Sectoral contracts in many European countries set wage floors for different occupation groups. In addition, employers often pay a wage premium (or wage cushion) to individual workers. We use administrative data from Portugal, linked to collective bargaining agreements, to study the interactions between wage floors and wage cushions and quantify the impact of sectoral wage floors. Although wages exhibit a "spike" at the wage floor, a typical worker receives a 20% premium over the floor, with larger cushions for older and better-educated workers and at higher-productivity firms. Cushions also allow wages to covary with firm-specific productivity, even within sectoral agreements. Contract negotiations tend to raise all wage floors proportionally, with increases that reflect average productivity growth among covered firms. As floors rise, however, cushions are compressed, leading to an average passthrough rate of about 50%. Finally, we use a series of counterfactual simulations to show that real wage reductions during the recent financial crisis arose through reductions in real wage floors, reductions in real cushions, and a re-allocation of workers to lower wage floors. Offsetting these effects was a rapid rise in education of new cohorts, which in the absence of other factors would have led to rising real wages.


Basic graph models of processes, such as Petri nets, have usually omitted the concept of time as a parameter. Time has been added to the Petri net model in two ways. The timed Petri net (TPN) uses a fixed number of discrete time intervals. The stochastic Petri net (SPN) uses an exponentially distributed random variable. In this paper, a discrete time stochastic Petri model is described. These discrete time SPN's fill the gap between TPN and normal SPN. However, the use of discrete time complicates the SPN model in that more than one transition may fire at a time step. Finally, an example of a live and bounded Petri net which has nonempty, disjoint, recurrent subsets of markings is given.


In this work computational approaches to the numerical simulation of steady-state viscoelastic fluid flow are investigated. In particular, two aspects of computing viscoelastic flows are of interest: 1) the stable computation of high Weissenberg number JohnsonSegalman fluids and 2) low-order approaches to simulating the flow of fluids obeying a power law constitutive model. The numerical simulation of viscoelastic fluid flow becomes more difficult as a physical parameter, the Weissenberg number, increases. Specifically, at a Weissenberg number larger than a critical value, the iterative nonlinear solver fails to converge. For the nonlinear Johnson-Segalman constitutive model, defect-correction and continuation methods are examined for computing steady-state viscoelastic flows at high Weissenberg numbers. A twoparameter defect-correction method for viscoelastic fluid flow is presented and analyzed. In the defect step the Weissenberg number is artificially reduced to solve a stable nonlinear problem. The approximation is then improved in the correction step using a linearized correction iteration. Numerical experiments support the theoretical results and demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Continuation methods with natural and pseudo-arclength parametrizations are also examined. The implementation of these methods is discussed and computations with the methods are performed. Numerical results indicate that, for the discrete approximation of the flow equations, a limiting Weissenberg value exists and represents an elastic limit for stable simulation. Some shear-thinning viscoelastic fluids (e.g. paint, blood) are modeled using a power law constitutive equation. Through the introduction of an auxiliary variable with relevant physical meaning, the variational formulation for the steady-state flow of these fluids can be written as a two-fold saddle point problem. This approach leads to a larger system than the usual finite element approximations, however, the regularity requirements for test and trial functions are relaxed, which leads to an approximation method that is ideally suited for adaptive computation. We analyze this problem in in the Sobolev spaces Lr and


We theoretically demonstrate how to acquire the full bandgap spectrum of a photonic lattice of arbitrary profile. Focusing on the 1D case in the presence of a linear refractive index acceleration and employing a multiscale analysis, we show that each photonic band can be directly mapped by the light evolution in the lattice, whereas the size of each gap corresponds to the tunneling rate. We verify the analytical results with numerical simulations and discuss experimental realizations of this technique for dispersive spectroscopy.


Cocaine use disorder (CUD) remains a major public health concern, contributing significantly to death and disability. One defining feature of CUD is the repeated use of cocaine at the expense of alternative rewards. While use of cocaine quickly leads to rewarding effects, working towards alternative, long-term goals tends to involve more delay until reward receipt. Rewards are generally perceived as worth less when people must wait longer to receive them, a phenomenon called delay discounting. Individuals with CUD show steep delay discounting, indicating that they perceive the value of the reward as quickly decreasing as the delay increases. This study focuses on the relationship of delay discounting with distress tolerance and depression symptoms, including anhedonia. These factors are functionally significant areas of deficit in CUD and show promise for future treatment. We hypothesized: (1) lower distress tolerance will relate to steeper delay discounting in treatment-seeking individuals with CUD and (2) higher levels of depression symptoms and anhedonia will relate to steeper delay discounting in treatment-seeking individuals with CUD, although we also tested for possible quadratic relationships with discounting.
Participants included treatment-seeking individuals with CUD. Distress tolerance was measured using a self-report questionnaire (Distress Tolerance Scale) and a behavioral measure of pain tolerance (Cold Pressor Task). Depression symptoms were self-reported on the Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition, and anhedonia was self-reported on the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale. To assess the relationship between these factors and temporal decision-making, we used multiple regression analyses with AUClog and log k from the delay discounting task as dependent variables.
Results showed that self-reported distress tolerance showed no relationship with delay discounting, but lower levels of physical distress tolerance were associated with steeper delay discounting. Depressive symptoms showed a quadratic relationship with delay discounting, such that low and high levels of depression were associated with steeper delay discounting than moderate levels. Anhedonia showed a quadratic relationship with delay discounting as well, but moderate levels of anhedonia were associated with steeper delay discounting in comparison to low and high levels.
Findings provide insight into the distinct relationship which tolerating physical distress may have with delay discounting in CUD. The unique relationships reported here for depression and anhedonia with delay discounting likely indicate differential associations of mood and reward-processing with decision-making in CUD. These findings offer deeper insight into decision-making in this population and a variety of potential treatment targets for further analysis.


Ubiquitous nature, versatility, and durability enabled paper to maintain its importance in the digital age. It is not surprising there have been numerous attempts to combine paper with the digital content. One way to do so is to place paper on a horizontal interactive display (e.g. tabletop or tablet). The paper thus becomes "the screen" on which the digital content is viewed, yet it also acts as a barrier that degrades the quality of the perceived image. This research tries to address this problem by proposing and evaluating a novel paper display concept called Dynamic pinhole paper. The concept is based on perforating the paper (to decrease its opacity) and moving digital content beneath the perforated area (to increase the resolution). To evaluate this novel concept, we fabricated the pinhole paper and implemented the software in order to run multiple user studies exploring the concept's viability, optimal movement trajectory (amount, direction and velocity), and the effect of perforation on printing, writing and reading. The results show that the movement of digital content is a highly effective strategy for improving the resolution of the digital content through perforation where the optimal velocity is independent from trajectory direction (e.g. horizontal or circular) and amount of movement. Results also show the concept is viable on of the shelf hardware and that it is possible to write and print on perforated paper.


The carnyx was a metal wind instrument used by Celtic peoples around two thousand years ago. It was approximately two meters long with a bell in the shape of an animal head. In 2004, an excavation at Tintignac in the Correze district of France uncovered a horde of bronze instruments, including parts of several carnyxes. It proved possible to assemble an almost complete carnyx from these parts, and in 2011, a copy of this carnyx was made in brass by Jean Boisserie. The acoustical behavior of the brass copy was studied by Joel Gilbert and colleagues at the Universite du Maine in Le Mans; this work led to the proposal that the musical performance of the instrument would be improved if an additional section of tubing was included in the reconstruction. Later, Boisserie made a second copy in bronze, together with several optional extension pieces. The musical performing possibilities of the bronze copy have been studied by the musician John Kenny, and its acoustical behavior has been studied at the University of Edinburgh. The results of these studies, including measurements of sound radiation by the large bronze ears attached to the head, are presented and discussed.


From a single product offering in 1963, the Islamic financial services industry has grown to an estimated $1.6 trillion in assets. Products must comply with profit and risk-sharing criteria and regulations preventing banks from venturing into activities with high risk and excessive uncertainty. This timely volume analyses these matters and considers the range of new products, discussing both conceptual and practical dimensions. It connects Islamic finance to the mainstream theoretical literature on financial intermediation while also exploring its differences. The expert contributors also examine why an ethical foundation is important and why the system requires well-thought-out regulations to ensure outcomes that protect the community's well-being.


CHRONIC tearing of the eye is usually due to abnormality of the tear conduction passages. These passages consist of (1) the eyelids; (2) the puncta and canaliculi, and (3) the tear sac, its prolongation downward into the nasolacrimal duct and that portion of the nose into which the nasolacrimal duct drains. Chronic irritation arising from refractive errors and muscular imbalance occasionally causes chronic tearing. Psychic, glandular or reflex factors are infrequently involved. In cases of the latter type, a drop of an innocuous colored solution, e. g., 1 per cent fluorescein sodium, placed in each eye will be quickly transmitted into the nose. The comparative speed with which each eye so clears itself measures the efficiency of the tear-conducting apparatus of each eye. The presence, as well as the concentration, of the colored solution can be gaged by blowing each side of the nose separately into a paper tissue. A


Slope instability has become one of the most significant geotechnical risks in recent times. Unfavourable geologic and climatic conditions, combined with anthropogenic activities, result in thousands of slope failures each year. Standard methods of geotechnical investigation such as boreholes and SPT-tests are not consistent in providing the geotechnical data for the site as a whole. Leaving engineers to assume the soil properties for most of the site, a disadvantage that may significantly increase the cost of remediation measures. Geophysics, in particular seismic surveying can provide alternative methods to solve this geotechnical problem. Although seismic surveys are widely used throughout the mining industry, it has not been applied to slope stability problems in Australia. This is mostly due to a lack of awareness, availability and acceptance/application of modern science. This paper seeks to establish the advantages of seismic methods in resolving slope instability issues. This paper illustrates the advantages of using seismic technology by presenting a case study, seismic technology for slope stability investigation in Yeppoon North Queensland. After significant rain in February 2008 a medium sized landslide occurred at the top of an embankment in the road reserve at Statue Bay, Yeppoon. The landslide regressed into the rear of the private properties above and therefore remediation measures were required. This is a reasonably standard geotechnical task, but when combined with steep vegetated slopes and very limited access, standard methods were not adequate. Seismic refraction and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) surveying methods were used to generate 2D & 3D sub-surface images. These images distinctively illustrated the sub-surface material profiles, including the rock line and areas of slip prone material.


