The bioelectrical activity of the heart was studied in 126 patients with ischemic heart disease according to the data of corrected orthogonal electro- and vectorcardiogram from the standpoint of employing the findings in expert medical assessment of the working capacity of patients with this disease. Advantages of the vectorcardiogram in the diagnosis of the initial forms of ischemic heart disease and cicatricial myocardial lesions were shown. The results obtained provide evidence that the use of the vectorcardiogram contributes in some cases to the precise diagnosis and, therefore, to the proper solution of the problems of the working capacity of individuals with ischemic heart disease.


We present a combination of feedforward and regulatory control system to implement optimal grade transition operation of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) that must produce several grades of polymers. When the target polymer quality grade is specified, a two-step approach is adopted to implement the optimal grade transition operation. The dynamic optimization is carried out to minimize the amount of initiator assumption during the transition operation as well as to shorten the transition time. Through case study of a free radical styrene polymerization, it is shown that both transition time and initiator assumption are superior to those of a regulatory control system.


The conflict in Syria has created a humanitarian crisis, with almost two million people having fled to neighbouring countries in the hope of escaping the violence. Thousands of Syrian refugees continue to enter Lebanon each week, putting increasing pressure on the ability of host communities and aid agencies to provide them with support. The situation has created intense levels of stress for refugees, as in many cases they are forced to take on new responsibilities at odds with their traditional gendered social roles. In order to understand these changing roles, Oxfam and the ABAAD-Resource Centre for Gender Equality conducted a gender situation and vulnerability assessment among Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees from Syria now living in Lebanon. The findings are presented in this report, which aims to contribute to an improved understanding of the gendered impact of the Syrian conflict and subsequent displacement on refugees now in Lebanon. The report concludes with detailed recommendations for development and humanitarian practitioners and donor agencies, to help them design and implement gender-sensitive programming that addresses these shifting gender roles and helps to minimize stress and tensions among refugee populations (at individual, household and community levels) and between refugee and host communities.


Peer-assisted learning has been embraced by higher education as a way to boost student success. At the same time, academic librarians have found embedded librarianship to be an effective way to develop students' information literacy skills. The embedded librarianship model, however, is difficult to scale. The UCLA Library is testing a program that combines embedded librarianship with peer learning to solve some of the challenges associated with those models. The program works by embedding a student who has completed a General Education (GE) lecture course back into the current year's course to help students with research and writing assignments. The embedded student, called an "Inquiry Specialist," is nominated by that course's faculty. The program launched in 2015 in five courses that serve a total of 830 students. Assessment is ongoing and includes: 1. IRB-approved study that will compare data (grades, retention, first-generation status, etc.) from students who connected with an Inquiry Specialist with those who did not; 2. Information literacy pre- and post-assessments; 3. Analysis of course evaluations; 4. Student survey. Results indicate that the combined model is an effective and scalable gateway to information literacy. During the first six weeks of Fall, 830 students (15% of the freshman class) attended a 40-minute library orientation. Approximately 20% of the 830 students subsequently sought additional help from the Inquiry Specialists. An analysis of course evaluations demonstrated that students in courses with an Inquiry Specialist rated their improvement in library and research skills 25% and 19% higher, respectfully, than students in courses without an Inquiry Specialist. Student scores on the information literacy quiz increased by an average of 9%. When surveyed, 68% of students said the Inquiry Specialists were "Very Helpful" (36%) or "Helpful" (34%). Plans are underway to double the size of the program in the 2016-17 academic year.


The length of time between emplacement of successive lava flows is difficult to determine with high resolution except in regions of very recent or current activity. In paleomagnetic studies, a tacit assumption of the relative timing is made by considering the effects of secular variation to be averaged in samples from a series of flows, a condition which may not in fact be met. Through the combined use of numerical modeling of the cooling history of sequences of lava flows (erupted at any set of arbitrary time intervals) and detailed measurements of the magnetization directions from field samples, constraints can be placed on the length of time between flows.

As individual flow units in a sequence cool, the position within each flow of the last point to pass through the blocking temperature is a function of the relative timing of the flows in the sequence. Additionally, the depth into an underlying flow to which magnetic directions are reset is also a function of this relative timing.

In addition to the timing information, the approach appears promising for determination of rates of secular variation in the past.


Today, as the rapid popularization of Internet applications, many Chinese businesses are attracted by huge profits and market space of e-commerce, beginning to join the area of e-commerce. How to keep effective customer, attract more members of the e-commerce website and expand the market effectively, is the problem that all the managers most concerned about. Through studying and comparing common customer segmentation models, this article is proposing a integrated model that combines the techniques of generalized association rules and decision tree. This model is used for customer segmentation for e-commerce websites. It can help managers understand customers, develop markets, and support decision-making.


OBJECTIVES
The antimicrobial efficacies of beta-lactams alone and in combination with beta-lactamase inhibitors were investigated by applying a rabbit tissue cage model against a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with an inducible AmpC (iAmpC) beta-lactamase.

METHODS
Two sterilized golf Wiffle balls were surgically implanted in the rabbit dorsal cervical area. After 4 weeks, Wiffle balls had filled with tissue cage fluid (TCF), in which 2 mL of 10(6) cfu/mL of the test isolate were inoculated. To achieve the same T > MIC as in humans, 400 mg/kg of the beta-lactams alone and in combination was administered twice a day via subcutaneous injection. The dosing regimens were as follows: piperacillin alone, 4 g piperacillin/0.5 g tazobactam; ticarcillin alone, 3 g ticarcillin/0.1 g clavulanate; and 3 g ticarcillin/ 0.3 g clavulanate.

RESULTS
The changes in bacterial counts (log cfu/mL) after the 3 day treatments were as follows: 1.03 +/- 0.97 (control), -1.31 +/- 0.61 (piperacillin), -2.81 +/- 0.53 (4 g piperacillin/0.5 g tazobactam), -1.61 +/- 0.68 (ticarcillin), -3.42 +/- 0.75 (3 g ticarcillin/0.1 g clavulanate) and -1.65 +/- 1.47 log cfu/mL (3 g ticarcillin/0.3 g clavulanate). AmpC induction by high-dose clavulanate was observed in rabbit TCF, and was confirmed by the in vitro induction study.

CONCLUSIONS
The study indicated that tazobactam significantly enhanced the antibacterial activity of piperacillin against iAmpC P. aeruginosa; clavulanate had synergy with the antibacterial activity of ticarcillin at low concentration, but had no effect on ticarcillin at high concentration due to AmpC induction by clavulanate.


A 4 1/2-month-old infant had three separate episodes of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b infection and did not produce antibody to the capsular polysaccharide of H influenzae b. Immunologic evaluation disclosed normal immunoglobulin and complement concentrations and normal T-cell number and function. In view of the persistent presence of type-specific capsular polysaccharide of H influenzae b (polyribophosphate [PRP]) in blood serum without any detectable anti-PRP antibody for 30 days following H influenzae b meningitis, monthly treatment with immune human serum globulin was undertaken until spontaneous production of anti-PRP antibody occurred. The patient's 4-year-old sibling was found to be a nasopharyngeal carrier and may have been a source for reinfection. A search for possible family carriers should be conducted in evaluating the conditions of patients with recurrent invasive H influenzae b infection. In addition, temporary treatment with immune human serum globulin should be considered.


Positive constant voltage stress combined with charge pumping (CP) measurements was applied to study trap generation phenomena in SiO2 /HfO2/TiN stacks. Using the analysis for frequency-dependent CP data developed to address depth profiling of the electron traps, we have determined that the voltage stress-induced generation of the defects contributing to threshold voltage instability in high-k gate stacks occurs primarily within the interfacial SiO2  layer (IL) on the as-grown "precursor" defects most likely caused by the overlaying HfO2 layer. These results point to the IL as a major focus for reliability improvement of high-k stacks


A statewide survey of Wisconsin's Nemonychidae and Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) was conducted over one full (2012) and two partial (2011, 2013) field seasons. Specimens were collected using a variety of techniques. Two species of the nemonychid genus Cimberis and 22 species of Anthribidae in 13 genera are now confi rmed. Generic and species-level keys for Wisconsin species are provided along with generic and species diagnoses. Species treatments also include a synonymy, a description, and information on natural history, phenology, distribution and collecting methods. Dorsal and lateral habitus images are also provided for most of the species.


The literature has dedicated significant attention to the effects of standard-supporting, interorganizational networks on the content of standards and standard survival. However, minimal attention has been paid to the effects of the standard's characteristics and dynamics on these networks. This paper contributes to closing this gap. We introduce the paradoxical concept of 'standard flexibility' and study the interaction between the characteristics of a standard-supporting network and the development of the standard itself, including the effect of the interaction on standard success. More specifically, we show how a standard's flexibility can serve to attract new network members, facilitating growth and diversity of the network, which in turn has implications for further adaptations of the standard. We study this co-evolutionary process in three standards battles: Blu-ray versus HD-DVD, USB versus Firewire, and WiFi versus HomeRF. Our findings suggest that those participating in standardization can persuade non-participating stakeholders to join by allowing for changes in the standard. In turn, the existing members can expect that the new members will request further changes. The cases suggest that early timing of the co-evolutionary process enhances the chances of standard success. We also explore the emergence of path dependencies in the process and the forces that restrict the co-evolutionary process over time. For managers, our findings indicate that changes in standards should not be considered undesirable, but as opportunities that may strengthen the interorganizational network and contribute to a standard's success.


BACKGROUND
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), produced during protein metabolism, is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, but little is known about its direct vasoactive properties in different arterial beds.

MATERIAL/METHODS
Segments of canine coronary, renal, and femoral arteries were pretreated with increasing concentrations of ADMA, and endothelial function was evaluated in organ chambers.

