


Journal of Nursing andHealthcare of Chronic Illness 3, 352–360Glargine prescribing practices for Type 2 diabetes: is there room for improvement?Aim. This study investigated Glargine prescribing practices at an outpatient clinic ina tertiary hospital.Background. Treatment outcomes for people with Type 2 diabetes have improvedwith the introduction of the basal insulin Glargine. However, to achieve optimaltherapeutic results in a safe fashion, this insulin must be titrated in accordance withthe manufacturer's recommendation.Method. Medical records of patients with Type 2 diabetes who had attended anoutpatient clinic between 2007–2008 were reviewed. Data collected included theage and gender of the patient, whether the patient's insulin dose had been titrated,the Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) percentage on prescription of Glargine and follow-up HbA1c results and the time elapsed between the initial and follow-up HbA1c.Findings. Only 14AE6% of all patients had their Glargine insulin prescription adjustedaccording to the manufacturer's recommendation. Despite this, prescription of Glar-gine insulin resulted in 43% of patients reducing their HbA1c result by at least 1%.Conclusion. Findings suggest that Glargine insulin was a contributing factor in thereduction of the patient's HbA1c.Relevance to clinical practice. This study indicates that Glargine insulin is not con-sistently prescribed as per the manufacturer's recommendation. Patient or clinicianfactors could explain why such a small percentage of patients had their Glargineprescription adjusted appropriately. Individualisation of Glargine insulin adjustmentregimes, particularly in patients over the age of 75 years is vital to ensure positivepatient outcomes.Key words: chronic illness, Glargine, HbA1c, insulin, insulin regimes, patient out-comes, titration, Type 2 diabetes


Introduction: Dinucleotide of deoxy cytidine and deoxy guanosine (CpG) is the most mutable sequence in DNA. The reason why this dinucleotide is mutated highly is assumed to be deamination of cytosine and depurination of guanosine. By experimental analysis it is suggested that methylation of cytosine is the main cause of the alteration in this dinucleotide. Thymidine substitutes cytosine when the cytosine is methylated and consequently the repair system of cell cannot recognize the mutation. In this way, the mutation has been established in the genome. In current study we analyzed the methylation effect of CpG on the stability of this sequence from thermochemical point of view, in order to understand whether methylation affects the energy level or not. Materials and Methods: To theoretically evaluate the effects of methylation on thermochemical parameters Gaussian software was used. The data used for this study include thermochemical and NMR parameters. Conclusion: Our results suggested a reliable answer about the effect of methylation on mentioned dinucleotide. Our results theoretically elaborates more chance for instability of the dinucleotide when it is methylated. This can reveal another reason rather than the incompetence of repair system for the high rate mutation in methylated CpG. The novel reason could be the instability increase due to the methylation.


Recent works on adaptive sparse and low-rank signal modeling have demonstrated their usefulness, especially in image/video processing applications. While a patch-based sparse model imposes local structure, low-rankness of the grouped patches exploits non-local correlation. Applying either approach alone usually limits performance in various low-level vision tasks. In this work, we propose a novel video denoising method, based on an online tensor reconstruction scheme with a joint adaptive sparse and lowrank model, dubbed SALT. An efficient and unsupervised online unitary sparsifying transform learning method is introduced to impose adaptive sparsity on the fly. We develop an efficient 3D spatio-temporal data reconstruction framework based on the proposed online learning method, which exhibits low latency and can potentially handle streaming videos. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that combines adaptive sparsity and low-rankness for video denoising, and the first work of solving the proposed problem in an online fashion. We demonstrate video denoising results over commonly used videos from public datasets. Numerical experiments show that the proposed video denoising method outperforms competing methods.


Purpose of review The complexity of the perioperative care process has resulted in a suboptimal use of resources, quality problems and a relatively high incidence of errors. In an attempt to optimize resources, patient safety, and quality, multimodal, multidisciplinary standardization of the care process has become an increasingly recognized goal. Recent findings The anaesthesiologist as perioperative clinician plays a pivotal role in the development and implementation of standardized perioperative care. Historically, however, a significant portion of perioperative care has relied upon anecdotal information that represents an amalgam of any individual anaesthesiologist's collective influences and experiences. Current status of standardized perioperative care and different factors that influence successful implementation of guidelines, fast track surgery programs and clinical pathways are described. Summary Although recent literature indicates that standardization of perioperative care improves efficiency, quality, and patient satisfaction, implementation of standardized care is difficult since resistance is still enormous.


Abstract Analysis of a sample of around 4,600 women born between the 1860s and the 1990s finds that the height of adult females increased by about 5 cm, primarily from the 1860s to the 1880s and during the second half of the twentieth century—representing the greatest known improvement in women's biological welfare in Chilean history. Chilean women have never been as tall as they are today. The secular height increase was higher for men than for women, but only slightly. The increasing sexual dimorphism in stature since the 1920s (achieving its highest value ever during the 1990s) suggests that male stature is more sensitive than female stature to changes in environmental conditions. Adult female heights also correlate with positive gradients in literacy and occupational status, and negative height differentials are in evidence between the native (Mapuche) population and the population with European ancestry.


