A treatise of algebra historical and practical (London 1685) by John Wallis (1616-1703) was the first full length history of algebra. In four hundred pages Wallis explored the development of algebra from its appearances in Classical, Islamic and medieval cultures to the modern forms that had evolved by the end of the seventeenth century. Wallis dwelt especially on the work of his countrymen and contemporaries, Oughtred, Harriot, Pell, Brouncker and Newton, and on his own contribution to the emergence of algebra as the common language of mathematics.
 This thesis explores why and how A treatise of algebra was written, and the sources Wallis used. It begins by analysing Wallis's account of mathematical learning in medieval England, never previously investigated. In his researches on the origins and spread of the numeral system Wallis was at his best as a historian, and initiated many modern historiographical techniques. His summary of algebra in Renaissance Europe was less detailed, but for Wallis this part of the story set the scene for the English flowering that was to be his main theme.
 The influence of Oughtred's Clavis on Wallis and his contemporaries, and Wallis's efforts to promote the book, are explored in detail. Wallis's controversial account of Harriot's algebra is also examined and it is argued that it was better founded than has sometimes been supposed and that Wallis had direct access to Harriot's algebra through Pell. Many other chapters of A treatise of algebra contain mathematics that can be linked or traced to Pell, a hitherto unsuspected secret of the book.
 The later chapters of the thesis, like the final part of A treatise of algebra, explore Wallis's Arithmetica infinitorum and the work which arose from it up to Newton's foundation of modern analysis, and include a discussion of Brouncker's treatment of the number challenges set by Fermat. The thesis ends with a summary of contemporary and later reactions to A treatise of algebra and an assessment of Wallis's view of algebra and its history.


Background: Prolapsed Lumbar Intervertebral Disc (PLID) is one of the most common health problems worldwide, as well as in our country, and is one of the potential causes of temporary disability, morbidity, and reasoning of absence at workplaces. Objective: To find out the outcome of C-arm guided transforaminal and caudal epidural steroid injection for low back pain with radiculopathy due to PLID. Methodology: This was a randomized clinical trial conducted among purposively selected 54 patients with PLID with radiculopathy as per selection criteria, attending the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in BSMMU, Dhaka, from March 2020 to February 2021. Patients (N=54) were randomly allocated into two groups; patients in group A (n=26) were treated with C-arm guided transforaminal and caudal epidural steroid injection with conservative treatment, and patients in group B (n=28) were treated with conservative treatment only. All patients were followed up in 1st week, 1st month, and 3rd month. Results: The mean age of the participants in group A and group B were 40.88 (± 8.70) and 43.00 (± 11.54) years, respectively. In group A, 9 (34.6%) were housewives, 4 (15.4%) were manual workers, while in group B, 10 (35.7%) were housewives, and 8 (28.6%) were manual workers. In group A, 21 (80.8%) had three disc involvement, while in group B, 19 (67.9%) had three discs involvement, where L4-5-disc involvement was most common in both groups. There was no significant statistical difference between the groups regarding VAS scores at baseline (p=0.235), 1st week (p=0.164), and 1st month (p=0.125). The VAS score was significantly reduced in group A compared to group B at 3rd month (p=0.001). The ODI score was significantly reduced in group A compared to group B at 1st week (p=0.034), 1st month (p=0.016), and at 3rd month (p=0.001). Conclusion: C-arm guided transforaminal and caudal Epidural Steroid Injection significantly improves pain and functional outcomes of patients with radiculopathy due to PLID. Long-term, large scale and multicenter research studies are required to establish the outcome and effectiveness of this procedure.


Glioblastoma multiforme are the most challenging of cancers to treat and even with recent advances in therapeutic approaches, the prognosis following diagnosis remains poor. Novel therapeutic approaches able to target such tumours without resulting in significant toxicity are needed. Micronutrients have been shown to exert potential therapeutic effects in cell culture and animal models which include anti-cancer activity and other functional properties such as anti-microbial and anti-oxidative effects. The aim of this research was to investigate the anticancer properties of curcumin (77% pure, derived from the ground rhizome of turmeric) and LycoRed powder (containing 10% lycopene from tomato extract) on four primary brain tumour-biopsy derived cell cultures (glioblastoma multiforme malignant cells) using a normal brain cell line as control (CC2565; passage 10 and above).

The morphological appearance of the normal brain cell line and glioblastoma cell cultures was compared under phase contrast microscopy. The cytotoxicity of curcumin and Lycored was determined using a DRAQ 7 cell viability assay. Expression of antigens linked to invasive, angiogenic and apoptotic potential was studied using immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Induction of apoptosis was investigated using flow cytometry via Annexin-V staining. Anti-invasive and anti-angiogenic potentials were studied using a FluoroBlok invasion and angiogenesis assay (co-culture method) in vitro, respectively.

Brain tumour-biopsy derived cell cultures incubated for 24h with increasing concentrations of curcumin showed significant decreased in cell viability (IC75,50,25 values 14.2 to 19.5μg/ml). LycoRed was not found to affect the cell viability of tumour cells ad no IC values could be established; only curcumin was therefore investigated in subsequent assays (using IC75 concentration). Neither curcumin nor LycoRed showed toxicity to normal brain cells.

No significant induction of apoptosis by curcumin was observed in the primary brain tumour cells studied. However, three of the primary brain tumour cell cultures investigated were high in invasive capacity and curcumin treatment at IC75 concentration reduced the percentage of invasion after only 24 hours of incubation. In addition, curcumin was found to have antiangiogenic properties in vitro. In the normal brain cell culture, each parameter (number of nodes, junctions and branches) was maintained when treated with increasing concentrations of curcumin (0 to 40μg/ml). When all glioblastoma cell cultures and normal brain cells showed strong positivity for GFAP confirming that they are astrocytic in origin, expression of other antigens studied (Beta-1-integrin, CD44, VEGF, MMP-14, NG2, GD3) varied between the primary brain tumour cell cultures. This suggests that the invasive or angiogenic capacity of the gliobalstoma cell cultures investigated may not be attributable to one common factor as has been reported before, but perhaps an integration of many factors with overlapping functions.

In conclusion, the results indicate that curcumin may have anti cancer properties through inhibition of invasion and angiogenesis in these malignant glioblastomas. Further studies are necessary to establish whether LycoRed possesses therapeutic potential.


Background and aims: Recent data have revealed that clinically generalised tonic–clonic seizures do not involve all brain regions electrophysiologically. The hippocampus in particular could be protected from epileptic activity by putative filtering properties of the dentate gyrus. Here we investigated if simple or complex focal seizures (SFS/CFS) and in particular secondarily generalised tonic–clonic seizures (SGS) of extrahippocampal onset (EHO) spare the hippocampus and if there are promotive factors. Methods: We retrospectively assessed clinical, electrophysiological, imaging and histopathological data from patients undergoing presurgical evaluation of focal epilepsy with hippocampal depth and extrahippocampal subdural electrodes and selected those suffering from SGS of EHO. We further subdivided this patient sample according to qualitative MRI criteria into a HL(−) group, with an extrahippocampal lesion only, and a HL(+) group, displaying an extrahippocampal and additional hippocampal lesion. Results: 14 patients (seven in each group) fulfilling the inclusion criteria had a total of 43 SGS, of which 35 were of EHO. Whereas only 68% of SFS/CFS of EHO propagated into the hippocampus, all SGS of EHO invaded the hippocampi independently of the ictal propagation pattern or degree of hippocampal pathology. All hippocampi in the HL(−) group displayed interictal epileptiform activity and even seizure onset in two patients. Conclusions: In our patient sample, the human hippocampus was not spared during SGS of EHO, but was invariably invaded by epileptic activity. The presence of spontaneous epileptic activity in the HL(−) group revealed persistent modifications in hippocampal excitability that might be due to secondary epileptogenesis in the hippocampus following repeated seizures of EHO.


FDA approval of the crystalens (eyeonics), in addition to the AcrySof ReSTOR (Alcon Laboratories) and ReZoom multifocal (AMO) IOLs, allows ophthalmologists the ability to offer various choices of presbyopia-correcting technology with the hope of providing a surgical procedure that will greatly reduce or eliminate their patients' dependence on glasses following cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange. Hype and rumor regarding accommodating lens technology has created confusion regarding just how effective or ineffective these particular lenses may be. A review of the results in peer-reviewed medical literature in addition to an analysis of theoretical considerations with regard to the limits of accommodation provided by these lenses should clarify their ultimate usefulness in the average ophthalmic practice.


A DBA/2 mouse treated with ethylnitrosourea sired an offspring whose hemoglobin showed an extra band following starch gel electrophoresis. The variant hemoglobin migrated to a more cathodal position in starch gel. Isoelectric focusing indicated that chain 5 of the mutant hemoglobin migrated to a more cathodal position than the normal chain 5 from DBA/2 mice and that the other α-globin, chain 1, was not affected. On focusing gels the phenotype of the mutant allele, Hbay9, was expressed without dominance to normal chain 5, and Hbay9/Hbay9 homozygotes were fully viable in the laboratory. The molecular basis for the germinal mutation was investigated by analyzing the amino acid sequence of chain 5y9, the mutant form of α-chain 5. A single amino acid substitution (His → Leu) at position 89 was found in chain 5y9. We propose that ethylnitrosourea induced an A → T transversion in the histidine codon at position 89 (CAC → CTC). This mutation has apparently not been observed previously in humans, mice or other mammals, and its novel occurrence may be indicative of other unusual mutational events that do not ordinarily occur in the absence of specific mutagen exposure.


