In postmodernity, a range of digital technologies are used to store memories. These include digital cameras, ipods, memory sticks, and online repositories such as YouTube and Flickr. This process is not just personal. Mediated memories, such as songs stored on ipods and films stored on YouTube, often refer to collective experiences, whether those of a group of friends, or a global audience. Once stored, these memory files have the capacity to reinforce existing group identities, as well as creating new imagined communities, bound, for example, by the common experience of watching a YouTube film transmitted around the globe by email. These technologies can therefore be considered as vehicles not just of personal memory, but of cultural memory.

These technological mnemonic devices might appear as a substitute for the physical, bodily process of remembering. However, they do not function entirely separately from the body. Access to these digital archives can only be gained through human/digital interfaces, such as the computer screen and the ipod control pad. Each of these interfaces demands a certain mode of spectatorship on the part of the human user, and by engaging with the digital interface, the user's body and identity are to a certain extent transformed. For example, the ipod's white wires may confer on the user a status and identity as a techno-savvy participant in the global exchange of digital music.

Although many memory storage technologies do not use moving images, those that do, such as YouTube and digital film, operate in relation to discourses about the relationship between the moving image and the spectator that pre-date the digital era. The image of the dancing body has been integral to this discourse since the earliest films captured the routines of popular cabaret performers at the turn of the twentieth century. Baz Luhrmann's film Moulin Rouge! (2001), set in 1899 and produced using a combination of digital and analogue techniques, offers a contemporary reworking of this discourse. The film uses dance and music to invite viewers to enter convoluted circuits of popular cultural memory. Musical references to Nirvana and Fatboy Slim mingle with choreographies influenced by Hollywood musicals. The film has justly been called "a kind of movie museum" (McFarlane, 2001, p. 212).

Like many contemporary museums, this film seeks to physically involve its viewers in the experience of cultural remembering (and forgetting). The film's frenetic camerawork, rapid editing, and rich colours and textures seek to provoke a bodily reaction in the viewer, while the extensive DVD bonus features facilitate an interactive dissection and extension of the film text via the prosthetic device of the remote control. The spectator is invited to become a cyborg, affectively connecting with mediated images and sounds from the popular cultural past. As a cyborg, the spectator can physically enter into a network of historically, culturally and politically diverse bodies and viewing positions, and situate themselves in relation to various subcultural, national and transnational cultural identities. Moulin Rouge! therefore offers a posthuman experience of cultural memory for the digital age.

Works Cited

McFarlane, Brian (2001) 'Movies as Museum: Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge', Meanjin, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 212-217


We have fabricated and characterized lateral current injection (LCI) ridge-waveguide lasers formed by ion-implanted injectors. Comprehensive optical and electrical measurements have been performed over a wide temperature range (10 K-300 K) on two sets of lasers with differing ridge widths and active region structures. Several new phenomena unique to the LCI mechanism have been observed, including a positive differential resistance kink at threshold, and inverse temperature-dependencies of quantum efficiency and threshold current at cryogenic temperatures. Electron-hole mobility disparity, local carrier nonpinning above threshold due to photon-assisted ambipolar diffusion, and intrinsically higher current densities have been identified as the major factors governing these LCI laser characteristics. The results have important implications for future LCI laser design and ultimate performance.


Numerical instability has been a major obstacle to real-time cloth animation. Although the implicit method can make the simulation stable, it is still impossible to generate interactive animation when the geometric model of the virtual cloth is complex enough to represent realistic details. In this paper, we propose efficient animation techniques for the real-time animation of complex deformable objects. The proposed method exploits the stability of the implicit integration in order to use sufficiently large time steps for real-time environments, and obtains the approximate solution with optimized computation and storage. Unlike previous methods for real-time cloth animation, any severe simplification of the problem itself has been avoided in order to produce realistic motions of complex models. In addition, the proposed method deals with instability caused by a force derivative. This problem has been avoided in the previous work with excessive approximation or additional manipulation. However, the technique in this paper avoids instability with a minimal approximation, and does not increase any computational or geometric complexity. The method can be successfully integrated in various real-time environments, such as PC games and VR systems.