The present study investigated marketing of milk products and animals in Rajasthan by using secondary information on different aspects on or afterwards years 2000-01. Results of the study revealed that per day milk procurement, price of milk, number of DCS (Dairy cooperative Society), members of DCS, sale of fluid milk, sale of ghee, sale of cattle feed have increased by 193.57, 216.93, 135.38 and 74.70, 245.96, 257.04, 163.48 per cent in 2015-16 over base period (2000-01) while quantity of milk supplied to NMG and quantity of table butter have decreased by 35.08 and 13.28 per cent, respectively, during the same period. Growth rate in terms of per cent per annum was positive for milk procurement ( 6.24) price of milk (9.65), number of registered DCS (5.88), number of members of DCS (3.45), local milk marketing ( 8.41), ghee (7.08) and cattle feed (4.08) during 2000-01 to 2015-16 while it was negative for milk supplied to NMG (-15.34) and table butter (-6.49). The arrivals of animals in fairs have declined from 1.38 lakh to 0.79 lakh during the period of last 15 years. Like arrivals, transactions of animals in fairs have also declined from 65 thousand to 36 thousand during the same period. Only about half of the total numbers of animals brought are sold in fairs. The declining trend in number of animals brought to fairs was observed in all types of species of animals except horses, where it was increasing. A similar trend was observed also found in transactions of animals in fairs in all types of species of animals except buffalo, horses and goat. The percentage of transactions to arrivals in cattle fairs have improved in camel and goat only during period. The growth was negative for both the arrivals and transaction of animals in Rajasthan, it was more pronounced in transaction (-3.03%) than arrivals (-2.85%) of animals in cattle fairs. A declining trend in arrival of animals was observed in all cattle fairs except Jaswant fair organised at Bharatpur and similar trend in transactions of animals in all cattle fairs except Shivratri fair organised at Karauli and Baldeo fair organised at Nagaur district.


A bandpass modulator with two time-interleaved second-order modulators and cross-coupled paths is described. Split zeros around the 40 MHz IF provide a signal band of 1 MHz with 72 DR and 65.1 dB peak SNR. The circuit, integrated in a 0.18 CMOS technology, uses a 60 MHz clock per channel. Experimental results show that the in-band region is not affected by tones caused by mismatches and that a two-tones input causes an IMD signal of 68 . The power consumption is 16 mW with 1.8 V supply.


Several experiments report the presence of finite jumps in the properties of spin-torque oscillators at room temperature, such as oscillation frequency and power as functions of current or field. On the basis of micromagnetic simulations, this paper links those experimental discontinuities to the changes in the curve slope numerically observed in the absence of thermal effects. Our numerical results show the key ingredient triggering this behavior is the presence of abrupt changes in the oscillation axis of the magnetization precession. We also predict that by fixing the bias point of the oscillator near those critical regions, it is possible to observe hysteretic synchronization. This result should be a key point in the design of nanoscale on-chip phase-locked loop receivers with improved sensitivity.


The different causes of mailroom stops, downtime, and reduced production speed in the mailroom are discussed. It is stated that inserting and stacker stops might cause longer down time in the mailroom that force the press to be stopped. Stops in the packaging lines can be handled to the production through increased personnel efforts by the production staff in the mailroom. The total downtime for the press caused by the mailroom varies from 8 to about 21 minutes. Additional studies are needed to support any further conclusions on minor stops.


Chilling tolerance is a desirable trait in commercial tomato varieties, in order to extend the growing season and geographic range. Two Nearly Isogenic Lines (NILs) with introgressions in chromosome 2 and 3 of Solanum habrochaites S. Knapp & D.M. Spooner, a cold-resistant wild tomato, were evaluated in the field. Four plantings were established between 21 August and 2 October 2006 (day 232 and 274). Throughout the experiment the heat sum was interpreted using air temperature to calculate growing degree days (base 12 °C) and chilling hours (below 12 °C), with the daily light integral calculated as global solar radiation. The relative post-transplant growth rate, fruit set and yield, were evaluated over two successive 10-d periods. Chilling tolerance is expressed under high radiation and low temperature conditions, which occurred during the 10-d post-transplant evaluation period beginning on day 257, when both NILs achieved a leaf area growth rate 1.7 times higher than the control plants. During the second evaluation period, 10-20 d post-transplant, both NILs grew on average, 1.4 times more than the control. There were no significant differences in earliness or fruit set. These NILs should not be used as a direct source to obtain chilling tolerant varieties, because of the low fruit set, 84% lower in LA3921 than the control, probably due to linkage drag and poor environmental adaptability in both lines.


OBJECTIVE
To compare two testing protocols for evaluating range of motion (ROM) changes in the preloaded cadaveric spines implanted with a mobile core type Charité lumbar artificial disc.

METHODS
Using five human cadaveric lumbosacral spines (L2-S2), baseline ROMs were measured with a bending moment of 8 Nm for all motion modes (flexion/extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation) in intact spine. The ROM was tracked using a video-based motion-capturing system. After the Charité disc was implanted at the L4-L5 level, the measurement was repeated using two different methods : 1) loading up to 8 Nm with the compressive follower preload as in testing the intact spine (Load control protocol), 2) loading in displacement control until the total ROM of L2-S2 matches that when the intact spine was loaded under load control (Hybrid protocol). The comparison between the data of each protocol was performed.