RESULTS
In precontracted canine coronary arteries, the highest concentrations of ADMA inhibited endothelium-dependent relaxation mediated by acetylcholine (n=7), but no concentration of ADMA inhibited receptor-independent relaxation mediated by calcium ionophore (n=7) (P<.001). The effect of ADMA on acetylcholine-mediated relaxation was shown to be competitive inhibition of the nitric oxide synthase pathway, because the addition of L-arginine (10(-3) M), but not D-arginine (10(-3) M), reversed the effect produced by 10-5 M ADMA. Further, ADMA did not alter endothelium-independent relaxation mediated by sodium nitroprusside (10(-9) to 10(-6) M; n=7). Femoral arteries (n=7) and renal arteries (n=7) were more sensitive to ADMA than were coronary arteries, and they demonstrated significant ADMA inhibition to receptor dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine (P=.03 and P=.01, respectively) and to receptor-independent relaxation induced by calcium ionophore (P=.02 and P=.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Endothelium-dependent relaxation mediated by ADMA is more marked in femoral and renal arteries than in coronary arteries. The response in coronary arteries may be overall protective. Considering these different effects in various artery types, the role of ADMA as a confiable and specific cardiovascular risk factor is questioned.


Poverty reduction begins with children. A child's experience of poverty is very different from that of an adult. Income is but one dimension among many that should be assessed when analyzing child poverty and disparity. Non-monetary deprivation in dimensions such as shelter, food, water, sanitation, education, health, and information is equally, if not more, revealing. Since deprivation along these dimensions can have significant negative consequences on a child's development and future, an examination of multidimensional child poverty and associated disparities is clearly warranted. As part of UNICEF's Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparity, several countries in East Asia and the Pacific have undertaken national child poverty and disparity studies. In this paper, results from seven of those countries, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vanuatu and Viet Nam, are reviewed. The objective is to identify trends and lessons, generate strategies for UNICEF EAPRO, and to contribute toward a richer conceptualization of the situation of children in the region. Data from the aforementioned countries indicates substantial reductions in the percentage of children who are severely deprived, with rates falling by one third from 56% in 2000 to 36% in 2006. The percentage of children who suffer from multiple severe deprivations nearly halved, from 27% in 2000 to 14% in 2006. While improvements can be observed in most dimensions of child wellbeing, the multidimensional deprivation analysis reveals that the most statistically significant improvements were found in the water and sanitation dimensions. However, the analysis also reveals that despite these gains, over 30 million children in the seven countries suffer from at least one severe deprivation. This is more acute in certain segments of the population, representing critical equity challenges. The most notable dimensions of inequity include disparities between rural and urban areas, between provinces or sub-national regions, between different ethnic groups, between small and large households, and between households headed by well-educated and poorly educated adults. Although severe deprivation is visible across all wealth quintiles, children from the poorest and second poorest wealth quintiles are much more likely to be severely deprived compared to children from the richest quintile. Much more can and must be done in each of the seven countries to reduce inequities that block opportunities for children.


This paper deals with the distribution of seats between municipalities in the inter-communal council (EPCI) of Martinique and Guadeloupe. In each of the EPCIs, we calculate the voting power of municipalities using the Shapley-Shubik and Banzhaf indices. Our analysis allows us to show that in almost all the EPCIs of Martinique and Guadeloupe, there is no similarity between the distribution of power indices and the distribution of population percentages. There is also a distortion between the distribution of power indices and the distribution of delegate percentages.


The most frequent foot and ankle anatomical alterations in the pediatric population are found in the little toes. Several treatments are proposed for these conditions, ranging from total phalangeal resections, phalangeal osteotomies, osteosynthesis, and soft tissue management. We propose a surgical technique based on the diaphysectomy of the proximal phalanx and the release of soft tissues that are under tension. The purpose is to assess the functional foot results after surgical treatment consisting of proximal phalanx diaphysectomy and soft tissue release using the functional AOFAS scale in pediatric patients. A prospective, longitudinal, descriptive, non-comparative clinical study was conducted from March 2008 to December 2010, with a follow-up of up to six months. Twenty patients (35 toes) were included; 15 females and five males, with a mean age of 14.65 years. Fifteen (30 toes) had bilateral involvement; 88.56% had greater involvement of the fifth toe. The surgical indication was determined based on the degree of functional disability for gait and the type of footwear. The functional assessment was conducted using the AOFAS criteria and a subjective assessment scale with a total score of 100 to assess the metatarsophalangeal and the interphalangeal joints of the smallest toes. Scores were as follows: < 50 points, poor; 51-70 points, fair; 71-90, good, and > 91, excellent. The assessment was done preoperatively and at postoperative month six. The mean preoperative score was 73.55 and the mean postoperative score was 85.75, with a 12.2 point difference (p > 0.5). Results were: 11 excellent, seven good and two fair. There were four relapses, so a salvage procedure was performed with the Ruiz-Mora technique; excellent results were obtained in all four. One case had soft tissue infection. Proximal phalanx diaphysectomy and soft tissue release provides appropriate alignment of the affected toes and relief of soft tissues under tension, thus avoiding broad resections leading to both esthetic and functional alterations. This is a simple and effective technique for the treatment of little toe deformities as it improves function and alignment.


A test methodology is employed to investigate the cutting behaviour of five different diamond impregnated tools for cutting hard materials, such as rocks. A set of parameters, which characterise the tool wear (specific wear loss in the tool), and its relationship with the cutting force of the examined tools, are established to evaluate the tool wear performance. The procedure established in this work describes the specifications of the equipment used to carry out the tests, the different cutting conditions, the format of the output parameters and the characterisation of the different materials used (binders and rocks), hence allowing to discuss the overall cutting wear behaviour of the tools. The methodology presented indicates a universally applicable procedure for measuring the wear performance of the diamond tools as, at the same time, it establishes a relationship between wear and the mechanical parameters of the different metallic binder materials used to manufacture the correspondent tools. The procedure is proven to be an indispensable instrument for correctly carrying out wear performance tests and for reliably interpreting the wear mechanisms of the tool.


Goal: During mechanical ventilation, patient-ventilator disharmony is frequently observed and may result in increased breathing effort, compromising the patient's comfort and recovery. This circumstance requires clinical intervention and becomes challenging when verbal communication is difficult. In this study, we propose a brain–computer interface (BCI) to automatically and noninvasively detect patient-ventilator disharmony from electroencephalographic (EEG) signals: a brain–ventilator interface (BVI). Methods: Our framework exploits the cortical activation provoked by the inspiratory compensation when the subject and the ventilator are desynchronized. Use of a one-class approach and Riemannian geometry of EEG covariance matrices allows effective classification of respiratory states. The BVI is validated on nine healthy subjects that performed different respiratory tasks that mimic a patient-ventilator disharmony. Results: Classification performances, in terms of areas under receiver operating characteristic curves, are significantly improved using EEG signals compared to detection based on air flow. Reduction in the number of electrodes that can achieve discrimination can be often desirable (e.g., for portable BCI systems). By using an iterative channel selection technique, the common highest order ranking, we find that a reduced set of electrodes ($n=6$ ) can slightly improve for an intrasubject configuration, and it still provides fairly good performances for a general intersubject setting. Conclusion: Results support the discriminant capacity of our approach to identify anomalous respiratory states, by learning from a training set containing only normal respiratory epochs. Significance: The proposed framework opens the door to BVIs for monitoring patient's breathing comfort and adapting ventilator parameters to patient respiratory needs.


The purpose of this study was to determine maximal isometric strength with bilateral and unilateral muscle contractions and investigate maximal strength training whether or not influenced on this bilateral deficit. For this reason, 34 amateur soccer player (age = 17 ± 2.51 years) were divided into three groups as bilateral training group (n=14), unilateral training group (n=10) and control group (n=10). The unilateral training group performed maximal leg press exercise using each leg unilaterally. The bilateral leg training group was performed to leg press exercise using simultaneously bilateral legs. The control group wasn't trained. The groups in training continued these resistance exercises as 1 hour a day, 3 days a week, for 12 weeks. The improvement in strength brought by training was compared as bilateral training group and unilateral training group. Bilateral deficit also was calculated between two groups. The strength in the trained limbs during training was measured in 4 th weak (after four weeks) and 12 th weak (after twelve weeks). It was determined that maximal isometric strength of two training groups was increased significantly by strength trainings (p 0.05). It was determined that strength was increased significantly for final weeks of training period (p<0.05). The other important consequence of this study was determined that maximal strength training had significant effect on bilateral deficit (p<0.05). As a consequence of this study, maximal strength trainings which involved bilateral muscle contractions were effective for reducing of bilateral deficit.


Ayurveda, the oldest Indian indigenous medicine system of plant drugs is known from very early times for preventing or suppressing various tumors using these natural drugs. In Ayurvedic concept, according to Charaka and Sushruta Samhitas, Cancer is described as inflammatory or noninflammatory swelling and mentioned either as Granthi (minor neoplasm) or Arbuda (major neoplasm). The nervous system (Vata), the venous system (Pitta) and the arterial system (Kapha) are three basics of Ayurveda and very important for normal body function. In malignant tumors all three systems get out of control (Tridoshas) and lose mutual coordination that causes tissue damage, resulting critical condition. Tridoshas cause excessive metabolic crisis resulting in proliferation. The modern cancer therapy which is known to burdened by drug-induced toxic side effects hoping perfect cure of disease form the complementary and alternative medicine system. The main goal of Ayurvedic therapy is to find the ultimate cause of an illness while the therapeutic approach of Ayurveda is divided into four categories as Prakrutisthapana Chikitsa (health maintenance), Rasayana Chikitsa, (restoration of normal function), Roganashani Chikitsa (disease cure) and Naishthiki Chikitsa (spiritual approach). Commonly used herbal decoctions reported in Ayurveda are made of multiple herbs possessing great potential for a cancer cure; scientifically these formulations work on multiple biochemical pathways and influence different organ systems all together and nourish the body as a whole by supporting body's deference systems. Now it is important to raise awareness and encourage implementation of Ayurvedic therapies for combating cancer and suggest an integrated approach in tumor management and treatment.