Molecule based crosslinking agents have been applied in perovskite solar cells to produce perovskites with better crystal quality, resulting in excellent optoelectronic performance of the solar cells. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of the crystal formation process mediated by the crosslinking agents have not been studied, especially in the cases where some molecules serve as good crosslinking agents, while others with very similar molecular structures do not. In this study, we theoretically investigate the structures and properties of the crosslinking agents and provide insights into the mechanisms of the crosslinking agent-mediated perovskite crystal formation. We demonstrate that the chain lengths in the crosslinking agents are of vital importance for the crystal formation in perovskite solar cells. This study helps in the understanding of the molecule based surface/interface engineering approach of perovskite solar cells.


Abstract While most economic studies of crime have examined the determinants of criminal activity, this paper asks the reverse question: how does crime affect economic behavior? We study the relationship between crime and savings in the cities of São Paulo, a wealthy but crime-ridden state in Brazil. Our empirical results suggest that property crime is associated with an increase in savings. However, we do not observe a relationship between violent crime and savings, findings that are consistent with the theoretical explanation as to why crime induces thriftiness. These results are robust to an extensive sensitivity analysis that includes: 1) the inclusion of a large set of demographic covariates when examining cross-city variation; 2) accounting for city and period fixed effects when studying cross-city variation over time; 3) accounting for sample selection; and 4) splitting the sample by population size and income. We provide evidence that the association is not driven by reallocation towards bank deposits in general, which are safer assets in high-crime environments. Finally, we find a similar impact using household consumption and savings data.


This paper prepared for European planned parenthood associations reviews the range of political and ethical reactions to new reproductive technologies. Planned parenthood federations are committed to ensure that women and human living material are protected both from unethical scientific manipulation and exploitation for profit and that candidates for infertility treatment are given appropriate counseling. Within these limits research into the causes and treatment of infertility has been encouraged. On the other hand so-called pro-life forces challenge research in this area on the grounds that the sanctity of human life may be violated. A more recent development has been the emergence of feminist opposition to reproductive research on the grounds that it threatens to lead to the expropriation of women as childbearers. The potential removal of reproduction from people is viewed as a further devaluation of womens status and concern is voiced that pre-embryo screening may take the form of benign eugenics. Feminists further argue that in vitro fertilization services are disproportionately available to white middle-class women. Finally it is feared that the incorporation of sex preselection into the population programs of Third World countries will become possible as a logical extension of current importation to developing countries of chemical contraceptives (eg Depo-Provera) regarded as unsuitable for use in the US. In the face of such arguments both from pro-life and feminist forces planned parenthood federations are urged to be clear about potential uses and abuses of the new reproductive technologies.


This volume assesses approaches to the construction of computer vision systems. It shows that there is a spectrum of approaches with different degrees of maturity and robustness. The useful exploitation of computer vision in industry and elsewhere and the development of the discipline itself depend on understanding the way these approaches influence one another. The chief topic discussed is autonomy.True autonomy may not be achievable in machines in the near future, and the workshop concluded that it may be more desirable - and is certainly more pragmatic - to leave a person in the processing loop. The second conclusion of the workshop concerns the manner in which a system is designedfor an application. It was agreed that designers should first specify the required functionality, then identify the knowledge appropriate to that task, and finally choose the appropriate techniques and algorithms. The third conclusion concerns the methodologies employed in developing vision systems: craft, engineering, and science are mutually relevant and contribute to one another. The contributors place heavy emphasis on providing the reader with concrete examples of operational systems. The book is based on a workshop held as part of the activities of an ESPRIT Basic Research Action.


Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a heterogeneous group of liver diseases characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver. The heterogeneity of NAFLD is reflected in a clinical and histologic spectrum where some patients develop isolated steatosis of the liver, termed nonalcoholic fatty liver, whereas others develop hepatocyte injury, ballooning, inflammation, and consequent fibrosis, termed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Systemic insulin resistance is a major driver of hepatic steatosis in NAFLD. Lipotoxicity of accumulated lipids along with activation of the innate immune system are major drivers of NASH. Lipid‐induced sublethal and lethal stress culminates in the activation of inflammatory processes, such as the release of proinflammatory extracellular vesicles and cell death. Innate and adaptive immune mechanisms involving macrophages, dendritic cells, and lymphocytes are central drivers of inflammation that recognize damage‐ and pathogen‐associated molecular patterns and contribute to the progression of the inflammatory cascade. While the activation of the innate immune system and the recruitment of proinflammatory monocytes into the liver in NASH are well known, the exact signals that lead to this remain less well defined. Further, the contribution of other immune cell types, such as neutrophils and B cells, is an area of intense research. Many host factors, such as the microbiome and gut–liver axis, modify individual susceptibility to NASH. In this review, we discuss lipotoxicity, inflammation, and the contribution of interorgan crosstalk in NASH pathogenesis.


Sir I am in sympathy with many of the views expressed by Westoll et al. in their letter on the Silurian-Devonian boundary published in vol. 127 part 3 of the Journal, and in particular with their contention that the claims of a boundary at the base of the M. ultimus Zone were not given sufficient consideration by the Silurian-Devonian Committee of the International Commission on Stratigraphy. Nevertheless, this committee finally voted almost unanimously in favour of a boundary at the base of the M. uniformis Zone and I believe that a world-wide referendum of interested geologists would also show overwhelming support for this boundary. It is not popular in Britain because of the extreme difficulty in recognising the equivalent level in our continental development but it is not to be expected that a chronostratigraphic boundary will be an easily mappable horizon throughout the world. We tolerate in this country a Permian-Triassic boundary which lies somewhere in the middle of our New Red Sandstone and we must now come to accept a Silurian-Devonian boundary which can only be vaguely positioned within hundreds of feet of poorly exposed and sparsely fossiliferous Old Red Sandstone. Stratigraphical boundaries are essentially arbitrary and the most important criterion is international uniformity in usage. This uniformity can only be achieved by the sacrifice of individual and national preferences and I consider that the interests of stratigraphy are best served in this instance by acquiescence in the international decision on the M. uniformis boundary. My support for the


This paper proposes a model-based approach for 3D facial shape recovery using a small set of feature points from an input image of unknown pose and illumination. Previous model-based approaches usually require both texture (shading) and shape information from the input image in order to perform 3D facial shape recovery. However, the methods discussed here need only the 2D feature points from a single input image to reconstruct the 3D shape. Experimental results show acceptable reconstructed shapes when compared to the ground truth and previous approaches. This work has potential value in applications such face recognition at-a-distance (FRAD), where the classical shape-from-X (e.g., stereo, motion and shading) algorithms are not feasible due to input image quality.


BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular complications remain the main cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-derived protein that carries important cardioprotective properties. We aimed at investigating the determinants of adiponectin levels in CKD patients.

METHODS
This prospective observational study included 98 CKD patients [glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 36.1+-14.4 ml/min, 56.5+-10.4 y, 63% male, 31% diabetics, and body mass index (BMI) 27.1+-5.2 kg/m²]. Evaluation of adiponectin (imunoenzimatic assay), laboratory parameters, nutritional status (subjective global assessment), total body fat (dual x-ray energy absorptiometry), and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat (computed tomography) was performed at baseline and after 12 months.