The present study deals with reconstruction of the ancient courses of the Tigris and the Euphrates in the Mesopotamian floodplain, which covers most of the central and southern parts of Iraq. The focus is on tracing palaeochannel courses, determining when these palaeochannels were active, and understanding the patterns of avulsion and its impact on human settlements of ancient civilisations.
The research was carried out using a combination of geological, geomorphological, remote sensing, historical and archaeological approaches. Fieldwork included "groundtruthing" of the remote sensing work. A total of thirty seven boreholes were dug, sedimentary and geomorphologic documentation has been carried out, and twenty five shell samples were collected, and analysed by radiocarbon dating.
This study has reconstructed palaeochannels and archaeological sites within the area of southern Mesopotamia; intensive networks of palaeochannels and archaeological sites within the study area have been identified. More than eight thousand archaeological sites have been plotted during this study, and most of them show a location and alignment consistent with an identified palaeochannel.
Eleven major river avulsions and their nodes have been identified, five for the Euphrates and six for the Tigris. It has been found that these avulsions contributed to the shaping, formation and aggradation of both the ancient and present–day landscapes of the floodplain. Two kinds of avulsion have taken place in the floodplain, re-occupational and progradational. In the first of these types of avulsion, the major flow diverted into a previously existing channel. In contrast, the progradational avulsion began by inundating a large section of the floodplain between elevated ridges, producing prograding deposits that filled topographic lows of the floodplain.
These avulsions have affected the distribution, flourishing and degradation of human settlements of the southern Mesopotamian civilisations. The present study has demonstrated how human impact played a leading role in distribution of sediments across the floodplain and shaping both the Holocene and the recent landscapes of the Mesopotamian floodplain. By using periods of human occupation of archaeological sites to date associated palaeochannels, we can get acceptable accuracy on their timing and duration, and can give clear indications about the activity of a given channel.


A new method to compute the dispersed phase in a Lagrangian framework is shown in this contribution for computing incompressible bubbly flows. Each bubble is divided dynamically in equivolumetric elements and tracked into the Eulerian mesh for an appropriate assignment of the effect of the bubble in the cell. The coupling between phases is done considering in the momentum equation the interfacial forces along the bubble path during an Eulerian time step. The bouncing of the bubbles between themselves and the wall is modeled with a dynamic soft sphere model. The computational results obtained for different flow conditions are validated with the recently released experimental data on upward pipe flow. The test section used is a 52 mm pipe of 5500 mm of length maintained under adiabatic conditions with air and water circulating fluids. Time-averaged results of radial distribution for void fraction, chord length, number of bubbles detected, turbulence kinetic energy, dispersed and continuous velocity profiles show a good agreement.


Many societal decision problems lie in high-dimensional continuous spaces not amenable to the voting techniques common for their discrete or single-dimensional counterparts. These problems are typically discretized before running an election or decided upon through negotiation by representatives. We propose a meta-algorithm called Iterative Local Voting for collective decision-making in this setting, in which voters are sequentially sampled and asked to modify a candidate solution within some local neighborhood of its current value, as defined by a ball in some chosen norm. In general, such schemes do not converge, or, when they do, the resulting solution does not have a natural description. We first prove the convergence of this algorithm under appropriate choices of neighborhoods to plausible solutions in certain natural settings: when the voters' utilities can be expressed in terms of some form of distance from their ideal solution, and when these utilities are additively decomposable across dimensions. In many of these cases, we obtain convergence to the societal welfare maximizing solution. We then describe an experiment in which we test our algorithm for the decision of the U.S. Federal Budget on Mechanical Turk with over 4,000 workers, employing neighborhoods defined by §L1, §L2 and §L∞ balls. We make several observations that inform future implementations of such a procedure.


The kinetics of borane transfer from simple tertiary phosphine borane adducts to a wide range of amines have been determined. All data obtained, including second-order kinetics, lack of cross-over, and negative entropies of activation for reaction of triphenylphosphine borane with quinuclidine and triethylamine, are consistent with a direct (SN 2-like) transfer process, rather than a dissociative (SN 1-like) process. The identities of the amine, phosphine, and solvent all impact substantially on the rate (k) and equilibrium (K) of the transfer, which in some cases vary by many orders of magnitude. P-to-N transfer is more efficient with cyclic amines in apolar solvents due to reduced entropic costs and ground-state destabilisation. Taken as a whole, the data allow informed optimisation of the deprotection step from the stand-point of rate, or synthetic convenience. In all cases, both reactants should be present at high initial concentration to gain kinetic benefit from the bimolecularity of the process. Ultimately, the choice of amine is dictated by the identity of the phosphine borane complex. Aryl-rich phosphine boranes are sufficiently reactive to allow use of diethylamine or pyrrolidine as a volatile low polarity solvent and reactant, whereas more alkyl-rich phosphines benefit from the use of more reactive amines, such as 1,4-diaza[2.2.2]bicyclooctane (DABCO), in apolar solvents at higher temperatures.


BACKGROUND
Cannabinoid receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-α) are gaining recognition as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of skin disorders.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of cannabinoid type 1 and 2 receptors (CBR1 and CBR2) and PPAR-α in feline skin and verify whether changes occur in the course of hypersensitivity dermatitis.

ANIMALS
Twelve privately owned cats. Skin samples were obtained from five healthy cats with no skin lesions and seven cats clinically diagnosed with hypersensitivity dermatitis.

METHODS AND MATERIALS
Haematoxylin and eosin stained skin sections were investigated for histopathological changes. Indirect immunofluorescence for CBR1, CBR2 and PPAR-α was performed on paraffin-embedded sections, and antibody specificity tested by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS
Skin samples from cats with hypersensitivity dermatitis were all histopathologically diagnosed with eosinophilic dermatitis. CB receptors and PPAR-α were distributed throughout the skin in both healthy and allergic cats. In normal feline skin, these receptors were mainly distributed in the epithelial compartment. Receptor expression increased in hypersensitivity compared to healthy skin, with the main distribution changes being suprabasal for CBR1, dermal for CBR2 and marked expression of PPAR-α in hyperplastic epidermis and perivascular infiltrate.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Increased expression of cannabinoid receptors in the skin of cats with hypersensitivity dermatitis suggests an endogenous protective strategy and may support the use of natural cannabinoid receptor or PPAR-α agonists to treat feline hypersensitivity dermatitis.


This study investigated factors that affect parental choice of Islamic secondary private schooling in Kulim. There must be reasons behind the parental rejection of free public schools in favour of private schools. The
major areas of investigation include: (a) family characteristics (gender, level of income, level of education attainment and history of school attendance-
private or public) (b) parents' attitude and satisfaction toward characteristics of private school ( student achievement, teacher quality, discipline, academic
standards, class size, curriculum, and physical facilities)
The study utilised a questionnaire for parents which measured 20 demographic traits, as well as 10 attitude variables and 10 satisfaction variables. The parent questionnaire was sent to 320 parents in the 3 Islamic
private secondary schools in Kulim who had children enrolled in Form One, Two, Three, Four and Five. A return rate of 74.06 percent was achieved.
Statistics involved frequencies, percent, mean score, correlation, t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Bivariate correlation was used to determine the significance of relationship between choice made and demographic traits.
The t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to find the difference between the means of attitude and level of satisfaction.
The results were:
1. Islamic teaching, strict rules of discipline and hardworking teachers were variables that exerted strong influence on the parental attitude and level of satisfaction.
2. There was a relationship between the parental attitude and parent's satisfaction on private Islamic schooling.
3. Demographic traits such as father's occupation, mother's working status, household income, financial burden and distance of home from school were variables that had an impact on parental attitude and satisfaction.
This research gave an insight in the contribution of the private Islamic schools in the effort of nation building. The finding of the survey can be used as an opportunity to examine the attitude and needs of the parents. This
information enables educators to better develop schools which are able to meet the needs and expectations of their clients, the students and parents.


Due to the lack of natural resources, the majority of energy in many countries must depend on import, and the corresponding cost is expensive and affected by international market fluctuation and control. In recent years, an intelligent micro-grid system composed of renewable energy sources is becoming one of the interesting research topics. The forecasting of short-term loads enables the intelligent micro-grid system to manipulate an optimized loading and unloading control by measuring the electrical supply each hour for achieving the best economical and power efficiency. Therefore, this study investigates a fuzzy neural network (FNN) with varied learning rates for the short-term load forecasting (STLF), and compares its better forecasting performance with a conventional neural network (NN) by numerical simulations of a real case in Taiwan campus.


Methods for resolving the brain's microstructure are rapidly improving, allowing us to image large brain volumes at high resolutions. As a result, the interrogation of samples spanning multiple diversified brain regions is becoming increasingly common. Understanding these samples often requires multi-scale processing: segmentation of the detailed microstructure and large-scale modelling of the macrostructure. Current brain mapping algorithms often analyze data only at a single scale, and optimization for each scale occurs independently, potentially limiting the consistency, performance, and interpretability. In this work we introduce a deep learning framework for segmentation of brain structure at multiple scales. We leverage a modified U-Net architecture with a multi-task learning objective and unsupervised pre-training to simultaneously model both the micro and macro architecture of the brain. We successfully apply our methods to a heterogeneous, three-dimensional, X-ray micro-CT dataset spanning multiple regions in the mouse brain, and show that our approach consistently outperforms another multi-task architecture, and is competitive with strong single-task baselines at both scales.