RESULTS
The ROMs of the L4-L5 arthroplasty level were increased in all test modalities (p < 0.05 in bending and rotation) under both load and hybrid protocols. At the adjacent segments, the ROMs were increased in all modes except flexion under load control protocol. Under hybrid protocol, the adjacent segments demonstrated decreased ROMs in all modalities except extension at the inferior segment. Statistical significance between load and hybrid protocols was observed during bending and rotation at the operative and adjacent levels (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
In hybrid protocol, the Charité disc provided a relatively better restoration of ROM, than in the load control protocol, reproducing clinical observations in terms of motion following surgery.


We present a new global constraint to propagate idle times costs for the Fixed Job Scheduling (FJS) problem, in particular to minimize their variance so as to optimize the robustness of solutions w.r.t. schedule deviations. The propagation of this constraint is based on the computation of the shortest path in the compatibility directed acyclic graph of each resource to obtain an exact lower bound. It ensures Bound Consistency on the resource cost in polynomial time, as well as the filtering of the resource variables associated with compatible tasks. We show on tailored FJS problems and real instances of the airport Gate Allocation Problem (a variant of the FJS problem) that this new constraint provides significant improvements in terms of number of backtracks and computation time, up to orders of magnitude in some cases.


If mine waste materials are stored in dams, the dams are referred to as tailings dams. Tailings dam failures can lead to massive destruction in nearby areas because of the large amount of water and slurry tailings stored in the dams. Tailings dams are large constructions which therefore endure great stresses. If the stresses become higher than what the materials of the dam can tolerate there is a risk that the embankment will collapse.This master thesis is the result of a collaboration between Vattenfall, Elforsk, Uppsala University and Tsinghua University. The purpose has been to evaluate a design suggestion for a tailings dam located in Mexico, and this was done from a strain stress perspective which also included a seepage and displacement analysis.The results indicated that the maximum stresses that occurred in the dam were within the stability region for the fine tailings, but adjustments have to be made regarding the coarse tailings. These results also need to be supplemented with an additional earthquake simulation before a final evaluation can be made.


The study objective was to identify the circumstances where there was risk of contamination of food (hot dogs) prepared and sold on the streets and to establish a preventive action through the creation of key surveillance sites. Data were collected from 20 vending sites using interviews, questionnaires, observations of food handling and storage, and temperature and pH measurements of both meat and sauce, respectively. In 30% of the studied sites, hygienic conditions were rated as regular to extremely poor. Mashed potatoes, chicken and beef preparations were of high risk. These findings showed inappropriate hygienic practices of food preparation and lack of basic knowledge regarding food handling - a public health problem. Given the scarcity of literature and official data on food sold in the streets of Brazil, further studies are recommended.


eGovernment services are often grouped to so called life events in order to make it easier for citizens to identify relevant information and services in a specific situation. Examples for life events are: moving to another community or the birth of a child. Similar groups can be found for business contacts to government (B2G). In this article the authors focus on B2G contacts. The authors show that some B2G contacts can be seen as value webs consisting of more than only two actors. The findings presented by the authors suggest that eGovernment design should be based on requirements and needs of all actors participating in such an eGovernment value web. The article presents an approach to requirements elicitation based on characteristic features of B2G contacts.


Histone deacetylases (HDAC) modify the architecture of chromatin, leading to decreased gene expression, an effect that is reversed by HDAC inhibition. The balance between deacetylation and acetylation is central to many biological events including the regulation of cell proliferation and cancer but also the differentiation of immune T cells. The effects of HDAC inhibition on the interaction between antitumor effector T cells and tumor cells are not known. Here, we studied presentation of a universal self-tumor antigen, telomerase reverse transcriptase, in human tumor cells during HDAC inhibition. We found that HDAC inhibition with trichostatin A was associated with a decreased presentation and diminished killing of tumor cells by CTLs. Using gene array analysis, we found that HDAC inhibition resulted in a decrease of genes coding for proteasome catalytic proteins and for tapasin, an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein involved in the MHC class I pathway of endogenous antigen presentation. Our findings indicate that epigenetic changes in tumor cells decrease self-tumor antigen presentation and contribute to reduced recognition and killing of tumor cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This mechanism could contribute to tumor escape from immune surveillance.


Abstract Introduction and aims Pelvic radiotherapy creates physical and psychological effects that impact negatively on the sexual well-being of women and their partners. The aim of this ethnographic study was to develop an assessment methodology to improve the clinical assessment of sexual morbidity following radiotherapy in women with pelvic malignancy. Methods Observation of follow-up clinics (50 gynaecological, 19 colorectal consultations) plus interviews with women (n=24), partners (n=5) and health professionals (n=20) explored sexual morbidity assessment after treatment completion. Women with pelvic malignancy who had completed radical radiotherapy 3, 6, 12 and 24 months previously were included. Doctors, nurses and therapy radiographers were interviewed to establish professional perspectives on assessment. Observation and interview data were analysed using both SPSS v.14 and NVivo v.2 software. Results Consultations focused on disease surveillance, specific aspects of toxicity monitoring and managing active symptoms. Sexual concerns were not routinely assessed in gynaecological (11/50) or colorectal (6/19) clinics. Health professionals felt inhibited discussing sexual concerns with older women and when partners were present. Patient and partner interviews revealed inconsistency in the management of treatment induced menopause, inadequate knowledge of sexual health resources and unidentified difficulties including loss of desire, dyspareunia and reduced sexual satisfaction. Conclusions Traditional models of medical follow-up may not offer an appropriate clinical context for the optimal assessment and management of sexual concerns associated with pelvic radiotherapy. These findings are important for the development of survivorship services and can inform the training of health professionals engaged in post-treatment toxicity assessment, patient information and support.