RESULTS
Adiponectin correlated with GFR (r = -0.45; p < 0.001), proteinuria (r = 0.21; p = 0.04), BMI (r = -0.33; p < 0.01), and visceral fat (r = -0.49; p < 0.001). In the linear regression analysis, the determinants of adiponectin levels were sex (female β = 3.8; p < 0.01), age (β = 0.14; p = 0.03), GFR (β = -0.15; p < 0.01) and visceral fat (β = -0.04; p < 0.001) (R² = 0.41). After 12 months, a progression of the disease was evidenced by the reduction of GFR (-1.6+-6.3 ml/min; p = 0.01) and increase of proteinuria (0.3+-0.8 g/d; p < 0.01). An accumulation of visceral fat was observed, from 97+-73 cm² to 111+-82 cm² (p < 0.001), with a concomitant reduction of adiponectin concentration, from 27.6+-7.5 mg/l to 22.2+-11.6 mg/l (p < 0.001). Body weight, BMI, total body fat, and subcutaneous abdominal fat remained unchanged. After adjustments for the baseline determinants of adiponectin, the increase in visceral fat was independently associated with overtime decrease in adiponectin levels (β = -0.04; p = 0.025; R² = 0.21).

CONCLUSION
Age, sex, renal function and visceral fat were independently associated with adiponectin levels in nondialyzed CKD patients. However, variation in visceral fat was the only predictor of variation in adiponectin levels over 12 months.


Background: Lenalidomide improves survival for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). However, the benefit of this treatment in patients with highrisk cytogenetic abnormalities is not well studied. We have previously reported in an initial sub-analysis of a large, open-label study (MM016 study) the effects of the most common unfavorable cytogenetic abnormalities on outcomes in MM patients treated with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone. Since then we have performed an update of this sub-analysis within a larger cohort of patients and a longer median follow-up time of 19.6 months.

Methods: The MM016 is a multicenter single arm open label expanded access program for Lenalidomide in relapsed and refractory MM. Patients received dexamethasone orally (40mg, days 1–4; 9–12 and 17–20 for 4 cycles, then days 1–4 beginning with cycle 5) and Lenalidomide 25mg orally on days 1–21 of a 28 days cycle. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we examined the influence of three most common and recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities [del(13q), t(4;14), and del(17p13)] in 130 patients with FISH results available for the three genomic aberrations. Blade criteria were used to define RR. TTP and OS were defined according to the international uniform response criteria.

Results: The median age was 61 yrs (31–84), 55.4% had ISS stage II or III, median beta2-microglobulin was 3.125 mg/L (1.1–16.75), median number of prior treatments was 2 (1–6) with 53.8% previously treated with thalidomide, 45.9% with bortezomib and 73.3% with SCT. Del(13q), t(4;14) and del(17p13) were detected in 54 (41.5%), 28(21.5%) and 12 (9.2%) of patients, respectively. The overall response RR (CR+PR) to len-dex was 83.1% (13.1% CR and nCR) and 76.4% for the del13q, 78.6% for t(4;14) and 58.3% for del17p patients. In univariate analysis the time-to-progression (TTP) hazard ratio (HR) for del(13q) and for t(4;14) were 1.563 ( P = .0479) and 1.680 ( P = .0470) respectively. However in multivariate analysis, neither the presence of either del(13q) nor t(4;14) did adversely affect TTP. Similarly neither of these genomic aberrations did affect overall survival (OS) hazard ratio with HR= 1.472 ( P = .1507) for del(13q) and HR=1.091 ( P = .788) for t(4;14). TTP (HR 2.626, P = .0032) and OS (HR 3.213, P =0.0016) were significantly worse with del(17p13) in univariate and multivariate analysis. Among the other variables studied prior thalidomide exposure did result in a shorter TTP (HR= 2.330; P = .0004) but not OS (HR= 1.690; P = .0612).

Conclusion: Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone can overcome the negative prognostic effect of high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities conferred by the presence of del(13q) and t(4;14), and represents a good treatment option for relapsed or refractory MM patients with these adverse cytogenetic profiles. (C linicaltrials.gov number , [NCT00179647][1].)