Fe/AlOOH gels calcined and reduced at different temperatures have been investigated by a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy in order to obtain information on the nature of the iron species formed as well as the various reduction processes. Calcination at or below 1070 K mainly gives reducible Fe^3+ while calcination at higher temperatures gives substitutional Fe^3+ in the form of Al_2− x Fe_ x O_3. The Fe^3+ species in the calcined samples are, by and large, present in the form of small superparamagnetic particles. Crystallization of Al_2O_3 from the gels is catalyzed by Fe_2O_3 as well as FeAl_2O_4. Fe (20 wt. %)/AlOOH gels calcined at or below 870 K give FeAl_2O_4 when reduced in hydrogen at 1070 K or lower and a ferromagnetic Fe^0–Al_2O_3 composite (with the metallic Fe particles >100 Å) when reduced at 1270 K. Samples calcined at 1220 K or higher give the Fe^0–Al_2O_3 composite when reduced in the 870–1270 K range, but a substantial proportion of Fe^3+ remains unreduced in the form of Al_2− x Fe_ x O_3, showing thereby the extraordinary stability of substitutional Fe^3+ to reduction even at high temperatures. Besides the ferromagnetic Fe^0–Al_2O_3 composite, high-temperature reduction of Al_2− x Fe_ x O_3 yields a small proportion of superparamagnetic Fe^0–Al_2O_3 wherein small metallic particles (<100 Å) are embedded in the ceramic matrix. In order to preferentially obtain the Fe^0–Al_2O_3 composite on reduction, Fe/AIOOH gels should be calcined at low temperatures (∼1100 K); high-temperature calcination results in Al_2− x Fe_ x O_3. Several modes of formation of FeAl_2O_4 are found possible during reduction of the gels, but a novel one is that involving the reaction, 2Fe^3+ + Fe^0 → 3Fe^2+.


We have discovered a novel compound Na0.12CrO2Ge0.18Ox•yH2O using a hydrothermal method. Its powder X-ray diffraction reveals a monoclinic unit cell with lattice parameters: a = 7.260 Å, b = 2.950 Å, c = 5.117 Å and β = 103.7°. A Rietveld analysis shows that this compound has a layered structure based on CrO2 sheets consisting of edge-shared CrO6 octahedra. Such a layered structure is commonly seen in many hexagonal Cr oxides such as NaCrO2. A heat treatment at 100 °C modifies the crystal structure without destruction of a layered structure based on Cr triangular-lattice, because H2O molecules among the CrO2 sheets are removed at high temperature. Magnetization measurements reveal a spin-glass behavior below Tg = 3 K.


Prelims (Foreword - Antonio Guterres, Acknowledgements) Introduction Part One: Land, conflict and humanitarian action: Exploring the nexus 1. Why humanitarian organizations need to tackle land issues Alex de Waal 2. Tackling land tenure in the emergency to development transition in post-conflict states: From restitution to reform Liz Alden Wily Part Two: Humanitarian intervention in land issues: Lessons and challenges 3. Humanitarian approaches to conflict and post-conflict legal pluralism in land tenure Jon D. Unruh 4. Land in return, reintegration and recovery processes: Some lessons from the Great Lakes region of Africa Chris Huggins 5. Leader of the pack: Who will take the lead on post-conflict HLP issues? Scott Leckie Part Three: Case studies 6. International standards, improvisation and the role of international humanitarian organizations in the return of land in post- conflict Rwanda John W. Bruce 7. Land rights in Angola: Poverty and plenty Conor Foley 8. Going home: Land, return and reintegration in Southern Sudan and the Three Areas Sara Pantuliano 9. Between war and peace: Land and humanitarian action in Colombia Samir Elhawary Part Four: Conclusions 10. Charting the way: Integrating land issues in humanitarian action Sara Pantuliano Back Matter (Index)


BACKGROUND/AIMS
Mutations in ABCA4 cause Stargardt macular degeneration, which invariably ends in legal blindness. We studied two common mutants, A1038V (in NBD1) and G1961E (in NBD2), with the purpose of exploring how they interact with the cell's quality control mechanism. The study was designed to determine how these mutants can be rescued.

METHODS
We expressed wt and mutant ABCA4 in HEK293 cells and studied the effect of the mutations on trafficking and processing and the ability of correctors to rescue them. We used a combination of western blotting, confocal microscopy and surface biotinylation coupled with pulldown of plasma membrane proteins.

RESULTS
G1961E is sensitive to inhibitors of the aggresome, tubacin and the lysosome, bafilomycin A. Both mutants cause a reduction in heat shock protein, Hsp27. Incubation of HEK293 cells expressing the mutants with VX-809, an FDA approved drug for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, increased the levels of A1038V and G1961E by 2- to 3-fold. Importantly, VX-809 increased the levels of both mutants at the plasma membrane suggesting that trafficking had been restored. Transfecting additional Hsp27 to the cells also increased the steady state levels of both mutants. However, in combination with VX-809 the addition of Hsp27 caused a dramatic increase in the protein expression particularly in the G1961 mutant which increased approximately 5-fold.

CONCLUSION
Our results provide a new mechanism for the rescue of ABCA4 trafficking mutants based on the restoration of Hsp27. Our results provide a pathway for the treatment of Stargardt disease.


Purpose : Quantitative analysis of blood vessels is important for the management of eye disease for which vessel segmentation is often a crucial first step. While this can be done manually, it is a time consuming task and can be subjective and labour intensive. Traditional approaches often fail when the image contrast is insufficient due to patient factors. The purpose of this work is to develop effective automated deep learning vessel segmentation techniques for blood vessels on the corneal limbus and fovea in fluorescein angiographic images. Methods : We propose a vessel segmentation method using fully convolutional neural networks (CNNs) also known as 'U-Net', an extension of the traditional CNNs developed for classification tasks, due to the impressive speed and results that can be achieved. We train the network on manually annotated ground-truth data to give vessel prediction values for each pixel. After training, we test the network on two different problem datasets: corneal limbus vessels (14 images); and foveal vessels (15 images). All the images were acquired using the Heidelberg HRA2 (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). Results : Two segmentation examples are shown in the Figure. Mean accuracies of 0.936 and 0.925 and area under curves (AUROCs) of 0.939 and 0.915 were achieved for the corneal limbus and foveal datasets respectively, demonstrating the excellent performance of the method and robustness of the prediction. Conclusions : Reliable automation of this complex task can save considerable amounts of time and improve disease management and diagnostic potential. This paves the way for complete, fully automated systems to be realised for diagnosing conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and identifying occurrences and severity of corneal neovascularisation.


To accelerate the development of novel vaccines for schistosomiasis, we set out to develop a human model for Schistosoma mansoni infection in healthy volunteers. During natural infections, female schistosomes produce eggs that give rise to morbidity. Therefore, we produced single-sex, male Schistosoma mansoni cercariae for human infection without egg production and associated pathology. Cercariae were produced in their intermediate snail hosts in accordance with the principles of good manufacturing practice (GMP). The application of GMP principles to an unconventional production process is a showcase for the controlled production of complex live challenge material in the European Union or under Food and Drug Administration guidance.


ABSTRACT This study deals with the stabilized finite element solution of the steady, natural convection flow in an enclosure under a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the sinusoidal corrugated vertical walls of the enclosure, in terms of primitive variables. Several vertical sinusoidal functions are selected for the comparison. A stabilized FEM scheme called SSM is proposed in order to obtain a stable solution for the high values of problem parameters with a cheap computational cost. Proposed numerical scheme with linear elements is tested with the other well-known stabilization method called SUPG and also with the higher order element combinations (). Obtained solutions show a better accuracy of SSM compared to SUPG in terms of the norm and also show the well-known characteristics of the natural convection MHD flow. The decrease in the convection heat transfer with an increase in the size of the heat source placed in the bottom wall is observed.


We describe a variation of selective dorsal rhizotomy for spastic cerebral palsy that involves sectioning of the dorsal spinal roots immediately caudal to the conus medullaris. The operation entails an L1-L2 laminectomy, ultrasonographic localization of the conus medullaris, and partial deafferentation of the L1-S2 roots with electromyographic testing under an operating microscope. In 66 children with cerebral palsy, the operation reduced spasticity in the lower extremity without complications, e.g., motor weakness, neurogenic bladder, and sensory loss. It offers several important advantages over alternative techniques.


In the present study, a unified crack growth law based on the small fatigue crack growth law was investigated using specimens with different configurations and loading types for the annealed 0.42% carbon steel. Then, a convenient prediction method of fatigue life was proposed. This small fatigue crack growth rate was uniquely determined by the modified small crack growth law, , despite of changing for specimen configurations and loading types. The constants of can be estimated by an empirical equation of without stress/strain gradient. Considered the effect of stress gradient for different specimen configurations and loading types, the stresses under bending loadings and specimen configurations was calculated from that under push-pull loading. Therefore, the fatigue life of the specimens with different configuration and under different loading types can be simply estimated through the fatigue crack growth law based on the only tensile strength of carbon steels. The availability of proposed method was confirmed experimentally by the results of several carbon steels.


