BACKGROUND
Intensive hemodialysis (HD) is characterized by increased frequency and/or session length compared to conventional HD. Previous analyses from Australia and New Zealand did not suggest benefit with intensive HD, although recent research suggests that relationships have changed. We present updated analyses.

STUDY DESIGN
Observational cohort study using marginal structural modeling to adjust for changes in renal replacement modality and time-varying medical comorbid conditions.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Adults initiating renal replacement therapy since March 31, 1996, followed up through December 31, 2012; this analysis included 40,842 patients over 2,187,689 patient-months.

PREDICTOR
Time-varying renal replacement modality: conventional facility HD (≤3 times per week, ≤6 hours per session), quasi-intensive facility HD (between conventional and intensive), intensive facility HD (≥5 times per week, any hours per session), conventional home HD, quasi-intensive home HD, intensive home HD, peritoneal dialysis, deceased donor kidney transplantation, and living donor kidney transplantation.

OUTCOMES
Patient mortality, with a 3-month lag in primary analyses and 6- and 12-month lags in sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS
Conventional facility HD was the reference group. Conventional home HD had a similar mortality risk. For quasi-intensive home HD, mortality risk was lower (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44-0.73). For intensive home HD, mortality risk was nonsignificantly lower in primary analyses and significantly lower using a 6-month lag (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.20-0.85), but not using a 12-month lag. For quasi-intensive facility HD, mortality risk was nonsignificantly lower in primary analyses, although significantly lower using 6- (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.20-0.85) and 12-month lags (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.44-0.80). Mortality risk was similar between intensive and conventional facility HD. For peritoneal dialysis, mortality risk was greater than for conventional facility HD (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12). Kidney transplantation had the lowest mortality risk.

LIMITATIONS
Potential residual confounding from limited collection of comorbid condition, socioeconomic, and medication data.

CONCLUSIONS
There is an emerging HD dose-effect in Australia and New Zealand, with lower mortality risks associated with some of the more intensive HD regimens in these countries.


ABSTRACT Religion has come to assume quite a public presence in many parts of Eastern Europe. The instrumental use of clergy, religious sentiment and transcendent symbolism reflects the emergence of conditions in which religion is capable of playing an expedient role in processes of forging a new governing and moral order. At this critical juncture, when norms of gender, ethnicity, regionalism and language politics are being redefined, the ambient presence of religiosity makes political initiatives and political protest expressed in a religious idiom particularly effective. Religion has become a resource used to provide the moral justification for proposed norms of behaviour and to legitimate the legal regulations and coercive mechanisms to enforce them. In this way, religion is going public. This article analyses why and how religion assumes a public presence capable of steering the direction of political change and explains how this relates to the practices of everyday religiosity revealed in ethnography.


-"Knock, knock-who's there?" Here, we do not address this question but rather the underlying mechanism behind the perception of knocking impacts. When one knocks on a surface, her hand makes a forward-backward motion and, at the point of reversal, the knuckles collide with the rigid surface. How does one perceive the unity, or simultaneity, of the sensory events associated with this impact? Does this binding derive from a temporal estimate of simultaneity, or does the brain use some other mechanism? In this paper, we ask whether the tap and the reversal of the hand are perceived as happening together, since both took place at the same time or at a particular state of motion. The aim of this research is to find out whether a tactile event and the flow of proprioceptive information regarding the state of the arm are matched within the central nervous system according to time or state. We tested this experimentally with subjects who actively moved one arm, as well as subjects who were servoed by a robotic device. Our results suggest that time is the mechanism used for judging the unity of the modalities for both active and passive movements. Taken together, these results provide a useful cue for neuroscientists as to the structure and function of the perceptual and motor systems and essential engineering knowledge for the development of effective and realistic augmented reality systems with haptics for the telerobotics, telesurgery, and telepresence applications of the future.


Blended learning which combines online lecture delivery with interactive face-to-face tutorials provides students with added flexibility, better live, work, study balance and is found to enhance student learning. Several appropriate undergraduate courses taught by the University of Auckland Business School's Department of Property have adopted blended learning which students overwhelmingly prefer over traditional in-class approaches. Through innovative features such as closed captions, live-streaming and bring-your-own-device student engagement systems, the Department is at the cutting edge of crafting pedagogy that meets the unique needs of digital natives.


Ocean wave power is emerging as a particularly attractive form of renewable energy. Dielectric Electric Active Polymers (DEAP) have has been used to transform electrical to mechani¬cal energy in an actuator mode. However it has few applications in a generator mode. This paper introduces a new concept of "New Renewable Energy" and presents a prototype of DEAP ocean wave powered generator, which has been developed at Knowledge Discovery Laboratory (KDL), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The DEAP prototype could be easily extended to other applications such as human-power generator, conventional power generators, and wind power applications.


This paper sets out the case for a two-level theory of human psychology. It takes its start from Daniel Dennett's distinction between belief and opinion, arguing that it has the power to account for a number of tensions within our commonsense concept of belief. It argues, however, that Dennett's account is seriously inadequate, particularly in its treatment of the role of opinion in practical reasoning. The paper goes on to sketch an alternative proposal which retains the virtues of Dennett's suggestion, while providing a richer and more satisfying account of the cognitive role of opinion.


The purpose of this study was to estimate variance componenets and determination
of effective factor on survival in Holstein cows. The information of used for this
study included of 168866 Holstein survival records. The information of several
herds that collected by Animal Breeding Center of Iran duration of 26 years (1985-
2011) for Holstein cows were used. After data edition, effective factors on survival
and culling risk were determined by Survival and cmprsk software. Estimation of
variance component was performed with using of exponential distribution for
censored dates by fitting of model with additive effect (animal model) by using of
MCMCglmm software. A total of 100000 replications were generated in the
analisys and a burn in period of 10000 samples was used with samples taken each
75 cycles. The result showed that environmental factors such as year of calving,
number of lactation periods, calving easy, and herd were significant in level of
0.001 and month of calving was significant in evel of 0.01. Based of survival
change function, more of population were culled in ages of 200 to 3000 days and
after 3000 days, culling probability had mils slope of decreaseing. The high level
of calving easy had higher culling probability than low levels. The heritability
value for survival in univarite and multi varite analysis were estimated 0.0184,
0.0182- 0.0216, respectively that indicates additive genetic contrivutions for this
traits is low and genetic selection for this trait was not effective. The genetic
correlation between survival with milk production, calving easy and bith weight
were negative. The results of this study suggests that environmental effect must be
included in the model of analysis survival and pay attention to environmental and
manage ment factors for improve of survival trait. Given the negative correlation
between survival and milk production, calving easy and birth weight traits,
improving of this traits decreased survival of animals.


A study explored the impact on junior high school females of "don't smoke" public service announcements (PSAs) created by two groups of high school females. The study extended the research on relevance and persuasion by utilizing intimate issues, and by exploring the potential for increasing message relevance by using persuasive messages created by peer member focus groups. Four female smokers and four female non-smokers were recruited from a northern California suburban public high school. The two groups (working separately) decided on a scenario and a script to be videotaped for their respective PSAs. To measure responses to the PSAs, 217 eighth-grade students from a junior high school completed a questionnaire. Results indicated that: (1) female smokers rated the smokers group PSA to be more relevant and to be of greater perceived effectiveness than the nonsmokers group PSA; (2) female adolescents who have experimented with cigarette smoking did not perceive more relevance in the smokers group PSA than in the PSA created by the nonsmokers; however, (3) females who have experimented with smoking found the smokers group PSA to be significantly more effective than the nonsmokers group PSA. Findings suggest the contributions that can be made by those who are usually on the receiving end of pedagogy should be recognized and affirmed, and that further research is needed to distinguish between issue relevance and message relevance. (Eight tables of data are included; 31 references are attached.) (RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************


From the Publisher:
The management of production and service processes can be supported by microcomputer simulation models--effectively and inexpensively--if the techniques are presented in an understandable manner. Drs. Klafehn, Weinroth and Boronico prove this and show how to do it--not only for the benefit of operations managers themselves, but for others with management responsibilities in a variety of businesses and industries. They will learn how important daily operations problems can be modeled on a microcomputer, gain understanding of overall simulation methodology, and learn the several forms of cost savings achievable through simulation. For teachers in business schools the book will also provide a link between general management and the management of engineering and R&D.


Due to the historical, and continued, invisibility of women in 'typically' male positions and careers, today's girls and young women are offered few visible female role models to aspire to and this may have a strong impact on their choice of careers and their confidence and strength in these careers when they do embark upon them. This is particularly true in the field of STEM, but is also clear in the areas of film, media and theatre.

Professor Dame Carol Black, speaking recently about the low number of women taking careers in STEM roles, posited that women are held back by a lack of confidence. I would argue that a greater availability of visible role models, by which is meant women who have already built a strong career in a particular field, would undoubtedly add to the confidence of young women entering that profession.

Building on the work of researchers such as Dr. Susan Croft, Professor Vivien Gardner and more recently Dr. Naomi Paxton, I aim to build a body of work exploring the archive of writing and performance of the suffrage movement and relating it to current issues and discussions within feminism. In this paper, I discuss my particular focus of providing visibility for women in all areas of society who could be seen as role models for future generations. This takes the form of a new multi-media screening, which draws on suffrage theatre and film for inspiration and was particularly developed from the suffrage play 'A Pageant of Great Women' by Cicely Hamilton. The play was originally written and performed a century ago in response to the anti-suffrage claim that women had never contributed anything useful to society or history and, therefore, did not deserve the vote. The writer presents a long list of women from history who were influential and inspirational in order to refute this argument.