The Metro-North Commuter Railroad was created in 1983 to operate, maintain, and manage the commuter railroads that were abandoned by Conrail in response to federal legislation. Working after January 1, 1983, Metro-North has improved the structures and facilities, stations, and track and electrical systems that had long been neglected by predecessor railroads. Over the course of the past 15 years, expenditures have averaged approximately $100 million yearly. This funding was provided through a series of capital programs initiated by the Metropolitan Transportation Agency, the umbrella agency that controls the New York metropolitan region's transit properties. Funding for these projects is derived from various sources, including taxes, bond sales, state grants, and Federal Transit Administration grants. Projects often involve interaction with local communities, state and federal funding agencies, and special interest groups. The Cortlandt Station, with a total project cost of almost $11 million, was one example of the success that can be achieved in the public transportation arena when a local municipality is convinced it is part of the planning and design process. Although the overall planning and implementation took nearly 9 years to complete, the Cortlandt Station has turned out to be one of the railroad's major successes. It is also an excellent example of the coordination that is required to execute a major improvement project when several state and federal agencies, four design and engineering consultants, and three contractors are added to the mix.


A seamless mosaic has been constructed including a 3D terrain model at 50 m grid-spacing and a corresponding terrain-corrected orthoimage at 12.5 m using a novel approach applied to ESA Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera orbital (HRSC) images of Mars. This method consists of blending and harmonising 3D models and normalising reflectance to a global albedo map. Eleven HRSC image sets were processed to Digital Terrain Models (DTM) based on an opensource stereo photogrammetric package called CASP-GO and merged with 71 published DTMs from the HRSC team. In order to achieve high quality and complete DTM coverage, a new method was developed to combine data derived from different stereo matching approaches to achieve a uniform outcome. This new approach was developed for high-accuracy data fusion of different DTMs at dissimilar grid-spacing and provenance which employs joint 3D and image co-registration, and B-spline fitting against the global Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) standard reference. Each HRSC strip is normalised against a global albedo map to ensure that the very different lighting conditions could be corrected and resulting in a tiled set of seamless mosaics. The final 3D terrain model is compared against the MOLA height reference and the results shown of this intercomparison both in altitude and planum. Visualisation and access mechanisms to the final open access products are described.


Oligonucleotides that target aggregates of RNA and protein show potential for treating myotonic dystrophy. Expansion of tandem nucleotide repeats in the human genome—most often the triplets CAG and CTG—causes a number of inherited diseases such as Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, and myotonic dystrophy. An expansion within the coding region of a gene can reduce the normal function of the corresponding protein and/or cause an aberrant function (1), whereas expansions in noncoding regions can cause disease (such as myotonic dystrophy) without interfering with protein sequence. In myotonic dystrophy, RNA that is transcribed from DNA containing noncoding expansions is causative of disease pathogenesis. On page 336 of this issue, Wheeler et al. (2) present a potentially highly effective approach to neutralize the toxic effects of these RNAs.


Ensemble strategies have gained increasing attention in multivariate calibration for quantitative analysis of complex samples. The aim of ensemble calibration is to obtain a more accurate, stable, and robust prediction by combining the predictions of multiple submodels. The generation and calibration of the training subsets, as well as the integration of the submodels, are three keys to the success of ensemble calibration. Many training subset generating and submodel integrating strategies have been developed to form numerous ensemble calibration methods for improving the performance of the basic calibration method. This contribution focuses on the recent ensemble strategies in relation to calibration, especially the ensemble modeling for quantitative analysis of complex samples. The limitations and perspectives of ensemble strategies are also discussed.


CURRENT CONDITIONS The agricultural sector employs 77 percent of Senegal's workforce. Rice is the country's staple crop, but millet is the most widely grown crop, largely because of low rainfall in most of the country. The severe drought in the late 1960s and early 1970s contributed to migration into cities. The share of GDP from agriculture has been declining since the mid-1980s, despite noticeable improvements over the last decade, reflecting the growing dominance of the service sector. The malnutrition rate for children under five years (14.5 percent) is decreasing. The increase in life expectancy from 40 years in 1960 to more than 50 years in 2008 has been driven by improvements in health care, including efforts to reduce the mortality rate of children under five years. The proportion of the population living on less than US$2 a day is lower in urban areas, areas where irrigation is developed, and areas where important industries are located.


The subject matter of this article was the right to education with a particular regard to the rights of the child being a pupil and his/her right to personal treatment in the teaching and the whole educational process, the right to the open and motivated assessment of the progress in learning, the right to impact the school life via local government activities, as well as the right to the freedom of conscience and religion, and the right to recognise and preserve the national identity in the teaching process. The issue of pupil's responsibilities, and in particular compulsory schooling and compulsory education, have also been raised. The article defi ned the right to education and placed it among other acts of international law – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, known as the World Constitution of the Rights of the Child. In addition to the nature of the right to education, the subject matter of the consideration was also the principles and guarantees of its implementation, contained in the Basic Law. Their analysis led to the conclusion about the limited nature of the right of parents to bring up the child according to their own convictions, the implementation of which should be compatible with the welfare of the child and the constitutionally guaranteed right to receive education. An analysis of the regulations applicable in the prescribed scope statutory, and in particular in terms of universal and equal access to education have also been discussed. The refl ections presented in the article have been enriched with case law examples and judgments delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the Supreme Court, and the Common Courts. The analysis of the existing legal references, the doctrine, and the case law has allowed to reach a conclusion on the fundamental nature of the right to education, the implementation of which conditions the development of an individual and the full use of its rights.