 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT00179647&atom=%2Fbloodjournal%2F112%2F11%2F1731.atom


Among current efforts to deconstruct the category "religion" is a tendency to problematize the secular/sacred distinction with the argument that it is simply the product of the distinctive history of post-Reformation Western Europe. The "secular," it is claimed, is a category employed to legitimize the modern state by establishing a boundary between the authority of the public sphere, in opposition to the privatized sphere of the individual religious practitioner. This paper analyses this argument as it is developed by Talal Asad and contrasts his "genealogy" of the secular with Dominique Colas' genealogy of the concept of "civil society". This comparison raises pragmatic and political concerns about Asad's perspective, and problematizes his description of Islamic subjectivity. The paper concludes by furthering Asad's reading of Walter Benjamin's understanding of allegory, in order to argue for the secular as a tragic category that continues to represent a vital theoretical and political concept.


A multiresolution control strategy is proposed for a digital signal processor (DSP)-controlled 400 Hz active power filter (APF) to reduce the real-time computational requirements. By rearranging the computational elements into high- and low-frequency control groups, the proposed control strategy takes best advantages of the DSP computation resources to increase the control frequency for the high computational group, which mainly determines the APF performance. Based on bandwidth features of different control plants in APF, detailed analysis is given to determine the control and sampling frequencies for these plants. Anti-aliasing filters are designed to avoid aliasing when downsampling scheme is used to further reduce computation resource. A 20 kVA prototype is set up to verify the validity of the proposed strategy and analysis. Experimental results show that the proposed control strategy meets the computational requirements for the control system using a DSP. The proposed control strategy achieves the total harmonic distortion as low as 5.7%, which meets the avionic DO-160F standard, and also exhibits good dynamic performance.


We recently reported that a neurosteroid analogue with T-channel-blocking properties (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile (3β-OH), induced hypnosis in rat pups without triggering neuronal apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that the inhibition of the CaV3.1 isoform of T-channels contributes to the hypnotic properties of 3β-OH in adult mice. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the role of other subtypes of voltage-gated calcium channels in thalamocortical excitability and oscillations in vivo during 3β-OH-induced hypnosis are largely unknown. Here, we used patch-clamp recordings from acute brain slices, in vivo electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, and mouse genetics with wild-type (WT) and CaV2.3 knock-out (KO) mice to further investigate the molecular mechanisms of neurosteroid-induced hypnosis. Our voltage-clamp recordings showed that 3β-OH inhibited recombinant CaV2.3 currents. In subsequent current-clamp recordings in thalamic slices ex vivo, we found that selective CaV2.3 channel blocker (SNX-482) inhibited stimulated tonic firing and increased the threshold for rebound burst firing in WT animals. Additionally, in thalamic slices we found that 3β-OH inhibited spike-firing more profoundly in WT than in mutant mice. Furthermore, 3β-OH reduced bursting frequencies in WT but not mutant animals. In ensuing in vivo experiments, we found that intra-peritoneal injections of 3β-OH were less effective in inducing LORR in the mutant mice than in the WT mice, with expected sex differences. Furthermore, the reduction in total α, β, and low γ EEG power was more profound in WT than in CaV2.3 KO females over time, while at 60 min after injections of 3β-OH, the increase in relative β power was higher in mutant females. In addition, 3β-OH depressed EEG power more strongly in the male WT than in the mutant mice and significantly increased the relative δ power oscillations in WT male mice in comparison to the mutant male animals. Our results demonstrate for the first time the importance of the CaV2.3 subtype of voltage-gated calcium channels in thalamocortical excitability and the oscillations that underlie neurosteroid-induced hypnosis.


Russell and Subramanian considered decision-making model of agent as an function, which maps environment sequence or percept to action. This depiction can't represent the effects of internal state of intelligent agent to action selection. Wooldridge considered internal state as basic condition of representing an intelligent agent. But in his decision-making model, action can affect internal state merely through changing environment. Thus, the internal state isn't suitable for including mental state of intelligent agents. Therefore, We put forward two decision-making models for intelligent agents with internal state. In these two models, the action of agents not only can affect environment, then affect the internal state of agents through the percept of environment, but also can directly affect the internal state itself. This depiction of internal state is fit to include the mental state of agent, thus provide a suitable model for the decision-making of intelligent agents.