My piece, coninuing in a similar vein, aimed to shine a light on women of the last hundred years (since the play was written) who have contributed and led in their fields, but are rarely acknowledged or celebrated. The women's faces are projected in categories that roughly correspond to those in 'A Pageant of Great Women' as suffrage writers and contemporary women are heard speaking about the position of women and the potential for our future. Since women from the black and ethnic minority communities have been particularly excluded from public view and celebration, a key aim of the project was to re-write these women back into history, drawing on 'great women' from around the world and using public suggestions for inclusion in the project to build a wide range of women of different backgrounds to be acknowledged.

As well as discussing the work itself, the paper looks at the historical and contemporary context of the position of women in society and the workplace. It also discusses the research and creative process that accompanied the performance and ideas about the direction of future research such as collaborations with colleagues in science and sociology.


Chemopreventive agents are natural or synthetic agents administered to prevent, inhibit or reverse one or more of the stages of carcinogenesis. Natural agents include vitamins, coumarin, indoles, flavones, plant sterols and selenium salts. Synthetic agents include retinoids, phenolic antioxidants, protease inhibitors and prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors. All have demonstrated inhibition of tumor models in vitro or in vivo. These agents may work in different ways; by stimulating the immune response, by inducing gene suppression, by detoxifying carcinogens, by blocking oxidative damage to DNA or by other mechanisms. Human trials are being carefully initiated. Retinoids have demonstrated effectiveness in controlling some proliferative skin tumors. In the gastrointestinal tract, ascorbic acid has demonstrated a modest suppressive effect on adenomas of the rectum in patients with polyposis. There is initial evidence that 13-cis-retinoic acid is effective in modifying leukoplakia of the oral cavity.


The Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)-mediated signaling pathway plays an important role in controlling cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. A mutation of JAK2 (V617F in specific) that results in constitutive activation of the enzyme is found in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), such as polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. The genetic, biological, and physiological evidence available to date has established JAK2 inhibitors as effective chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of MPNs as well as solid tumors, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Important features essential for JAK2 inhibitors are potent enzymatic inhibition and a high degree of selectivity among other isoforms of JAK. The extent of the potency and selectivity of JAK2 inhibitors is dependent upon receptor-ligand interactions and structural difference between isoenzymes. Thus, detailed knowledge regarding structural characteristics and the binding mode between JAK2 and its inhibitors is necessary. Accordingly, we compiled in this review a comprehensive summary of the three dimensional (3D) structural features of reported JAK2-ligand complexes and the structureactivity relationship (SAR) of JAK2 inhibitors, with particular focus on potent JAK2 inhibition and specificity.


Computer based assessment is becoming a major part of the experience of university students. This development involves both high-stakes summative assessment and formative assessment embedded within blended learning processes. Present use of computer based assessment in universities can be characterised as follows.
1 Uptake that is focused in the sciences.
2 Assessment tasks that involve recall rather than cognition.
3 A growing use of commercial and central providers.
4 The growth of Web Services that include assessment and transcend
5 Limited use for summative purposes.
The summative role of computer based assessment has been limited by many factors, particularly the perception that it is not sufficiently valid or authentic, and that it is vulnerable to collusion and plagiarism.
There have been a number of analyses of the adoption of e-assessment. For example, Whitelock and Brasher have set out a roadmap and vision for e-assessment and have identified the drivers for adoption as; the prospect of increases in student retention, enhanced feedback, flexibility for distance learning, scaleability, and objectivity in marking. They assert that the principal barriers to uptake are the need for academic staff development, high entry cost, and social and regulatory conservatism.
Many of these factors are relevant to both residential and distance teaching universities. However, there are a number of factors that should promote enhanced interest from those involved in open and distance learning.


We explicitly construct the eight fermion zero mode solutions for the HofmanMaldacena giant magnon. The solutions are naturally gauge fixed under the κsymmetry. Substituting the solutions back into the Lagrangian leads to a simple expression that can be quantized directly. We also show how to construct the SU(2|2) × SU(2|2) superalgebra from these zero modes. For completeness we also find the four bosonic zero mode solutions. email@example.com


Most business organisations attach great importance on intellectual property and knowledge today, because the property and knowledge are considered as source of competitiveness. In order to protect them, businesses have tried to control the source of intellectual property and knowledge, to say engineers and knowledge workers. This has been working well to enable the businesses to be competitive especially in manufacturing companies and IT companies in early days. The environment around businesses especially in information communication technology and service industries is now changed. Since needs of customers, government regulations and market environments are changing rapidly, knowledge and skills of engineers and knowledge workers need to be quickly updated. Falling behind competitors can lead to withdraw from the market. Nevertheless, businesses seem to continue their protective control on their personnel in old style. This can eventually cause not only lowering workers' condition but also aggravated result of businesses because of obsoleteness of knowledge and loss of competitiveness. In order to examine this possibility, this paper shows simulation model based on existing research concerning employment and knowledge management. The result of simulation suggests overprotective policy would reduce businesses' competitiveness and protecting knowledge workers' job choice supports their companies' development.


An aged and heavily corroded horizontal iron rim lock for the left side of a door was examined at the request of Anson ("Tuck") Hines, Director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). The lock was reportedly found by a contractor on SERC's property during renovation, and the iron corrosion is typical of exposure to the elements. It was anticipated that the lock would date from the time of the oldest part of the Sellman/Kirkpatrick-Howat house constructed in 1735 or its Greek Revival enlargement in 1841. Examination of the lock included x-radiography. A recommendation was made to not conduct further conservation treatment, such as removal of iron corrosion, because it would threaten the structural integrity of the object. Instead it was advised that the lock be exhibited in a case with conditioned silica gel and regularly monitored, which should keep it in stable condition.


Abstract : Introduction: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has become a valuable diagnostic tool for endodontics. Although the literature generally supports the accuracy of this imaging modality, some studies report that CBCT images may have limitations in representing the true clinical presentation. Purpose: This study compared pre-surgical limited field of view (LFOV) CBCT images with the actual clinical presentation. Method: Patients were asked to enroll in the study if they required endodontic surgery and had a limited FOV CBCT. A total of 45 subjects were enrolled. A standardized set of questions assessing presence and dimensions of bony defects, and presence of root fractures was prepared. During surgery, clinical data were collected and documented with photographs. At the conclusion of enrollment, the CBCT images were evaluated by three calibrated board certified endodontists. The clinical presentation data were compared to data from CBCT interpretations. Conclusion: Though useful in endodontic surgical treatment planning, the LFOV CBCT image should not be considered an identical representation of the clinical presentation at surgery.


By use of a probabilistic fracture model, a numerical simulation method for deformation and fracture behavior of whisker reinforced ceramics is developed first. A crack in whisker reinforced ceramics is regarded as the crack with a cohesive stress acting on the crack surface, and then the tension-softening relation is derived on the basis of a micromechanical study. After the numerical simulation method is constructed by incorporating the tension-softening relation in an FEM scheme, we simulate the load-load point displacement relationship for an edge-cracked bend specimen of a SiC whisker/alumina composite. The fracture toughness determined from the simulated maximum load is consistent with that obtained from experiment.


Health technology assessments require reliable estimates of relative treatment effects for a given patient population, to inform decision making. Standard network meta-analysis (NMA) and indirect comparisons combine aggregate data (AgD) from multiple studies on treatments of interest, assuming that any treatment effect modifiers are balanced across populations. This assumption can be relaxed if individual patient data (IPD) are available from all studies, using an IPD network meta-regression (NMR). However, in many cases IPD are only available from one or a subset of studies. Recently proposed methods for population-adjusted indirect comparisons aim to adjust for differences between one IPD study and one AgD study. However, the resulting comparison is only valid in the AgD study population without additional assumptions, and the methods cannot be extended to larger treatment networks. Meta-regression approaches can be used in larger networks, but typically incur aggregation bias. In this thesis, webeginby reviewing the literature onpopulation adjustment and related problems, giving a critique of current methods. We review applications of current methods in the published literature and in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technology appraisals. Motivated by these reviews we propose a general method, Multilevel Network MetaRegression (ML-NMR), that overcomes some of the disadvantages of current approaches and reduces to AgD NMA and IPD NMR as special cases. We discuss the computational aspects of implementingML-NMR, before applying to a real example of plaque psoriasis treatments. The ML-NMR framework is then extended to handle more general likelihoods, illustrated with an artificial example of survival outcomes and a reanalysis of the plaque psoriasis example incorporating multiple outcomes. An extensive simulation study is conducted to assess the performance of ML-NMR and current methods in a range of scenarios and under various failures of assumptions. We conclude with a discussion and suggestions for future research.