The lower layer characteristics of 60 GHz wireless networks impact the entire protocol stack. This includes effects such as sudden link failure due to blockage, high packet loss due to deafness, or suboptimal transmit rates due to antenna misalignment. To understand the resulting behaviors at the upper layers, it is key to have access to lower layer information. At the time of writing, 60 GHz experimentation hardware is either limited in terms of bandwidth, real-time capability, or does not support a full stack. In contrast, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware covers all of the above features but is a black box regarding the lower layers. Our demo exploits hidden monitoring capabilities of a certain COTS device which has become popular in the 60 GHz research community. The demo allows conference attendees to interact with 60 GHz links and observe how this impacts lower layer parameters. Moreover, the demo shows how such interactions relate to the performance at the upper layers.


BMS-823778 (2), a 1,2,4-triazolopyridinyl-methanol derived analog, was identified as a potent and selective inhibitor of human 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD-1) enzyme (IC50 = 2.3 nM) with >10,000-fold selectivity over 11β-HSD-2. Compound 2 exhibits robust acute pharmacodynamic effects in cynomolgus monkeys (ED50 = 0.6 mg/kg) and in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice (ED50 = 34 mg/kg). Compound 2 also showed excellent inhibition in an ex vivo adipose DIO mouse model (ED50 = 5.2 mg/kg). Oral bioavailability ranges from 44% to 100% in preclinical species. Its favorable development properties, pharmacokinetics, high adipose-to-plasma concentration ratio, and preclinical pharmacology profile have prompted the evaluation of 2 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome in phase 2 clinical trials.


The effects of glucose on cAMP accumulation, insulin (IRI) release, and proinsulin synthesis were simultaneously measured in isolated rat islets. Proinsulin synthesis was assayed by measuring the incorporation of [3H] leudne into islet proteins reacting with Sepharose-bound anti-insulin gamma globulin. The accumulation of cAMP in islets and incubation medium was measured by the incorporation of [3H]-adenine into [3H] CAMP and purified by ion-exchange chromatography and barium sulfate precipitation. Glucose dose-response studies were performed in the absence and presence of 0.1 and 1.0 mM isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX). The IRI and cAMP responses to glucose demonstrated similar stimulation thresholds and Km values at all IBMX concentrations. With increasing amounts of IBMX, the Vmax was increased and the Km decreased for both responses. There was parallelism between IRI secretion and accumulation of [3H] CAMP in the medium, except at nonstimulatory glucose concentrations, where, especially in the presence of 1.0 mM IBMX, a marked stimulation of cAMP accumulation was accompanied by only modest IRI release. Proinsulin biosynthesis showed a much greater sensitivity to glucose than the cAMP and IRI responses. The threshold for stimulation by glucose was around 1.4 mM, and the response already saturated at 7.0 mM. Except when 1.0 mM IBMX was present, no IRI or cAMP responses were registered in this glucose dose range. These findings indicate that IRI release and proinsulin synthesis have distinct glucose recognition mechanisms and that ghicoseinduced cAMP stimulation does not mediate the effect of the hexose on hormone synthesis in the islet cell. When islet cAMP was elevated with IBMX, a decrease in the Km of the proinsulin response to glucose was observed, while the Vmax of the reaction was only slightly modified. This suggests that the level of cAMP in the islet may modulate the sensitivity of the B-cell for the effect of glucose on insulin biosynthesis and thus provide a mechanism for the regulation of insulin biosynthesis by such factors as gut hormones and glucagon under in-vivo conditions.


Exploitation of conventional energy resources has caused a deliberate increase in the emitted carbon in the atmosphere, which catalyzes global warming trends. This is a matter of concern, especially in Qatar, where fossil fuels (oil and gas) are largely relied upon for power production. The dependency on such resources could be gradually reduced by utilizing clean and renewable energy. Resource characterization is an important step to evaluate the potentiality of available renewable energy sources. Wind energy is one among them, which has not been assessed reliably so far in Qatar. We analyzed the wind energy potential along the onshore and offshore areas of Qatar using 40 years (1979–2018) of hourly wind data extracted from the ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) database. Monthly, seasonal, annual, and decadal mean wind power densities have been derived. Reliability tests have been carried out at select onshore and offshore locations. Trends and inter-annual variability have been assessed. The study reveals that the available wind resources are generally moderate but consistent with no intense trends during the 40 year period. An inter-annual variability in wind power has been identified, which has secured links with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).


Purpose: In a time when relationships have become recognized as an integral part of contemporary marketing theory and practice, what role can the sub-discipline of relationship marketing play? The aim with this special issue is to critically assess the state of relationship marketing and call for new ideas to take the field forward. Design/methodology/approach: We had an open call for papers with an original perspective and advanced thinking on relationship marketing, resulting in 50 originally submitted manuscripts that were subjected to double-blind review. Of these, this issue presents five articles. In addition, we invited well-renowned thought leaders who have contributed to theory development within relationship marketing. This issue starts with their four thoughtful, forward-orientated contributions. Findings: Several thought-provoking reflections and research findings are presented that urge relationship marketing researchers to explore novel avenues for the future of this area. A prominent way forward may be looking for a common ground in relationship marketing thinking, assessing the extent to which the different literature streams add to marketing research and when they do not, and testing/deploying the learnings in new settings. Research limitations/implications: This special issue does not address all areas of relationship marketing research. Potential areas for future relationship marketing research are identified. Originality/value: To assess existent knowledge of relationship marketing is needed to take the field forward.


A novel distributed estimation method for sensor networks is proposed. The goal is to track a time-varying signal that is jointly measured by a network of sensor nodes despite the presence of noise: each node computes its local estimate as a weighted sum of its own and its neighbors' measurements and estimates and updates its weights to minimize both the variance and the mean of the estimation error by means of a suitable Pareto optimization problem. The estimator does not rely on a central coordination: both parameter optimization and estimation are distributed across the nodes. The performance of the distributed estimator is investigated in terms of estimation bias and estimation error. Moreover, an upper bound of the bias is provided. The effectiveness of the proposed estimator is illustrated via computer simulations and the performances are compared with other distributed schemes previously proposed in the literature. The results show that the estimation quality is comparable to that of one of the best existing distributed estimation algorithms, guaranteeing lower computational cost and time.


Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) contain significant amounts of bitumen and their application in new constructions have been promoted as a sustainable practice in the pavement industry and to promote circular economy. However, this effort has faced challenges such as the aged bitumen's inferior properties compared to the virgin counterpart and its unknown contribution to new pavements. To address the latter issue, liquid additives were used under the general title of rejuvenators. That poses an additional challenge associated with the lack of clear metrics to differentiate between softeners and rejuvenators. While revitalising aged asphalt binder to regain its desirable properties would be an ideal solution, progress in this area has been limited by a lack of understanding of rejuvenation mechanisms at the molecular level and the absence of representative test parameter(s) to evaluate both efficacy and durability of rejuvenators. In this study, both laboratory experiments and computer modelling were combined to not only compare efficacy of several rejuvenators, but also explain why some rejuvenators are effective while others are not. It was found that all studied rejuvenators have a softening effect on aged asphalt, but only a few of them revitalised aged asphalts' physicochemical and rheological properties at the binder level. At the mixture level, a lower number of gyratory compaction and reduced rate of crack propagation were observed after the addition of high performing rejuvenators to the asphalt mixtures containing RAP. The reduction in crack propagation rate could be attributed to both enhanced blending between an aged and virgin bitumen and the revitalisation of aged bitumen properties. The latter phenomenon was explained at the molecular level based on the rejuvenator's ability to interact with aged asphaltene molecules intercalating into and separating asphaltene nanoaggregates. Accordingly, this molecular-level phenomenon is reflected in two ways: an increase in crossover modulus and crossover frequency at the binder level, and a reduced crack propagation rate at the mixture level.


The instrumented indentation test (IIT) is a mechanical testing method to determine the hardness and elastic modulus of materials by putting an indenter into a material surface. This technique has now gone beyond normal hardness tests by evaluating additional properties of materials and by allowing testing at much lower forces and indentation depths (micro/nano ranges). This study presents analytic models and procedures for evaluating tensile flow properties and residual stress state using IIT; the tensile flow properties are treated by defining a representative stress/strain beneath a spherical indenter and the residual stress by using a stress-insensitive contact hardness model. The IIT results are compared with those from conventional methods such as uniaxial tensile test and X-ray diffraction. In addition, IIT can be used as a multiscale mapping tool for the mechanical properties of composite materials and constituent phases by using macro/micro/nano indentation system: we made a hardness map of multiphase steel and measured the strength/residual stress distributions of welded pipeline.