We analyze the cosmological signatures visible to an observer in a Coleman–de Luccia bubble when another such bubble collides with it. We use a gluing procedure to generalize the results of Freivogel, Horowitz and Shenker to the case of a general cosmological constant in each bubble and study the resulting spacetimes. The collision breaks the isotropy and homogeneity of the bubble universe and provides a cosmological 'axis of evil' which can affect the cosmic microwave background in several unique and potentially detectable ways. Unlike more conventional perturbations to the inflationary initial state, these signatures can survive even relatively long periods of inflation. In addition, we find that for a given collision the observers in the bubble with smaller cosmological constant are safest from collisions with domain walls, possibly providing another anthropic selection principle for small positive vacuum energy.


New contributions on the chronology of the preserved remains of the medieval city walls of Almeria (Spain)The medieval city walls of Almeria have abundant references in Arabic sources and numerous preserved remains, either in all its elevation, or as small archaeological remains on the current slope and even under the ground. This circumstance has given rise to a lot of scientific literature on the chronology of each of the different existing precincts: Alcazaba, Medina, suburbs and outer enclosure. The problem lies in the fact that, since its foundation in the tenth century until the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs in 1489 and its reuse until the mid-nineteenth century, the medieval walls have undergone various repairs, extensions and reconstructions. In order to provide greater chronological precision, from the School of Arab Studies (CSIC), a Project of the State Research Plan was requested, which was granted with reference HAR2015-71609-P. It has allowed to make radiocarbon dating of wood and other building materials of the walls, in combination with studies of construction, metrological, historical techniques and restorations carried out since the mid-twentieth century. All this has allowed us to contribute new hypotheses about the chronology of the preserved remains, many of which are much more recent than the foundational walls that they have replaced.


vomiting of blood may have been attributed to the Masked bleeding posttonsillectomy with antiemetic effects of ondansetron as described previously. ondansetron Despite the delayed presentation, immediate resuscitation SIR—A 10-year-old girl, ASA I, weighing 23 kg, presented and rapid surgical correction occurred as the child was an for an elective adenotonsillectomy as an inpatient. She had inpatient. Had the child been discharged home from no significant previous medical or surgical history and daycase surgery, further delay could have had a potentially no history of a bleeding diathesis. Following intravenous more adverse outcome. We suggest that the use of induction of anaesthesia (including a bolus of ondansetron ondansetron as a prophylactic antiemetic for adeno0.15 mg·kg), a laryngeal mask was inserted. Bleeding tonsillectomy in children should be carefully considered, from the tonsillar beds was marked intraoperatively and especially where the child might be a daycase. 150 ml blood loss was recorded from the suction apparatus. S.P. COURTMAN An infusion of 500 ml of crystalloid was given in theatre. E. RAWLINGS There was no apparent bleeding when the surgery was A.S. CARR completed and a full blood count and clotting screen sent Department of Anaesthetics intraoperatively were normal (haemoglobin 11.1, INR 1.2, Derriford Hospital APTTR 1.0). In the immediate postoperative period, her Derriford Road recovery was uneventful and she remained in recovery for Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK 1 h before returning to the ward with no evidence of further Correspondence: A.S. Carr bleeding and had taken sips of water.


The Educational Program for Health Work (PET-Saude) is an important strategy for modifying health professionals' training and upgrading primary care. The Federal University in Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo State, together with the Sao Carlos Municipal Health Department, realized the program's importance and thus prepared and implemented the project, including representatives from the courses in nursing, physical therapy, medicine, and occupational therapy. The project's focus is the Family Health Strategy, thus emphasizing the importance of integrating students from different courses, tutors, and preceptors in teaching, research, and extension activities, with a focus on excellence, comprehensiveness, and case-resolving capacity in the consolidation of the Unified National Health System (SUS) in Sao Carlos. Within the Family Health Units, the project conducts regular activities with undergraduate students, training activities for preceptors linked to the Family Health Strategy, research aimed at upgrading primary care, and review of adequate protocols for primary care and the needs of the Unified National Health System, among other teaching, research, and extension activities.


Abstract Despite the multifactorial space of language experience in which people continuously vary, bilinguals are often dichotomized into ostensibly homogeneous groups. The timing of language exposure (age of acquisition) to a second language (L2) is one well-studied construct that is known to impact language processing, cognitive processing, and brain organization, but recent work shows that current language exposure is also a crucial determinant in these domains. Critically, many indices of bilingual experience are inherently subjective and based on self-report questionnaires. Such measures have been criticized in favor of objective measures of language ability (e.g., naming ability or verbal fluency). Here, we estimate the bilingual experience jointly as a function of multiple continuous aspects of experience, including the timing of language exposure, the amount of L2 exposure across communicative contexts, and language entropy (a flexible measure of language balance) across communicative contexts. The results suggest that current language exposure exhibits distinct but interrelated patterns depending on the socio-experiential context of language usage. They also suggest that, counterintuitively, our sample more accurately self-assesses L2 proficiency than native language proficiency. A precise quantification of the multidimensional nature of bilingualism will enhance the ability of future research to assess language processing, acquisition, and control.