The study verifies the usefulness of selected machine learning techniques for predicting hourly demand for electricity within a short time period. The results of the performed analyses show that the lowest values for both the MAPE forecast error for the test set at the level of 17% and the lowest share of the balancing energy in the total consumption at a level which does not exceed 15% were obtained for models for which the input data included the averaged electricity consumption profile for characteristic days of the week, the forecast number of pure production pieces and the encoded day of the week and time of the day. Among the tested models, forecasts prepared on the basis of artificial neural networks and standard CRT trees were characterised by the best quality of predictions.


Work has been carried out at KIMAB to determine the best, industrially feasible, conditions for producing TRIP steel sheet with the aim of obtaining a tensile strength of 600 MPa and a ductility of 30% through a hot-dip galvanising process schedule. Two of the most promising steels were selected to study the microstructures and to follow the transformation from ferrite to austenite in more detail, as well as to examine the stability of the austenite during deformation. This investigation has been performed mainly with the aid of the EBSD technique.


A case is reported in which percutaneous lung biopsy was followed by haemorrhage into the tracheobronchial tree. Hypoxia followed, precipitating a cardiac arrest. The haemorrhage was isolated by the insertion of a double‐lumen tube. Complications arising from this method of biopsy are reviewed and the measures necessary to control the potentially fatal problems are discussed.


Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reduce acute lung injury in animals challenged by bleomycin or bacterial lipopolysaccaride. It is not known, however, whether MSCs protect from ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). This study investigated whether MSCs have a potential role in preventing or modulating VILI in healthy rats subjected to high-volume ventilation. 24 Sprague–Dawley rats (250–300 g) were subjected to high-volume mechanical ventilation (25 mL·kg−1). MSCs (5×106) were intravenously or intratracheally administered (n=8 each) 30 min before starting over-ventilation and eight rats were MSC-untreated. Spontaneously breathing anesthetised rats (n=8) served as controls. After 3 h of over-ventilation or control the animals were sacrificed and lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were sampled for further analysis. When compared with controls, MSC-untreated over-ventilated rats exhibited typical VILI features. Lung oedema, histological lung injury index, concentrations of total protein, interleukin-1&bgr;, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and number of neutrophils in BALF and vascular cell adhesion protein-1 in lung tissue significantly increased in over-ventilated rats. All these indices of VILI moved significantly towards normalisation in the rats treated with MSCs, whether intravenously or intratracheally. Both local and systemic pre-treatment with MSCs reduced VILI in a rat model.


ABSTRACT In the wake of the global financial crisis of 2007–2009, more stringent regulatory mechanisms such as increased capital adequacy ratios have gained prominence in an effort to create a stable banking sector. The relevance of capital regulation in ensuring the soundness and stability of the financial sector is overwhelmingly supported in the literature. Hitherto, little is documented on how capital requirement influences bank stability in Africa. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate the impact of regulatory capital requirement on bank stability in Sub-Saharan Africa over the period 2000-2017. Applying the generalized method of moments (GMM) technique, our results reveal a positive significant effect of capital requirement on bank stability. However, in the presence of institutional quality, capital adequacy has an inimical effect on stability. We conclude that stringent regulatory capital standards implementation is imperative for ensuring a sound and stable banking sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.


ABSTRACT Despite advancements in hypertensive therapies, the prevalence of hypertension and associated morbidities are still immense. Physicians are in great need for updated information on novel and effective antihypertensive therapies. Therefore, the study objective was to provide comprehensive information on the efficacy of available antihypertensive therapies. Antihypertensive therapies were divided into four general approaches: diet, nutritional supplements, lifestyle modification, and conventional antihypertensive medications. A search of PubMed and Google Scholar resulted in an analysis of 30 antihypertensive therapies from meta-analyses and randomized-controlled trials (RCTs). The studies were analyzed using the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology classification system. Calculated average blood pressure reductions were: (systolic/diastolic) 6/4 mmHg, 4/2 mmHg, 5/3 mmHg, and 9/5 mmHg for dietary, nutritional supplements, lifestyle, and medications, respectively. The results demonstrate that dietary, nutritional supplement and lifestyle strategies have a solid level of evidence to support their efficacy as antihypertensive strategies. These strategies can be as effective as medications and, in some cases, even more effective. Dissemination of this information to physicians/dietitians can help facilitate an important shift in hypertension management.


Evidence suggests that the walking ability of people with cerebral palsy (CP) often deteriorates in early adulthood. This is especially problematic as the health care for young people with disabilities changes considerably over the course of the transition from paediatric to adult health care services. This suggests the importance of providing young people with the appropriate tools for managing their disability on a largely independent basis if they hope to reduce or delay this physical decline. One such strategy is the introduction of young people to an exercise programme which may be carried out independently of the health care system. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an 18-week pragmatic community exercise programme in adolescents and young adults with CP. Acknowledging the importance of assessing the effects of exercise studies using outcome measures (OMs) which are reliable, valid and responsive to change, a secondary aim of this thesis was to synthesise the psychometric evidence for the measures of gait quality and walking performance currently used for adolescents and young people with CP through a systematic review. Additional psychometric evidence for measures commonly used to assess the efficacy of exercise interventions was provided by a test-retest reliability study as part of this thesis.
A standardised quality checklist (COSMIN) was used in the systematic review (Study 1) to measure methodological quality. The strength of the evidence was rated using standardised guidelines. The synthesis of best evidence was scored according to the Cochrane criteria, which indicated that the reliability (inter-rater) of the Functional Mobility Scale was characterised by a 'strong' level of evidence. The evidence for the responsiveness for all OMs included in this review was rated as 'unknown'. Only one study reported on measurement error when reporting on reliability. In Study 2, test-retest reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Minimal Detectable Change) was calculated for physical function, habitual physical activity (HPA), quality of life (QoL) and self-esteem measures in a group of adolescents and young adults with CP (n=8) and their age-matched peers (n=14). The ICCs for physical function and HPA OMs ranged from moderate to good but were poor for the measures of QoL and self-esteem. The RCT (Study 3) showed no statistically significant improvement following the exercise programme in any of the OMs at 6 weeks (experimental n=9, control n=7). A small effect size (d=0.54) in favour of the experimental group was found for the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Considering the experimental group only, a statistically significant improvement was found for the COPM at 12 weeks (n=7, p=0.02) compared to the baseline. Feasibility issues were also identified. This study was limited by its small sample size.
This thesis contributes to the evidence base on pragmatic community exercise programmes for adolescents and young adults with CP and confirms the test-retest reliability (consistency) of physical function and HPA OMs commonly used to assess the efficacy of exercise interventions in CP.


Background The London Ambulance Service (LAS) runs an Emergency Responder (ER) scheme, where trained volunteers respond to 999 calls in blue-light rapid response vehicles (RRVs), alongside the statutory ambulance service response. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented surge in call volume which, combined with reduced staffing of double-crewed ambulances (DCAs) due to illness, severely impaired the service's ability to respond to calls. In response to this, as well as increasing volunteer RRV shifts, ERs were given additional up-skill training to work with regular ambulance service clinicians on DCAs, thus increasing the number of DCAs available to attend calls. This study aims to review the response to the COVID-19 pandemic provided by ERs. Method A retrospective review was conducted of all ER shifts on volunteer RRVs and the service's front-line DCAs. Data from the same time period (March 1 – April 30) was compared between 2019 (pre-pandemic period) and 2020 (pandemic period). The statistical significance of proportions was calculated using the χ2 test. Results The absolute number of RRV hours volunteered by ERs increased by 34.2% (2,017 to 2,707), resulting in a 21.2% increase in RRV shifts (227 to 275) during the pandemic period. Furthermore, the proportion of C1 (life-threatening) incidents attended by ER RRVs doubled (32.4% vs 61.1%, p < 0.0001). In addition to RRV shifts, ERs volunteered 1,222 hours on DCAs during the pandemic, resulting in 125 additional DCA resources available. The combined total hours provided by ERs (RRV/DCA) increased by 94.8% (2,017 to 3,929). Discussion Volunteer responders are a valuable resource during times of surge. In addition to volunteer RRV shifts, they have to the potential to assist ambulance service clinicians on DCAs. Future pandemic or winter-pressure plans should incorporate volunteer responders. This study predominantly looked at volunteer capacity, and further work is required to investigate patient-centred outcomes.


Objectives: We conducted a survey to explore practice patterns regarding the assessment of hypovitaminosis D and the prescription of vitamin D in acute fracture patients. Our secondary objective was to determine whether practice patterns differed between fragility and nonfragility fracture patients. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: All surveys were completed using SurveyMonkey. Patients/Participants: We surveyed surgeon members of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association. Intervention: Survey. Main Outcome Measurements: The proportion of surgeons who routinely prescribe vitamin D to fracture patients. Results: A total of 397 surveys were completed. Of total, 65.8% of surgeons indicated that they routinely prescribe vitamin D to fragility fracture patients and 25.7% routinely prescribe vitamin D to nonfragility fracture patients. We identified considerable variability in dosing regimens, as 45 different dosing regimens were prescribed in fragility fracture patients and 29 in nonfragility fracture patients. They ranged from daily doses of 400 IU to loading doses of 600,000 IU. The most frequently prescribed doses were 1000 IU daily (14.6%), 2000 IU daily (13.4%), and 50,000 IU weekly (8.7%). Respondents indicated that they heavily relied on clinical experience to guide their decisions to prescribe vitamin D to fracture patients. Conclusions: The results of this survey demonstrate multiple areas of uncertainty and a lack of consensus in the prescription of vitamin D to fracture patients. Fragility patients frequently receive vitamin D supplementation, whereas most surgeons do not prescribe vitamin D to young fracture patients. High-quality clinical research is needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation is beneficial to fracture patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


Abstract : Progress in the use of adhesive bonded joints has been hampered by a lack of adequate non-destructive methods to check bond quality. This report describes briefly how this situation has arisen noting that, whilst many NDT methods give some measure of cohesive strength, it is adhesive strength that is of major concern. For joints with composite adherends it is concluded that it is surface contamination prior to bonding that must be sought, environmental degradation is not a major problem. With metallic adherends, however, the adhesive strength is strongly dependent on the detailed nature of the thin oxide layer and on the way in which this becomes hydrated causing environmental degradation. Ultrasonic methods are still considered to offer the best prospects and these are discussed in some detail. Keywords: Adhesive bonds, Bondex structures, Non destructive testing, Ultrasonic.