Diyawanna Lake is one of the major fresh water body located in the middle of Sri Jayewardenapura Kotte. Most of surrounding area of the lake consists of marshlands. During the recent past several reclamation and development activities going on around the lake. In addition, sediments from surface runoff are finally accumulating in the lake margin (buffer zone). However, there is no any study done on sediment quality and impacts of them on adjoining water, especially in the buffer zone of such a fresh water body. Therefore, main aim of this study is to investigate quality of the sediment accumulated in the buffer zone of the lake and also to study the possible impacts on lake water from the sediments due to biogeochemical reactions in the zone. Thirty three water samples were collected during dry period and samples were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), oxidation reduction potential (ORP), salinity, total dissolved solid (TDS), NO3 -, PO4 3-, SO4 2-, Cl-, alkalinity, hardness, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Zn and Ni. In addition, black organic sediment samples were collected from selected locations and tested for pH, ORP, EC, organic carbon, total organic matter, NO-3, PO4 -3, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Zn and Ni. Average values of pH, EC, ORP, TDS, NO3 -, PO4 3-, SO4 2-, Cl-, alkalinity, hardness, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn and Fe for the lake water are 7.4, 222 μS/cm, -37 mV, 222 mg/l, 0.11 ppm, 15.00 ppm, 1.43 ppm, 20.00 ppm, 0.0002 ppm, 772 ppm, 16 ppm, 10 ppm, 36 ppm, 21 ppm, 0.001 ppm, 0.009 ppm and 0.14 ppm respectively. However, element Cd, Pb, Mn and Ni were not detected. Piper classification for the lake water indicate CaSO4 type, which reflect typical gypsum type of waters with impact of mine drainage due to mineral pyrite in soil. Also, sulfur emitted by the vehicles may react with water to form sulfuric acid. In addition, gypsum type of water may also due to accumulation of building materials such as cement. Therefore reason for the CaSO4 type of water may be due to several sources in the area. In addition, compared to WHO guidelines only Cr (0.58 ppm) present in the water is considerably high, this may be due to direct discharge of urban dust into the lake. Average values of pH (6.1), ORP (54 mV), EC (122 μS/cm), organic carbon (3.1%), total organic matter (18%), nitrate (0.93 ppm), phosphate (12 ppm), Na (3.5 g/kg), K (11 g/kg), Ca (73 mg/kg), Mg (84 mg/kg), Cd (40 mg/kg), Cr (391 mg/kg), Cu (134 mg/kg), Fe (44 g/kg), Pb (833 mg/kg), Mn (157 mg/kg), Ni (196 mg/kg) and Zn (33 g/kg) in the sediments are considerably different value than the water. Compare with Canadian Environment Quality guidelines average values of Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn are higher in the sediments. This is mainly due to accumulation of those elements from runoff water. In general, it can be concluded that prevailing physical conditions of the lake water is controlling leaching of heavy metals from sediments to water. Conversely, anthropogenic sources seem to be increase accumulation of heavy metals in the buffer zone sediments. Keywords: Diyawanna Lake, Water quality, Sediment quality


Theme of Conference was: Partnering with industry and the community forr innovation and impact through modelling. Abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that the Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) strategies are sustainable, innovative and cost-effective approaches for managing stormwater runoff in urban developments. Such runoff from excessive rainfall can cause sewer system overflows. It is well established that intense rainfall increases flow into the sewer system and this increased flow is called rainfall-derived infiltration and inflow (RDII). RDII is the increased portion of sewer flows which enter the sewer network as inflow due to flooding of yard gully taps, roof downpipes illegally connected to the sanitary sewers, broken manhole covers and cross-connections between stormwater and sewer pipes. These excessive flows can also enter the sewer network as infiltration, where stormwater runoff filters through the soil and then enters the sewer pipes via damaged pipes, leaky joints and defective manhole walls. Intense rainfall events (especially of short duration) are becoming more frequent and intense in recent years. Increasing intensity will lead to more RDII. This in turn will lead to more frequent occurrences of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). According to various studies, there are different types of WSUD approaches available, which include rainwater tanks, rain gardens, bio-retention cells, infiltration trenches, porous pavements and vegetative swales. These WSUD approaches can reduce sewer overflows by managing excess stormwater runoff that enters the sewer network during intense storm events. However, few studies have analyzed the role of WSUD approaches on reducing sewer overflows. Therefore, rainwater tank as one of the popular WSUD approaches has been used for this study. This paper presents a detailed hydraulic modelling with rainwater tanks to quantify the impacts of WSUD approaches for SSO reduction. Rainwater tank captures roof runoff which reduces surface stormwater runoff during a storm event. Thus, it reduces the amount of RDII into the sewer networks. In this study, four different rainwater tank capacities are considered: 500L, 1000L, 1200L and 1500L. In addition, the impact of drain time on the sewer overflow volumes and peak overflow rates is also investigated. Drain time (T) is the time required to drain out the depth of the stored water in the rainwater tank. A residential area in Glenroy, Melbourne, has been taken as the case study to illustrate the rainwater tank modelling results. The analysis indicates that rainwater tanks can reduce SSO volumes by a maximum of 31% and can reduce peak overflow rates by 30% (for the 1500L tank with a drain time of 36 hours). This study has also evaluated the cost efficiency of the rainwater tanks based only on the capital cost of rainwater tanks. Thus, the approach used in this study will help water professionals to consider rainwater tanks as a mitigation strategy for controlling SSOs.


The purposes of this study were 1) Compare analytical thinking ability by testing the same sets of students 5 times 2) Develop and verify whether analytical thinking ability of students corresponds to second-order growth curve factors model. Samples were 1,093 eighth-grade students. The results revealed that 1) Analytical thinking ability scores of 5 tests are significantly different at .01 level and the means score rises consecutively 2) Second-order growth curve factors model of analytical thinking ability for the analysis of elements and analysis of organizational principles corresponds to piecewise growth model while the analysis of relationship corresponds to linear growth model, and that second-order growth curve factors model of analytical thinking ability is in accord with empirical evidence.

 Key words: Second-order growth curve factors, growth curve, MANOVA, longitudinal studies, development, analytical thinking.


This thesis aims to generalise Busby's framework for studying extensions of C∗-algebras, to the Banach-algebraic setting, without requiring admissibility assumptions on extensions. In the case where the canonical embedding ιJ of a faithful Banach algebra J into its multiplier algebra MJ has closed range, we classify all extensions of an arbitrary Banach algebra B by J. This is done by presenting two categories, one of extensions and another of Busby maps, and proving that these categories are equivalent. We then consider cases where the canonical embedding of J need not have closed range, and provide some partial results in such cases under the extra assumption of a bounded linear lift for a given Busby map. These results are then applied to several examples, where we also compute explicit multiplier norms for MJ when J is a maximal ideal in Ck([−1, 1]). To go further, we study the quotient MJ/ιJ (J) not as a seminormed space but as an object in a suitable derived category. To lay the necessary foundations, the derived category construction of Grothendieck and Verdier is applied to the category of Banach spaces and bounded linear maps. Using this framework, we introduce a class of "Q-Busby maps" from an arbitrary Banach algebra B into MJ/ιJ (J), and obtain a restricted version of Busby's original correspondence, applicable whenever J is a faithful Banach algebra.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in adults associated with thromboembolic complications. External electrical cardioversion (DCCV) is a safe procedure used to convert AF to normal sinus rhythm. We sought to study factors that affect utilization of DCCV in hospitalized patients with AF. The study sample was drawn from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project in the United States. Patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of AF that received DCCV during hospitalization in the years 2000–2010 were included. An estimated 2,810,530 patients with a primary diagnosis of AF were hospitalized between 2001 and 2010, of which 1,19,840 (4.26%) received DCCV. The likelihood of receiving DCCV was higher in patients who were males, whites, privately insured, and aged < 40 years and those with fewer comorbid conditions. Higher CHADS2 score was found to have an inverse association with DCCV use. In-hospital stroke, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and cost for hospitalization were significantly lower for patients undergoing DCCV during AF related hospitalization. Further research is required to study the contribution of other disease and patient related factors affecting the use of this procedure as well as postprocedure outcomes.


Biolistic transformation systems are widely used to introduce foreign genes into common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.); however, these techniques often generate high transgene copy numbers and complex transgene integration patterns that hinder the stable expression of the transgenes. To improve the efficiency of stable transgene expression, we examined the effect of low-temperature pretreatment of wheat flower spikes and of high maltose concentration (HMC) in the medium during the subsequent callus culture. Tillers of the spring wheat cultivar Bobwhite were stored at 5°C without water for one week before the isolation of their immature scutellar tissues, and the resulting particle-bombarded explants were cultured on 15% maltose for a month. Together, these treatments significantly increased the number of recovered transgenic lines expressing the reporter gene. The low-temperature pretreatment eliminated the negative effects of HMC, and HMC improved the efficiency of stable transgene expression. Southern blot analysis revealed that transgenic lines recovered after HMC treatment integrated a lower copy number of transgenes than those cultured at normal (4%) maltose concentration. These findings suggest that the HMC-mediated reduction of the transgene copy number results from the suppression of plasmid DNA rearrangement before or during transgene integration into the wheat genome.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
Anatomical variation of the abdominal arteries is important. Historic and modern anatomists, radiologists, as well as surgeons have reported and accumulated anatomical variations with a morphological and clinical interest. During graft procurement and reconstruction, accidental injury of the hepatic artery is more likely in the presence of hepatic arterial variation, which can be a common clinical entity. During cadaveric dissection and diagnostic radiological imaging, various types of vascular anomalies are frequently found in human abdominal viscera, especially the celiac trunk. The aim of the present study is to determine anatomical variations in the celiac trunk and hepatic arterial system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Digital subtraction angiography data were collected from 152 consecutive donor patients (103 males and 49 females, aged between 6 and 77 years) who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation.

RESULTS
We examined the anatomy of the celiac trunk in a total of 152 consecutive patients. In total, 62.5% (95/152) of patients showed the classical trifurcation of the celiac trunk. Variant right hepatic arteries arising from the superior mesenteric artery were observed in 17.8% (27/152), the hepatic arteries arising from the left gastric artery were found in 13.1% (20/152), and common hepatic arteries arising from the superior mesenteric artery were observed in 6.6% (10/152) of patients.

CONCLUSION
These data are useful for planning and performing surgical and radiological procedures of the upper abdomen.