Rebel Organizations in Crackdown and Truce Kolby Hanson In the past three decades, more than two dozen civil conflicts have ended in a long-term truce between the government and rebels. In these agreements, neither side disarms or makes any substantial concessions. Instead, rebel forces are permitted to recruit, fund themselves, and patrol territory without punishment so long as they leave government forces alone. Governments typically offer these agreements when they have few domestic or political interests in the conflict (as in remote separatist regions) or when they face short-run international pressure to reduce violence (as in high-profile conflicts). What happens to rebel organizations when the government permits them to operate and recruit freely? Governments and scholars believe that forbearance benefits rebel organizations, allowing them to gather new funds and new members who will empower them on the battlefield and at the bargaining table. This book argues instead that these periods of truce undermine rebel organizations by changing the types of recruits they attract. Truces do indeed make life safer and easier for rebel soldiers, attracting an influx of new rebel recruits. But they also undermine a key screening process in rebel recruitment. Rebel leaders need rebel soldiers to sacrifice their own desires (safety, pleasure, and profit) for the movement's goals (battlefield victory, territorial control, and bargaining credibility). The safety and material benefits of truce disproportionately attract selfish opportunists who are prone to desert, defect, and disobey in the long run. Constrained by recruitment competition and bureaucratic incapacity, rebel leaders struggle to screen or control these new soldiers. I lay out this argument in a formal model of rebel recruitment, competition, and screening, validated with dozens of interviews of current and former rebels in Northeast India and Sri Lanka. I examine the effects of long-term truces on rebel organizations using three forms of evidence. First, I test how truces affect the behavior and motivations of rebel recruits with an innovative recruitment experiment in three separatist regions in Northeast India. By mimicking local rebel recruiting strategies in civic organizations and public gathering places, I gather nearly 400 likely rebel recruits. These recruits then evaluated randomly-generated hypothetical rebel groups, testing what factors make them more willing to join. The results shows that the safety and material benefits of truce disproportionately attract recruits who are less community-oriented, both in past behavior and self-assessments. Second, I explore the broader impacts of these recruit-side motivations on rebel organizations with 76 in-depth case interviews in Northeast India and Sri Lanka. These interviewees include rebel leaders, current and former rebel soldiers, and civilians interacting with rebel groups. By comparing over time (before and after truce agreements) and between movements, I track how truces shape rebel recruitment and control. Third, I construct an original worldwide dataset of civil conflict endings since 1946. This exercise shows just how common long-term truces are: since the end of the Cold War, more civil conflicts have ended in a truce than in a rebel victory or peace agreement. I also combine this data with existing conflict data, demonstrating that after a truce rebel groups are more likely to fragment, struggle in clashes with the government, and abuse civilians. This book challenges several key assumptions that scholars and policymakers hold about conflict resolution, rebel organizations, and state development. By shining a light on the largely ignored phenomenon of long-term truces in civil conflicts, it demonstrates what happens when reducing violence does not resolve a conflict. With innovative experimental evidence of rebel recruits' motivations, it shows how changing resources can shift the quantity and quality of recruits rebels attract. By tracking rebel organizations before and after truce, it shows how a government can more effectively undermine a rebel movement in the long run with forbearance than with violent crackdown.


The availability of very wide spectrum in millimeter wave bands combined with large antenna arrays and ultra-dense networks raises two basic questions: What is the true value of overly abundant degrees of freedom and how can networks be designed to fully exploit them? This paper determines the capacity scaling of large cellular networks as a function of bandwidth, area, number of antennas, and base station density. It is found that the network capacity has a fundamental bandwidth scaling limit, beyond which the network becomes power-limited. An infrastructure multi-hop protocol achieves the optimal network capacity scaling for all network parameters. In contrast, current protocols that use only single-hop direct transmissions cannot achieve the capacity scaling in wideband regimes except in the special case when the density of base stations is taken to impractical extremes. This finding suggests that multi-hop communication will be important to fully realize the potential of next-generation cellular networks. Dedicated relays, if sufficiently dense, can also perform this task, relieving user nodes from the battery drain of cooperation. On the other hand, more sophisticated strategies such as hierarchical cooperation, that are essential for achieving capacity scaling in ad hoc networks, are unnecessary in the cellular context.


ABSTRACT The XTT colorimetric assay quantifies fungal growth by measuring fungal metabolism and has been used successfully for susceptibility testing of Aspergillus species after 24 and 48 h of incubation. In the present study using 14 clinical isolates of Zygomycetes (Rhizopus oryzae [5 isolates], Cunninghamella spp. [3 isolates], Mucor spp. [3 isolates], and Absidia corymbifera [3 isolates]), significant metabolic activity was demonstrated before visual or spectrophotometric detection of fungal growth by performing the XTT assay as early as 6 h after inoculation. Testing of susceptibility to amphotericin B, posaconazole, and voriconazole was subsequently performed using the XTT method (100 μg/ml XTT, 25 μM menadione) at 6, 8, or 12 h after inoculation and the CLSI (formerly NCCLS) M38-A method with visual and spectrophotometric MIC determinations at 24 h after inoculation. Concentration-effect curves obtained with the use of the Emax model (a sigmoid curve with variable slope) were comparable between the early XTT and spectrophotometric readings at 24 h. Complete inhibition of early metabolic activity with the azoles was delayed in comparison to that with amphotericin B. Using appropriate cutoff levels, agreement was demonstrated between the early XTT and 24-h spectrophotometric or visual readings. In particular, for MIC-0 (the lowest drug concentration showing absence of visual growth) of amphotericin B, overall agreement levels were 90 to 93% for the 6-h XTT assay and 100% for the 8- and 12-h time points. For MIC-0 of posaconazole, agreement levels were 86% for the 6-h XTT and 93 to 100% for the 8- and 12-h time points. The overall agreement levels for MIC-0 and MIC-2 (the lowest drug concentration showing prominent reduction of growth compared with the control well) of voriconazole (compared with 24-h spectrophotometric readings) were 93 to 98% for the 8- and 12-h XTT assays. These results support the use of the XTT method for rapid MIC determination for Zygomycetes.


Anyone with access to the Internet can now find out at the click of a mouse who's doing what in problem alcohol and drug use research in Ireland. The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use (NDC) is compiling an online register of current research and evaluation (CRED) in the area of drug use, problem alcohol use and related fields in Ireland. The NDC is also compiling a Directory of Researchers and Evaluators currently conducting research in these fields.

NDC staff identify research projects by contacting all major research and evaluation institutions, researchers and evaluators in the field of drug misuse, and by searching relevant websites. The CRED database records the title of each project, its aims, the research or evaluation methods used, the names of commissioning bodies, funding details and the names of the researchers and evaluators involved in the project. The database only includes details of current projects. Completed projects will be placed in an archive and will no longer be publicly displayed. The aim of CRED is to provide a comprehensive overview of ongoing research in the area of alcohol and drug use.

CRED is an important tool for researchers and evaluators as it can help: increase awareness of the work they are doing among a wide audience identify individuals working in areas of mutual interest find other similar projects and minimise duplication of effort streamline the search for relevant information identify potential funders and commissioning bodies.

Once a contributor registers with this service they can submit their own projects, update them and edit their profiles at their ease. This database is a growing resource and we will continue to add new or existing projects as we receive them. We welcome on-line submissions of suitable material for inclusion in this database. Please contact email@example.com for further information, or visit our website at www.ndc.hrb.ie


On-line measurement of the energy content of natural gas is of interest for both industry and customers, since the energy content determines its monetary value. Experiments with pulsed ultrasound show that, in addition to changes in speed of sound and acoustic attenuation, there is also a change in the shape of the sound waveform. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of using Principal Component Analysis(PCA) to quantify this change in pulse shape. The principle is evaluated for Oxygen and Ethane, for different pressures and different temperatures. The results show that by using PCA, it is possible to distinguish between pulses that have propagated through Oxygen from pulses in Ethane.


The objective of this research was to develop a new product of cookies made with black upland rice. Three best formulations (Fl, F3 and F5) were chosen from eight formulations using the BIB Ranking Test. Hedonic test was then used to obtain the best formulation (F3). Proximate, dietary fibre and carbohydrate analysis were then
carried out on the best formulation and a standard cookie containing no rice powder. The results were then compared. The black upland rice cookie contains higher moisture (1.61 ± 0.04%), ash (0.43 ± 0.07%), crude fat (20.39 ± 2.38%)
and dietary fibre (5.77 ± 0.11%), but a lower crude protein (6.43 ± 0.11%) and carbohydrate (65.37%) content, compared to the standard cookie. Formulation 3 cookie also has lower energy value (482.2 kcal). Study of shelf life has been done, which composed of microbiological, water activity and paired comparison sensory test. The cookies were stored for a period of six weeks. From the microbiological and water activity results, the cookies were safe to be eaten even after a storage period of six weeks. However, panellists from the paired comparison test evaluated the cookies and cookies from week two and four was reported having similar
qualities with the fresh samples, but the panellists could not accept the quality of the cookies from week six. Consumer test was done on 100 respondents and the product has high buying potential in the market and is well-accepted by the consumers. The cookies developed are a source of dietary fibre and protein.


It has been shown that the incidence of siderosis in Rhodesian Africans is high (Gelfand, 1955; Buchanan, 1966; Buchanan, 1967). In view of this it would be expected that iron deficiency anaemia would be uncommon in these people, yet it has been said that, on the contrary, it is fairly common. The following investigation was undertaken in an attempt to clarify the position


Probabilistic techniques are central to data analysis, but different approaches can be challenging to apply, combine, and compare. This paper introduces composable generative population models (CGPMs), a computational abstraction that extends directed graphical models and can be used to describe and compose a broad class of probabilistic data analysis techniques. Examples include discriminative machine learning, hierarchical Bayesian models, multivariate kernel methods, clustering algorithms, and arbitrary probabilistic programs. We demonstrate the integration of CGPMs into BayesDB, a probabilistic programming platform that can express data analysis tasks using a modeling definition language and structured query language. The practical value is illustrated in two ways. First, the paper describes an analysis on a database of Earth satellites, which identifies records that probably violate Kepler's Third Law by composing causal probabilistic programs with non-parametric Bayes in 50 lines of probabilistic code. Second, it reports the lines of code and accuracy of CGPMs compared with baseline solutions from standard machine learning libraries.