HGV has been identified in patients with chronic hepatitis of unknown aetiology and the possibility that HGV may be the cause has been raised. We have analysed liver biopsies and PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) from 80 patients with chronic hepatitis and HGV-RNA in serum by PCR. In ten patients HGV-RNA was detected in liver, in five patients it was detected in PBMC and seven were positive in both specimens by PCR. Whether this agent resides and replicates in hepatocytes remains controversial and needs more studies.


At the very heart of our ambition as civil society
organisations is a commitment and belief that a more
equitable, just and inclusive Ireland is possible. The
members of the Community Platform are motivated
by a vision for Ireland in which development means an
increasingly fair society, and in which democracy is defined
by participation, engagement and pluralism.
The civil society organisations that comprise the Community
Platform share a commitment to creating a more just and
equal society, as well as the capacity to generate alternative
solutions. We recognise that we have a responsibility to
drive and to contribute to the emerging debate on the
nature of Irish society and democracy, which moves beyond
current realities to foster genuinely creative responses to
new and intransigent socio-economic challenges.
The Community Platform commissioned Dr Mary Murphy
and Professor Peadar Kirby to write this paper to inform
this process. We asked the authors to critically examine
existing models of development and responses to exclusion
and inequality, assessing progress to date, and to present
their analysis of alternative models of development that
Ireland could draw on. They have succeeded in presenting a
paper that poses many challenges and raises questions for
everyone concerned with anti-poverty, social inclusion and
equality in Ireland.
The paper explores the Irish economic success story that
has dominated debate over the last decade, assesses the
level of inequality that it has left in its wake, and speculates
about the general acceptance of this disparity. It raises
questions about the sustainability and values that underpin
that model of economic development in Ireland. The paper
addresses the role of civil society, from the perspective of
how it engages with the state, how the state has sought to
define that relationship, and the implications this has for
civil society organisations. It interrogates the role of the
state and the commonly held impression of a benign and
capable state committed to a project of national economic
and social development. Murphy and Kirby point out that
those driven to ensure that the market and market friendly
policies are an end in themselves rather than a means, have
won hands down the battle for ideas in Ireland.
of an alternative, more sustainable and equitable model
of development. Drawing on international practice and
outlining a number of alternative models of development
the authors seek to stimulate discussion about a more
just and equitable model of development. Perhaps most
importantly, they prompt us to begin to consider the
values that should inform any future sustainable model of
development. Never has this challenge been more urgent,
as governments all over Europe and the world move to
privatise profit and socialise loss. What the world is now
witnessing is much more than limited market failure, what
we are seeing is the systemic collapse of market capitalism,
and in particular financial capitalism. These realities have
implications for Ireland's development model, and in the
wake of Budget 2009 this paper seeks to contribute to
articulating a 'better Ireland'.
Everyday members of the Community Platform work for and
with children, women and men for whom the challenge of
voicing an alternative vision for Ireland is not a theoretical
luxury, but a very real, practical and urgent necessity.
This paper concludes that a better Ireland is possible and
asks us all to step up to the challenge of ensuring that it
becomes a reality. In a mature democracy - one that values
pluralism, diversity and governance - everyone has the
right to participate in generating an alternative vision, and
everyone shares the responsibility in ensuring we succeed.


BiFeO3 thin films were spin-coated on conductive indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrates by a simple sol-gel possess annealed at 470-590°C. The crystal structure of as-prepared BiFeO3 thin films annealed at different temperature was determined to be rhombohedral of R3m space and free of secondary phases was also confirmed. Cross section scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures revealed that the thickness of BiFeO3 thin film was about 320 nm. The double remanent polarization 2Pr of BiFeO3 thin film annealed at 500°C is 2.5 μC/cm2 without applied field at room temperature. Image of atomic force microscopy indicated that the root-mean-square surface roughness value of BiFeO3 thin film was 6.13 nm.