The rapid growth of energy consumption due to the strong demands of wireless multimedia services, has become a major concern from the environmental perspective. In this paper, we investigate a novel energy-efficient resource allocation scheme for relay-assisted multiuser networks to maximize the energy efficiency (EE) of the network by jointly optimizing the subcarrier pairing permutation formed in one-to-many/many-to-one manner, subcarrier allocation, as well as the power allocation altogether. By analyzing the properties of the complex mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem, which is generally very difficult to solve in its original form, we transform the problem into an equivalent convex problem by relaxing the integer variables using the concept of subcarrier time sharing, and by applying a successive convex approximation approach. Based on the dual decomposition method, we derive an optimal solution to the joint optimization problem. The impact of different network parameters, namely number of subcarriers and number of users, on the attainable EE and spectral efficiency (SE) performance of the proposed design framework is also investigated. The numerical results are provided to validate the theoretical findings and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for achieving higher EE and SE than the existing schemes.


Despite decades of research on correlates of condom use, and numerous intervention development studies, condom use behavior remains inconsistent among adolescents and emerging adults as the incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections continues to rise. One factor that may play a role in risky sexual decision-making is state affect, however, research investigating this relationship is equivocal. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effects of experimentally induced affective arousal and affective valence on intentions to engage in condomless sexual activity in a sample of emerging adults. Based on the dual systems model of youth decision-making, it was hypothesized that participants randomized to the high affective arousal conditions would report greater intentions to engage in condomless sexual activity than participants randomized to the low affective arousal conditions. In addition, it was hypothesized that there would be no differences in intentions to engage in condomless sexual activity between participants randomized to the positive or negative valence conditions. Participants included heterosexual-sexually active emerging adults who reported not being in a monogamous romantic relationship (N = 136). Results did not support the hypothesis predicting a main effect of affective arousal, however, the hypothesis predicting no main effect of affective valence was supported. This study provides the first experimental data about the relationship between affective arousal and affective valence on risky sexual decision-making. Findings suggest that stable individual-difference factors may be more strongly associated with sexual risk behavior than situational and contextual factors.


Wide deployment of wireless communications plays an essential role in the vision of future cyber-physical systems (CPSs), which includes massive transfer of automation information. Many practical considerations of industrial CPSs affect the success of the deployment of industrial wireless networks, and, thus, can inhibit their widespread adoption. These considerations include multi-path propagation, network congestion, and jamming interference. Jamming is of chief concern when wireless is used for mission critical or safety integrated systems. In this paper, an experimental platform consisting of a robot arm depressing a spring mechanism with a wireless force-feedback control algorithm is constructed. The robot applies downward pressure on a spring assembly until a predetermined force is detected and transmitted successfully to the controller under varying levels of sustained interference. Machine learning is used to learn and predict the signal-to-interference level of the communication link solely using position information from an independent vision tracking system. Various supervised learning algorithms are investigated and rated according to their performance.


This paper examines the ways in which sectarian differences were approached by three major Urdu poets: Sauda, Mir and Ghalib. These poets evoked, acknowledged, played upon, and even enjoyed Sunni-Shi'ite differences without the situation always reaching some kind of instantaneous flashpoint of sectarian "tension". Contrary to recent arguments that sectarian affiliation can be discerned through evidence of ritual practice of pilgrimage and paying respect to the shrines of certain historical personages of spiritual importance, in the Indian environment, as no doubt elsewhere also, it appears difficult to pin down sectarian affiliation from rituals and expressions of respect and devotion to the Prophet's household.


Two-dimensional diffusion ordered spectroscopy (2D DOSY) NMR was used to probe the micellar structure of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium cholate (SC) in aqueous solutions with and without semiconducting and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The solutions contain SDS and SC at weight ratios of 1:4 and 3:2, the ratios commonly used to isolate semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs through density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU). These results show that the coverage of surfactant on the semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs is nearly identical in the 1:4 surfactant mixture, and a lower degree of bundling is responsible for the greater buoyancy of semiconducting SWCNTs. In the 3:2 surfactant mixture, the metallic SWCNTs are only encapsulated in SC while the semiconducting SWCNTs remain encapsulated in a poorly packed two-surfactant micelle, leading to a large buoyant density difference between the electronic species. This work provides insight into future directions to increase the purity of semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs sorted through DGU and demonstrates the utility of 2D DOSY NMR in probing SWCNT-surfactant complexes.


The article focuses on the economics of family partnerships. It states an allegory involving a prehistoric couple who split their responsibilities of gathering food and building a fire to create econometric models for family behavior. In theory, monogamous couples have exactly the same interest in their reproductive success, hence completely shared interest in their children. This is not the case in practice, as a variety of marital problems, divorce, and remarriage adversely affect the equation. The observed fact that an increase in a society's wealth tends to decrease family size runs counter to evolutionary biologic theory. No one theory in economics or biology has an adequate explanation for the reduction in family size as wealth increases. A variety of outside factors, notably the decline in child mortality and the change from an agricultural to an urban society, affect the models in both disciplines.


Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) is a rare epileptic syndrome, presenting as continuous focal motor seizures for a period of minutes, hours, or days. EPC may develop in patients with cerebral cortical lesions and occasionally may develop in patients with metabolic disorders, such as nonketotic hyperglycemia (NKH). Here, we report a case of EPC following NKH, showing an unusual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding of concurrent hypointensity on susceptibility-weighted image (SWI) and T2-weighted image (T2WI) with leptomeningeal and cortical enhancement, which have never been reported. A 68-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with a 3-day history of involuntary repeated contraction of the right side of the face and upper limb. Laboratory data revealed NKH of diabetes mellitus. Electroencephalography (EEG) was unremarkable. Brain MRI revealed focal cortical and leptomeningeal enhancement together with subcortical T2 shortening and SWI hypointensity of the left frontal operculum. She responded well for hyperglycemia and antiepileptic drug therapy. Follow-up brain MRI performed 1 week later showed complete resolution of the abnormal signal and enhancement in the same region. Although EPC caused by NKH occurs rarely, it may result in an MRI abnormality of subcortical hypointensity on SWI and T2WI with leptomeningeal and cortical enhancement, which may be misinterpreted as other brain pathologies. Rapidly recognition is important because timely treatment with hydration and correction of hyperglycemia can lead to better outcome. We recommend such cases of metabolic disorder (such as hyperglycemia) for early consideration, particularly in the elderly.


The Vertesszőlős quarry, the Palaeolithic site where the "Samu" hominin fossil remains ( Homo heidelbergensis ) were found, is located in North West Hungary. The site is dated between the Early and Middle Pleistocene (ca. 310 ka). A short distance from where the Samu remains were found is an exposed surface of calcareous mudstone, preserving numerous fossil tracks made by a range of mammals and birds. Of particular interest are three elongate impressions - two potentially successive and one isolated. These tracks have previously been referred to either hominin or ursine trackmakers. Since bear pes tracks can superficially resemble human tracks, we attempted to discern the 3D morphology of the traces using digital photogrammetry. Our analysis suggests the isolated impression is likely the product of two superimposed tracks of a cloven hoofed ungulate. However, the two potentially successive tracks are more problematic. The highly weathered surface (first exposed in the 1960's) has made interpretation difficult. Both impressions seem to possess a narrow, rounded end similar to the posterior heel margin of a human track. At the anterior end the impressions are broader, and bounded by smaller impressions that could be interpreted as toe marks. However, these two tracks differ considerably in their length/width ratios and are too widely spaced to be part of a single bipedal trackway. It is conceivable that one or both of these impressions may be highly weathered hominin tracks. However, given the highly weathered nature of the exposed surface, and the lack of morphological detail in the tracks, we cannot at this time confidently attribute the tracks to any specific trackmaker, despite our digital models of the tracks which provide a relatively objective means of analysis independent of prior assumptions.


The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible. Extreme precipitation events which result in sewage overflow and combined urban flooding nuisance (revised Waterplan 2, 2013), alternate with effects of drought and heat. These effects are magnified within the urban conditions and may result in traffic disruption, flooding damage, pollution and overall economic loss. Therefore, Rotterdam has, like other cities, a major task to deal with Climate Adaptation.
Problems with flooding due to heavy rainfall are getting more urgent within Rotterdam. There is an urgency to scale up the implementation making use of integration opportunities that benefit a wider urban perspective and avoid future costs outweigh the current investments to rainproof Rotterdam. Rotterdam has a front-runner's role in climate adaption, showcasing internationally appreciated innovative solutions. Nevertheless, to live up to the implementation challenge and precede in this role, new innovations focussed on up-scaling and governance are desired.
The objective of this research is to contribute to a comprehensive governance approach for public private collaboration (PPC) and up-scaling the implementation process to 'rainproof' Rotterdam. Therefore, this research aims to explain and assess why and which different factors in public private collaboration influence the success of implementing climate adaptation.
A combination of academic literature, empirical findings and reviews of CA policy, regulation and PPC approaches in Rotterdam's context, generate theoretical findings and practical advice for governance opportunities. This qualitative research with a multiple case study strategy, is a deliberate choice to study a large number of variables within different types of urban development projects. Data collection through interviews with involved public, private and social parties, result in a rich understanding of the situation.
The outcome of this research elaborates on specific points of attention towards influential factors, explains the most successful approaches and PPC models and eventually describes which conditions generate most success. In brief, the main findings are that connective public leadership is exclusively important to deploy the adaptive capacity which is potentially present within society. The municipality has best comparative advantage to perform this connective leadership role, due to its extensive knowledge of the urban fabric, urban goals, stakeholders, implementation processes, and the total water system. Mainstreaming CA generates most opportunities for public private collaboration, as added value for collaborative stakeholders is then at large and mainstreaming generates interdependence which is an important driver.
The majority of respondents specify the tactical level is little exposed in Rotterdam's policy cycle in general and in CA specifically. To accomplish that mainstreaming can indeed lead to up-scaling of the CA, interventions need focus onto this tactical level, through elaboration of specific CA policy and a comprehensive CA program. Joint elaboration of a CA program will increase receptivity, which is besides interdependence, another important driver for collaboration. CA policy can provide a structured framework for translation of strategic visions into better operational projects outcomes, allow mainstreaming and other actors, public, private and social, to initiate and perform projects which can immensely increase CA capacity. This demands less time-consuming municipal interference in the actual operationalization of individual CA projects, which enlarges feasibility of up-scaling, especially considering the current scarce municipal human resources.
Public private collaboration based on the alliance model, in which the municipality performs a public connective leadership role and empowers other stakeholders to perform CA action, has most potential for long term collaboration and repeated performance of networks. In this alliance, the social stakeholders have an important role which often shows under-appreciated. Specifically, the group of social entrepreneurs, a group which recently raised in bottom-up self-organisation, showed to perform an important and successful 'brokerage role', which relate to competences of boundary spanning. Ultimately, boundary spanning capacity is the utmost important prerequisite for different conditions in the collaborative process which needs attention for overall success of the implementation of CA through public private collaboration.