Lack of insight into illness is a multidimensional phenomenon that has relevant implications on clinical course and therapy compliance. Here, we focused on metacognitive insight in schizophrenia, that is, the ability to monitor one's changes in state of mind and sensations, with the aim of investigating its neuroanatomical, psychopathological, and neuropsychological correlates. Fifty‐seven consecutive patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision) diagnosis of schizophrenia were administered the Insight Scale, and comprehensive psychopathological and neuropsychological batteries. They underwent a high‐resolution T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging investigation. Gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes were analyzed on a voxel‐by‐voxel basis using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8. Reduced metacognitive insight was related to reduced GM volumes in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and insula, and bilateral premotor area and putamen. Further, it was related to reduced WM volumes of the right superior longitudinal fasciculum, left corona radiata, left forceps minor, and bilateral cingulum. Increased metacognitive insight was related to increased depression severity and attentional control impairment, while the latter was related to increased GM volumes in brain areas linked to metacognitive insight. Results of this study suggest that prefrontal GM and WM bundles, all implied in cognitive control and self‐reflection, may be the neuroanatomical correlates of metacognitive insight in schizophrenia. Further, higher metacognitive insight is hypothesized to be a risk factor for depression which may subsequently impair attention. This line of research may provide the basis for the development of cognitive interventions aimed at improving self‐monitoring and compliance to treatment. Hum Brain Mapp 35:4729–4740, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Thermography has become an intensive domain of research. Initially it was introduced in military to be able to see threats in dark areas in early twenty century. In 1948 it took 40 minutes to scan a thermal image of a person. Since then technology has evolved rapidly. The vast range of its application makes the technology so appealing to the researchers. It is used as an inspection tool in industries as well as in major science discoveries. For lack of appropriate experimental results it is not yet considered to be a trusted tool in medical science. Major issue of this technology is its expensiveness. This paper mainly focuses on the applications of this technology, its effectiveness on the respective domains and some research, experiments and their results. Keywords— DITI; Infra red; Thermal imaging; Industrial Inspection; Breast cancer diagnosis; Thermal screening; Space research; Heat signature ;Emmisivity.


DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification with significant roles in various biological processes such as gene expression and cellular proliferation. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns compared to normal cells have been associated with a large number of human malignancies and potential cancer symptoms. In DNA methylation studies, an important objective is to detect differences between two groups under distinct biological conditions, for e.g., between cancer/ageing and normal cells. BiSulfite sequencing (BS-seq) is currently the gold standard for experimentally measuring genome-wide DNA methylation. Recent evolution in the BS-seq technologies enabled the DNA methylation profiles at single base pair resolution to be more accurate in terms of their genome coverages. The main objective of my thesis is to identify differential patterns of DNA methylation between proliferating and senescent cells. For efficient detection of differential methylation patterns, this thesis adopts the approach of Bayesian latent variable model. One such class of models is hidden Markov model (HMM) that can detect the underlying latent (hidden) structures of the model. In this thesis, I propose a family of Bayesian hierarchical HMMs for identifying differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) from BS-seq data which act as important indicators in better understanding of cancer and other related diseases. I introduce HMMmethState, a model-based hierarchical Bayesian technique for identifying DMCs from BS-seq data. My novel HMMmethState method implements hierarchical HMMs to account for spatial dependence among the CpG sites over genomic positions of BS-seq methylation data. In particular, this thesis is concerned with developing hierarchical HMMs for the differential methylation analysis of BS-seq data, within a Bayesian framework. In these models, aberrant DNA methylation is driven by two latent states: differentially methylated state and similarly methylated state, which can be interpreted as methylation status of CpG sites, that evolve over genomic positions as a first order Markov chain. I first design a (homogeneous) discrete-index hierarchical HMM in which methylated counts given the methylation status of CpG sites follow Beta-Binomial emission distribution specific to the methylation state. However, this model does not incorporate the genomic positional variations among the CpG sites, so I develop a (non-homogeneous) continuous-index hierarchical HMM, in which the transition probabilities between methylation status depend on the genomic positions of the CpG sites. This Beta-Binomial emission model however does not take into account the correlation in the methylated counts of the proliferating and senescent cells, which has been observed in the BS-seq data analysis. So, I develop a hierarchical Normal-logit Binomial emission model that induces correlation between the methylated counts of the proliferating and senescent cells. Furthermore, to perform parameter estimation for my models, I implement efficient Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based algorithms. In this thesis, I provide an extensive study on model comparisons and adequacy of all the models using Bayesian model checking. In addition, I also show the performances of all the models using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curves. I illustrate the models by fitting them to a large BS-seq dataset and apply model selection criteria on the dataset in search of selecting the best model. In addition, I compare the performances of my methods with existing methods for detecting DMCs with competing methods. I demonstrate how the HMMmethState based algorithms outperform the existing methods in simulation studies in terms of ROC curves. I present the results of DMRs obtained using my method, i.e., the results of DMRs with the proposed HMMmethState that have been applied to the BS-seq datasets. The results of the hierarchical HMMs explain that I can certainly implement these methods under unconditioned settings to identify DMCs for high-throughput BS-seq data. The predicted DMCs can also help in understanding the phenotypic changes associated with human ageing.


The mineral deposits of the San Antonio mine, in the Santa Eulalia district of Chihuahua, Mexico, occur in Upper Cretaceous and possibly Lower Cretaceous limestones. They lie within a downfaulted limestone block, are closely associated with a zone of acid dikes, and form replacement deposits of the contact-metamorphic type. The chief yield has been lead and silver ore, but tin and vanadium ores have been produced commercially. The bodies are unusual in that lead and vanadium are important products from a contact-metamorphic area and in that tin occurs in replacement deposits in limestone. Detailed descriptions of tin and vanadium ore bodies are given. The writer concludes that tin was the last ore element to be introduced and suggests it may have been pneumatolytic ; that the vanadium ore has been derived in large measure from the breakdown of primary vanadium-bearing silicates; and that the deposits are best classed in the pyrometasomatic group, of contact origin.


OF DISSERTATION THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF FALSE POSITIVE OVARIAN CANCER SCREENING: ASSESSMENT VIA MIXED AND TRAJECTORY MODELING Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common cancer among women and has the highest mortality of any cancer of the female reproductive system. The majority (61%) of OC cases are diagnosed at a distant stage. Because diagnoses occur most commonly at a late-stage and prognosis for advanced disease is poor, research focusing on the development of effective OC screening methods to facilitate early detection in high-risk, asymptomatic women is fundamental in reducing OC-specific mortality. Presently, there is no screening modality proven efficacious in reducing OC-mortality. However, transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) has shown value in early detection of OC. TVS presents with the possibility of false positive results which occur when a women receives an abnormal TVS screening test result that is deemed benign following repeat testing (about 7% of the time). The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the impact of false positive TVS screening test results on a variety of psychological and behavioral outcomes using mixed and trajectory statistical modeling. The three specific aims of this dissertation were to 1) compare psychological and behavioral outcomes between women receiving normal and false positive results, 2) identify characteristics of women receiving false positive results associated with increased OC-specific distress and 3) characterize distress trajectories following receipt of false positive results. Analyses included a subset of women participating in an experimental study conducted through the University of Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Screening Program. 750 women completed longitudinal assessments: 375 false positive and 375 normal results. Mixed and group-based trajectory modeling were used to evaluate the specific aims. Results suggest women receiving false positive TVS result experience increased OC-specific distress compared to women receiving normal results. Among those receiving false positives, less education, no history of an abnormal screening test result, less optimism and more social constraint were associated with increased OC-specific distress. Family history was associated with increased distress among women with monitoring informational coping styles. Three distinct trajectories characterize the trajectory of distress over a four-month study period. Although decreasing over time, a notable proportion of women experience sustained high levels of OC-specific distress.


The present study was undertaken to establish the long-term effect of a single dose of carbendazim in the tubular region of the infundibulum of Japanese quail using scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. At a dose of 400mg/kg bodyweight, carbendazim in sunflower oil base was administered orally to mature Japanese quails. The control group received the oil base only. The effects of carbendazim on ultrastructural features of infundibulum were examined in spatial temporal periods post-exposure. At SEM level, loos of cilia were observed from 5 days post-exposure. At TEM level, pyknosis, karyorrhexis, swollen mitochondria, dilated RER cisternae, increased number of lysosomes and vacuoles were observed from 24 hours post-exposure. Compound cilia and loos of striated rootlets were also observed. Thickening and duplication of the basal lamina were identified from 12 days postexposure. These results suggest oviductal regression due to carbendazim toxicity and signs of epithelial recovery at later stages post-exposure. Keywords : Carbendazim, infundibulum, degeneration, electron microscopy, Japanese quail


Al2O3/water forced convection nanofluid flow was numerically studied in a duct with backward-facing step. Nanoparticle volume fraction was changed between 1%-5%. Diameter of nanoparticle was constant (dp=40 nm). The Reynolds number was increased from 100 to 500. The step and total height of the duct were 4.8 mm and 9.6 mm, respectively. The bottom wall, which was positioned after the step, was heated with 2000 W/m and the rest of the walls were adiabatic. Nusselt number, velocity profiles and friction factor were investigated in detail. It was obtained that Nusselt number increases with increasing nanoparticle volume fraction and Reynolds number.