The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the expression of p53, p21 and Cdc2 in the early laryngeal cancer with negative pathological margins and its local recurrence. During 2004-2010, a total of 85 patients with early laryngeal cancer were selected in Tangshan Union Hospital, Hebei, China, and immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of p53, p21 and Cdc2 in the negative pathological margin tissues. All patients were followed up for two years to collect pathological data for evaluating the survival and tumor recurrence. Two years after surgery 14 of 85 patients with laryngeal cancer presented with recurrence (recurrent group), while 71 patients without recurrence (none recurrent group). The positive rate of p53, p21 and Cdc2 protein in laryngeal cancer tissues was 60.0% (51/85), 38.8% (33/85) and 70.6% (60/85), respectively, while that of the three proteins in the cancer adjacent tissues was 36.5% (31/85), 21.2% (18/85) and 29.4% (25/85), respectively. The differentiation and TNM stage of tumor had no correlation with the three proteins. The positive rate of p53 in the surgical margin of the recurrent group and non recurrent group was 71.4% (10/14) and 29.6% (21/71) (P = 0.003), that of p21 was 50.0% (7/14) and 15.5% (11/71), (P = 0.011) and Cdc2 was 57.1% (8/14) and 23.9% (17/71) (P = 0.030), respectively. In conclusion, p53, p21 and Cdc2 may be involved in the occurrence, development and recurrence of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Overexpression of p53, p21 and Cdc2 in the surgical margin of early laryngeal cancer is closely related to local recurrence of tumor.


ABSTRACT Objective We investigated the accuracy of initial critical care triage in blast-injured versus non-blast-injured trauma patients, focusing on those inappropriately triaged to the intensive care unit (ICU) for brief (<16 h) stays. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of the Israel National Trauma Registry, applying a predetermined definition of need for initial ICU admission. Results A total of 883 blast-injured and 112 185 non-blast-injured patients were categorized according to their need for ICU admission. Of these admissions, 5.7% in the blast setting and 8.4% in the non-blast setting were considered unnecessary. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios for the triage officers' decisions in assigning patients to the ICU were 95.5%, 98.8%, 77.2, and 0.05, respectively, in the blast setting, and 91.2%, 99.5%, 200.5, and 0.09, respectively, in the non-blast setting. Conclusions Triage officers do a better job sending to the ICU only those patients who require initial intensive care in the non-blast setting, though this is obscured by a much greater overall need for ICU-level care in the blast setting. Implementing triage protocols in the blast setting may help reduce the number of patients sent initially to the ICU for brief periods, thus increasing the availability of this resource. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–7)


During the last decade neuroscientists have shown an increasing interest in adult neurogenesis and a number of studies have been focused on the role that it could play in learning and memory processes. One of the brain structures that generates new neurons along adulthood is the Dentate Gyrus of the hippocampus. This structure is involved in learning and memory processes, and a plausible role for these newly born cells at the information processing level has been suggested. Nevertheless, actual evidences do not provide a clear picture on the type of cognitive processes supported by adultborn neurons. The present work reviews the last evidences related to the possible role of neurogenesis in learning and memory mechanisms.


The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework is crucial for every educators and teachers when dealing with teaching and learning by using technology. There are three essential components of TPACK which have to be fully mastered in order to conduct any teaching and learning session via whatever technological means and platforms, especially in the current situation of COVID-19 pandemic which requires the teacher to adapt with suitable teaching and learning remote strategies including online assessment. This study is conducted to investigate the level of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) skill among Arabic school teachers in preparing online assessment for remote teaching and learning prior to a training workshop organized by the Malaysian branch of Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, ICESCO-KUIS and Islamic Education Unit, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. The main author has been conducting the TPACK training module among 56 Arabic school teachers in Johor, Malaysia on 5-6 October, 2020 from selected all districts, while only 40 of them responded to the survey after the workshop via Google Form. Moreover, all participants were responding concurrently to the open-ended survey during the workshop via Mentimeter.com. This research instruments were investigating the teachers' knowledge about three essential components of TPACK, which include technology, content, and pedagogy as well their suggestions and feedbacks towards employing online assessment and effectiveness of conducted workshop. The findings are expected in contributing towards the understanding of the teacher's level of knowledge in technology, pedagogy, and content among Arabic school teachers in Malaysia especially for online teaching and assessment. The study may also beneficial to other similar settings where the technology has not been effectively utilized by teachers in schools.


The absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) describes the spectral dependence of light absorption by aerosols. AAE is typically used to differentiate between different aerosol types for example., black carbon, brown carbon, and dust particles. In this study, the variation of AAE was investigated mainly in fresh aerosol emissions from different fuel and combustion types, including emissions from ships, buses, coal‐fired power plants, and residential wood burning. The results were assembled to provide a compendium of AAE values from different emission sources. A dual‐spot aethalometer (AE33) was used in all measurements to obtain the light absorption coefficients at seven wavelengths (370–950 nm). AAE470/950 varied greatly between the different emission sources, ranging from −0.2 ± 0.7 to 3.0 ± 0.8. The correlation between the AAE470/950 and AAE370‐950 results was good (R2 = 0.95) and the mean bias error between these was 0.02. In the ship engine exhaust emissions, the highest AAE470/950 values (up to 2.0 ± 0.1) were observed when high sulfur content heavy fuel oil was used, whereas low sulfur content fuels had the lowest AAE470/950 (0.9–1.1). In the diesel bus exhaust emissions, AAE470/950 increased in the order of acceleration (0.8 ± 0.1), deceleration (1.1 ± 0.1), and steady driving (1.2 ± 0.1). In the coal‐fired power plant emissions, the variation of AAE470/950 was substantial (from −0.1 ± 2.1 to 0.9 ± 1.6) due to the differences in the fuels and flue gas cleaning conditions. Fresh wood‐burning derived aerosols had AAE470/950 from 1.1 ± 0.1 (modern masonry heater) to 1.4 ± 0.1 (pellet boiler), lower than typically associated with wood burning, while the burn cycle phase affected AAE variation.


Disruptive behaviors by an elder with cognitive impairment, such as violence, abrupt mood swings, and overt inappropriate sexual behaviors have been known to create caregiver distress, but little is known about how these behaviors may influence the use of home care services by that elder or their informal caregiver. The purpose of this study is to explore the associations between type of cognitive impairment (cognitive impairment with no dementia, and dementia), selected disruptive behaviors, and the use of four home care services (homemaking/cleaning, personal care, in-home nursing, home-delivered meals). Secondary data analysis from the 1991-1992 Manitoba Study on Health and Aging data set was conducted, using a sample of 124 community-dwelling elders and their unpaid caregivers. Multivariate analysis revealed that disruptive behaviors were significantly associated with the use of two services: personal care and home-delivered meals. Being cognitively impaired with dementia was significant for only home-delivered meals. Overall functional status of the elder emerged as a consistent predictor.


As a retouching manipulation, contrast enhancement is typically used to adjust the global brightness and contrast of digital images. Malicious users may also perform contrast enhancement locally for creating a realistic composite image. As such it is significant to detect contrast enhancement blindly for verifying the originality and authenticity of the digital images. In this paper, we propose two novel algorithms to detect the contrast enhancement involved manipulations in digital images. First, we focus on the detection of global contrast enhancement applied to the previously JPEG-compressed images, which are widespread in real applications. The histogram peak/gap artifacts incurred by the JPEG compression and pixel value mappings are analyzed theoretically, and distinguished by identifying the zero-height gap fingerprints. Second, we propose to identify the composite image created by enforcing contrast adjustment on either one or both source regions. The positions of detected blockwise peak/gap bins are clustered for recognizing the contrast enhancement mappings applied to different source regions. The consistency between regional artifacts is checked for discovering the image forgeries and locating the composition boundary. Extensive experiments have verified the effectiveness and efficacy of the proposed techniques.


Abstract In this paper, we describe porosity variations in Miocene to Holocene carbonates off the west coast of Australia and assess their compaction trends. The porosity values were measured using discrete samples of Sites U1459–U1464 obtained by the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 356. The carbonate deposits have been influenced by a range of textures and diagenetic conditions throughout a nearly continuous sequence of geological ages from the Miocene to Holocene and at core depths from 0 to 1100 m below the seafloor. The collected samples were mostly grainstone, packstone, wackestone and mudstone textures. Dolostones and dolomitic carbonates were described at the Miocene intervals. Compaction trends were estimated exponentially and linearly based on cored sites, carbonate textures and dominant mineralogies (dolomite, calcite/aragonite). At all six sites, porosity distribution and reduction were generally depth-dependent. The porosity converged to about 30% between 750 and 1100 m, which suggests that the carbonates were close to the densest packing by mechanical compaction at a burial depth of ∼750 m. The porosity deviations are associated with textures and dominant mineralogies. Increasing mud content from grainstone to mudstone is a controlling factor for initial porosity and porosity reduction rate. Dolomitisation, dolomitic cementation, aragonite needle-rich mud and non-skeletal grains cause deviations from the depth-dependent compaction trends. Reflux-related cementation generally decreases porosity in Miocene dolomitic intervals. Higher porosity values of the Quaternary wackestone and mudstone at Site U1461 resulted from the presence of aragonite needle-rich mud hosting abundant micropores and from a high sedimentation rate. The occurrence of non-skeletal grains, such as ooids and peloids, as well as occasional meteoric exposure led to porosity inversion, occluding interparticle permeability and the creation of moldic pores. KEY POINTS Porosity variations of Miocene–Holocene carbonates off the west Australian coast are primarily depth-dependent. Mechanical compaction affected porosity reduction down to a value of ∼30% at a burial depth of ∼750 m. Differences in texture-based compaction trends were affected by increasing mud content. Major porosity deviations are associated with dolomitisation, dolomitic cementation, aragonite needle-rich mud and non-skeletal grains.