Background/Aims: We herein propose a hand-gesture imitation test, consisting of a simple one-handed sign of a 'fox' and a complex two-handed sign of a 'pigeon', as a rapid, game-like test for detecting dementia/Alzheimer disease (AD) with low psychological burden. The test measures the visuomotor function, which deteriorates in the early stages of AD. Methods: We examined 88 demented subjects, 19 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 53 normal controls aged 65 years or over. The subjects were classified according to the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Results: The specificity of the test was 94%, and the sensitivity was 58% in CDR 0.5 (MCI), 77% in CDR 1 (mild dementia), 75% in CDR 2 (moderate dementia), and 90% in CDR 3 (severe dementia). The test could be conducted within 1 min and no subjects refused to be tested. Conclusion: This brief hand-gesture imitation test can sensitively evaluate visuomotor deficits in dementia/AD, while some subjects are unaware of their failure or even that their cognitive function is being tested. We herein describe the precise protocol for worldwide use.


Studies indicate that most people living in the informal settlements are usually financially excluded and therefore rely on informal finance groups for their financial upkeep. Out of this concern, this study aimed at establishing the status of men and women's saving in the informal finance groups in an informal settlement, namely Gachagi in Thika SubCounty, Kenya. The study adopted qualitative descriptive study design, and was guided by behavioral life cycle theory advanced by Thaler (1954). The target population was 20 informal finance groups comprising 10 Rotating Saving and Credit Associations (ROSCAs), 5 welfare/clan groups, 3 Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs) and 2 investment groups. Out of the 20 informal finance groups, a sample size of 11 informal finance groups comprising 5 ROSCAs, 3 welfare/clan groups, 2 ASCAs and 1 investment 10 group were selected forming a sample of 55%. The main respondents of the study were members of the selected informal finance groups including officials. In addition, the Divisional Social Services Officer (DSSO), the Chief and two elders from informal settlement were also included in the sample. Data collection tools were focus group discussion guides for the men and women in informal finance groups, interview guides for key informants and observation checklist for confirming the information gathered during FGDs. The data was analyzed qualitatively on the basis of themes guided by the study objectives. Finding indicated that gender, marital status, age, education level and economic status influenced informal finance membership. The major group operations revealed were group regular contribution, holding group meetings, selection of group officials, ensuring safe keeping of group money, using a constitution as an operational guide, loan disbursement, keeping of group financial records and actualization of official registration of the group. The major reasons influencing men and women to engage in informal finance groups were to save money, inculcation of saving discipline and easy access to their savings and loans among others. There were challenges which hindered smooth running of these groups and therefore discouraged the rate of saving among men and women. This included poor governance, low attendance of group meetings and burdensome gender roles among others. To enhance the status of men and women's saving in informal finance groups, the study recommends that the government through the Department of Social Services provides capacity building to the group members to enhance good financial practice and group management and also put in place official mechanisms to enforce group registration with the Department of Social Services. Additionally, the study recommends a need for the County government to encourage the poor in the informal finance groups to utilize the formal financial institutions.


The chimpanzee has been proposed as a possible human analogue for a myriad of human disease states. The lack of knowledge about the cardiovascular system in this animal or the cardiovascular response to stress is understandable because of the cost and handling problems with the chimpanzee. Part of this difficulty, namely handling, can be overcome with the proper selection of cardiovascular instrumentation. Implantable telemetry systems have the advantage that the animal does not have to be handled for any reason. Several animals have been successfully used with implantable telemetry units in the chest. A vigorous antibiotic therapy program must be used for the first few days after surgery, but there have not been any complications after this period of time. The life of the implanted unit has been prolonged by the use of a power switch which also allows remote collection of data. At the present time there is one such unit still functioning 14 months after implantation. The ease with which these units can be used makes them ideally suited for use in the chimpanzee. Examples of the various types of data collected are given and described briefly.


Author(s): Chiang, Pei-Yuan | Advisor(s): Heydari, Payam | Abstract: Terahertz (THz) and sub-millimeter wave band are known to provide unique applications in spectroscopy, imaging and high-data-rate wireless communication. An imaging system operating in this frequency region exhibits non-invasive and high-resolution characteristics due to the non-ionized and short-wavelength radiation waves, which makes it attracting for security surveillance. On the other hand, the THz wireless transceiver operating in the license-free spectrum is capable of achieving tens of gigabits-per-second by utilizing a simple modulation scheme. All the benefits mentioned above make THz a promising research topic. Towards realization of a high-performance THz system, one of the most challenging steps is to design a frequency synthesizer. A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is one of the important building blocks within a synthesizer. Due to the server performance degradation of varactors and transistors at high frequencies, new ways of designing VCOs need to be investigated. Here, two different ideas are proposed. First, an inductive-tuning mechanism with high quality-factor and wide tuning-range is introduced. This tuning technique is based on a variable inductor seen at the emitter terminal of a base-degenerated transistor. By adding a series RL at the base terminal, the variable inductor, exhibiting low loss and high tunability, improves the VCO output power and phase noise while achieving a wide tuning range. The second idea, double-stacked cross-coupled VCO, is to design a strong negative resistance cell to compensate for the server loss of the varactor at THz frequencies. By implementing a source-degenerated negative resistor of a conventional cross-coupled pair, the overall negative resistance is enhanced. It also reduces the parasitic capacitance, making it an attracting approach for THz applications. Finally, a novel THz frequency synthesizer is proposed. A 300GHz phase-locked-based synthesizer incorporating a triple-push VCO with Colpitts-based active varactor (CAV) and a three-phase injection locked divider is introduced. The CAV is used to tune the oscillation frequency, enhance output power, and buffer the VCO's fundamental signal. The divider's locking-range is vastly increased attribute to the three-phase injection. This work demonstrates the highest-frequency synthesizer in silicon.


The pattern of intracranial neoplasms in Ibadan Southwestern Nigeria appears to have evolved over three decades since the establishment of neurosurgical facility in 1962. Metastatic tumours to the intracranial compartment were the commonest neoplasms (23%); choriocarcinoma and multicentric involvement of the brain in Burkitt s lymphoma accounted for the great majority of the metastases. Well-differentiated glial tumours are now being increasingly recognized in Ibadan, Nigeria. Glial tumours accounted for 20% of neoplasms, second in frequency to metastases. Pituitary adenomas and meningiomas accounted for 17.1% and 11.4% respectively. Germ cell tumours are however uncommon in Ibadan Nigeria having a low frequency (1.4%). A notable difference exists in the tumours found in children and adults. Astrocytomas accounted for the largest single group of neoplasms in children while metastatic tumours are the dominant group in adults. Continued improvement in neurosurgical facilities may improve diagnosis and cause more tumours to be verified histologically. This will contribute to the evolving pattern seen in Ibadan Southwestern Nigeria.


Two Schiff bases of chitosan (CTS) were synthesized from 4-methoxylbenzylaldehyde (CH3O-CTS) and 4-methylbenzylaldehyde(CH3-CTS). The Schiff bases were characterized by FTIR, DSC-TGA, solid 13C CP-Mas NMR, and elemental analysis. Antibacterial activities of the Schiff bases against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were measured by the optical density method. The antibacterial activity of the Schiff bases is better than that of the original CTS. The IC50 of CH3O-CTS and CH3-CTS against Escherichia coli is respectively 40.3 ppm and 43 ppm, which being 38.5 ppm and 39.5 ppm against Staphylococcus aureus, lower than IC50 of chitosan, being 59.5 ppm and 52 ppm against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively.