Antithrombin-III exerts antiinflammatory effects via ligation of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Here we show in vitro that recombinant human antithrombin-III attenuates CD11b/CD18 expression of activated neutrophils and monocytes in whole blood ex vivo. As leukocyte integrin expression is triggered by extracorporeal circulation, this observation may be of relevance for pharmacological treatment during cardiopulmonary bypass.


On the 29th of January 2008, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) carried out an archaeological evaluation, on behalf of Swarbrick Associates and Stanwix Primary School, to the rear of Stanwix Primary School, Stanwix, Carlisle, Cumbria (NGR NY 4015 5715). In advance of the construction of a toilet block and paved waiting area. The school stands within the former Roman fort of Stanwix, a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM 28484), and reputed to be one of the largest forts along Hadrian's Wall.
Several phases of archaeological work have taken place in and around the primary school since the mid-twentieth century. Excavations were carried out by Simpson and Hogg in the early 1930s and a series of excavations, evaluations and watching briefs were undertaken by Carlisle Archaeological Unit (CAU) during the 1980s and 1990s. These archaeological works culminated in the location of various features in the interior and exterior of the Roman fort, including stone curtain walls, barracks, and the granary, as well as metalled and cobbled surfaces. Fragments of Hadrian's Wall, and the earlier Turf Wall, were also identified.
Two trenches were excavated during the present scheme of works: Trench 1 was located within the rear yard of the school, just south of the entrance to Mulcaster Crescent, and situated over the proposed toilet block. Trench 1 measured 1.5m square, reduced in size to avoid the modern services and drains identified across the area, and was excavated to 0.7m in depth, until natural geology, 103, was encountered. The observed stratigraphy comprised tarmac and levelling deposits, 100, redeposited subsoil, 101, and disturbed natural, 102. No finds or features dating to the Roman period were identified, and it was likely that the area had been heavily truncated during the recent construction of the classroom immediately to the south. Two small fragments of clay pipe bowl were recovered from the levelling material 100, but were likely to have been residual within this recently redeposited material. A modern ceramic drain was identified running north-east/south-west across the trench; it was probably contemporary with the recent extension. It is likely that this part of the schoolyard has been heavily disturbed by recent groundworks, causing the truncation of archaeological deposits within the depth investigated. Thus, the proposed development is likely to have a negligible impact upon the archaeological resource, although potential for the preservation of islands of undisturbed archaeological stratigraphy elsewhere within the schoolyard must remain high.
Trench 2 was located within the flowerbeds to the rear of the school, adjacent to Mulcaster Crescent and situated over the proposed location for the paved waiting area. It was 1.3m x 1.5m, and was excavated to a depth of 0.6m to accommodate the 0.4m proposed depth of impact in this area. The stratigraphy solely comprised garden soil 104 and natural geology was not reached; several fragments of modern pottery were observed, but not retained. It is possible, like levelling material 100, that the garden soil was brought in from elsewhere to raise the flowerbeds. If the proposed groundworks do not exceed the current pavement level they will have a minimal impact on this area.


Starting from the analisys of the geodynamic evolution of the Umbrian- Marchean fold belt, we attempt to outline a seismogenetic model of the area. This model rests 1) on the assumption that every deformation tends to reduce the stress by which it has been originated so that the magnitude of the vectors changes and the stress field results reoriented (Price 1959, Ramsay 1967) and 2) on the observation that Umbrian-Marchean deformations of both sedimentary mesozoic cover and crystalline ercinic basement, in spite of their disharmonious behaviour due to the inter- position ot the incompetent level of the triassic evaporites, show a common displacement field (Lavecchia & Pialli 1981 a). At present, as far as the Umbrian-Marchean geodynamic evolution is concerned, all the available geological and geophysical data are in agreement with the existence of a displacement field (two axis in a horizontal plane of apenninic and counterapenninic directions, one axis vertical) whose orientation has been kep trought space and time, while the magnitude of its vectors underwent considerable variations. In a given area, the sequence of events trough the time should be the following. At time T, a horizontal counterapenninic direction of maximum compression a, shortens the crystalline basement and causes a crustal thickening. In response to the consequent increase of the lithostatic load the crust subsides isostatically. Because the elastic warping of the lithosphere beneath the load extends beyond the actual limits of the load, a peripheral depression is created in which the foredeep trough, that migrates northeastward in advance of the deformation, grows (Price 1973). The continuous increase of lithostatic load produces, at time T2, a reorientation of the strain ellipsoid with a vertical intermediate principal direction. Transcurrent shear zones (left-lateral about E-W and right-lateral N-S) and anticlockwise rotation are generated in the crust, while an arcuate fold belt with convexity towards East, formed by periclinal interdigitate folds, develops in the cover. Such deformation reduces the magnitude of the maximum counterapenninic complessive vector (a), so that the strain ellipsoid undergoes a new reorientation (time 3) with a vertical minimum principal strain direction. Crustal thinning and apenninic horst and graben structures are so generated. Obviously all these deformational phases (tensional, transcurrent and compressional) and the associated stress regimes, should be present at a given time, throughout the space from SW to NE. Following Adriatic this scheme, the present seismicity of the Umbrian- Marchean area should be a consequence of its Adriatic geodynamic distinction in apenninic fold belt, deformed Pliocene foretrough (B) compressional zone (C) and should reflect differents stress regimes, with normal faults to the West (A), transcurrent shear zones in the middle (B) and reversed in the East (C). Such seismic zoning is in a good agreement with the distribution ot the focal mechanisms of this area (Cagnetti et Al. 1978, Lavecchia e Pialli 1981 a) which confirms the existence of a tensional stress regime with apenninic and counterapenninic direction in the Apennines and a transcurrent regime in the periadriatic area. The much less clear evidence of a compressional regime in the Adriatic aseismic zone (Gasparini, Praturlon 1981) gives a further confirmation of the proposed model if interpreted as due not to a real absence of a compressional stress, but due to the existence of aseismic creep on reversed apenninic shear zones. A much greater concentration of strain energy is infact required to begin frictional sliding on thrust faults than on normal or transcurrent faults pore fluid pressure, A, continuous ductile shearing can be stable on reversed faults, while sudden release of shear strain energy consequently seismic failure, can realize on normal and transcurrent faults.


Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of regulators that affect the aggressive behaviors of several types of cancer. Hsa_circ_0001666 (also referred to as hsa_circ_000742) is a newly discovered circRNA that is upregulated in human papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) based on microarray analysis. However, the role of hsa_circ_0001666 in PTC progression remains unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the potential function and underlying mechanism of hsa_circ_0001666 in PTC. The results demonstrated that hsa_circ_0001666 was upregulated in both PTC clinical samples and cell lines. Its expression was associated with lymph node metastasis of patients with PTC. Knocking down hsa_circ_0001666 expression inhibited cell proliferation, as evidenced by decreased cell viability, arrest of cell cycle progression at the G1 phase and an increase in cell cycle-associated proteins. Apoptosis rates and expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins were also increased by silencing hsa_circ_0001666. In xenograft experiments, the oncogenic effect of hsa_circ_0001666 on tumor growth was verified. Additionally, luciferase reporter assays showed that hsa_circ_0001666 and ETS variant transcription factor 4 (ETV4) shared common binding sites with three microRNAs [(miRNA/miR)-330-5p, miR-193a-5p and miR-326]. Knockdown of these miRNAs separately reversed the inhibitory effect of hsa_circ_0001666 small interfering RNAs on PTC tumor aggressiveness, and ETV4 overexpression also induced a similar effect to that of miRNA inhibitors. Thus, hsa_circ_0001666 may function as an oncogene, promoting PTC tumorigenesis via the miR-330-5p/miR-193a-5p/miR-326/ETV4 pathway. This provides a basis for identifying potential novel therapeutic targets for PTC.


Recent decisions by patent offices in the USA and Europe concerning the revolutionary gene‐editing technology, CRISPR/Cas9, have shed light on the importance—and puzzles—of one particular area of patent law: "nonobviousness", as it known in the USA, or, in Europe, the "inventive step". In February 2017, the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) found that the work of Feng Zhang, a researcher at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, MA, USA, constituted a "nonobvious" advance over the celebrated work of Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley (USA) and Emmanuelle Charpentier, then at Umea University, Sweden [1]. As a consequence, the Broad Institute will be able to keep its US patents covering the technology irrespective of how Doudna and Charpentier's patent application proceeds. By contrast, the European Patent Office (EPO) announced that it had granted Doudna and Charpentier's European patent application covering broad uses of CRISPR/Cas9 in essentially any cell type, despite the US Patent Office's decision to the contrary [2]. Other parties—including the Broad Institute—will be able to challenge Doudna and Charpentier's European patent. But for now, the EPO's decision is an implicit recognition that Doudna and Charpentier's work was, itself, a major "inventive step" over the work that came before it.

Patent law does not always neatly align itself with the realities of biological research. But these competing decisions have put those differences on parade. The US decision in particular—and even the nature of the controversy between the two US research institutions—has been widely criticized by scientists. One prominent researcher, Michael Eisen from the University of California, Berkeley, has taken particular issue with the PTAB's articulation of the typical manner in which molecular biologists adapt discoveries to different cell systems. "[O]ne can believe that it was obvious that CRISPR would work in eukaryotic cells, …


Our paper investigates the exposure to oil price fluctuations of financial companies listed on stock exchanges from Eastern European countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. Using monthly datasets covering the period from February 2010 to February 2018, we examine the relationship between stock prices of these financial companies, oil prices and other macroeconomic variables, such as local stock indices, a European stock index designed to measure the performance of companies from this region (FTSE Europe), an indicator of a country's international price competitiveness (NEER), interest rates and an indicator of systemic stress, named Composite Indicator of Systemic Stress (CISS). Applying the panel data methodology, our results indicate an unexpected fact. We show that there is a significant exposure of financial companies to the oil price fluctuations. We discover that in the financial sector, high oil prices may have indeed positive effects on the stock prices. The price of oil has a higher impact on the stock prices of financial companies than we expected and it proved be a risk factor for this sector. Our results indirectly highlight the pervasive exposure of economies from the region to risk factors through the financial sector channels, which raises serious challenges from the perspective of macroeconomic and financial policies.
Keywords: oil price, financial sector, panel data analysis