Pyrimidine-nucleoside phosphorylases (Py-NPases) have a significant potential to contribute to the economic and ecological production of modified nucleosides. These can be produced via pentose-1-phosphates, an interesting but mostly labile and expensive precursor. Thus far, no dynamic model exists for the production process of pentose-1-phosphates, which involves the equilibrium state of the Py-NPase catalyzed reversible reaction. Previously developed enzymological models are based on the understanding of the structural principles of the enzyme and focus on the description of initial rates only. The model generation is further complicated, as Py-NPases accept two substrates which they convert to two products. To create a well-balanced model from accurate experimental data, we utilized an improved high-throughput spectroscopic assay to monitor reactions over the whole time course until equilibrium was reached. We examined the conversion of deoxythymidine and phosphate to deoxyribose-1-phosphate and thymine by a thermophilic Py-NPase from Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius. The developed process model described the reactant concentrations in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Our model is built from ordinary differential equations and structured in such a way that integration with other models is possible in the future. These could be the kinetics of other enzymes for enzymatic cascade reactions or reactor descriptions to generate integrated process models.


Delayed union and nonunion fractures are clinical challenges for orthopedic surgeons. The development of fracture complications, such as delayed union and nonunion fractures, is still difficult to predict. Various methods are being investigated to improve fracture healing and prevent complications in patients. There are various methods to promote fracture healing, broadly divided into biological, chemical, and physical methods. One of the most widely used physical methods to promote fracture healing is the pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). This study aimed to evaluate the healing process of delayed union fracture after being stimulated by PEMF. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (n = 12) and the PEMF group (n = 12). Delayed union fracture was performed on the left femur of all rats. Subsequently, the PEMF group was given PEMF stimulus with a magnetic field intensity of 1.6 mT and a frequency of 50 Hz for 4 hours/day and 7 days/week. The fracture healing process was evaluated on days 5, 10, 18, and 28 based on the bone callus histology using safranin O fast green (SOFG) staining. The results of the histological analysis showed that bone cartilage was higher in the PEMF group than in the control group throughout the observation period. In addition, the PEMF group had less fibrous tissue at the beginning of the healing. This finding indicates PEMF stimulation has an effect on inducing osteogenesis on fracture healing and reducing the risk of delayed union.


Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the extent to which companies in one of the Islamic culture countries, Egypt, are complying with the Islamic implementation of the Anglo-Saxon model of corporate governance and testing the impact, if any, of such compliance on mitigating of stock option fraud incentives. Design/methodology/approach - A logistic regression model is used to examine the effects of board of directors, audit committee, ownership structure and other firm characteristics on the likelihood of stock option fraud. The analysis is based on the data for stock option grants obtained during the period from 2006 to 2009. Findings - The results suggest that the rate of compliance with the Islamic implementation of the Anglo-Saxon model of corporate governance in Egyptian public-held companies is low. Weak corporate governance allows executives to exercise greater influence over the board of directors and audit committee decisions. Furthermore, a low level of disclosure, duality of CEO, high percentage of insiders in board of directors, auditor turnover, and management ownership are among the factors that increase the likelihood of stock option fraud in the Egyptian setting. Research limitations/implications - The results are constrained by the proxies used to define stock option fraud. Additionally, the limited number of companies with stock option grants in Egypt might affect the results. Originality/value - This paper provides insights into exposing stock option fraud by Egyptian public-held companies and sheds light on the effective role of corporate governance mechanisms to mitigate this phenomenon. This would help policy setters to enhance compliance with the Anglo-Saxon model of corporate governance and develop a comprehensive Shari'ah model of corporate governance that reduces stock option fraud.


British Thoracic Society guidelines for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) recommend airway clearance taught by a physiotherapist for patients with chronic sputum production or mucus plugging on CT. Various techniques and adjuncts are available and the evidence for the effectiveness of these is inconsistent. We designed a stepwise chest clearance pathway for use in a specialist NCFB clinic in a large district general hospital trust. Patients were taught and commenced on active cycle breathing technique with postural drainage, positive expiratory pressure device, mucolytic and nebulised hypertonic saline, progressing to each step until chest clearance was felt to be optimised. Quality of life was assessed using Leicester cough questionnaire (LCQ) at baseline and after each intervention including the point of optimisation. Hospital admission and general practice antibiotic prescription data were retrospectively collected for 12 months pre and post initiation of the pathway. Data were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test. 105 patients (mean age 67, 53 female, mean FEV1 1.62l) were included although data were incomplete. Total LCQ score significantly improved at the point where chest clearance was felt to be optimised, compared to baseline, with a median difference of 1.3. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with lower baseline LCQ showed greater improvement. Further analysis revealed that all steps in the pathway resulted in significant improvements in LCQ with the exception of mucolytics. Hospital admissions for NCFB were significantly reduced in the 12 months following initiation of the pathway. There was no significant difference in antibiotic usage according to GP prescriptions. This retrospective study suggests that the use of a standardised chest clearance pathway may result in improved quality of life and reduction in hospital admissions in patients with NCFB.


We present a new tool to study the regularity of a function $F$ of a sequence $(X_{i})$ of independent and identically distributed random variables. Our main result states that, under mild conditions on the law of $X_{1}$, the regularity of the law of $F$ is controlled by the regularity of the law of a conditionally Gaussian object, canonically associated with $F$. At the technical level our analysis relies on the formalism of Dirichlet forms and an explicit construction of the Malliavin derivative of $F$ in the direction of a Gaussian space. As an application, we derive an explicit control of the regularity of the law of a quadratic from in the $X_{i}$'s in terms of spectral quantities, when the law of $X_{1}$ belongs to a large class of distribution including, for instance, all the Gaussian, all the Beta, all the Gamma, and all the polynomials thereof.


Hemolytic disease by cold-reacting antibodies is a rare form of hemolytic anemia. In most cases a subjacent cause is found. This disease is generally related with reactive lymphoproliferative processes (infections by the Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus) or uncontrolled lymphoproliferative disorders (lymphomas, Waldenström disease, chronic lymphatic leukemia). The presence of high titers of cryoagglutinins have recently been described in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); however, clinical manifestation as hemolytic anemia is very rare. A 37 year old male diagnosed with infection by HIV, non Hodgkin's lymphoma of Burkitt type non convoluted cells, chronic hepatopathy by the B and C virus, Brouet type III cryoglobulinemia and hemolytic anemia by cold-reacting antibodies is herewith described. This multiple association is exceptional as is the important clinical repercussion of the hemolytic anemia derived from the high titers and above all the wide thermic interval of the cryoagglutinin present. Finally, the relation of cryoagglutinin with each of these entities, the concomitant presence of cryoglobulins and the evolution of the titers of the same with the chemotherapy treatment administered for the lymphoma is analyzed.


The health and social care sector in the UK faces a number of overarching headwinds in the short and medium term. These include, but are not limited to the National Health Service (NHS) meeting efficiency savings, shifts in the point of provision of healthcare services, an ageing population, managing pandemics and epidemics, changes in the types of diseases and their patterns, stricter health and environmental compliance targets and the incorporation of technology into service delivery. However, two key issues currently dominate and look set to do so going forward in the coming months and years, namely, meeting large efficiency savings (Pym, 2016) and Brexit. These factors will not only have a significant impact upon the delivery of healthcare services, but also wider with respect to the delivery of the associated services (e.g. environmental management).


Have you heard about the Swedish couple that was trying to find their way to the island of Capri, but ended up about 400 miles away in the northern industrial town of Carpi? Seems they misspelled their destination on their car's global positioning system (GPS). An unfortunate and inconvenient mistake. But it says something about the precision of the technology and how people, and not just the military, have come to rely on GPS. Of course, digital signal processing (DSP) technology is visible in all digital wireless applications, from 4G cellular to MP3 players, HDTV receivers, and personal navigation systems. At the rate that the technology and the market are evolving, most analysts believe signal processing-driven location technologies could be ubiquitous in two or three years. The development of new satellite navigation systems and applications is already opening up new design/ development and market opportunities for the industry.


Student success and the perceptions of success are growing areas of research. At the University of the Western Cape the impact that using a learning management system in blended learning approaches had on student success and perceptions of success was unknown. The research investigated perceptions of lecturers and students of the Arts Faculty regarding student success, and whether perceptions of student success, the use of technologies and blended teaching and learning approaches were interrelated. A mixed method approach was used, in which qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. All groups of participants agreed that the use of a learning management system to enhance a blended learning approach contributed to student success. These findings agreed with other research conducted by international scholars. More research that focuses on how technologies impact on the success of individual students, and the interrelatedness of technologies, learning approaches and student success is necessary.


Cultural identification, perceived discrimination and sense of community as predictors of life satisfaction among foreign partners of intercultural families in Italy and Spain: A transnational study a b s t r a c t The aim of this paper was to analyze how cultural identification, perceived discrimination and the sense of community are related to life satisfaction among foreign partners in intercultural families. The study compared 105 and 95 foreign partners in mixed families resident in Italy and Spain, respectively. The phenomenon in both countries displays similar sociodemographic aspects. In contrast to Social Identity Theory, the results show that in both groups the foreign partner's identification with their own ethnic-cultural group is not associated with life satisfaction, nor does it increase perceived discrimination. In turn, increased perceived discrimination leads to a decreased sense of community and life satisfaction among foreigners. Regarding religion, interreligious couples in Italy perceive more discrimination than mono-religious couples. Finally, we found that a low sense of discrimination and a strong sense of community are related to life satisfaction among mixed families in both groups. The implications of the study are described and suggestions for future research discussed.