In
  political
  philosophy,
  perfectionism
  is
  the
  view
  that
  it
  is
  the
  job
  of
  the
  state
  to best
  enable
  its
  citizens
  to
  live
  good
  or
  flourishing
  lives.
  It
  claims
  that
  certain
  lives can
   be
   judged
   to
   be
   sound,
   and
   thus
   instructs
   governments
   to
   promote
   those lives
  using
  state
  institutions
  etc.
  Anti-‐perfectionism
  denies
  this.
  It
  says
  that
  it
  is not
  the
  job
  of
  the
  state
  to
  promote
  good
  lives.
  Instead
  it
  should
  restrict
  itself
  to securing
  basic
  rights
  and
  duties,
  a
  threshold
  level
  of
  resources
  and
  so
  on.
  Citizens should
   be
   left
   to
   adopt
   pursuits
   however
   they
   see
   fit.
   For
   some
   anti-‐ perfectionists,
   this
   is
  precisely
  because
  we
  cannot
   judge
  any
  putative
   life
   to
  be sound.
   However,
   many
   are
   not
   sceptics,
   and
   justify
   state
   neutrality
   for
   other reasons. All
   accounts
   of
   anti-‐perfectionism
   must
   overcome
   what
   has
   been
   called
   the asymmetry
   objection:
   what
   justifies
   the
   imbalance
   inherent
   in
   anti-‐ perfectionism?
   Why
   believe
   that
   the
   state
   is
   permitted
   to
   act
   on
   judgements about
   justice,
   but
   not
   on
   judgements
   about
   flourishing?
  My
   thesis
   argues
   that attempts
  to
  respond
  to
  the
  asymmetry
  objection
  have
  failed
  thus
  far.
  Further,
   I offer
  an
  account
  of
  political
  morality
  that
  can
  overcome
  the
  problem. The
  first
  four
  chapters
  of
  the
  thesis
  clarify
  the
  debate
  between
  perfectionists
  and anti-‐perfectionists,
   narrowing
   the
   former
   down
   into
   its
   most
   plausible
   form. Chapters
  five
  and
  six
  focus
  on
  two
  failed
  attempts
  to
  vindicate
  anti-‐perfectionism –
   Brian
   Barry's
   argument
   from
   scepticism
   and
   Jonathan
   Quong's
   Rawlsian approach.
  In
  the
  final
  chapter
  I
  put
  forward
  a
  much
  more
  promising
  argument
  in favour
  of
  anti-‐perfectionism
  –
  justice
  as
  a
  set
  of constraints.


This memo defines a MIME content-type that may be used by a mail user agent (UA) or electronic mail gateway to report the disposition of a message after it has been sucessfully delivered to a recipient. This content-type is intended to be machine-processable. Additional message headers are also defined to permit Message Disposition Notifications (MDNs) to be requested by the sender of a message. The purpose is to extend Internet Mail to support functionality often found in other messaging systems, such as X.400 and the proprietary "LAN-based" systems, and often referred to as "read receipts," "acknowledgements," or "receipt notifications." The intention is to do this while respecting the privacy concerns that have often been expressed when such functions have been discussed in the past.


Recently, many video sharing sites provide external links so that their video or audio contents can be embedded into external web sites. For example, users can copy the embedded URLs of the videos of YouTube and post the URL links on their own blogs. Clearly, the purpose of such function is to increase the distribution of the videos and the associated advertisement. Does this function fulfill its purpose and what is the quantification? In this paper, we provide a comprehensive measurement study and analysis on these external links to answer these two questions. With the traces collected from two major video sharing sites, YouTube and Youku of China, we show that the external links have various impacts on the popularity of the video sharing sites. More specifically, for videos that have been uploaded for eight months in Youku, around 15% of views can come from external links. Some contents are densely linked. For example, comedy videos can attract more than 800 external links on average. We also study the relationship between the external links and the internal links. We show that there are correlations; for example, if a video is popular itself, it is likely to have a large number of external links. Another observation we find is that the external links usually have a higher impact on Youku than that of YouTube. We conjecture that it is more likely that the external links have higher impact for a regional site than a worldwide site.


Sustainability, as a specific inter- or even transdisciplinary "metacat-egory", refers also to monetary processes. So far, a financial approach of sustainability of farms has not been explored. The aim of this paper was to highlight some theoretical and methodological issues related to a financial dimension of sustainability of farms. The research objectives were as fol-lows: (1) to link achievements in the area with theoretical and methodological apparatus for sustainable growth (in financial terms) of farms to concepts of sustainability, (2) to identify associations between the sustainable growth and selected agricultural farm management problems and agrarian policy. Relying on agricultural income category (including net farm income), excluding the farm's financial situation, leads to a significant simplification that may deform an analytical framework for sustainability. The terms "sustainable growth", "sustainable growth rate", "sustainable intensification" may extend the current framework for analysing the sustainability of farms, as well as be a prerequisite for constructing/improving instruments that may support farm management, or monitoring and evaluation of the effects of agricultural policy.


Analyzing civil societies in the aftermath of 1990 in Eastern Europe leads to a paradox: although democracies there seem to be well embedded in different polities, a lot of authors mention the weakness of their civil societies. Hence the concern about the causal link between both terms (democracy and civil society), and the reasons which can explain this paradox. How is it possible to consider the disconnection of both terms ? Indeed, in western literature, democratic order is deeply connected to civil society, and several philosophical and sociological studies are based on such an assumption. Nevertheless, in Eastern Europe, a lot of arguments have been raised since 1990 explaining the lack of civic commitment either by asserting the lack of civil society under the communist regimes or by questioning the true impact it had before 1989 when it existed. The article questions the possible new concept of democracy in Eastern Europe that seems to be not necessarily connected to the modernization process, which the democratic order – following the western literature - is supposed to be the best support of.


This paper presents a new scheme of self-powered sensor by collecting electromagnetic energy. A unidirectional transducer group and an inhomogeneous piezoelectric structure are created inside the transducer while propagating the unidirectionality required for low loss and receiving the convergent acoustic wave with higher power output. The acoustic waves may be converged by modifying the angle of the slope boundary and the wavelength of the incident wave. Almost all energy in a wave period is converged and gathered in a flash. Therefore the peak power output in receiving IDT may be much larger than that in input UDT. The electromagnetic energy collected from antenna can be gathered and accumulated ceaselessly, then burst in short time, thus the sensor can be deployed in longer distance than that of ordinary passive SAW sensors. Simulation and measurement demonstrate that the maximum sensing distance of the self-powered sensor is more than that of ordinary passive sensors


Para-Bombay phenotypes are rare blood groups that have inherent defects in producing H antigens associated with FUT1 and/or FUT2. We report the first case of para-Bombay blood type in a Southeast Asian patient admitted at a tertiary hospital in Korea. A 23-year-old Indonesian man presented to the hospital with fever and was diagnosed with a disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterium infection and anemia. During blood group typing for blood transfusion, cell typing showed no agglutination with both anti-A and anti-B reagents. Serum typing showed strong reactivity against B cells and trace agglutination pattern with A1 cells. His red blood cells failed to react with anti-H reagents. Direct sequencing of FUT1 and FUT2 revealed a missense variation, c.328G>A (p.Ala110Thr, rs56342683, FUT1*01W.02), and a synonymous variant, c.390C>T (p.Asn130=, rs281377, Se357), respectively. This highlights the need for both forward and reverse grouping.


Abstract The use of natural dyes for the dyeing of naturally-derived fibres is of economic and cultural importance in many countries and there is thus ongoing research interest in this area. In the current work, the dyeing of eri silk yarn with lac dye was investigated, with both components being accessed in Thailand. While some qualitative studies of this particular dye-yarn combination have been reported, more quantitative aspects, which could give a deeper molecular understanding of the process, have not been described. The aim of the current research was thus to obtain quantitative details on the kinetics of lac dye adsorption on eri silk yarn which then might also underpin better village-based dyeing procedures. The adsorption kinetics of lac dye on village-produced yarn revealed an increase in the adsorption rate constant and diffusion coefficient with an increase in temperature owing to a diffusion kinetically controlled process. At higher temperatures, a lower affinity and less dye uptake was observed after the equilibrium state had been reached, consistent with an exothermic adsorption process. The effect of a mordant on the dyed eri silk yarn was also assessed. Different shades of colour could be obtained on the silk yarn by changing the mordant used. In addition, post-mordanting with different mordants significantly improved wash and light fastness properties.


BACKGROUND
The timing of medical therapies has been shown to influence the outcomes and side effects of treatments for disease. This report examines the extent to which hemodialysis treatment time of day was associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and all-cause mortality in a secondary analysis of the Hemodialysis Study.

METHODS
Dialysis start time defined dialysis shift: morning beginning between 0400 and 0930 hours (n = 822); midday, between 0930 and 1530 hours (n = 851); and evening, between 1530 and 2200 hours (n = 172). Outcome measures included all-cause mortality, cardiac death, composite end point of all-cause mortality or first cardiac hospitalization, and composite end point of first cardiac hospitalization or cardiac death.

RESULTS
Morning hemodialysis was associated with a lower likelihood of cardiovascular events compared with the evening shift in all-cause mortality or first cardiac hospitalization (evening versus morning, relative risk [RR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.65; P = 0.043), as well as first cardiac hospitalization or cardiac death (evening versus morning, RR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.89; P = 0.007). No differences were noted in the other 2 outcomes, and there was no statistically significant difference between the morning and midday shifts. Although crude mortality rates were greater in the midday compared with morning (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.39; P = 0.008), this association was attenuated after adjustment (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.22; P = 0.64).