Iron-bearing K-dioctahedral 1M and 1Md micas are abundant in diverse geological environments and vary in composition from illite to celadonite through Fe-illite, Al-glauconite, and glauconite. The chemistry and structural features of these micas are complex and heterogeneous, reliable diagnostic criteria are lacking, and the conventional mineralogical nomenclature is ambiguous, which complicate the identification of these mica varieties. The objectives of the present study were to reveal the structural and crystal-chemical variability in Fe-bearing, K-dioctahedral 1M micas and to define composition ranges and identification criteria for the mica varieties in the series. A collection of samples of various compositions was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Analysis of the relationships between unit-cell parameters and cation composition showed that the series included four groups, namely, Fe-bearing illites, Al-glauconites, glauconites, and celadonites and each group was characterized by a specific combination of unit-cell parameters and variation ranges. The illite group contained two distinct subgroups; Fe-bearing, Mg-rich illites and Feillites; which differ in the range of cation compositions and in FTIR characteristics. The boundary between Fe-illites and Al-glauconites occurs at a unit cell b value of ~9.05 Å and at ratios of octahedral Al to total trivalent octahedral cations that range between 0.60 and 0.65. The partially overlapping cation composition and cell parameter ranges may complicate the distinction between Al-glauconites and glauconites, which can still be unambiguously differentiated using FTIR data. The dramatically different XRD and FTIR characteristics confirmed that glauconite and celadonite should be treated as separate mineral species. The distinctive features of celadonite are relatively low csinβ values and reduced |ccosβ/a| values combined with b parameters lower than glauconites, but similar to Fe-illites. Celadonites also have distinct and sharp FTIR absorption bands at specific positions in the Si-O and OH stretching regions.


Ocular Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid (OcMMP) is a blinding immunobullous disease, characterised by auto-antibody driven conjunctival inflammation and scarring. My hypothesis was that progressive fibrosis in OcMMP, occurring in the apparent absence of clinical inflammation, was driven by underlying inflammatory processes.

I observed that in OcMMP, progressive scarring did occur in the apparent absence of clinically identifiable inflammation and I was able to improve clinical documentation by developing and validating an objective Fornix Depth Measurer (FDM) for assessment of scarring.

I optimised non-invasive Ocular Surface Impression Cytology (OSIC) combined with flow cytometry to characterise conjunctival leukocytes. I found that CD8αβ+ effector memory, cytotoxic, mucosal-homing T cells were the dominant population in health. This population was unaltered with age but CD4+ T cells, capable of producing IFN-γ, increased.

In OcMMP, the conjunctiva was characterised by decreased CD8+ lymphocytes and an elevation in CD45INTCD11b+CD16+CD14- neutrophils. Although neutrophils correlated with clinical inflammation, they were even present in the absence of identifiable conjunctivitis. This elevation was associated with progression of scarring assessed by FDM, even in the clinically Non-inflamed eye.

These findings confirmed my hypothesis and provide a platform for quantifying neutrophils as a biomarker of sub-clinical inflammation and their role in the scarring process.


Heart rate is a key physiological feature that can be used to assess the response of organisms to changing environmental conditions in aquatic habitats, such as acute fluctuations in oxygen levels and hypoxic conditions. This experiment, therefore, investigated cardiac responses in a freshwater brachyuran species, Poppiana dentata , exposed to low oxygen levels. Heart rate was derived from beats per minute (bpm) signals (n = 576) using an infrared, non-invasive technique over a 96 h period, under different dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions. These involved three regimes: normoxic (6.8 ± 0.1 mg L -1 ), decreasing DO to hypoxic levels (6.2 to 1.7 mg L -1 ), and recovery with normoxic levels (6.3 ± 0.1 mg L -1 ). Changes in heart rates among the three regimes were significant ( P < 0.05); reflecting the shift in heart rate during different conditions of oxygen availability, normoxic (59 to 61 bpm), declining DO (54 to 62 bpm) and recovery DO (53 to 64 bpm). Additionally, the normal rhythmicity of heart rates under the normoxic condition was not maintained throughout most of the declining DO and recovery periods. P. dentata has demonstrated cardiac compensations in heart rate during low oxygen levels, providing insight into the species cardiac physiology.


This paper examined Local Government and the Challenges of Rural Development in Nigeria from 1999 till date. The key problem facing most local governments is lack of adequate finance to implement various developmental programmes especially at the rural areas. The study adopted secondary source in collection of data. This paper argued that local governments were faced with such challenges like inadequate finance, corruption, poor implementation of projects, lack of competent manpower, high level of illiteracy, lack of due consultation and non-involvement of local dwellers in policy decisions and hijack of local government allocation by the state government. The paper therefore recommended an upward review of statutory allocations to local councils as well as direct disbursement of funds to local governments, better welfare package to workers and open administration that encourages local participation.


The relationships between arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism and chloride secretion were investigated in mucosal preparations of rabbit distal colon. Tissues displayed a significant cyclooxygenase activity already in nonstimulated conditions and incubation with exogenous AA and calcium ionophore A23187 produced a predominant prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) profile [PGF2 alpha greater than PGE2 greater than thromboxane B2 (TxB2) greater than 6-keto-PGF1 alpha] as assessed by HPLC of tissue homogenates, whereas 5-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) was not detected in AA- or A23187-stimulated tissues. Radioimmunological assays showed that PGE2 synthesis was time dependent, plateaued at 10 min, and proceeded at rates 15-20 times over TxB2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Among the PGs produced by colonic mucosa, only PGE2 and, to a lower extent, PGF2 alpha were found to stimulate chloride secretion and cAMP synthesis. Pretreatment with 10 microM 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, a cyclo- and lipoxygenase inhibitor, prevented AA-induced chloride secretion and PG and cAMP synthesis with the same strength as the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin. No effects were found after preincubation with nordihydroguaiaretic acid, a lipoxygenase blocker with moderate cyclooxygenase inhibitory properties, and caffeic acid, a lipoxygenase inhibitor. 5-HETE (5 microM) had no effect on short-circuit currents (Isc) and chloride transport, but it significantly reduced the increase in Isc, chloride secretion, and PGE2 synthesis elicited by AA or A23187. Platelet-activating factor, reported to stimulate rabbit colon Isc through an indomethacin-sensitive pathway, was not detected at concentrations as low as 10(-10) M.


Background: Endometriosis occurring in a surgical scar is well recognized and occurs mainly in patients with a history of hysterectomy or caesarean section. Scar endometriosis as well as endometriosis at other sites, can undergo malignant change. Clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium is a very rare and highly malignant neoplasm that accounts for less than 5% of endometrial carcinoma. Case presentation: We report a very rare case of clear cell adenocarcinoma arising from endometriosis of the abdominal scar. We must pay more attention on the following points in the surgical treatment of clear cell carcinoma: (1) Extensively resect tumors as far as possible: (2) Surgical treatment of clear cell carcinoma would easily result in poor wound healing especially in the patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy because of extensive soft tissue stripping.

Conclusion: The patient died only 25 months after she was first diagnosed with the cancer.

Lessons: This case highlights the difficulties in preoperative diagnosis as well as the poor prognosis of these tumors. Accurate diagnosis of a lump within a scar is important to define the prognosis and treatment. These therapeutic principles are increasingly being applied to patients presenting with tumors greater than 5 cm and negative lymph nodes or even smaller tumors who are considered to have operable disease and a better outcome. Early recognition and prompt treatment
can be essential to these patients' survival.


We have previously generated microphthalmic mice lacking lens fiber cells by targeting the expression of the diphtheria toxin A (DT-A) gene in transgenic mice with regulatory sequences associated with the mouse gamma 2-crystallin gene. Because of the extreme toxicity of DT to animal cells and the potential leakiness of many tissue-specific regulatory regions, we investigated whether there might be an experimental advantage in using a mutant, attenuated form of the DT-A gene (tox-176) fused to gamma 2-crystallin regulatory sequences to ablate fiber cells in the ocular lens. In contrast to the microphthalmia observed in transgenic animals carrying the native DT-A gene, independent lines of mice transgenic for the gamma 2tox176 construct displayed predominantly cataracts or clinical anophthalmia. These contrasting phenotypes were transmitted within each pedigree, although for some lines some phenotypic heterogeneity among offspring was noted. The difference in phenotype between cataractous and clinically anophthalmic transgenic lines could not be ascribed to differences in the transgene copy number. Instead, the results suggest that transgene expression and hence the extent of genetic ablation are modulated by the site of chromosomal integration and, to a lesser extent, by epigenetic events. They also suggest that the attenuated gamma 2tox176 construct can integrate into chromosomal regions that are particularly favorable for expression without compromising embryological development and therefore that the tox-176 gene may be more versatile and effective than the wild-type DT-A gene for achieving genetic ablation with a broad range of cell- or tissue-specific regulatory sequences.