OBJECTIVE—In search of functional polymorphisms associated with the genetics of insulin resistance, we studied a variant in the promoter of PIK3CB, the gene coding for the catalytic p110β subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, a major effector of insulin action. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—The rs361072 C/T variant was selected among single nucleotide polymorphisms of the PIK3CB region because we suspected that its common C allele (allelic frequency ∼50% in Europeans) could create a GATA-binding motif and was genotyped in five cohorts of obese (n = 1,876) and two cohorts of nonobese (n = 1,490) European children. To estimate insulin resistance in these children, the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was measured in strict nutritional conditions. GATA-binding and functional effects of rs361072 were explored in transfected cell lines and in lymphocytes from obese children. RESULTS—The rs361072 C/T variant was associated with HOMA-IR in the obese children cohorts (1.7 × 10−12 < P < 2 × 10−4 for C/C vs. T/T using regression analysis). HOMA-IR averaged 3.3 ± 0.1 in C/C and 4.5 ± 0.2 in T/T obese children (P = 4.5 × 10−6 by ANOVA). C/T patients had intermediate values. As shown by the interaction between BMI and genotype (P = 2.1 × 10−9), the association of rs361072 with HOMA-IR depended on BMI and was only marginal in nonobese children (P = 0.04). At the molecular level, the C allele of rs361072 was found to create a GATA-binding site able to increase transcription of PIK3CB. CONCLUSIONS—We postulate that the C allele of rs361072 is a causal variant capable of attenuating insulin resistance in obese children through increased expression of p110β.


State presence and longevity have long been associated with growth and development, and yet analyzing their relationship remains challenging as both the length of state rule and geographical boundaries change over time. After addressing conceptual and practical concerns on its construction, we present a measure of the mean duration of state rule that is aimed at resolving some of these issues. We then present our findings on the relationship between our measure and local development, drawing from observations in Europe spanning from 0 AD to 2000 AD. We find that during this period, the mean duration of state rule and the local income level have a nonlinear, inverse U-shaped relationship, controlling for a set of historical, geographic and socioeconomic factors. Regions that have historically experienced short or long duration of state rule on average lag behind in their local wealth today, while those that have experienced medium-duration state rule on average fare better.


In general, internal cells are required to solve thermo-elastoplastic problems using a conventional boundary element method (BEM). However, in this case, the merit of BEM, which is the easy preparation of data, is lost. The conventional multiple-reciprocity boundary element method (MRBEM) cannot be used to solve the elastoplasticity problems, because the distribution of initial strain or initial stress cannot be determined analytically. In this paper, we show that two-dimensional thermo-elastoplasticity problems can be solved without the use of internal cells, by using the triple-reciprocity boundary element method and a thin plate spline. An initial strain formulation is adopted and the initial strain distribution is interpolated using boundary integral equations and a thin plate spline. A new computer program was developed and applied to several problems.


Background: This study assessed the efficacy of a continuous infusion pump system for postoperative pain control at muscle-sparing transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap donor sites. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind trial, a dual-catheter continuous infusion pump system was placed in the muscle-sparing TRAM flap donor-site area in all patients. Bupivacaine (0.375%; continuous infusion pump group) or isotonic saline (control group) was infused at 4 ml/hour. All patients also had a patient-controlled anesthesia system delivering intravenous narcotics on demand. Pain scores, patient satisfaction, narcotic use, milestones of surgical recovery, and side effects of narcotics were compared between the two groups. Results: Forty-eight patients were included in the study (23 continuous infusion pump patients and 25 control patients). The continuous infusion patients used less mean patient-controlled anesthesia narcotic during the first 2 postoperative days (78.0 mg versus 42.7 mg; p = 0.019) and transitioned earlier to oral narcotics than did control patients. Patients' overall pain satisfaction scores were significantly better in the continuous infusion group than in the control group. There were no significant differences between groups with regard to overall abdominal pain intensity scores, total narcotic use, length of hospitalization, incidence of narcotic side effects, or milestones of surgical recovery. Conclusions: The continuous infusion pump system appears to be a safe and effective method for postoperative donor-site pain management in TRAM flap breast reconstruction patients and should be considered for postoperative donor-site pain management. However, continuous infusion pump local anesthetic delivery to the muscle-sparing TRAM flap donor site did not eliminate narcotic use for pain control.


Heparin and related molecules have been identified as important participants in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling although the mechanisms of action remain unclear. We have used heparin oligosaccharides to examine steps in the signaling process which could be affected by the polysaccharide. Immobilized FGF-1 and FGF-2 bound all sizes of oligosaccharides tested, ranging from tetrasaccharide to decasaccharide, at physiological salt concentration. Each group of oligosaccharide was eluted from the FGF affinity columns in several peaks, and larger oligosaccharides showed higher apparent affinity for the immobilized growth factors compared to the shorter ones. Heparin hexasaccharides were the smallest fragments providing complete protection of FGF-1 and FGF-2 against trypsin digestion. Tetrasaccharides, however, were able to provide partial protection. The requirement of heparin for ligand-receptor interaction was evaluated in receptor binding assays using Sf9 insect cells engineered to overexpress different recombinant FGF receptor (FGFR) species including FGFR1 beta, FGFR1 alpha or FGFR4 at the cell surface. In these assays hexasaccharides were the smallest fragments capable of stimulating FGF-receptor interaction. Over the range of concentrations examined, neither hexasaccharides nor octasaccharides were able to stimulate receptor binding to the level attained by intact heparin. In fact, these oligosaccharides interfered with the ability of intact heparin in promoting FGF-receptor binding. The presence of both stimulatory and inhibitory activities in hexasaccharide and octasaccharide populations could be attributed to structural heterogeneity within the oligosaccharide preparations. However, similar observations were obtained with "highly-sulfated" structurally homogeneous preparations of hexasaccharide and octasaccharide, although these molecules generally had greater stimulatory and less inhibitory activity than their structurally heterogeneous counterparts. Hexasaccharides were found to be the smallest fragments able to potentiate the FGF-1-induced 3T3 cell proliferation while their effect on FGF-2 signaling was less clear. These observations suggest that heparin can modulate FGF-signaling at several stages with different end results.


Cancer genetics is increasingly becoming integrated into the practice of modern medical oncology. The ability to distinguish a growing proportion of the 5% to 10% of all cancers that develop in individuals who have inherited a genetic mutation conferring heightened susceptibility to specific cancers may permit targeted efforts in cancer surveillance and prevention. While these individuals comprise a small proportion of the overall burden of cancer, strategies successful in reducing their remarkable cancer risks may be generalizable to the broader population. In this review, we highlight the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, most attributable to genes inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with incomplete penetrance, and a number of rare syndromes in which particular progress has been made. The prevalence, penetrance, tumor spectrum, and underlying genetic defects are discussed and summarized in a large table in which a more comprehensive enumeration of syndromes is provided.


Objective: to identify constitutional and morphological predisposition to akathisia in schizophrenic patients receiving antipsychotic therapy.Materials and methods. 250 patients with schizophrenia receiving basic antipsychotic therapy were studied, aged 40 [32; 50] years old; disease duration was 13 [7; 22] years. The age when the schizophrenic process manifested itself was 23 [19; 30] years. Clinical evaluation of akathisia was performed using the Barnes Akathisia Scale (BARS, BAS), so akathisia was detected in 92 (36.8%) patients. All persons included in the study underwent an anthropometric survey according to the Bunak's method. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica for Windows software (V. 12.0), the odds ratio was estimated using the MedCalc® online calculator.Results. The comparative analysis of the Rees – Eysenk body index and Tanner stages in groups of schizophrenic patients receiving antipsychotic therapy with and without akathisia showed no significant differences between them (p = 0.317 and p = 0.347, respectively). Comparison of groups in the distribution of constitutional and morphological types also revealed no statistical differences (p = 0.189). Patients with the andromorphic type of somatic sexual differentiation increased the risk of antipsychotic-induced akathisia (OR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.02–2.94; p = 0.039) almost twofold.Conclusion. Attribution of patients to different constitutional and morphological types does not play a role in the development of antipsychotic-induced akathisia, unlike attribution to andromorphic somatic sexual differentiation types, which significantly increases its risk.


Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older people, and diet has been postulated to alter risk of AMD. To evaluate associations between red meat and chicken intake and AMD, the authors conducted a cohort study of 6,734 persons aged 58–69 years in 1990–1994 in Melbourne, Australia. Meat intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. At follow-up (2003–2006), bilateral digital macular photographs were taken and evaluated for AMD (1,680 cases of early AMD, 77 cases of late AMD). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios, adjusted for age, smoking, and other potential confounders. Higher red meat intake was positively associated with early AMD; the odds ratio for consumption of red meat 10 times/week versus <5 times/week was 1.47 (95% confidence interval: 1.21, 1.79; P-trend < 0.001). Similar trends toward increasing prevalence of early AMD were seen with higher intakes of fresh and processed red meat. Conversely, consumption of chicken 3.5 times/week versus <1.5 times/week was inversely associated with late AMD (odds ratio 1⁄4 0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 0.91; P-trend 1⁄4 0.007). These results suggest that different meats may differently affect AMD risk and may be a target for lifestyle modification.