Floods are included in the natural hazards that can have devastating effects on human and the environment. North Khorasan province is one of the most flood-prone provinces in the country due to its topographic and geographical location and suffers damages from this natural disaster every year. This article deals with the synoptic study of a flood that occurred in the province using the analysis of land surface maps as well as 850 and 500 hPa pressure levels. The daily precipitation data from several synoptic stations in provinces affected by the selected systems were obtained from Iranian Meteorological Organization. The required data was extracted from the NCEP / NCAR archive on a regular network limited to zero to eighty degrees' east longitude and ten to sixty degrees' north latitude. Synoptic analyzes showed that crossing pressure patterns, over northeast of Iran can provide conditions for extreme weather events spatially gust fronts and sever convective rainfall in the region. High relative humidity and intense vertical velocity in the lower and middle levels of the troposphere are the main factors affecting heavy convective rainfall in the region; the former was due to the humid and warm southerlies winds at the surface and the latter was due to the cyclonic relative vorticity advection in the middle level troposphere.


PURPOSE
To compare both the efficacy and cost of nalbuphine and diphenhydramine in the treatment of intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus following Caesarean section.

METHODS
Eighty patients, undergoing elective Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia, were randomized, in a prospective, double-blind trial, to receive either nalbuphine (Group NAL) or diphenhydramine (Group DIP) for the treatment of SAB morphine-induced pruritus. All patients received an intrathecal injection of 10-12 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75% and 200 micrograms preservative free morphine. Postoperative pruritus was assessed, using a visual analogue scale (VAS), for 24 hr. Pruritus treatment was administered upon patient request and by a nurse blinded to the treatment given. Patients who failed to respond to three doses of the study drug were deemed treatment failures. Patient satisfaction was assessed with a questionnaire given 24 to 48 hr after surgery. Direct drug costs were calculated based on the pharmacy provision costs as of April 1996.

RESULTS
Eighty patients were enrolled and 45 requested treatment for pruritus. Patients treated with NAL (n = 24) were more likely to achieve a VAS score of zero with treatment (83% vs 43%, P < 0.01), had a higher delta VAS following treatment (4 +/- 2 vs 2 +/- 2, P < 0.003), and experienced fewer treatment failures (4% vs 29%, P < 0.04), than those treated with DIP (n = 21). Group NAL patients were also more likely to rate their pruritus treatment as being good to excellent (96% vs 57%, P < 0.004). Direct drug costs were higher for NAL than for DIP ($6.4 +/- 3.1 vs $1.7 +/- 0.7, respectively, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION
Nalbuphine is more effective than diphenhydramine in relieving pruritus caused by intrathecal morphine and the cost differences are small.


Paediatric pharmacology is a neglected area in terms of rational use of drugs. Wide differences have been observed in children's exposure to drugs between and within countries and regions. The aim of the current thesis is to investigate the determinants of drug prescription in paediatrics. Pharmacoepidemiology and the use of administrative databases can be a useful tool for this scope.

Data collected in regional and multiregional administrative prescription databases were analysed. Prevalence data by sex and age were calculated by dividing the number of drug users by the total number of male and female residents in each age group. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed with the aim to identify the determinants of drug prescriptions.

The studies showed quantitative and qualitative differences in drug prescription to children and adolescents among Italian regions and within regions. The prescription of a great number of different, redundant, active substances, even among experienced paediatricians, was found. A North-South trend was found in antiasthmatic and antibiotic prevalence, with an important association with average income at the area level. A confirmation of the high prevalence of these drugs and poor qualitative profile was also found.