CONCLUSION
Making extensive adjustment for patient characteristics, this report does not support the association of lower all-cause mortality with morning hemodialysis or a particular benefit for older patients.


Lyme disease Borrelia are obligately parasitic, tick- transmitted, invasive, persistent bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and non-reservoir vertebrates primarily through the induction of inflammation. During transmission from the infected tick, the bacteria undergo significant changes in gene expression, resulting in adaptation to the mammalian environment. The organisms multiply and spread locally and induce inflammatory responses that, in humans, result in clinical signs and symptoms. Borrelia virulence involves a multiplicity of mechanisms for dissemination and colonization of multiple tissues and evasion of host immune responses. Most of the tissue damage, which is seen in non-reservoir hosts, appears to result from host inflammatory reactions, despite the low numbers of bacteria in affected sites. This host response to the Lyme disease Borrelia can cause neurologic, cardiovascular, arthritic, and dermatologic manifestations during the disseminated and persistent stages of infection. The mechanisms by which a paucity of organisms (in comparison to many other infectious diseases) can cause varied and in some cases profound inflammation and symptoms remains mysterious but are the subjects of diverse ongoing investigations. In this review, we provide an overview of virulence mechanisms and determinants for which roles have been demonstrated in vivo, primarily in mouse models of infection.


Objectives:To describe temporal trends in concordance, sensitivity, and specificity and to explore demographic trends in concordance in 2 outpatient treatment studies for cocaine dependence. Methods:We obtained 2229 urine drug screens (UDS) from 129 individuals, along with accompanying self-use reports (SUR). Paired SUR and UDS were considered concordant if the 2 measures of cocaine use were in agreement. The sensitivity and specificity of the SUR in predicting the UDS was also estimated. To model concordance, sensitivity, and specificity as a function of time, generalized estimating equations were used. Demographic effects on concordance among subjects who achieved 100% concordance and subjects who achieved a recently proposed 70% concordance threshold were tested. Results:During the course of our studies, both sensitivity and concordance statistically decreased; however, specificity remained relatively constant. Median concordance for all subjects was 88%. Among all subjects, concordance varied significantly by gender, with women achieving significantly higher concordance than men (96% vs 86%). Similarly, women were almost twice as likely to achieve 100% concordance as men (42% vs 22%). Finally, 80% of participants achieved the 70% concordance threshold, and no differences among demographic groups with regards to the 70% concordance threshold were observed. Conclusions:Temporal effects of concordance and sensitivity may have profound repercussions when using SUR to gauge efficacy of an experimental intervention. Furthermore, gender may differentially affect concordance. Finally, a substance abuse outcome measure that reliably combines objective and self-report data is promising, but further research is needed.


Global warming, although usually associated with imminent environmental disasters, also presents splendid opportunities for research and education and for collaboration between the rich and the poor that will benefit both groups. Unfortunately, efforts to take advantage of these opportunities are handicapped by the misperception that scientific disputes concerning imminent global climate changes have been settled—that the science "is over"— in addition to a failure to appreciate that some people face problems more urgent than adaptation to and mitigation of the climate changes scientists predict. Changes over the past few decades in the way we conduct our affairs in the Earth sciences, specifically the atmospheric and oceanic sciences, contribute to these misunderstandings. This is a subjective, personal account of those changes.


This article reviews multiproduct dynamic pricing models for a revenue maximizing monopolist firm. The baseline model studied in this article is of a seller that owns a fixed capacity of a resource that is consumed in the production or delivery of some type of product. The seller selects a dynamic pricing strategy for the offered product so as to maximize its total expected revenues over a finite time horizon. We then review how this model can be extended to settings where the firm is selling multiple products that consume this firm's capacity, and finally highlight a connection between these dynamic pricing models and the closely related model where prices are fixed, and the seller dynamically controls how to allocate capacity to requests for the different products. Methodologically, this article reviews the dynamic programming formulations of the above problems, as well as their associated deterministic (fluid) analogues. It highlights some of the key insights and pricing heuristics that are known for these problems, and briefly mentions possible extensions and areas of current interest.

Keywords:

revenue management;
dynamic pricing;
fluid approximations;
multiproduct;
capacity controls


Hydrothermal circulation can lead to fluid mixing on any planet with liquid water and a source of heat. Aqueous fluids with differing compositions, especially different oxidation states, are likely to be far from thermodynamic equilibrium when they mix, and provide a source of free energy that can drive organic synthesis from CO 2 and H 2 , and/or supply a source of geochemical energy to chemolithoautotrophic organisms. Results are presented that quantify the potential for organic synthesis during unbuffered fluid mixing in present submarine hydrothermal svstems, as well as hypothetical systems that may have existed on the early Earth and Mars. Dissolved hydrogen, present in submarine hydrothermal fluids owing to the high-temperature reduction of H 2 O as seawater reacts with oceanic crustal rocks, provides the reduction potential and the thermodynamic drive for organic synthesis from CO 2 (or bicarbonate) as hydrothermal fluids mix with seawater. The potential for organic synthesis is a strong function of the H 2 content of the hydrothermal fluid, which is, in turn, a function of the prevailing oxidation state controlled by the composition of the rock that hosts the hydrothermal system. Hydrothermal fluids with initial oxidation states at or below those set by the fayalite-magnetite-quartz mineral assemblage show the greatest potential for driving organic synthesis. These calculations show that it is thermodynamically possible for 100% of the carbon in the mixed fluid to be reduced to a mixture of carboxylic acids, alcohols, and ketones in the range 250-50°C as cold seawater mixes with the hydrothermal fluid. As the temperature drops, larger organic molecules are favored, which implies that fluid mixing could drive the geochemical equivalent of a metaholic system. This enormous reduction potential probably drives a large portion of the primary productivity around present seafloor hydrothermal vents and would have been present in hydrothermal systems on the early Earth or Mars. The single largest control on the potential for organic synthesis is the composition of the rock that hosts the hydrothermal system.


Psycho-educational interventions can moderate the negative impact of cancer on patients' mental wellbeing, although studies of the effect on colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are scarce. Hence, the primary aim of this study was to test whether a nurse-led psycho-educational programme (PEP) could affect the emotional wellbeing of persons being treated for CRC and anal cancer. A secondary aim was to test whether there were any differences in emotional wellbeing in the patients before undergoing a PEP compared to a subset of the Swedish population. A randomized controlled trial was used. In total, 86 patients were randomized either to a PEP comprising seven lectures followed by discussions and reflections with peers or to standard treatment. Mental wellbeing was measured with the Mood Adjective Check List. The PEP significantly (p < 0.04) increased the patients' overall mood one month after the end of the intervention. The PEP seemed to have a short-term effect on patients' overall mood. Other outcomes such as self-efficacy could be useful measures when evaluating PEP.


Macrospore created by decaying plant root provides pathways for rapid transport of pollutants in soil profile. The main objective of this study was quantitative analysis of the effect of plant root (Zea mays L.) on bacterial and chloride transport through soil. Experiments were conducted in 9 soil columns packed uniformly with loamy sand. The treatments were bare soil, bare soil with corn (Zea mays L.) root and bare soil after decaying the corn root. The Breakthrough curves of Chloride were measured. Breakthrough curve (BTCs) of Escherichia coli and chloride were measured, too. The HYDRUS-1D one and two site kinetic attachment–detachment models were used to fit and forecast transport and retention of bacteria in soil columns experiment. The results indicated that the difference between soil hydraulic properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity and flow velocity) of the treatment was significant (p < 0.05). The result also showed that the two-site kinetic model leads to better prediction of breakthrough curves and bacteria retention in the soil in comparison with one-site kinetic model. Interaction with kinetic site 1 was characterized by relatively fast attachment and slow detachment, whereas attachment to and detachment from kinetic site 2 was fast. Most of the cells showed retention close to the soil column inlet, and the rate of deposition decreased with depth. Low reduction rate of bacteria of the soil columns with plant root and with void root channel indicated the presence of macrospores in the soil created by deep corn root system.


In the present study, we are generally looking at the way in which the realities of the Romanian space were captured through travel reports drawn up by foreigners who crossed the Romanian Countries. Foreign travelers crossing the Romanian Principalities come mostly from Western and Northern Europe. Also, their presence in Romanian space is due to the political, military and economic duties received from the states that sent them. When approaching the Romanian Countries, the voyagers note a few things, namely: the militarized border, the customs, the quarantine and the army, the customs officials and the passport. A border with so many elements of identification does not exist between the Romanian Countries and the Ottoman Empire. From this perspective, the Romanian Lands appeared to the vast majority of foreigners as part of the Ottoman Empire. Also, travelers are optimistic about the transition to Transylvania and with suspicion and mistrust of the crossing to Moldavia and Wallachia.


Among other applications, self-feeding has been used to study food preferences in fish allowing them to choose between feeders with different food content. Preference tests assume that (i) trigger actuations are motivated by appetite, (ii) fish can learn which feeder contains which food and discriminate between feeders solely on the basis of their content, and (iii) in groups of fish, the triggering preferences is representative for the individuals of the group. We studied individual triggering behaviour in four groups of 14 Atlantic cod (length of 34 ± 2 cm, weight of 424 ± 102 g, mean ± SE, water temperature comprised between 7−8 ◦C) that were first given the choice between two self-feeders with identical content (Period 1 of 14 days) and subsequently with one feeder full and the other empty (Period 2 of 14 days) . In all four groups, one or two individuals performed the majority of the actuations, and in three groups the high triggering fish was a female high-ranked for size and growth rate. Cod displayed a preference for one of the two feeders despite their identical content. When the preferred feeder was emptied, the preference switched after one to eight days but both feeders were still actuated throughout the experiment. In conclusion, the assumption that actuation frequency reflects food preference and is representative for the individuals of the group may not be true, at least for Atlantic cod. If aiming at determining preferences representative for the whole population multiple representative fish should be kept isolated in separate tanks, with self-feeders containing each food option, on each tank.