Biasi is a set of cultural operations traditionally practiced in direct seeded rice. In this operation, the field is plowed by an indigenous plow in standing water 30-50 d after emergence. Bullock plowing often followed planking and chalai (thinning and distribution) operations. This system is very popular in the eastern region of India; about 75% of the area (25.5 million ha) is under the biasi system. The effectiveness of the system greatly affects yield. Often, operation is delayed because there is less rain to flood the field. The post-biasi operation, which is done to redistribute seedlings, has high labor requirements and is costly. The other major drawbacks are high plant mortality (38-40%) and heavy weed intensity. It is important to evaluate a suitable integrated nutrient management system under biasi to increase yield with minimal operational cost. Use of green manure, especially Sesbania rostrata, which nodulates in roots as well as in stems, gives better performance and maintains the nutrient supply. A significant savings of 40 kg N ha-1 was recorded by incorporating 40-d-old S. rostrata in a standing rice crop under biasi (IGKV 1994). Green manure incorporation will thus improve yield.


To predict an occurrence of extraordinary phenomena, such as earthquakes, failures of engineering system and financial market crushes, it is important to identify precursory events in time series. However, existing methods are limited in their applicability for real world precursor detections. Recently, Ide and Inoue [1] have developed an SSA-based change-point detection method, called singular spectrum transformation (SST). In this paper, we extend the SST so that it is applicable for real world precursor detections, focusing on the wide applicability of the conventional SST. Although the SST is suitable for detecting various types of change-points, detecting precursors can be far more difficult than expected because, in general, real world time series contains measurement noise and non-stationary trends. Furthermore, precursory events are usually observed as minute and less-visible fluctuations preceding an onset of massive fluctuations of extraordinary phenomena and therefore they are easily over-looked. To overcome this, we extend the conventional SST to the multivariable SST, focusing on the synchronism detection of precursory events in multiple sequences of univariate time series. First, we would like to define the problem setting of real world precursory detections and consider its difficulties. Second, the multivariable SST is introduced. Third, we apply SST to geomagnetic time series data and show the multivariable SST is more suitable than the conventional SST for real world precursor detections. Finally, we show further experimental results using artificial data to evaluate the reliability of SST-based precursor detections.


Due to the increased availability of online reviews, sentiment analysis had been witnessed a thriving interest from the researchers. Sentiment analysis is a computational treatment of sentiment used to extract and understand the opinions of authors. While many systems were built to predict the sentiment of a document or a sentence, many others provide the necessary detail on various aspects of the entity (i.e., aspect-based sentiment analysis). Most of the available data resources were tailored to English and the other popular European languages. Although Farsi is a language with more than 110 million speakers, to the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of proper public datasets on aspect-based sentiment analysis for Farsi. This paper provides a manually annotated Farsi dataset, Pars-ABSA, which is verified by 3 native Farsi speakers. The dataset consists of 5,114 positive, 3,061 negative and 1,827 neutral data samples from 5,602 unique reviews. Moreover, as a baseline, this paper reports the performance of some aspect-based sentiment analysis methods with a focus on deep learning, on Pars-ABSA.


In this thesis, we study observationally the variation of upper level cloud fraction with sea surface temperature in tropical oceanic regions. We also explore the consequences of a cloud feedback, arising from variations in the coverage of thin upper level clouds, in the climate of the Archean using a simple radiative-convective model that includes the effect of the variations in the area of thin cirrus clouds. First, we look at the variation in area of upper level clouds using TRMM VIRS (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, Visible Infrared Sounder) data. We quantify the effect of methodological choices on the magnitude of the observed correlations between upper level cloud cover and SST. We discuss several methodological choices that might contribute to the relatively small signals found by previous researchers (0%/K to 2%/K) , namely, the classification of cloudy regions into convective updrafts and anvil, the use of cloud weighted SST, and the truncation and sampling error with respect to the evolution of mesoscale convective systems. All of these contribute to some extent to the weakness of signal. We show that the coarse sampling of orbital satellites can introduce biases in the estimation of the signal. Our observational evidence shows a negative correlation between the upper level cloud fraction normalized by convection and sea surface temperatures. We also study the relation between local sea surface temperature (SST) and convective precipitation fraction and stratiform rainfall area from radar observations of precipitation, using data from the Kwajalein atoll ground-based radar as well as the precipitation radar on board of the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM satellite). We find that the fraction of convective precipitation increases with SST at a rate of about 6 to 12%/K and the area of stratiform rainfall normalized by total precipitation decreases with SST at rates between -5 to -28%/K. These relations are observed to hold for different regions over the tropical oceans and also for different periods of time. Correlations are robust to outliers and to undersampled precipitation regions. Kwajalein results are relatively insensitive to the parameters in the stratiform-convective classification algorithm. Quantitative differences between the results obtained using the two different radars could be explained by the smoothing in the reflectivity of convective regions due to the relatively large pixel size of the TRMM precipitation radar compared to the size of the convective clouds. We discuss how this observations can be interpreted as an increase in the efficiency of precipitation with temperature in mesoscale convective systems in the tropics. Finally, we explore the consequences of a negative feedback mediated through tropical cirrus clouds in the climate of the Archean, and the possibility that this feedback could explain the so-called faint young sun paradox. We assume that rates of change in the area of detrainment cloud (from the observational estimates) are characteristic also for thin cirrus clouds that have a net positive cloud radiative forcing. We find that global mean surface temperatures above freezing can indeed be found for luminosities larger than about 0.8 (corresponding to 2.9 Ga and nearly complete tropical cirrus coverage). For luminosities smaller than 0.8, even though global mean surface temperatures are below freezing, tropical mean temperatures are still above freezing, indicating the possibility of a partially ice-free earth for the Early Archean. While it is feasible for tropical cirrus to completely eliminate the paradox, it is similarly possible for tropical cirrus to reduce the amounts of other greenhouse gases needed for solving the paradox and therefore easing the constraints on CO 2 and CH 4 that appear to be in disagreement with geological evidence. Thesis Supervisor: Richard S. Lindzen Title: Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology


As a philosophy, Pan Africanism represents the historical, cultural, spiritual, scientific, and philosophical legacies of Africans from past times to the present. It as a system that traces its history from ancient period, and promotes values that are the product of the African civilization, foreign policies, and the struggles against slavery, racism, colonialism, and neo-colonialism. It aimed at encouraging and strengthening bonds of solidarity and unity between all people of African descent and thus has numerous impacts in the African continent. The thrust of this study, however, is to examine the influence of Pan Africanism on Africa's international relations from 1945 to 1965. This work will showcase how Pan Africanism affected the behavior, interactions and foreign policies and relations of African states during the period under review.


Agriculture is a wider sector where 54% people are engaged and one-third GDP contributed to the nation. Due to diverse climatic regions, farmers grow different types of agricultural commodities and presence of different pests reduces their production and thus need to apply pesticides. Pesticide Registration and Management Division under the Department of Agriculture is a legal authority to register as well as restrict or ban certain pesticides used in the agricultural sector in Nepal. The paper also emphasizes how Nepal has doing pesticide reduction for the pest management in agriculture considering the food safety, animal and human health and environment protection. And it also focuses on the legal aspects on pesticide management and status of registered, restricted and banned pesticides in the context of neighboring countries and addresses to fulfill the obligations of the international convention related to pesticides and industrial chemicals.


ABSTRACT In an attempt to identify the rotavirus receptor, we tested 46 cell lines of different species and tissue origins for susceptibility to infection by three N-acetyl-neuraminic (sialic) acid (SA)-dependent and five SA-independent rotavirus strains. Susceptibility to SA-dependent or SA-independent rotavirus infection varied depending on the cell line tested and the multiplicity of infection (MOI) used. Cells of renal or intestinal origin and transformed cell lines derived from breast, stomach, bone, or lung were all susceptible to rotavirus infection, indicating a wider host tissue range than previously appreciated. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO), baby hamster kidney (BHK-21), guinea pig colon (GPC-16), rat small intestine (Rie1), and mouse duodenum (MODE-K) cells were found to support only limited rotavirus replication even at MOIs of 100 or 500, but delivery of rotavirus particles into the cytoplasm by lipofection resulted in efficient rotavirus replication. The rotavirus cell attachment protein, the outer capsid spike protein VP4, contains the sequence GDE(A) recognized by the VLA-2 (α2β1) integrin, and to test if VLA-2 is involved in rotavirus attachment and entry, we measured infection in CHO cells that lack VLA-2 and CHO cells transfected with the human α2 subunit (CHOα2) or with both the human α2 and β1 subunits (CHOα2β1) of VLA-2. Infection by SA-dependent or SA-independent rotavirus strains was 2- to 10-fold more productive in VLA-2-expressing CHO cells than in parental CHO cells, and the increased susceptibility to infection was blocked with anti-VLA-2 antibody. However, the levels of binding of rotavirus to CHO, CHOα2, and CHOα2β1 cells were equivalent and were not increased over binding to susceptible monkey kidney (MA104) cells or human colonic adenocarcinoma (Caco-2, HT-29, and T-84) cells, and binding was not blocked by antibody to the human α2 subunit. Although the VLA-2 integrin promotes rotavirus infection in CHO cells, it is clear that the VLA-2 integrin alone is not responsible for rotavirus cell attachment and entry. Therefore, VLA-2 is not involved in the initial attachment of rotavirus to cells but may play a role at a postattachment level.