MEASUREMENT OF HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE: ENVIRONMENTAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COST Debra Kay Dierksmeier Anderson Old Dominion University, 1998 Director: Dr. Clare Houseman As U.S. health care expenditures top the $1 trillion mark, there is increased interest in measuring the performance of health care providers. For bottom line oriented payors such as government and business, the focus is on measuring cost. As hospitals account for over one-third of health care expenses, hospital cost per admission is a common measure of performance. Many environmental and organizational factors come into play in determining hospital cost per admission. This research examines several of these factors, using Raymond Zammuto's model of organizational effectiveness assessment. Using Zammuto's framework, this research looks at the relationship of social, physical, and biological factors to cost per admission. Social factors include: hospital teaching status; ownership; patient socioeconomic status; and community poverty level. Physical factors include: hospital location; bed size; staff size; number of services offered; presence of specialty and tertiary services; and presence of obstetrical services. Biological factors are patient age and community elderly. Although it is generally accepted that hospital cost per admission should be adjusted to account for differences among hospitals in patient complexity (i.e., case mix) and outpatient volume, not all adjustment methodologies take cost of living differences into account. To test the impact of adjusting for cost of living differences in addition to case mix Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. and outpatient volume differences, this research uses three versions of the dependent variable: 1) cost per admission adjusted for case mix, outpatient volume, and cost of living; 2) cost per admission adjusted for case mix and outpatient volume only; and 3) unadjusted cost. The study population consists of 85 general acute care hospitals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 1994 Annual Historical Filing data submitted to the former Virginia Health Services Cost Review Council (now Virginia Health Information) were used. Multivariate linear regression analysis of the cost per admission adjusted for case mix, outpatient volume, and cost of living indicates that patient age (percent of hospital patients age 65+), the presence of obstetrical services, and hospital bed size are significant variables. Larger hospital bed size is related to higher cost per admission. Larger percent of hospital patients age 65+ and the presence of obstetrics are related to lower cost per admission. Bivariate and multivariate analyses demonstrate that variables such as hospital location and community poverty level have a great impact on cost per admission when adjusted for case mix and outpatient volume only If a cost of living adjustment is also made to the cost per admission calculation, the location related variables are not significant due to the relationship between those variables and cost of living. It is concluded that a cost of living adjustment should be made in addition to case mix and outpatient volume adjustments when studying hospital cost per admission. The multivariate linear regression model for cost per admission adjusted for case mix, outpatient volume, and cost of living accounts for 30.9% of the cost per admission variance. Other factors such as physician practice patterns and hospital management policies play an important role in hospital performance. These factors have been beyond the scope of this study but merit additional research. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.


This article compares two different experiences of EU engagement in mediation in Ukraine: the Orange Revolution in 2004 and the Euromaidan crisis in 2013–2014. This comparison reflects two different outcomes of EU mediation practices under similar circumstances of political conflict between domestic political actors. The changing degree of collective EU authority recognized by other actors is the main driver behind varying EU mediation practices and outcomes. Authority conferred on the EU as a collective actor represents the legitimacy of its power, resources and competence to conduct mediation. However, such authority is always circumscribed by crisis-specific circumstances and volatile configurations of forces. Therefore, differing degrees of authority explain shifts in the effectiveness of EU mediation. To capture the authority of EU mediators in specific crisis situations, this article employs and interprets firsthand accounts of the experiences of actors directly involved in mediation.


One of the principal guidelines in the design of haptic devices is to provide a suitable mechanical design that can improve control performance and the force-feedback fidelity. Unfortunately these guidelines may conflict with other design objectives (reflected mass, balancing, dexterity) as well as with specifications given by users and applications. For haptic interfaces based on tendon driven actuation it is highly important to achieve an accurate model of friction losses in the transmission system, in order to be able to compensate for them through an active control. In this paper it is reported a method for modeling and control complex tendon transmissions used for driving haptic devices and robots. The presented approach can operate in realtime with very low complexity; it is applicable to all kinds of serial manipulators and provides enough flexibility to allow identification of parameters and modeling of distributed friction phenomena all along the transmission. The approach has been implemented and tested on a 4 DOF exoskeleton system, the PERCRO L-EXOS.


European companies invest too little. Instead, firms increasingly retain profits and build up large savings which contributes to low growth, rising inequality and financial instability. Boosting private investment, therefore, has become main priority for the new Commission. Based on new empirical evidence, this policy paper proposes a novel strategy to achieve this goal: strengthening the bargaining position of labor. 13 December 2019 Unlocking Europe's Piggy Bank


Continuous time Markov chains (CTMCs) have been used in real-time dependability and security analysis. However, existing approaches assume that the system is fully observable to a system attacker, which is not feasible for current large network systems. In this paper, we present a frame to model and specify the knowledge of attacker with partial observations. Firstly, we combine CTMCs and interpretation system as basic model. Then, a logic is defined to specify the knowledge for agents in the stochastic model. Further, we discuss the properties under different assumption for the model and agent. Finally, we present the model checking algorithms with a particular assumption and apply the frame to model the knowledge of attacker in intrusion-tolerant system.


The fresh matter or extracts from Moringa Oleifera (MO) have antioxidant and protective effects against toxicants. The hepatoprotective effect of leaf aqueous extract was studied on cadmium-induced liver toxicity in albino rats. Thirty-six Wister rats were divided into six groups (n=6). Group I: was negative control received only distilled water, Group II: was the positive control received 11mg/kg of CdCl2, Group III and Group IV received 11mg/kg CdCl2, and concurrently treated with 250 mg/kg b.w. and 500 mg/kg MO leaf aqueous extract, respectively. The rats in groups V and VI received daily 250 mg/kg b.w. and 500 mg/kg of MO leaf aqueous extract, respectively. Cadmium toxicity damaged hepatic tissues and the liver homogenate showed increased MDA content accompanied by decreased SOD, CAT, and GSH levels, whereas the serum showed altered liver function by the increased activity of AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, and bilirubin accompanied by decreased protein and albumin. Furthermore, the administration of Moringa reversed the activities of serum hepatic enzymes nearly to their normal levels, reduced lipid peroxidation, increased the antioxidants levels, and recovered the normality of the liver. In conclusion, moringa succeeded in protecting male rats against cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity by alleviating liver injury as evidenced by histological and biochemical examinations.


Computing a distance map (distance transform) is an operation that converts a 2D image consisting of black and white pixels to an image where each pixel has a value or a pair of coordinates that represents the distance to or location of the nearest black pixel. It is a basic operation in image processing and computer vision fields, and is used for expanding, shrinking, thinning, segmentation, clustering, computing shape, object reconstruction, etc. This paper examines the possibility of implementing the problem of finding a distance map for an image efficiently using an optical bus. The computational model considered is the linear array with a reconfigurable pipelined bus system (LARPBS), which has been introduced recently based on current electronic and optical technologies. It is shown that the problem for an n /spl times/ n image can be implemented in O(log n log log n) bus cycles deterministically or in O(log n) bus cycles with high probability on an LARPBS with n/sup 2/ processors. We also show that the problem can be solved in O(log log n) bus cycles deterministically or in O(l) bus cycles with high probability on an LARPBS with n/sup 3/ processors. Scalability of the algorithms is also discussed briefly. The algorithm compares favorably to the best known parallel algorithms for the same problem in the literature.


Psychedelic drugs and virtual reality (VR) each have the capacity to disrupt the rigidity and limitations of typical conscious experience. This article delineates the parallels among psychedelic and VR states as well as their potential synergistic applications in clinical and recreational settings. Findings indicate that, individually, psychedelics and VR are used in analogous ways to alter sensory experience and evoke awe. They are also both used in tandem with traditional therapies to treat a variety of mood disorders; their shared capacity to transiently alter perspective and disrupt rigid patterns of mental experience may underly their analogous and transdiagnostic therapeutic uses. In terms of their combined applications, a number of recreational users currently utilize psychedelics and VR together to enhance their experience. We propose that VR may be a useful tool for preparing hallucinogen-naïve participants in clinical trials for the sensory distortions experienced in psychedelic states. Given the critical role of "setting" in psychedelic treatment outcomes, we also detail how VR could be used to optimize the environment in psychedelic sessions. Finally, we provide considerations for future studies and detail how advancements in psychedelic and VR research can inform one another. Collectively, this article outlines a number of connections between psychedelics and VR, and, more broadly, is representative of growing scientific interest into the interactions among technology, psychopharmacology, and mental health.


Mirror self-recognition (MSR) is considered an indicator of self-awareness. Standardized mirror tests reveal compelling evidence for MSR in a few non-human species, including all great apes. However, substantial inter-individual variation of MSR within species resulted in an ongoing methodological controversy, questioning the appropriateness of standard MSR tests for cross-species comparisons. Lack of motivation, in particular, is discussed as one possible cause for false negative results. Here, we compare the spontaneous behavioral response of 47 zoo-housed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to (i) standard body-sized, stationary mirrors and (ii) small, portable hand mirrors. We predicted that the monopolizability and maneuverability of small mirrors increase the chances of identifying MSR across a larger proportion of individuals. Chimpanzees both revealed a substantially higher frequency of general mirror-related behaviors and engaged in significantly more and longer behaviors specifically indicating MSR when provided with small mirrors compared to a large mirror. Handheld mirrors provide a more sensitive measure for MSR within and likely between primate species than the traditional large mirrors, and thereby are a potentially valuable tool for studying self-awareness across species.