Removing or repairing the imperfections of a digital images or videos is a very active and attractive field of research belonging to the image inpainting technique. This later has a wide range of applications, such as removing scratches in old photographic image, removing text and logos or creating cartoon and artistic effects. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to repair a damaged image based on a non linear diffusion tensor. The idea is to track perfectly the local geometry of the damaged image and allowing diffusion only in the isophotes curves direction. To illustrate the effective performance of our method, we present some experimental results on test and real photographic color images


Although scholars have extensively studied the impact of academic and vocational factors on college students' employment upon graduation, we still know little as to how students' health-related behaviors influence such outcomes. Focusing on student alcohol use as a widely prevalent, health-related behavior, in the current study, we examined the employment implications of student drinking behavior. Drawing from literature examining the productivity effects of drinking and research on job search, we posited that modal quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, as well as the frequency of heavy episodic drinking (HED) adversely impact the probability of employment upon graduation. Using data from 827 graduating seniors from 4 geographically diverse universities in the United States collected in the context of a prospective study design, we found modal alcohol consumption to have no adverse effect on the likelihood of employment upon graduation. However, we did find a significant adverse effect for the frequency of heavy drinking, with the data suggesting a roughly 10% reduction in the odds of employment upon graduation among college seniors who reported engaging in the average level of HED. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.


AKT is a serine-threonine kinase implicated in tumorigenesis as a central regulator of cellular growth, proliferation, survival, metabolism, and migration. Activated AKT is overexpressed in 50-70% of NSCLC tumors and has exhibited an association with poor prognosis as well as chemotherapeutic resistance to platinum-based therapy. Accordingly, AKT inhibitors such as MK-2206 are currently undergoing clinical investigation for the treatment of human NSCLC however, these agents broadly target all three (1-3) AKT isoforms. Recent evidence suggests opposing roles of the AKT isoforms in tumorigenesis where loss of AKT-1 inhibits while the loss of AKT-2 enhances lung tumor development in transgenic mouse models. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that preferential inhibition of AKT-1 would warrant a more effective therapeutic strategy for NSCLC compared to the current clinical approach of broad AKT inhibition. WST-1 cell viability assays have revealed that a selective AKT-1 inhibitor A-674563 is a more potent regulator of survival in 6 NSCLC cell lines compared to a pan-AKT inhibitor MK-2206. Furthermore, off-target CDK2 inhibition likely contributes to the observed benefits of the AKT-1 inhibitor as the reduction in cell viability largely parallels the effects of a CDK2 inhibitor PHA-848125. In addition, the cell lines with higher endogenous CDK2 and p-CDK2 expression are more sensitive to the AKT-1 inhibitor relative to the pan-AKT inhibitor MK-2206. Basal protein and RNA levels in each of the cell lines have also shown that high AKT-3 expression may confer resistance to the pan-AKT inhibitor MK-2206. Thus, AKT-3 expression has the potential to serve as a predictive marker for patient response to AKT-1 versus broad AKT-inhibition. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that the AKT-1 inhibitor decreases the proportion of cells in the Go/G1 phase and increases the proportion of cells in the S-phase, indicating a possible S-phase cell cycle arrest. These differences are also more significant in the cell lines with augmented sensitivity to the AKT-1 inhibitor. Therefore, altered cell cycle progression could be the major driver of the therapeutic benefits of the AKT-1 inhibitor. Overall, our findings suggest that AKT-1 inhibition is significantly more effective at reducing NSCLC cell viability in-vitro compared to pan-AKT inhibition. Furthermore, cell lines with higher CDK2 and AKT-3 expression have marginally increased sensitivity to the AKT-1 inhibitor A-674563 compared to the pan-AKT inhibitor MK-2206. Future research will focus on understanding the mechanism of action of the AKT-1 inhibitor through combined western blot, AKT antibody array, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy data. Additionally, we will investigate the toxicity of these inhibitors on normal human small airway epithelial cells (HSAECs) to ensure preferential activity against malignant over somatic cells. Citation Format: Paige M. Chorner, Roger A. Moorehead. Inhibition of AKT-1 for the treatment of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in-vitro [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 151. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-151


I t is now routine during neuroanaesthesia in most centres to measure the end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure so that the tension of carbon dioxide in arterial blood can be kept in the range 3 .54 .0 kPa. Portex now produce a disposable plastic tracheal tube for this purpose but the following is a simple. cheap and easy alternative for continuously sampling gases for the measurement of carbon dioxide at the tip of the tracheal tube. The figure shows thc assembled apparatus after insertion of the tracheal tube in the trachea. The Branula cap plugs the upper end of the 6 FG suction catheter in the side limb of an Ayre's T-piece with the other end of the catheter cut Rush with the tip of the tracheal tube. In theatre the Branula cap is removed and the manometer tubing attached to connect the suction catheter to the capnograph. Wukefirlrl Pinclerfii4cls C m c d Hospitul. G.M. DUTHIE


Calix[4]arene derivatives, blocked in the cone conformation and functionalized with two to four guanidinium units at the upper rim were synthesized and investigated as catalysts in the cleavage of the RNA model compound 2-hydroxypropyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate. When compared with the behavior of a monofunctional model compound, the catalytic superiority of the calix[4]arene derivatives points to a high level of cooperation between catalytic groups. Combination of acidity measurements with the pH dependence of catalytic rates unequivocally shows that a necessary requisite for effective catalysis is the simultaneous presence, on the same molecular framework, of a neutral guanidine acting as a general base and a protonated guanidine acting as an electrophilic activator. The additional guanidinium (guanidine) group in the diprotonated (monoprotonated) trifunctional calix[4]arene acts as a more or less innocent spectator. This is not the case with the tetrasubstituted calix[4]arene, whose mono-, di-, and triprotonated forms are slightly less effective than the corresponding di- and triguanidinocalix[4]arene derivatives, most likely on account of a steric interference with HPNP caused by overcrowding.


The receptive field properties and functional organization of visual and auditory responses were studied in the optic tectum of the barn owl (Tyto alba). Most units throughout the depth of the tectum responded to both visual and auditory stimuli. The entire visual field of each eye was represented topographically in the contralateral tectum. In the portion of the tectal map representing the zone of binocular vision, 50% of the superficial layer units and 100% of the deep; layer units were driven binocularly. The representation of the frontal binocular region of space was greatly expanded in the map; the average magnification factor was 3 times greater for the frontal binocular zone than for the monocular zone. The responses of the superficial and deep tectal units to auditory stimuli were space specific; they responded only when a sound source was located in a particular region of space, or receptive field, regardless of the intensity or type of sound used. Most auditory receptive fields contained a distinct "best area" where a sound source was most effective in driving the unit. Auditory space, as defined by receptive fields and best areas, was represented topographically in the tectum. The auditory and visual maps of space had the same orientations, positions, magnification factors, and termination coordinates at the anterior and dorsal edges of the tectum. Yet the maps lost their registry near the posterior and ventral margins where the most peripheral regions of space were represented. These characteristics suggest that the spatiotopic organization in the tectum is a compromise between a tendency for the space representations of different modalities to align and for the representation of each modality to fill the entire tectum.


AIM
To evaluate the effectiveness of haptic virtual reality (VR) simulator training using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) tooth models on minimizing procedural errors in endodontic access preparation.

METHODOLOGY
Fourth year dental students underwent a pre-training assessment of access cavity preparation on an extracted maxillary molar tooth mounted on a phantom head. Students were then randomized to training on either the micro-CT tooth models with a haptic VR simulator (n = 16) or extracted teeth in a phantom head (n = 16) training environments for 3 days, after which the assessment was repeated. The main outcome measure was procedural errors assessed by an expert blinded to trainee and training status. The secondary outcome measures were tooth mass loss and task completion time. The Wilcoxon test was used to examine the differences between pre-training and post-training error scores, on the same group. The Mann-Whitney test was used to detect any differences between haptic VR training and phantom head training groups. The independent t-test was used to make a comparison on tooth mass removed and task completion time between the haptic VR training and phantom head training groups.

RESULTS
Post-training performance had improved compared with pre-training performance in error scores in both groups (P < 0.05). However, error score reduction between the haptic VR simulator and the conventional training group was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The VR simulator group decreased significantly (P < 0.05) the amount of hard tissue volume lost on the post-training exercise. Task completion time was not significantly different (P > 0.05) in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Training on the haptic VR simulator and conventional phantom head had equivalent effects on minimizing procedural errors in endodontic access cavity preparation.


What is it that makes some events so successful, while others do not achieve the same results? According to most researchers and writers there are several factors that must be achieved in order for events to distinguish themselves from the crowd and be successful, but what are those factors then? The study was aimed to investigating the factors that create a successful sporting event. One person from each of the six largest children's and youth football tournaments, participated in this qualitative interview study. The results showed that factors such as; possessing a good knowledge of the organization, its external market environment and its stakeholders, proved significant. Similarly, to use the correct custom marketing methods, maintain and attract new stakeholders, and to have nice and caring work staff, were factors contributing to the success of wealth.


Michigan State University (MSU) has been active in Mali since 1985, with its first projects focusing on the analysis of agricultural development policies and the problems related to food security in Mali. MSU contributed or contributes to: -Helping support the agricultural market information system (OMA) by providing technical assistance for the design and implementation of the market information system, staff training, and computerization. -National capacity building by developing human resources through the transfer of experiences, in-service training , and the offering of the opportunities to 4 Malian women to pursue their studies at MSU for Masters or PhD programs; -Supporting IPR by mobilizing funds to allow it to redesign its 2-year agricultural technology curriculum in areas related to seeds production and marketing, extension, food processing, nutrition and animal health, and forestry; and -Advocating for American public funds mobilization for agriculture in Mali through the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa.


New discoveries in genetics seem to hit the headlines almost daily, and probably the most eyecatching and controversial are those dealing with human behaviour. Thus, there has been popular media interest in reports of genes conferring susceptibility to psychiatric diseases and a whole range of "genes for" traits such as aggression, intelligence, and neuroticism. The scope for sensationalism and oversimplification is great. Here, we outline some of the basic concepts and lines of evidence from quantitative genetics indicating that genes do have important influences in determining human behaviour but that this nearly always involves an interplay with the environment. We then look at ways in which molecular methods are being used to locate and identify genes and how such approaches may impact on clinical practice.