Abstract Background Steroid use for COVID-19 is based on the possible role of these drugs in mitigating the inflammatory response, mainly in the lungs, triggered by SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed at evaluating at evaluating the efficacy of methylprednisolone (MP) among hospitalized patients with suspected COVID-19. Methods Parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase IIb clinical trial was performed with hospitalized patients aged ≥ 18 years with clinical, epidemiological and/or radiological suspected COVID-19, at a tertiary care facility in Manaus, Brazil. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1 ratio) to receive either intravenous MP (0.5 mg/kg) or placebo (saline solution), twice daily, for 5 days. A modified intention-to-treat (mITT) analysis was conducted. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. ClinicalTrials Identifier NCT04343729. Findings From April 18 to June 16, 2020, 647 patients were screened, 416 randomized, and 393 analyzed as mITT, MP in 194 and placebo in 199 individuals. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by RT-PCR in 81.3%. Mortality at day 28 was not different between groups. A subgroup analysis showed that patients over 60 years in the MP group had a lower mortality rate at day 28. Patients in the MP arm tended to need more insulin therapy, and no difference was seen in virus clearance in respiratory secretion until day 7. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that a short course of MP in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 did not reduce mortality in the overall population.


Integrating traditional engine and plunger pump, a new type power equipment─Internal Combustion Fluid Pump(ICFP) was developed, through which thermal energy can be turned into hydraulic pressure directly. As a main factor affecting ICFP's performances, efficiency is the basis to design its structure. For three-cylinder axial ICFP, it's dynamics model was setup, and its efficiency character was studied. The simulating results show that ICFP's effective thermal efficiency is 37.44% at calibration condition, which is higher than engine-pump system by 23.06%. For the three-cylinder ICFP, the effective thermal efficiency experiments are done. Errors are within 5%, and it proved that the simulation results are correct.


Growth poles are considered dynamic elements of economic growth, responsible for economical technogical, ideological, spiritual and moral integration.Bioeconomy is currently an area of great and mighty power development. High complexity of this field is to combine the use of technologies that use biological resources in the range of human values involved. This study requires that objective SWOT analysis applied in dental esthetics with strict reference to the quality of work in relation to aesthetic and functional effectiveness of the treatment, the life, the method of reconstruction, working technique, the degree of invasiveness of treatment in relation to conservation dental tissues ,execution costs, costs of resources used in dental anterior segment reconstruction and economic analysis of the modalities of treatment techniques reported the need and level of understanding of patients on treatment aesthetic-functional complexity. As material and method took into account the interaction of four factors: Strenghts-Weaknesses-Opportunities -Hazards. In group "Strengths" we have included successful treatment aesthetic-functional execution moderate cost, short time working on the seat, which shows limited use of natural resources. In group "Weaknesses" I included invasiveness of biological treatment, increased during execution of the work, aesthetic-functional failure , lack of training practitioners in dental aesthetics, lack of existant cabinets to promote interest in aesthetic dental medicine. "Opportunities" referred to the minimally invasive treatment of dental tissue in existing clinical context with predictable results, as higher interest of patients for dental esthetics, raising the standard of care internationally. In group "Risks" (threats) I listed: low resistance while works (weak predictability), decreasing purchasing power, changing customer preferences, increase service quality standards. In the second chapter we presented a report on the economic analysis - term labor - cost - average degree of patient satisfaction . In order to establish an economic plan to make a technical report of treatment ( labor) - price, average duration, satisfaction, relative to direct restoration techniques versus indirect techniques.In conclusion, SWOT analysis can be successfully applied to a better targeting of treatments, applying a plan lines for management in dental treatment units. None of direct techniques can not fit the bioeconomy principles (saves time, money, dental tissue) in the short term. All maneuvers efficient in terms of functional aesthetics dentistry win at time saving and lost tooth structure chapter to the cost issue. In the long run costs can be amortized, especially since the restoration increases predictability.


Metallothionein is a cytoplasmic protein witch may serve a detoxication function or as a storage/transport protein for essential trace metals in animals. Metallothionein of bivalve molluscs are often used for evaluation of heavy metal environmental pollution. In this article we report about our fist results on research of metallothionein of the freshwater mussel ( Cristaria bialata ). The induction of metallothionein was carried out in experiment with exposure to CdCl 2 . The mussel were kept in a 80L aquaria with aerated freshwater contaminated with 15 mgCd 2+ /l. The water in aquaria was changed two times a week. The mussel were fed every two days with a small amount of fresh diatoms or spirulina. They were transferred into fresh medium every second week. Contents of metallothionein were analyzed by the Cd/Hemoglobin affinity assay. The determinated values of metallothionein are 128.87 (after 21 days) and 202.68 mg/g wet weight (after 35 days). Metallothionein was isolated from the digestive gland of the mussel by gel filtration chromatography with Sephadex G-75. Fractions were monitored for absorbance at 254 and 280 nm by UV spectrophotometer and showed higher absorbance at 254 then at 280 nm. Cadmium content of the fractions was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The Cd 2+ -containing peak fractions were pooled, lyophilized and further purified by ion exchange chromatography with DEAE-cellulose. The elution profiles of the fractions showed 2 isoforms of metallothionein. The determinate value of the molecular weight of metallothionein of the freshwater mussel is 18,5 kDa. Metallothionein of the freshwater mussel ( Cristaria bialata ) could be propose to use as biomarker for water pollution heavy metal (Cadmium).