Urban settlements and urbanised populations continue to grow rapidly and much of this transition is occurring in less developed countries. Remote sensing techniques are now often applied to monitor urbanisation and changes in settlement patterns. In particular, increasing availability of very high resolution imagery (<1 m spatial resolution) and computing power is enabling complete sets of settlement data in the form of building footprints to be extracted from imagery. These settlement data provide information on the changes occurring in cities, particularly in countries which may lack other data on urbanisation. While spatially detailed, extracted building footprints typically lack other information that identify building types or can be used to differentiate intra-urban land uses or neighbourhood types. This work demonstrates an approach to classifying settlement types through multi-scale spatial patterns of urban morphology visible in building footprint data extracted from very high resolution imagery. The work uses a Gaussian mixture modelling approach to select and hierarchically merge components into clusters. The results are maps classifying settlement types on a high spatial resolution (100 m) grid. The approach is applied in Kaduna, Nigeria; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Maputo, Mozambique and demonstrates the potential of computational methods to take advantage of large spatial datasets and extract meaningful information to support monitoring of urban areas. The model-based approach produces a hierarchy of potential clustering solutions, and we suggest that this can be used in partnership with local knowledge of the context when creating settlement typologies.


The effect of over forty low molecular weight substrates on the growth and synthesis of exocellular neutral proteases was studied in Pseudomonas fluorescens. Neutral exoproteases were found to be regulated enzymes. Glucose did not repress the synthesis of exocellular proteases; the regulation of their synthesis by amino acids involved the mechanism of induction. The data suggest that the primary intracellular inductors of the synthesis of exoproteases are formed for different groups of amino acids at different levels of their utilization by the cells, viz. at the level of transport and at the level of the first steps in the degradation of their carbon backbones. The paper discusses possible molecular mechanisms for integrating the signal of the primary intracellular inductors, which directly regulate the activity of the operon(s) of neutral exocellular proteases.


Microgrids can be operated either grid-connected to reduce system losses and for peak shaving or islanded to increase reliability and provide backup power during utility outage. Such dual configuration capability imposes challenges on the design of the protection system. Fault current magnitudes will vary depending on the microgrid operating mode. In this paper, a microgrid protection scheme that relies on optimally sizing fault current limiters and optimally setting directional overcurrent relays is proposed. The protection scheme is optimally designed taking into account both modes of operation (grid-connected and islanded). The problem has been formulated as a constrained nonlinear programming problem and is solved using the genetic algorithm with the static penalty constraint-handling technique. The proposed approach is tested on two medium-voltage networks: a typical radial distribution system and on the IEEE 30-bus looped power distribution system equipped with directly connected


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether microcytosis is a typical finding in Shibas.

DESIGN
Prospective study.

ANIMALS
18 Shibas.

PROCEDURE
Blood and serum samples were obtained for automated hematologic analyses (18 dogs) and for determination of ferritin concentration, using ELISA (14 dogs). Blood samples from 30 clinically normal dogs of various other breeds was analyzed to establish a reference range for ferritin concentration.

RESULTS
Erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume in Shibas ranged from 55.6 to 69.1 fl (mean+/-SD, 61.2+/-4.3 fl; median, 60.6 fl; reference range, 63 to 73 fl). Microcytosis was identified in 12 of 18 dogs. Males and females were affected equally. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was slightly low (range, 32.0 to 33.9%; reference range, 34 to 38%) in 6 dogs, 4 of which had microcytic RBC. Serum ferritin concentrations ranged from 61.2 to 277.0 ng/ml (mean+/-SD, 110.6+/-51.4 ng/ml; median, 106 ng/ml). Reference range for serum ferritin concentration was 50.7 to 440.0 ng/ml (mean+/-SD, 121.2+/-67.1 ng/ml; median, 111.5 ng/ml). Thrombocytopenia (range, 110,000 to 196,000 platelets; reference range, 200,000 to 450,000 platelets) was found in 7 dogs, 6 of which also had microcytic RBC.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Microcytosis can be a typical finding in Shibas. Common origin of Shibas and Akitas, a breed predisposed to microcytosis, suggests a hereditary basis for this finding.


Background: Aprotinin, a hemostatic agent, regulates fibrinolysis, modulates the intrinsic coagulation pathway, stabilizes platelet function, and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties through inhibition of serine proteases, such as trypsin, plasmin, and kallikrein. Aprotinin has been used successfully for many years in cardiac operations, and there have been preliminary investigations of its use in hip replacement operations. The objectives of this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aprotinin as a blood-sparing agent in patients undergoing an elective primary unilateral total hip replacement and to examine its effect on the prevalence of deep-vein thrombosis in this population. Methods: Seventy-three patients received a placebo; seventy-six patients, a low dose of aprotinin (a load of 500,000 kallikrein inhibitor units [KIU]); seventy-five, a medium dose of aprotinin (a load of 1,000,000 KIU, with infusion of 250,000 KIU per hour); and seventy-seven patients, a high dose of aprotinin (a load of 2,000,000 KIU, with infusion of 500,000 KIU per hour). The end points for the determination of efficacy were transfusion requirements and blood loss. Patients received standard prophylaxis against deep-vein thrombosis and underwent compression ultrasonography with color Doppler imaging of the proximal and distal venous systems of both legs to evaluate for the presence of deep-vein thrombosis. Results: Aprotinin reduced the percentages of patients who required any form of blood transfusion (47 percent of the patients managed with a placebo needed a transfusion compared with 28 percent of those managed with low-dose aprotinin [p = 0.02], 27 percent of those managed with high-dose aprotinin [p = 0.008], and 40 percent of those managed with medium-dose aprotinin [p = 0.5]). Only 6 percent (twelve) of the 212 patients treated with aprotinin required allogeneic blood compared with 15 percent (ten) of the sixty-eight patients treated with the placebo (p = 0.03). Aprotinin decreased the estimated intraoperative blood loss (p = 0.02 for the low-dose group, p = 0.04 for the medium-dose group, and p = 0.1 for the high-dose group), the measured postoperative drainage volume (p = 0.4 for the low-dose group, p = 0.006 for the medium-dose group, and p = 0.000 for the high-dose group), and the mean reduction in the hemoglobin level on the second postoperative day (thirty-four grams per liter for the placebo group, twenty-eight grams per liter for the low-dose group [p = 0.000], twenty-six grams per liter for the medium-dose group [p = 0.000], and twenty-three grams per liter for the high-dose group [p = 0.000]). The rate of deep-vein thrombosis was similar for all groups. Conclusions: We concluded that aprotinin is safe and effective for use as a hemostatic agent in primary unilateral total hip replacements. In patients who are at high risk of receiving allogeneic blood, use of aprotinin may be of particular clinical and economic benefit.


Current and prospective trends in application of metallic nanomaterials have been studied. The study has been conducted within the Nanoroad SME European project – as the first step for a roadmap for industrial application of nanomaterials. The web page of the project is http://www.nanoroad.net/. The present report presents an analysis of patents, papers, national and European projects in the field of nano-metals, and also an analysis of the present state of research and expected trends in this domain. Based on the performed analysis a data base of nanomaterials has been developed as well as roadmaps with expected time to applications. It can be found under http://bourgogne.arist.tm.fr/nanoroadsme/home/. The roadmap is mainly addressed to SMEs to help them to decide about applications or production of nanomaterials.


Omphalocele and laparoschizis newborns represent an important proportion of patients with prolonged period of hospitalization in neonatal intensive care unit. Local and general infectious complications and ulcerative necrotic enterocolitis are among the most important risk factors that lead to increased rates of morbidity and mortality, without being directly related to the initial status of the patient or to the therapeutic method adopted. Infections, sepsis and enterocolitis are feared complications that endanger the survival and evolution of patients with anterior abdominal wall defects in our country. These dangers can and should be minimized by the application of often minimal rules, so we can approach the encouraging survival rates of newborns with birth defects reported in the European Union.


In economic theory, commodities are usually classified into different species on the ground of some characteristics which they possess (physical or chemical qualities, spatial or temporal location, the state of nature in which they will be available, etc.); this classification is established once and for all, even before knowing the needs the different commodities can satisfy, or the productive uses they can serve for. On the contrary, in this work the classification into different species will be based on the strictly economic notion of "perfect substitutability" among commodities; therefore, it will be one of the outcomes of the theoretic construction and will depend on households' preferences in an essential way. The very notion of perfect substitutability will also allow the measurement of the commodities belonging to the same species.


Urinary tract infection (UTI) is classified as uncomplicated if it occurs in a patient with a structurally and functionally normal urinary tract. Acute uncomplicated cystitis is observed chiefly in women. It needs, however, to be differentiated depending on whether it occurs in premenopausal, postmenopausal or pregnant women. Only a small number of 15-50 year old, otherwise healthy men suffer acute uncomplicated cystitis. In premenopausal, non-pregnant women, single-dose antimicrobial therapy is generally less effective than the same antibiotic used for longer duration. However, most antimicrobial agents given for 3 days are as effective as those given for longer duration, and adverse events tend to be found more often with longer treatment. Trimethoprim (or co-trimoxazole) can be recommended as first-line empirical therapy only in communities with resistance rates of uropathogens to trimethoprim of </=10-20%. Otherwise fluoroquinolones are recommended. Alternatives are fosfomycin trometamol or beta-lactams, such as second- or third-generation oral cephalosprins or pivmecillinam, especially when fluoroquinolones are contraindicated or a high proportion (>10%) of Escherichia coli strains in the community are already resistant to fluoroquinolones, as in Spain, for example. Recurrent UTIs are common among young, healthy women even though they generally have anatomically and physiologically normal urinary tracts. The following prophylactic antimicrobial regimens are recommended: (i) the use of long-term, low-dose prophylactic antimicrobials taken at bedtime; (ii) post-coital prophylaxis for women in whom episodes of infection are associated with sexual intercourse. Other prophylactic methods are not as yet as effective as antimicrobial prophylaxis.