We tend to resemble our parents, siblings, and other close relatives not just in the way we look but in the way we behave. However, the types, patterns, and causes of familial behavioural traits are extremely varied. They range from rare single gene disorders, such as Huntington's disease, that present with dramatic changes in behaviour in adult life, to commoner but more genetically complex disorders, such as schizophrenia and manic depression, through to normal variation in traits that are usually measured quantitatively, such as personality or intelligence.1 They can also include characteristics such as political or religious persuasion and career choice.

One of the basic pitfalls in studying the genetics of behaviour (or indeed any other type of trait) is to assume that familiality necessarily implies genetic transmission or that strong evidence of familial clustering implies single gene effects. Geneticists have long been aware that mendelian inheritance can be simulated by other mechanisms.2 To illustrate this, McGuffin and Huckle studied the educational histories of the families of a cohort of medical students: they …


Large crescentic dunes that resemble barchans have been discovered within elongate scour depressions on the northern California inner continental shelf by using side-scan sonar. These dunes appear to be migrating obliquely to the regional shelf gradient; a preferred offshore direction of transport is indicated by the extended southern wings of many dunes. The isolated dunes and the scour depressions that contain them are located seaward of sea-floor outcrops off rocky capes and sea stacks. Repeated side-scan sonar records spanning four years (1981–1985) indicate that the dunes and bounding sidewalls of the scour depressions were somewhat modified, but the overall alteration to the bottom morphology during this period was only moderate to undetectable. The apparent low height of the dunes is consistent with a low migration speed. Over longer time periods (decades), the seaward transport of fine to medium sand in the crescentic dunes is probably an important way by which sand escapes the shallow part of the continental shelf in this region and mixes with the muddy deposits of the central shelf.


Credence goods such as health care, legal and financial services, and auto repair create a conflict of interest by requiring experts to diagnose and provide services to uninformed consumers. Mistreatment of consumers appears widespread empirically, but a simple explanation for mistreatment under realistic assumptions has proved elusive. I generalize Uwe Dulleck and Rudolf Kerschbamer's credence-good model to incorporate the highly realistic assumption that consumers do not observe experts' cost functions. The model guarantees equilibrium mistreatment in a wide range of price-setting and market environments. The model also yields testable implications regarding the nature of mistreating firms and the direction of mistreatment.


Using Fe (NO3)3 as modifying agent, a new porous environmental ceramic filter is modified at surface to pre-treat slightly-polluted water. It can effectively reduce organic substances in subsequent processes, thus enhance the quality of water output. The iron oxide / modified ceramic filter media was manufactured by heating vaporization, and the optimal modification conditions were as follows: pH value is seven, Fe (NO3)3 density is 2mol/L, and roasting temperature is 550 centigrade. Compared with plain ceramic filter media, the removal rate of COD was enhanced six to eight times. The surface morphology of filter media was inspected by SEM, which showed that the iron oxide film, being fine particles, was attached to the ceramic filter. This is beneficial for enhancing adsorption capability. The matter species of iron oxide film were analyzed by XRD, result showed that it contains α-Fe2O3 and α-FeOOH, which is helpful for adsorbing and removing organic substances in water.


The relationship between the thermal conductivity and some mechanical properties of Uludag fir and black poplar specimens were determined based on related standards. It was hypothesized that thermal conductivity can be used as a predictor for wood properties. The hot plate test method was used as a thermal conductivity testing method. The density, compression strength, modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity values were also measured. Pearson's correlation coefficient was determined and both linear and multiple regression analyses were performed to estimate the relationship between the parameters. The correlation between the thermal conductivity and density values was strong, which was consistent with past findings. Also, there was a strong correlation between the thermal conductivity, modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity, while the compression strength and thermal conductivity had a moderate correlation. The regression equations and test graphs were also determined and shown. Overall, it can be claimed that the thermal conductivity could be used for predicting the density and mechanical properties of wooden materials.


In this article, the authors review research to identify bullying as a critical public health issue for Canada. Drawing from recent World Health Organization surveys, they examine the prevalence of Canadian children and youth involved in bullying others or being victimized. There is a strong association between involvement in bullying and health problems for children who bully, those who are victimized and those involved in both bullying and being victimized. Health problems can manifest as physical complaints (e.g., headaches), mental health concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety) and psychosocial problems (e.g., substance use, crime). In Canada, there has recently been a disturbing incidence of Canadian children who have committed suicide as a result of prolonged victimization by peers. Healthcare professionals play a major role in protecting and promoting the health and well-being of Canadian children and youth. Given the significant mental and physical health problems associated with involvement in bullying, it is important that clinicians, especially primary care healthcare professionals, be able to identify signs and symptoms of such involvement. Healthcare professionals can play an essential role supporting children and their parents and advocating for the safety and protection for those at risk. By understanding bullying as a destructive relationship problem that significantly impacts physical and mental health, healthcare professionals can play a major role in promoting healthy relationships and healthy development for all Canadian


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological disease of young adults. More than 2.3 million people are affected by MS worldwide. Symptoms can vary widely, depending on the localization and amount of the damage induced by combined inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative processes. Although a cure for MS does not currently exist, therapies can help treat MS attacks, attenuate disease activity, reduce progress of the disease, and manage symptoms. Translational Neuroimmunology in Multiple Sclerosis provides an overview of recent findings and knowledge of the neuroimmunology of multiple sclerosis, from experimental models and the human disease to the translation of this research to immunotherapeutic strategies. Chapters describe genetic and environmental factors underlying the disease pathogenesis of MS as a basis for development of immunotherapies, immunological markers of disease activity, pharmacogenetics, and responses to therapy. Immunomodulatory therapies currently in practice and future therapeutic strategies on the horizon?such as neuroprotective strategies, stem cells, and repair promotion?are discussed. Contributed by renowned leaders in the field, this cross-disciplinary volume is a great resource for basic scientists and clinical practitioners in neuroscience, neurology, immunology, pharmacology, and in-drug development.Provides an overview of recent findings and knowledge of the neuroimmunology of multiple sclerosis and the translation of this research to immunotherapy treatmentEdited by renowned leaders in the field of neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosisContains the latest resource material for basic and clinical scientists and practitioners in neuroscience, neurology, immunology, and pharmacology


We propose a family of location-based load balancing muting algorithms for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) called COBRA. In this approach, we combine local load balancing with shortest path routing to strike a balance between hop-count efficiency and load distribution. COBRA's advantages over traditional routing protocols are: (i) a significant reduction of hot-spot occurrences (i. e., nodes or areas of high congestion level), thus enabling longer uninterrupted operation of WSNs, (ii) a light-weight and scalable implementation that requires only local congestion updates, ideal for implementation on computationally challenged platforms, and (iii) combination of routing and congestion avoidance tasks in the protocol stack-a feature that leads to smoother TCP operation over wireless channels with fewer false positives on existing congestion and subsequent sending rate reduction by TCP. We show through simulation that COBRA's local load sensing in combination with a shortest path routing component is a promising paradigm that improves global performance in terms of throughput and scalability, while matching other protocols in the traditional energy efficiency objective.


Visual events are a composition of temporal actions involving actors spatially interacting with objects. When developing computer vision models that can reason about compositional spatio-temporal events, we need benchmarks that can analyze progress and uncover shortcomings. Existing video question answering benchmarks are useful, but they often conflate multiple sources of error into one accuracy metric and have strong biases that models can exploit, making it difficult to pinpoint model weaknesses. We present Action Genome Question Answering (AGQA), a new benchmark for compositional spatio-temporal reasoning. AGQA contains 192M unbalanced question answer pairs for 9.6K videos. We also provide a balanced subset of 3.9M question answer pairs, 3 orders of magnitude larger than existing benchmarks, that minimizes bias by balancing the answer distributions and types of question structures. Although human evaluators marked 86.02% of our question-answer pairs as correct, the best model achieves only 47.74% accuracy. In addition, AGQA introduces multiple training/test splits to test for various reasoning abilities, including generalization to novel compositions, to indirect references, and to more compositional steps. Using AGQA, we evaluate modern visual reasoning systems, demonstrating that the best models barely perform better than non-visual baselines exploiting linguistic biases and that none of the existing models generalize to novel compositions unseen during training.


Recursive spectral bisection (RSB) is a heuristic technique for finding a minimum cut graph bisection. To use this method the second eigenvector of the Laplacian of the graph is computed and from it a bisection is obtained. The most common method is to use the median of the components of the second eigenvector to induce a bisection. We prove here that this median cut method is optimal in the sense that the partition vector induced by it is the closest partition vector, in any ls norm, for $s\ge1$, to the second eigenvector. Moreover, we prove that the same result also holds for any m-partition, that is, a partition into m and (n-m)$ vertices, when using the mth largest or smallest components of the second eigenvector.


Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the skin secretions of amphibians are fundamental components of a unique defense system that has evolved to protect these hosts from microbial invasion. Medusins constitute a recently-discovered AMP family from phyllomedusine leaf frog skin and exhibit highly-conserved structural characteristics. Here, we report a novel medusin, medusin-PT, from the skin secretion of the Tarsier Leaf Frog, Phyllomedusa tarsius. The mature peptide was initially identified from its cloned biosynthetic precursor-encoding cDNA as obtained by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. Reverse-phase HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry confirmed both the presence of medusin-PT in the skin secretion and its primary structure. In a range of bioassays, medusin-PT exhibited antimicrobial activity against only the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus at 64 μg/ml. However, after directed changes to enhance the cationicity and amphipathicity of the peptide structure, three analog showed more potent antimicrobial activity against several additional bacteria including the antibiotic-resistant bacterium MRSA. In addition, these analog exhibited activity against microbial biofilm (minimum biofilm inhibitory and eradication concentrations of 32 μg/ml and over 64 μg/ml, respectively). These data provide evidence that medusins might be promising candidates as novel antibiotic leads and that the targeted modification of a natural AMP can both improve its efficacy so as to provide new insights into antibiotic design and development.


Organopolysilanes are expected to be used for future optical and electronic devices. Poly(di-methyl silane), [Si(CH/sub 3/)/sub 2/]/sub n/, the most fundamental organopolysilane, is not solved in organic solvent at room temperature. Therefore, we have proposed the vacuum evaporation technique in order to obtain thin films of poly(di-methyl silane). In this paper, optical and electrical properties of poly(di-methyl silane) thin films are examined. As a result, it is found that the electric conductivity parallel to the Si backbone is larger by about three orders of magnitude than that perpendicular to the Si backbone. Moreover, highly oriented poly(di-methyl silane) thin film prepared by the vacuum evaporation technique is applied to the dye-sensitized solar cell, and we have succeeded in fabricating the perfectly solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell using poly(di-methyl silane) thin film.


A thin silicon diode formed by a deep p/sup +/ implantation under a shallow n/sup +/ one is proposed as a solid state microdosimeter. The thickness of the sensitive volume of the tested device is about two micrometers and the active area is about ten millimeters square. Due to the very large electric capacitance of the diode (about 1 nF) a low noise read-out circuit based on a discrete JFET has been developed. The noise due to the parasitic resistance of the detector itself dominates and fixes the lower threshold of the energy spectrum. A prototype of the proposed microdosimeter covered with a polyethylene converter has been irradiated with fast monoenergetic neutrons at the INFN-Legnaro Labs (I). The first experimental spectra are in good agreement with the simulated ones. The effect of direct interactions of thermal neutrons in silicon has been measured.


The novel results of the R & D activity of TDI SIE SB RAS in the field of the optical measuring technologies, as well as laser technologies for solving safety problems are presented. To measure the rocks stress and to prevent the mountain impact, as well as for basic investigations, a set of optical-electronic deformers and systems was developed and produced. For permanent noncontact bearing position inspection of oil-drilling platforms on Sakhalin coast (Russia) we have developed optical-electronic method and system SAKHALIN with cumulative traveled distance (3 km) measurement error less than 0.03 %. Multifunctional laser technological system LSP-2000 equipped by two Nd-YAG lasers was developed for cutting, welding and surface micro profiling with ablation process (working range of 3 2 0.6 m 3 , positioning error less than 10 mkm). Safety of Russian nuclear reactors takes 100 % noncontact 3D dimensional inspection of all parts of fuel assemblies, including grid spacers. Results of development and testing the specialized high productive laser measuring machine, based on structured illumination, for 3D inspection of grid spacers with micron resolution are presented. Ensuring the safety of running trains is the actual task for railways. Using high-speed laser noncontact method on the base of triangulation position sensors, TDI SIE has developed and produced automatic laser diagnostic system COMPLEX for inspection of geometric parameters of wheel pairs (train speed up to 60 km/hr.), which are used successfully on Russian railroads. Experimental results on measuring and laser technological systems testing are presented.


Multivitamin use has been related to a modest reduced risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but evidence on its use after diagnosis in relation to survival has been limited. Incident, invasive CRC cases were identified through cancer registries from 1997–2008 and enrolled in four population-based sites of the Colon Cancer Family Registry (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Cancer Care Ontario, Mayo Clinic, and the Universities of Queensland and Melbourne). At enrollment, a standardized interview ascertained multivitamin use in the year prior to diagnosis. A follow-up questionnaire was administered approximately 5 years after baseline, with 2,586 participants providing information on their multivitamin use at both time points. Survival outcomes were identified through linkage to national death registries. Delayed-entry Cox regression was used to estimate the association between patterns of multivitamin use and overall or CRC-specific survival (Hazard Ratio (HR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI)), with survival time beginning at the 5-year follow-up survey. Models were adjusted for age at diagnosis, sex, body mass index, smoking history, stage, study center, and number of days from diagnosis to baseline survey. Over a median 4.8 years after the follow-up survey, 397 participants died (103 from CRC). Multivitamin use was common: at the 5-year follow-up, 37% reported continued use since before diagnosis, 12% had initiated use, 17% had discontinued use, and only 34% participants reported never using multivitamins. Compared to never use of multivitamins, continued use was significantly associated with increased subsequent overall survival (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55–0.91). However, this association did not reach statistical significance for CRC-specific survival (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.47–1.24). No significant association was observed for discontinuing (HR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.68–1.25) or initiating (HR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.55–1.13) multivitamin use from baseline to follow-up, compared to never users, though initiating use trended towards increased survival. These findings suggest that continuing multivitamin use after a CRC diagnosis may increase survival; replication and details on the specific micronutrients included are needed.


Seagrasses living in shallow coastal waters are regularly subjected to changes in environmental conditions including the two essential factors for photosynthesis: dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and irradiance. This thesis focuses on the photosynthetic responses of seagrasses to carbon limitation induced by community metabolism and/or high light intensities. Field sampling conducted in seagrass-dominated embayments along the Swedish west coast revealed that high pH and low levels of DIC caused by community photosynthesis are common in shallow coastal waters. These effects were found on a scale of a whole bay and were affected by the composition of the vegetation. Such carbon limitation and at the same time an increase in O2 concentration negatively affected photosynthesis of the seagrass species Zostera marina L. and Ruppia maritima L. by compromising carbon assimilation as well as enhancing photorespiration. In contrast to the results from the two seagrasses, it was found that gross photosynthetic rates did not increase under low O2 concentrations in the green alga Ulva intestinalis L., suggesting that its efficient carbon acquisition mechanisms are able to suppress photorespiration. The role of photorespiration in seagrass photosynthesis was further investigated in Z. marina. It was found that under conditions of carbon limitation, photorespiration provides the major alternative sink for electrons, sustaining substantial electron transport via photosystem II while the Mehler reaction has a smaller contribution as an alternative electron sink. Photorespiration was however not a significant component of the photoprotective mechanisms in Z. marina under high irradiance. Here the down-regulation of electron transport via non-photochemical quenching appeared to be the more efficient mechanism for dissipating excess energy. Overall, this study highlights the role of O2 in seagrass photosynthesis which appears to be of greater importance than previously envisaged, particularly in the productive waters where carbon availability is occasionally limited.


Carnitine, biosynthesized from the essential amino acid lysine, has been considered as the shuttling of long-chain fatty acid acyl residues into the matrix of mitochondria for beta-oxidation. This lysine-carnitine relation was studied in pregnant rats nourished with diets differing in lysine and protein content. Pregnancy seems to be a factor contributing to the increase of the free carnitine fraction and phospholipids in the liver, whatever the diet allowed. In the case of nonpregnant rats, free carnitine levels decrease and triglycerides increase in the liver when they are nourished with a low-protein and lysine-deficient diet.


Human papilloma virus (HPV) infections frequently cause cervical lesions of different morphologies. We have previously reported a 53.5% pregnancy rate after treatment in a group of women with infertility associated to HPV infection of the cervix uteri. In that paper it was stated that a controlled study should be conducted in order to confirm this finding. Present work was aimed to find if there is any correlation between HPV infections of the cervix uteri and infertility in a retrospective design using an historical cohort of patients studied between 1991 and 1996 in our clinic. A total of 61 women attending the Infertility Clinic at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia were included into two group. Group 1 (n = 45) included women with HPV lesions of the cervix and group II (n = 16) was formed by women with other type of cervical lesions who had no evidence of HPV infections on colposcopy. Cervico-vaginal citology, colposcopyc study and biopsy specimens were evaluated in all this medical records and the patients status (pregnant-not pregnant) at one year after treatment was registered. The mean duration time of infertility was 4.86 in group I and 3.5 in group II. Pregnancy rate was 16/45 (35.55%) in group I and 6/16 (37.5%) in group II. Seventy five percent of patients in group I and 66% in group II achieved a spontaneous pregnancy after specific treatment of cervical lesions whereas 25% and 33.3% required only ovarian stimulation with clomiphene or hMG. Pregnancies occurred approximately at 9 months after treatment in group I and at 7 months in group II. An association of cervical lesions and a tuboperitoneal factor (excluding endometriosis) was found on 53.57% of women in group I and on 46.66% of women in group II. Cervico-vaginal cytology was suspicious of HPV infection in less than 25% of cases. Present study emphasizes the need for a colposcopic study for the diagnosis of HPV infection in infertile women with cervical lesions even in cases with a negative cervico-vaginal cytology; because specific treatment of these lesions may yield spontaneous pregnancies. It also demonstrates that around 50% of patients with cervical lesions have an associated tuboperitoneal factor, which indicates that it is mandatory to study the possible participation of viral infections on tubal pathology.