In this thesis it is explained the work done in order to develop a patient-cooperative control that assists only as it is needed for the MR-compatible stepper (MARCOS) developed at the Sensory Motor System Lab of ETH Zurich.
The so called assist-as-needed (AAN) control algorithm adapts the robotic assistance to optimize the patient's effort and the error generated while performing a task. This algorithm has already been applied to some rehabilitation devices. In this work an implementation of such strategy for MARCOS is described. It is shown that in MARCOS an AAN has to be based on a force controller due to some limitations related to its pneumatic actuation.
Preliminary results of the new controller's performance are provided. A first experiment based on EMG-measured muscular activity reported a correlation between assistance level and Bicep Femoris activity, evolving from a patient-passive to a patient-active situation. A second experiment aimed to observe the brain activity related to the assistance. It also showed a negative dependence between primary motor cortex activity and the degree of assistance. Furthermore, an active-like activation of the brain was observed during the AAN. The results obtained showed the adequacy of the new controller to help the patient and, at the same time, stimulate him/her to participate in the walking task.
Finally, the controller is compared to those found in literature. It is discussed the advances that such AAN controller may bring for future research projects, as its force controller-based implementation brings a proper scenario to a natural evolution from assistive rehabilitation strategies to resistive ones.


Recently, alkylphenols, bisphenols and several synthetic estrogens have been recognized as endocrine disruptors (ED). They can interfere with hormones and thus disrupt development of animals. Investigation of environmental pollution by these chemicals, studies of their toxicity and the ability of various microorganisms to decompose such compounds are now in progress. This work summarizes findings on microbial degradation of ED in the last three decades with a special respect to the promising bioremediation agents - white rot fungi and degradation capacity of their ligninolytic enzymes. Most of the studies are focused on the degradation of ED by purified enzymes although these methods are technically demanding and costly. On the other hand, the ED degradation with fungal cultures are also feasible. The work is aimed at identification of intermediates from ED degradation and their endocrine activities, which is important for better understanding of microbial degradation.


Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on mechanically damaged chondrocyte cells by using different dose, differentduration ofexposure anddifferentmethods ofactivation ofplatelet. Methods: Human source chondrocytes (CHON-001 ATTC CRL-2846) were used inthestudy. Chondrocytecells wereproducedinappropriate medium andan experimental cartilage model was created. Theplatelet-rich plasma was produced from platelets obtained by apheresis in the laboratory, from blood of volunteer. Theplatelet-rich plasma was adjusted at five different doses as 4,8x10 6 , 2,4x10 6 , 1.2x10 6 , 6x10 5 , 3x10 5 . The first group of platelet rich plasma was left intact, the second group was detonated within seven minutes by applying ultrasound waves in water, the third group was activated with calcium chloride and thefourth group was determined as control group. Using a ten microliter pipette tip, a linear damage to theopposite side was created at the widest part of the well. Cell migration was monitored at 0-4-8-24 and 48 hours at x10 magnification by in vitro microscopy and wound healing was evaluated by photographing. Migration intervals weredeterminedquantitatively usingthe programnamedImageJ. Results: When the rates of recovery were compared to the groups, no significant improvement was observed in the intact and detonated platelet groups at 4-8 and 24 hours compared to the control group. In the third group which was activated with calcium, no significant improvement was observed in all doses at 4 and 8 hours compared to the control group. However, at the 48th hours there was a significant improvement in the doses of 1.2x10 6 , 2.4x10 6 and 4.8x10 6 compared to thecontrol group (p<0.0001). There were significant differences in intact and detonated platelets at 3x10 5 and 6x10 5 doses at 48th hours compared to controlgroup (p <0.0001). Significant improvement was observed in all groups at levels of 1.2x10 6 and a bove (p <0.0001). When evaluated in terms of activation, there was a significant improvement in the exploded and intact groups at the 48th hour, compared to the calcium-activated group atdosesof3x10 5 and6x10 5 (p <0.01). Conclusion: Cartilage damage is the main pathology in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. All doses of PRP used in the study contributed to improvement.


This paper shows that the precision of a freeway travel time information system, in a real-time context, is not related solely to the accuracy of the measurement. Immediacy in reporting the information and forecasting capabilities play a role. Therefore, focusing only on the accuracy of the travel time measurement is a myopic approach, which can lead to counterintuitive results. Specifically, it is claimed that using travel times estimated with the traditional spot speed Midpoint algorithm, the performance of the real-time information system is better than by using much more accurate directly measured travel times. Guidelines for an adequate configuration of
9 the common parameters of the system are provided. These are addressed by taking into account an easy and practical implementation. They have been proven to work well in an empirical application on a Spanish Freeway.


Revised 13 February 2008 Accepted 19 February 2008 Published Online First 27 February 2008 ABSTRACT Background and aims: Reduced ileal Paneth cell adefensin expression has been reported to be associated with Crohn's disease, especially in patients carrying NOD2 mutations. The aim of this study was to independently assess whether NOD2, a-defensins and Crohn's disease are linked. Methods: Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we measured the mRNA expression levels of key Paneth cell antimicrobial peptides (DEFA5, DEFA6, LYZ, PLA2G2A), inflammatory cytokines [interkelukin 6 (IL6) and IL8], and a marker of epithelial cell content, villin (VIL1) in 106 samples from both affected ileum (inflamed Crohn's disease cases, n = 44) and unaffected ileum (non-inflamed; Crohn's disease cases, n = 51 and controls, n = 11). Anti-human defensin 5 (HD5) and haematoxylin/eosin immunohistochemical staining was performed on parallel sections from NOD2 wild-type and NOD2 mutant ileal Crohn's disease tissue. Results: In Crohn's disease patients, DEFA5 and DEFA6 mRNA expression levels were 1.9and 2.2-fold lower, respectively, in histologically confirmed inflamed ileal mucosa after adjustment for confounders (DEFA5, p,0.001; DEFA6, p = 0.001). In contrast to previous studies, we found no significant association between adefensin expression and NOD2 genotype. HD-5 protein data supports these RNA findings. The reduction in HD-5 protein expression appears due to surface epithelial cell loss and reduced Paneth cell numbers as a consequence of tissue damage. Conclusions: Reduction in a-defensin expression is independent of NOD2 status and is due to loss of surface epithelium as a consequence of inflammatory changes rather than being the inciting event prior to inflammation in ileal Crohn's disease.


Research on out-of-home child care has revealed that foster care programmes focused on educational attainment and reading have the potential to improve the academic outcomes of children in care. However, no studies have examined which elements of these programmes positively benefit children's emotional well-being. This article presents evidence of the positive effects of implementing a successful educational action, dialogic literary gatherings, in a children's residential care institution. A qualitative study using a communicative-oriented methodology was conducted and involved five participant observations and eight daily life stories with children in out-of-home care in Catalonia (Spain). The children's reflections demonstrated that reading classic books, such as Dickens' Oliver Twist, deeply influenced their feelings and self-conceptions and created new and exciting meaning in their lives.


Book synopsis: What do 'stage directions' do in early modern drama? Who or what are they directing: action on the stage, or imagination via the page? Is the label 'stage direction' helpful or misleading? Do these 'directions' provide evidence of Renaissance playhouse practice? What happens when we put them at the centre of literary close readings of early modern plays?
Stage Directions and Shakespearean Theatre investigates these problems through innovative research by a range of international experts. This collection of essays examines the creative possibilities of stage directions and and their implications for actors and audiences, readers and editors, historians and contemporary critics. Looking at the different ways stage directions make meaning, this volume provides new insights into a range of Renaissance plays.


Biological studies on in vitro cell cultures are of fundamental importance to investigate cell response to external stimuli, such as new drugs for the treatment of specific pathologies, or to study communication between electrogenic cells. Although three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures brought tremendous improvements on biosensors used for various biological in vitro studies, including drug delivery and electrical recording, there is still a lack of multifunctional capabilities that could help gain deeper insights in several bio-related research fields. In this work, the electrical recording of large cell ensembles and the intracellular delivery of few selected cells are combined on the same device by integrating microfluidic channels on the bottom of a multi-electrode array decorated with 3D hollow nanostructures. The novel platform allows the recording of intracellular-like action potentials from large ensembles of cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and from the HL-1 line, while different molecules are selectively delivered into single/few targeted cells. The proposed approach shows high potential for enabling new comprehensive studies that can relate drug effects to network level cell communication processes.


The author examines the characteristics of tree-and-branch coaxial networks and the current evolutionary trends away from those networks and toward the fiber optic delivery of video entertainment to residences. After noting the currently proposed uses of fiber delivery systems, the broadband integrated service digital network (B-ISDN) proposed by some telephone interests is discussed and its capabilities compared to those of conventional fiber systems. A proposal is made for a third architecture that takes advantage of the unique properties of fiber to achieve the best features of both of the other approaches. It is shown that the proposed star-bus topology retains the cost benefits of current tree structures (which result from a high degree of sharing of resources among customer) while taking advantage of network segmentation to allow provision of switched services. Thus the star-bus network topology should solve the quality and reliability limitations of current tree networks while providing the means to open new markets for switched services. >


An experimental enzyme immunoassay test kit was developed for detecting glycyrrhizic acid (GA) during pharmacokinetic investigations. This method was used to determine the GA content in the blood plasma of mice and guinea pigs after intraperitoneal and intravenous injections. The results of the GA determination using the new test kit agree with the data obtained by HPLC.