[1] To determine the characteristics and origin of observed storm-time electron density enhancements in the polar cap, and to investigate the spatial extent (noon-midnight direction) of associated O+ ion outflows, we analyzed nearly simultaneous observations of such electron density enhancements from the Akebono satellite and ion upflows from the Polar satellite during a geomagnetic storm occurring on 6 April 2000. The Akebono satellite observed substantial electron density enhancements by a factor of ∼10–90 with a long duration of ∼15 h at ∼2 RE in the southern polar region. The Polar satellite outflow measurements in the northern polar cap at ∼7–4 RE exhibited velocity filtering of the ∼100 eV to ∼0 eV (from the spacecraft potential) ion outflow from the cleft ion fountain, with resultant temperatures declining from ∼3 eV to 0.03 eV with increasing distance from the cusp. Similar velocity filtering was detected in the southern polar cap at ∼1.8–3.5 RE. The region of O+ ion outflows with fluxes exceeding 5×108 /cm2/s (mapped to 1000 km altitude) extended ∼10° MLAT (∼1000 km) at the ionosphere from the cusp/cleft into the dayside polar cap at ∼2.5 RE. These coordinated Akebono-Polar observations are consistent with the development of storm-time electron density enhancements in the polar cap as a result of the bulk outflow of low-energy plasma as part of the cleft ion fountain. The large spatial scale, large ion fluxes, and the long duration indicate significant supply of very-low-energy O+ ions to the magnetosphere through this region.


In some countries such as Turkey students are taught L3 (English) through L2 (Turkish) but not through L1 (their native language -Kurdish). Do we face any obstacles while the language we are trying to teach our students is not their second language (L2) yet our students' third language (L3)? Learning L3 could be difficult trough L2 without any reference of these students' native language. During the course of my ten years of teaching at multiple levels, I realized that the failure rate for my Kurdish students was far higher than the general failure rate for other students who are Turkish or originally Kurdish but cannot speak Kurdish. After realizing this high failure such as low comprehension of reading, grammar, and even vocabulary among these students, I have decided to do a classroom research about this problem. This study aims to find out that students' opinions of the use of L2 instead of L1 in teaching and learning L3 in order to figure out whether this method is feasible or not. The research has suggested that there is a close relation between the students' failure and their tendency of learning English through Kurdish rather than Turkish


Mulching is an important agronomic practice in conserving the soil moisture and modifying the soil physical environment. Field experiment conducted during season of 2016/2017 to test the allelopathic influence of sunflower mulch, residue and herbicide on yield of faba bean and mate weeds. The field divided to two blocks. In spring 2016, the plots (4 X 4) m in the first area cultured (C) with seeds of sunflower cv. Sin Altheeb, while the other one lifted without culture (non-culture) (NC). At the second growth season, some plots enclosed by dry plant material of sunflower, while the sunflower residues combined in some other plot soil. Other plots with label rate of herbicide (trifluralin) and plots without any treatments were involved in the experiment for comparison. These treatments replicated in both field area. Seeds of faba bean Vicia faba sown in rows at the beginning of October 2016 (in both filed area), keeping space 40 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants. The experiment conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) under split plot arrangement with four replications. The highest means of soil moisture 17.14% preserved under mulch treatment, while the lowest 2.87% preserved under herbicide. Treatment with Herbicide (CN) had significantly inhibited weed density by 72.22 % comparison to control. Herbicide (NC) had significantly improved the number of pods, seeds per pod and weight 100 seed by 52.17, 13.61 and 39.29 % over control, respectively. In addition, there wasn't any, significant differences between herbicide (NC) and Mulching (NC) in number of seeds/pod and weight 100 seeds. More works are need on using mulching for other crops under different environmental conditions. However, such work would help farmers to use this easily existing resource to manage weed and improve crop productivity and soil fertility in a sustainable manner.


We provide morphological and molecular evidence to recognize a new species of skate from the North Pacific, Bathyraja panthera. We also resurrect the skate subgenus Arctoraja Ishiyama, confirming its monophyly and the validity of the subgenus. Arctoraja was previously
recognized as a distinct subgenus of Breviraja and later synonymized with Bathyraja (family Rajidae). Although the nominal species of Arctoraja have all been considered synonyms of Bathyraja parmifera by various authors, on the basis of morphometric, meristic, chondrological, and molecular data we recognize four species, including the new species. Species of Arctoraja are distributed across the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas from southern Japan to British Columbia. Bathyraja parmifera is abundant in the eastern Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and northern Gulf of Alaska; B. smirnovi is a western Pacific species found in the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan; B. simoterus is restricted to waters around the northern and eastern coasts of Hokkaido, Japan; and the new species B. panthera is
restricted to the western Aleutian Islands. Bathyraja panthera is diagnosed by its color pattern of light yellow blotches with black spotting on a greenish brown background, high thorn and vertebral counts, chondrological characters of the neurocranium and clasper, and a unique nucleotide sequence within the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene. Furthermore, the species presently recognized as Bathyraja parmifera exhibits two haplotypes among specimens from Alaska, suggesting the possibility of a second, cryptic species.


Description Although many governments, financial institutions, and corporations are embracing nature-based solutions as part of their sustainability and net-zero carbon strategies, some nations, Indigenous peoples, local community groups, and grassroots organizations have rejected this term. This pushback is fueled by (i) critical uncertainties about when, where, how, and for whom nature-based solutions are effective and (ii) controversies surrounding their misuse in greenwashing, violations of human rights, and threats to biodiversity. To clarify how the scientific community can help address these issues, I provide an overview of recent research on the benefits and limits of nature-based solutions, including how they compare with technological approaches, and highlight critical areas for future research.


Before the advent of contemporary recordings of basilar membrane movements and intracellular responses from hair cells, cochlear potentials provided a means of deciphering cochlear mechanics and physiology. These gross potentials reflect extracellular currents produced by hair cells in response to sound, they consist of phasic and tonic components: The cochlear microphonic (CM) and the summating potential (SP). Davis and his colleagues pioneered the use of these responses to infer the properties of the traveling wave, to determine the sources of the various recordable response components and to probe their role in the hearing process. They also introduced various methods of artificially altering the cochlear environment in order to selectively modify responses and thus probe their properties. When examined in the light of more contemporary measurements, the early work appears remarkably prescient and enduring. [Work supported by the NIH.]


Over an 18-year period 16 patients with pseudomembraneous enterocolitis were treated by restoration of floral homeostasis by administration of fecal enemas when standard accepted forms of therapy had failed to resolve the disease. Thirteen of the patients responded dramatically, with decreases in diarrhea, temperature, white blood cell counts, and a rapid convalesence. Of the three patients who died, two did not have the pseudomembrane at death, and one had involvement of the small bowel. No ill effects from the fecal enemas were noted. The observation of the pseudomembrane involving only the right half of the colon in a patient with a diverting transverse colostomy indicates that the disease is a contact mucositis.


We look at how strongly shocks to asset values affect labour supply, using Italian data. We use asset price shocks to provide a measure of wealth changes that is exogenous to households' saving and labour supply. Our results point to significant effects of wealth on hours of work and on whether or not agents leave their jobs. The magnitude of these effects can be substantial, for example for those individuals who suffered larger wealth losses during the financial crisis. Family effects reflect similar responses from men and women on average. Older working-age individuals drive the population results.


In petroleum industries, metals can be exposed to contaminants that can cause corrosion. Coating will reduce the risk of corrosion to the substrate to which it is applied by resisting the movement of moisture and contaminants to the surface which cause the substrate to corrode. Palm olein has the characteristics as coating compound and the ability to prevent or inhibit corrosion. This study is focusing on three main objectives, which are to develop a coating compound from palm olein for oil and gas industry, to study the effects of palm olein as a coating compound in protection against corrosion and to study the adhesion of the coating compound on the surface of material. Formulated coating compound consists of palm olein, diethylenetriamine, epoxy and turpentine. During the formulation process, the mixing was repeatedly done as to obtain the optimum product. The turpentine was added to dilute the compound to a certain viscosity suitable for application on an aluminium plate. Coating process was done on the aluminium plates by using a dip coater to obtain a uniform thickness of the coating, after it was cured in an oven. After about 3 weeks, the sample was taken out from the oven and was let to down cooled and was stored for the corrosion test. Two types of corrosion test were done, which are the weight loss test and polarization test. The corrosive medium used in this work was 1 M HC1. The optimum composition was formed to be 15 ml palm olein, 4ml diethylene triamine, 11 ml epoxy and 10 ml turpentine. The result also showed that the scratched surface provided the best adhesion of the coating compound on the metal surface. The scratched surface of the samples had larger surface area, allowing improved wetting of the substrate and in turn improved adhesion. The development of coating material should meet up the production requirements and the performance specifications of the coating.


Counterfactual explanations (CFEs) are an emerging technique under the umbrella of interpretability of machine learning (ML) models. They provide ``what if'' feedback of the form ``if an input datapoint were $x'$ instead of $x$, then an ML model's output would be $y'$ instead of $y$.'' Counterfactual explainability for ML models has yet to see widespread adoption in industry. In this short paper, we posit reasons for this slow uptake. Leveraging recent work outlining desirable properties of CFEs and our experience running the ML wing of a model monitoring startup, we identify outstanding obstacles hindering CFE deployment in industry.


The duration of hatching, larval instars and pupal stages of Stethorus punctillum feeding on two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae were investigated in different seasons under laboratory conditions. The highest values of different developmental stages were obtained during winter. Higher temperature significantly reduced the duration of different developmental stages. No significant effect of relative humidity was exerted on the development stages of S. punctillum . The predation rate of fourth instar larva of S. punctillum was the highest whereas the first instar larva consumed the lowest number of prey. The fourth instar larva of the predator consumed 135.8 eggs, 126.4 larvae, 96.6 nymphs and 72.8 adults per day separately. But the first instar consumed 41.6 eggs, 36.2 larvae, 26.8 nymphs and 16.8 adults during the same period. Keywords : Developmental durations, predation, Tetranychus urticae, Stethorus punctillum   doi: 10.3329/jbs.v15i0.2196 J. bio-sci. 15: 1-5, 2007