A simple approach for fabricating an inexpensive, disposable pencil drawn microelectrode on paper for a two-electrode electrochemical system is developed. The morphology of the fabricated microelectrode was evaluated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical behaviors of the pencil drawn microelectrode have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry using ferrocyanide/ferricyanide as redox probes. Moreover, Prussian blue was successfully electrochemically deposited onto the pencil drawn microelectrode to detect hydrogen peroxide with a low detection limit of 0.05 μM and a wide linear range from 1.0 μM to 1300 μM (R = 0.997). This cheap and effective microelectrode fabrication method may offer a wide channel for developing lab-on-paper applications through an appropriate combination of graphite pencil traces and paper properties.


During the Iron Age, sea trade in the Mediterranean increased, particularly with the expansion of Phoenician and Greek colonies in the Western Mediterranean. A side effect of these human movements was the involuntary dispersion of commensal species, such as the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus). One archaeological layer dated from the 4th Century BC, coming from an Iberian village located in the Mediterranean coast of Spain, contained a large and reliable accumulation of small mammals. The presence of the house mouse was highly suspected within this layer. To assess its abundance quantitatively, we used a geometric morphometrics approach of the first lower molar contour using elliptical Fourier analysis. We also increased the power of the discrimination between the Algerian mouse (Mus spretus) and the house mouse by combining a dimension reduction approach together with different validation procedures. The relative importance of age, sex, and geographical origin onto the shape and form of the lower molar contour was also investigated. The results obtained demonstrate the presence and the dominance of the house mouse in the landscape surrounding the Iberian village in the 1st Millennium BC, only a few centuries after its arrival in the Western Mediterranean Basin. A cross-validated linear discriminant function considering different Mediterranean populations suggest Morocco and France as the most probable geographical origins for the Algerian mouse, and Tunisia for the origin of house mice in North-Eastern Spain. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102, 483–497.


Tephra layers occur as partings in Neogene coal beds from the Kenai Peninsula lowland, Alaska. The coal is time-equivalent with Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) cores from the Gulf of Alaska and along the Aleutian Islands and appears to preserve a more detailed but less complete record of volcanism. Coal from the lower Beluga Formation has abundant thin (<10 cm) and dispersed partings recording an eruption once every 125-500 yr of peat accumulation, probably coinciding with a volcanic pulse more than 10.5 m.y. ago. This pulse is not well recorded in nearby DSDP cores, possibly because of bioturbation and distance from source vents. Coal beds in the upper Beluga Formation were deposited during a period of reduced volcanic activity 10.5-7.5 m.y. ago and record volcanic events that occurred approximately every 9,000 yr. This is also manifested in a near absence of tephra layers in DSDP cores of equivalent age.

A volcanic pulse occurred about 7.5 m.y. ago, concurrent with the deposition of the lower Sterling Formation; however, intervals between volcanic events average 11,000 yr or longer. An absence of tephra layers in the Gulf of Alaska DSDP core for this time interval indicates that volcanic centers were distant. A dramatic change in frequency and magnitude of volcanism occurred about 5 m.y. ago. Tephra layers recur at intervals of 1,700-2,400 yr, and thicknesses of some layers exceed 2 m. This increase in volcanism is also recorded in DSDP cores.


On-the-job training (OJT) has been used successfully as a training procedure from the beginning of recorded history. OJT can be an effective training method or it can cause many problems by not providing the skills and knowledge needed by the workers. This paper report on data collected from an actual study and creation of an on-the-job training program at a manufacturing facility located in the Midwest. Literature was presented to define the concepts used in on-the-job training and steps that created a company called "job certification program". The training program was discussed, procedures defined and the reasons for using the different checklists and tests to insure validity and reliability. The development and overall success of the program was identified by using qualitative research methods through focus groups, interviews and observations. The main research method that was used was the random interview technique to identify employee response to the on-the-job training. Comments and summary impressions were expanded and identified in the discussion. ON-THE-JOB-TRAINING: EASY TO DO IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PROGRAM


Theory predicts that parallel evolution should be common when the number of beneficial mutations is limited by selective constraints on protein structure. However, confirmation is scarce in natural populations. Here we studied the major haemoglobin genes of eight Andean duck lineages and compared them to 115 other waterfowl species, including the bar‐headed goose (Anser indicus) and Abyssinian blue‐winged goose (Cyanochen cyanopterus), two additional species living at high altitude. One to five amino acid replacements were significantly overrepresented or derived in each highland population, and parallel substitutions were more common than in simulated sequences evolved under a neutral model. Two substitutions evolved in parallel in the αA subunit of two (Ala‐α8) and five (Thr‐α77) taxa, and five identical βA subunit substitutions were observed in two (Ser‐β4, Glu‐β94, Met‐β133) or three (Ser‐β13, Ser‐β116) taxa. Substitutions at adjacent sites within the same functional protein region were also observed. Five such replacements were in exterior, solvent‐accessible positions on the A helix and AB corner of the αA subunit. Five others were in close proximity to inositolpentaphosphate binding sites, and two pairs of independent replacements occurred at two different α1β1 intersubunit contacts. More than half of the substitutions in highland lineages resulted in the acquisition of serine or threonine (18 gains vs. 2 losses), both of which possess a hydroxyl group that can hydrogen bond to a variety of polar substrates. The patterns of parallel evolution observed in these waterfowl suggest that adaptation to high‐altitude hypoxia has resulted from selection on unique but overlapping sets of one to five amino acid substitutions in each lineage.


What makes a family? Diverse family configuration can take on a variety of unconventional forms; however government definitions decide who are fit for the privilege of recognition within legislative acts. Policy protects individuals and families who are established within the margins of political governance while others are excluded. For example, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/sexual and queer individuals and families rarely profit from their sporadic mention in Canada's legislation and experience a lack of visibility within early childhood education care settings. Furthermore, individuals who do not willfully pledge allegiance with the dominant culture's value system and create kinship outside the boundaries of heteronormative logic remain marginalized. The central question in this context begs for a theoretical argument as to why power is constructed and maintained as it is. Family identity discourse from a queer perspective could reform attitudes and policies where one form of family does not dominate over another.


Objectives: Postoperative regeneration of the middle ear mucosa and pneumatization of the middle ear cavity are of great importance after middle ear surgery. This study developed a new method to transplant autologous nasal mucosal epithelial cell-sheets into the damaged middle ear cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative healing after the transplantation of the cell sheets in rabbits. Methods: Rabbit nasal mucosal epithelial cell-sheets were fabricated from a temperature-responsive culture dish and transplanted into the damaged middle ear of the rabbit, which was surgically created. The healing of middle ears was evaluated with histological methods and computed tomography findings at 8 weeks after transplantation. Functional evaluation was performed by measuring the maximum middle ear total pressure reflecting a trans-mucosal gas exchange function. Two control groups were used: the normal control group and the mucosa-eliminated control group. Results: Transplantation of nasal mucosal epithelial cell-sheets suppressed the bone hyperplasia and the narrowing of pneumatic space in the middle ear cavity more clearly than the mucosa-eliminated control group. The mucosal gas exchange function was also found to be good in the cell sheet-transplanted group. These results suggest that posttransplanted middle ear cavity is not only morphologically but also functionally similar to the normal middle ear cavity. Conclusions: Nasal mucosal epithelial cell-sheet is confirmed to be useful as an effective graft material after middle ear surgery, and will hopefully become a novel therapy in the future.


BACKGROUND
Rivastigmine is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor used in the treatment of dementia. Patches with rivastigmine for transdermal delivery have been used to increase compliance and to reduce side effects.

CASE REPORT
We describe an 87-year old male with dementia treated with multiple rivastigmine patches (Exelon 9,5 mg/24 h) who developed nausea, vomiting and renal failure with disturbed electrolytes resulting in death. The symptoms occurred after six rivastigmine patches had concomitantly been erroneously applied by health care personnel on two consecutive days. The terminal cause of death was considered to be uremia from an acute tubular necrosis that was assessed as a result of dehydration through vomiting. The rivastigmine intoxication was assessed as having caused or contributed to the dehydrated condition. The medication error occurred at least partly due to ambiguous labeling. The clinical signs were not initially recognized as adverse effects of rivastigmine.

DISCUSSION
The presented case is a description of a rivastigmine overdose due to a medication error involving patches. This case indicates the importance of clear and unambiguous instructions to avoid administration errors with patches and to be vigilant to adverse drug reactions for early detection and correction of drug administration errors. In particular, instructions clearly indicating that only one patch should be applied at a time are important.


Technical, economic and environmental assessments of projected power-to-gas (PtG) deployment scenarios at distributed- to national-scale are reviewed, as well as their extensions to nuclear-assisted renewable hydrogen. Their collective research trends, outcomes, challenges and limitations are highlighted, leading to suggested future work areas. These studies have focused on the conversion of excess wind and solar photovoltaic electricity in European-based energy systems using low-temperature electrolysis technologies. Synthetic natural gas, either solely or with hydrogen, has been the most frequent PtG product. However, the spectrum of possible deployment scenarios has been incompletely explored to date, in terms of geographical/sectorial application environment, electricity generation technology, and PtG processes, products and their end-uses to meet a given energy system demand portfolio. Suggested areas of focus include PtG deployment scenarios: (i) incorporating concentrated solar- and/or hybrid renewable generation technologies; (ii) for energy systems facing high cooling and/or water desalination/treatment demands; (iii) employing high-temperature and/or hybrid hydrogen production processes; and (iv) involving PtG material/energy integrations with other installations/sectors. In terms of PtG deployment simulation, suggested areas include the use of dynamic and load/utilization factor-dependent performance characteristics, dynamic commodity prices, more systematic comparisons between power-to-what potential deployment options and between product end-uses, more holistic performance criteria, and formal optimizations.