Direct use of straight vegetable oil based biofuels in diesel engines without trans-esterification can deliver more carbon reductions compared to its counterpart biodiesel. However, the use of high blends of straight vegetable oils especially used cooking oil based fuels in diesel engines needs to ensure compatible fuel economy with PD (Petroleum Diesel) and satisfactory operational performance. There are two ways to use high blends of SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil) in diesel engines: fixed blending ratio feeding to the engine and variable blending ratio feeding to the engine. This paper employed the latter using an on-board blending system-Bioltec system, which is capable of heating the vegetable oils and feeding the engine with neat PD or different blends of vegetable oils depending on engine load and temperature. A used cooking oil derived SVO type of biofuel, the C2G Ultra Biofuel (C2G: Convert to Green), which is a fully renewable fuel made as a diesel replacement from processed used cooking oil, used directly in diesel engines specifically modified for this purpose, has been investigated in this research. A series of real world driving tests were conducted on a 44 ton articulated truck. A dual fuel tank containing both PD and the C2G Ultra Biofuel was installed. The engine was started with PD and then switched to C2G Ultra Biofuel gradually. The vehicle was tested on either neat PD or blended fuel mode with different load (empty or fully loaded trailer). The fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions were measured. This paper focused on the fuel consumption and GHG reductions. The fuel consumption was determined by volumetric, mass and energy per km travelled and per ton of GVW. The results show that the fuel consumption for neat PD and blends was at the similar level and has a good inverse linear correlation with GVW. The substitution ratio of PD by the C2G Ultra Biofuel is 86∼91% and 74∼81% for hot start and cold start trips respectively. The GHG reductions by the C2G Ultra Biofuel are 85∼89% and 73∼78% for hot start and cold start trips respectively.


In this paper, we propose a novel threshold key pre distribution scheme for wireless sensor networks by using symmetric keys to achieve authentication service. In the propose scheme called SRPWSN. Due to the fact that the wireless links in sensor networks are susceptible to attacks and the nodal mobility renders the network to have a highly dynamic topology it becomes critical to detect major attacks against the routing protocols of such networks and also provide some extent of QoS to the network traffic. In this we introduce new secure routing protocol (SRPWSN) with QoS routing mechanism. To achieve authentication service we use BAT scheme can effectively eliminate the performance bottleneck when verifying a mass of signatures within a required interval, even under adverse scenarios with bogus messages.


Stauntonia obovatifoliola Hayata subsp. urophylla is a novel edible and healthy fruit in China, commonly known as "Jiuyuehuang" (September yellow). The fully ripe fruit of S. obovatifoliola subsp. urophylla has a soft fruit pulp texture, golden flesh, and sweet flavor which is very popular with the locals. In this paper, we have investigated the fruit appearance quality, physiochemical quality, and nutritional quality of S. obovatifoliola subsp. urophylla that was harvested at six stages (S1: 60 DAFB, S2: 90 DAFB, S3: 130 DAFB, S4: 160 DAFB, S5: 190 DAFB, S6: 205 DAFB). An increase in fruit size (including single fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit diameter) was related to the ripeness stage of fruit development. The total soluble solids, firmness, dry matter, sugar and starch showed remarkable changes as the fruit approached ripening (S5–S6 stage). The main sugar components in the fruit were fructose, glucose, and maltose. The contents of fructose, glucose, and total sugars in S. obovatifoliola subsp. urophylla fruit progressively increased from the S1 to the S6 stage while increasing sharply from the S4 to the S5 stage. As for the content of maltose and starch, they both showed an increasing trend from the S1 to the S4 stage but decreased sharply at the S5 stage. The vitamin B, vitamin C, total phenolics, total flavonoids, and amino acid levels showed an overall downward trend during fruit development. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare the phytochemical characteristics, nutrient composition, and antioxidant content during the different fruit development stages. The results of this study may provide a scientific basis for clarifying the growth and development characteristics of S. obovatifoliola subsp. urophylla fruit and the further utilization of these excellent medicinal and edible germplasm resources.


Glaucoma is an irreversible disease affecting the eye, leading to progressive loss of vision and eventually to total blindness. It is often related to high intraocular pressure (IOP), which results from increased outflow resistance to aqueous humor. The first line of treatment to stop or slow down the progression of the disease is based on medication, but when this fails one has to resort to invasive methods, such as filtering surgery. Filtering surgery, including drainage implants or aqueous shunts, aims in reducing intraocular pressure by creating an additional outflow conduit to aqueous humor. However, even if filtering surgery is effective in lowering intraocular pressure, it is often associated with several complications that could potentially lead to further damages impairing the sight. The origin of most complications can be traced to a fundamental mechanism: poor flow control. Among others, hypotony (IOP < 5 mmHg) is one of the most frequent complications after glaucoma filtering surgery. Hypotony is a consequence of very low outflow resistance, leading in some severe cases to anterior chamber flattening or choroidal detachment, among others. Consequently, modifications to glaucoma drainage devices and new surgical techniques were developed to minimize the rates of early post-operative hypotony. Unfortunately, these techniques are poorly reproducible and not fully predictable. At present, there are no real alternatives at hand to clearly improve the success rate of filtering surgery outcomes. In view of the aforementioned problems related to filtering surgery, a new glaucoma drainage device has been developed. This draining implant has the same function like any of the current drainage devices but with the specific additional feature of an adjustable resistor to the aqueous humor egress. The device is non-invasively adjustable allowing for a non-traumatic change of the resistance during the entire post-operative period. In vitro tests realized on enucleated rabbit eyes and in vivo tests on rabbits have shown the efficacy of the implant in reducing the pressure by selectively adjusting the resistor. Biocompatibility tests have also been performed to ensure the safety of the device for human use. The ease of use and the reproducibility of the measurements indicate that the novel implant can be potentially of great utility in filtering surgery, offering great flow control, reducing complications rates and leading to better clinical outcomes.


Sodium, potassium and chlorides play a crucial role in maintaining body acid-base balance as well as osmotic pressure in body fl uids. Th ese processes are the result of synergetic action of all three elements, and the role of each individual component is diffi cult to defi ne without knowing and taking into consideration the other two elements. Th e maintenance of this value is determined by three major factors – balance and ratio of electrolytes in feed, endogenous acid production and level of renal activity. Electrolyte imbalance is quite rare, since body's buff ering system provides maintenance of normal physiological pH value. Th is article will give an overview of the role, importance and needs of poultry for sodium, potassium and chlorides, as well as occurrences related to defi cit and the imbalance of those elements in feed.


Web 2.0 opened up for a lot of opportunities, digital spaces became open for everyone to participate. But if groups of people get harassed and threatened in this spaces, how does that affect participation? Threats, hateful comments and harassment is a phenomenon that appears to be a common part of life online. Some groups of people may experience this more then others. To investigate this further a qualitative study was conducted using two different methods of internet research; observation and interview online. I wanted to study how cyber hate take the expression against female bloggers that write about feminism. The women that participated in this study have all been harassed and received threats online of various kinds. The blogs that were observed all write about subjects that question and criticize social structures and norms that many take for granted. This seems to spark hatred and threats against these female bloggers. The interviewed bloggers had different strategies for dealing with cyber hate they received. One example of this is that they all review the comments before posted on the blog. A problem that a majority of the bloggers expressed was that general public and the justice system did not take cyber hate seriously. Some people that threats and post hateful comments do that with their full name exposed. The study indicates that anonymity didn't play that big part, as first expected, in how people expresses themselves online.


Glioblastoma is diagnosed by biopsy or, if clinically feasible, tumor resection. However, emerging evidence suggests that this surgical intervention may increase the risk of tumor cell spread. It has been hypothesized that the damage to the tumor leads to infiltration of immune cells that consequently form an environment that favors tumor cell motility. In mouse glioma models, it was previously found that biopsy induced migration of tumor cells in vivo and that recruitment of monocytes from the blood was involved in this effect. However, the role of neutrophils in this process is still unclear. Here, we study the contribution of neutrophils on the pro-migratory effect of surgical interventions in glioma. Using repetitive intravital microscopy, in vivo migration of glioma tumor cells before and after biopsy was compared in mice systemically depleted of neutrophils. Interestingly, macrophages/microglia were almost completely absent from neutrophil-depleted tumors, indicating that neutrophils may be indirectly involved in biopsy-induced migration of glioma tumor cells through the recruitment of macrophages to the tumor. To further investigate whether neutrophils have the potential to also directly promote glioblastoma tumor cell migration, we performed in vitro migration assays using human neutrophils. Indeed, wound-healing of human primary glioblastoma tumor cell lines was promoted by human neutrophils. The pro-migratory effects of human neutrophils on glioblastoma tumor cells could also be recapitulated in transwell migration assays, indicating that soluble factor(s) are involved. We therefore provide evidence for both an indirect and direct involvement of neutrophils in tumor spread following biopsy of glioblastoma tumors.


In anesthetized rats, activation of renal pelvic sensory receptors by bradykinin results in an increase in afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) that is dependent on intact renal prostaglandin synthesis. Since bradykinin is a known activator of the phosphoinositide system, we examined whether the increase in ARNA produced by bradykinin involved activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Renal pelvic perfusion with the phorbol ester 4 beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu, 1 microM) increased ARNA (31 +/- 3%, P < 0.01) in rats fed a normal diet but not in rats fed an essential fatty acid-deficient (EFAD) diet. Renal pelvic perfusion with the PKC inhibitors calphostin C (1 microM), staurosporine (20 nM), and H-7 (40 microM) reduced the ARNA responses to bradykinin (20 microM) by 69 +/- 10, 76 +/- 10, and 77 +/- 10%, respectively (all P < 0.01). Pretreatment with PDBu (1 microM), known to cause a feedback inhibition of bradykinin-mediated activation of the phosphoinositide system, reduced the ARNA response to bradykinin by 73 +/- 6% (P < 0.01). Pretreatment with 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate was without effect. These findings suggest that activation of PKC contributes importantly to the activation of renal pelvic sensory receptors by bradykinin, likely via release of arachidonic acid.


Major life events are often discussed as triggers of loneliness. However, longitudinal studies with frequent assessments investigating changes in loneliness surrounding major life events are lacking. This preregistered study investigated the associations between various family- and work-related major life events and changes in loneliness, using propensity-score matched data from a Dutch nationally representative prospective longitudinal study. We applied mixed-effects models to describe average loneliness trajectories before, during, and after 10 major life events. Event-related loneliness trajectories differed between events and individuals. Most changes in loneliness were found in reaction to family-related major life events. We found immediate and long-lasting increases in loneliness after the transition into parenthood, marital separation, widowhood, but also after a job loss. Further gradual changes in loneliness were found after marriage, marital separation, and job loss. On average, transition into paid employment, reemployment after unemployment, retirement, and cohabitation did not trigger changes in loneliness. For some major life events, we found that event-related loneliness trajectories differed between individuals who experienced an event at an average age and individuals who experienced an event younger or older than average. Overall, our results highlight the importance of considering major life events as possible triggers of loneliness but also point to some general methodological challenges when studying the effects of major life events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).


This article explores the significance of segregation-era African American schoolhouses and the efforts of community groups engaged in their preservation. Beyond preservation and the creation of local history museums, groups also desire to use these facilities as spaces to house various community meetings and activities. Using research methodology based on anthropological fieldwork, the author discusses the work of two community groups-Bealsville, Inc., in Bealsville, Florida, and the Iota Upsilon Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in Silver Spring, Maryland-and their independent efforts to preserve, rehabilitate, and reclaim segregation-era schoolhouses. INTRODUCTION Like chimneys standing in the cold ashes of a tragic fire, the old buildings endure in towns and rural communities across the southeastern United States. A few have been reincarnated as textbook warehouses, old-age homes, or cut-and-sew factories. More commonly, though, they sit vacant and deteriorating in older Black neighborhoods. (Cecelski, 1994, p. 7) The "old buildings" described above are the remains of segregation-era, African American schoolhouses. In 1913, Julius Rosenwald, a Sears Company executive, instituted a program to help finance small schools for African Americans across the South, with the aid of Booker T. Washington. When Rosenwald died in 1932, it is reported that he had contributed $4.4 million (Werner, 1939, p. 133) to help build "5,357 public schools, shops, and teachers' homes" in "883 counties of fifteen southern states" between 1913 and 1932 (Bullock, 1967, p. 139). Many of these structures are at a crucial time in their existence. Because of age and deterioration, community members must decide whether to let these buildings fade away, or to invest the time and resources that are necessary to restore them. Although frequently inadequate for reuse as modern schools, these buildings are valued for their historical symbolism. They are also valued for the space that they provide for community-organizing efforts-specifically, tutorial centers, heritage museums, and meeting places. Noting the historical importance, public interest, and the decreasing number of Rosenwald schools, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) placed them on their 2002 list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historical Sites." The NTHP has also started a "Rosenwald Initiative" with goals of "developing and publishing public education materials; developing and launching a Web site on Rosenwald schools; developing a network of individuals and organizations working toward documentation and preservation of Rosenwald schools and continued fundraising to meet the goals of the initiative" (America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, 2002, p. 13; NTHP, n.d. ). Following its first Rosenwald school conference at Fisk University in May 2004, there have been several, independent, grassroots efforts by individuals and organizations that are giving new life to these old buildings. In this article, the work of two community groups-Bealsville, Inc., in Bealsville, Florida, and the Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in Silver Spring, Maryland and their independent efforts to preserve, rehabilitate, and reclaim segregation-era schoolhouses will be discussed. These organizations are engaged in preserving African American landmarks of great importance to the local history of their communities and to the broader histories of African American education and self-reliance. By preserving these symbolic structures, these organizations seek to resurrect and display this heritage and to provide venues where activities can occur to supplement the process of formal education with inspiring accounts of African American educational values and achievement. EDUCATION AND AFRICAN AMERICAN ETHNOGENESIS A commitment to the values and benefits of education constitutes a "core value" (Franklin, 2002) of African American "ethnogenesis" (Greenbaum, 2002). …


The coastline of Tra Vinh, about 65 km long from the mouth of Cung Hau to Dinh An, is composed of loose sediment, which is easily affected by natural factors and human activities. Based on satellite image analysis combined with survey and field measurements, the changes in coastline between 1966 and 2014 were identified. The results show that in this period the coastline had an average deposition rate of about 5–10 m/year. Dong Hai was the strongest deposition area with maximum rate of 40 m/year, average 28– 30 m/year. The eroded coastline alternated with an average erosion rate of about 5–8 m/year. From 1990 up to now, many human constructions have been carried out along the coast of Tra Vinh, contributing to the impact of changing the shoreline. In the area of My Long Nam, Dong Hai and Long Vinh, the mangrove planting project was performed which helped to create continuous accretion of coastline with average rate of 17–33 m/year. In the period of 2009–2014, sea dykes in Hiep Thanh commune and Con Truong, Truong Long Hoa commune were built to prevent coastal erosion. During 2009–2014, Hiep Thanh coast and Truong Long Hoa coast were eroded at an average rate of 8–20 m/year and 6–10 m/year, respectively. After appearance of the dykes, the survey results show that in the 2014–2015 period, the shoreline of Hiep Thanh and Con Trung which has sea dykes was no longer eroded, but the adjacent coastline was more eroded at an average rate of 14–38 m/year. In Dan Thanh commune, where Duyen Hai electric center and Quan Chanh Bo canal were constructed, from 2009 to 2014, the coastline was eroded with the average rate of 12–24 m/year. In 2014–2015 period, coastal erosion was stronger at an average rate of 36–45 m/year.


BACKGROUND
Infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasingly common in nosocomial and community settings. Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide anti-infective with activity against MRSA, approved for treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections. Daptomycin may be useful in systemic or local treatment of chronic osteomyelitis.

METHODS
We measured mechanical strength of daptomycin- and vancomycin-loaded polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), assayed in vivo release of daptomycin and vancomycin from daptomycin- and vancomycin-loaded PMMA, respectively, and compared the efficacy of two systemic doses of daptomycin with that of vancomycin, each with or without the respective anti-infective loaded into PMMA, using a rat model of MRSA chronic osteomyelitis.

RESULTS
Neither tensile nor compressive strength of PMMA was impacted by impregnation with these antimicrobials at a concentration of 7.5% by weight. The peak concentrations of daptomycin and vancomycin in rat tibial bone surrounding a 7.5% daptomycin- and vancomycin-loaded 3 mm PMMA bead were 178 and 49 mg/L, respectively. In the treatment of experimental osteomyelitis, rats assigned to no treatment, daptomycin 50 mg/kg subcutaneously twice daily, daptomycin 60 mg/kg subcutaneously twice daily, and vancomycin 50 mg/kg intraperitoneally twice daily had 6.4, 4.1, 4.0 and 4.5 median log10 cfu/g of bone at the end of 21 days of therapy. All systemic anti-infectives studied were more active than was no treatment. Daptomycin- or vancomycin-loaded PMMA did not, however, exhibit microbiological efficacy alone or adjunctively, as assessed 21 days after implantation.

CONCLUSIONS
Daptomycin is released from PMMA in vivo at a rate similar to that of vancomycin. Systemic daptomycin is as active as vancomycin in a rat model of chronic MRSA experimental osteomyelitis.


Akumu AA, Nyambaka H, Kuate SP, Torto B.2018. Characterization of flavonoids from candidate striga grass in controlling diet legumes Cicer arietinum and Vigna radiata.Biofarmasi J Nat Prod Biochem 16: 83-98. In Africa, intercropping of some legumes with cereal plants has been noticed to generate exceptional reduction of Striga invasion and enhanced production of cereal crop. Desmodium uncinatum administers Striga invasion in intercrop with cereals through an allelopathic technique, which includes postsprouting accretion inhibitors emanated from the roots. Having a potential to be a new technique for grass administering, Allelopathy is a natural and environmentally friendly method. A standardized profiling technique based on Reverse Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) was utilized to determine flavonoids in extracts of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and mung bean (Vigna radiata), potential trap plants for Striga grass. Nine flavonoids involving mono-and diglycosyl derivatives of fisetin, baicalein, rhamnetin, isorhamnetin, formononetin, quercetin, isosakuranetin, and sakuranetin were temporarily distinguished. The obtained phenolics were available at concentrations higher than 0.001% of the dry materials. Many of these phenolic mixtures have been claimed to possess human health advantages. These glycosylated flavones are noted for the first time in these two species. The comprehensive analysis of the polar secondary metabolites in these leguminous plants was useful for comprehending their inhibitory chemistry and proposed biosynthesis by C-glucoside characteristics. All the segregated and described mixtures in the diet legume C. arietinum were O-glucosylated. While, Food legume V. radiata should be observed further to see if it can attain Desmodium's allelopathic ability since it possesses inhibitory chemistry and proposed biosynthesis by C-glucosylation.


Attributed grammars are defned from the pattern recognidon point of view and shown to be useful for descriptions of syntactic stuctures as well as semantic attributes in primitives, subpatterns, and patterns. A pattern analysis system using attributed grammars Is proposed for pattern classification and description. This system extracts primitives and their attributes after preprocessing, performs syntax analysis of the resulting pattern representations, computes and extracts subpattern attributes for syntactically accepted patterns, and finally makes decisions according to the Bayes decision rule. Such a system uses a combination of syntactic and statistical pattern recognition techniques, as is demonstrated by illustrative examples and experimental results.