Large heterogeneity was found in psychotropic drug prevalence among different Italian regions. Psychotropic drugs were scantly prescribed and some of the most used drugs were prescribed off-label. The analyses of the prescription of generic antibiotics showed that generic formulations are scantly prescribed by Italian paediatricians, and the lowest prescription rate of generic drugs was found in paediatricians who prescribe more antibiotics. Some quality indicators for antibiotic prescribing were developed at the paediatrician level. The youngest paediatricians and those who were not exposed to educational interventions showed a significantly worse quality of prescribing. The thesis provide some useful data for policy makers in order to improve the rational drug use in children.


Background: Maintaining the employees' health in work environments is one of the managers' responsibilities and paying attention to the related risk factors is important. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders and its relation to employees' workload at 118 call center in Sanandaj, Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study was conducted on all employees of the Sanandaj 118 call center. Nordic and NASA-TLX standard questionnaires were respectively used in order to collect the information related to the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and employees' workload. Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) method was used for evaluating the ergonomic risk factors at work stations. Data analysis was performed through SPSS 16.

Results: The results indicate a high mean of workload, and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders especially in the neck and lower back. Gender, body mass index, work shift, work experience, risk level of workload and ROSA final score were significantly related with most musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, a statistically significant relationship was observed between workload score and both body mass index and work experience.

Conclusion: Due to unsuitable workstations and high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, improving workstations must be considered. Also, utilizing interventional strategies for reducing workload dimensions associated with musculoskeletal disorders is essential.


might be a slight increase in the risk of microcephaly. We suggest that the most common types of CHD in DS i


In intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), 3D in-room imaging data is typically utilized for accurate patient alignment on the basis of anatomical landmarks. In the presence of non-rigid anatomical changes, it is often not obvious which patient position is most suitable. Thus, dose-guided patient alignment is an interesting approach to use available in-room imaging data for up-to-date dose calculation, aimed at finding the position that yields the optimal dose distribution. This contribution presents the first implementation of dose-guided patient alignment as multi-criteria optimization problem. User-defined clinical objectives are employed for setting up a multi-objective problem. Using pre-calculated dose distributions at a limited number of patient shifts and dose interpolation, a continuous space of Pareto-efficient patient shifts becomes accessible. Pareto sliders facilitate interactive browsing of the possible shifts with real-time dose display to the user. Dose interpolation accuracy is validated and the potential of multi-objective dose-guided positioning demonstrated for three head and neck (H&N) and three prostate cancer patients. Dose-guided positioning is compared to replanning for all cases. A delineated replanning CT served as surrogate for in-room imaging data. Dose interpolation accuracy was high. Using a 2% dose difference criterion, a median pass-rate of 95.7% for H&N and 99.6% for prostate cases was determined in a comparison to exact dose calculations. For all patients, dose-guided positioning allowed to find a clinically preferable dose distribution compared to bony anatomy based alignment. For all H&N cases, mean dose to the spared parotid glands was below 26 Gy (up to 27.5 Gy with bony alignment) and clinical target volume (CTV) V95% above 99.1% (compared to 95.1%). For all prostate patients, CTV V95% was above 98.9% (compared to 88.5%) and V50 Gy to the rectum below 50% (compared to 56.1%). Replanning yielded improved results for the H&N cases. For the prostate cases, differences to dose-guided positioning were minor.


The article addresses the problem of how to create sustainable change in health care. It builds on two case studies that examine endeavours to develop system innovations so that they deliver high quality services more efficiently. The innovation processes are studied through the lens of a multiple-level model of change. The model suggests that change takes place as the outcome of linkages between external pressures on the current regime, policy measures, and local initiatives. The results highlight the critical role of hybrid actors for (1) assuring the societal quality of the innovation, and (2) developing the embryo so that it is relevant beyond the local level. The up-scaling of an innovation embryo entails that local actors adopt a wider perspective and that policy-makers support the spreading of local innovations. The findings are thus useful for policy-makers and local developers.


Trigeminal neuralgia is a characteristic pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the fifth cranial nerve. Diagnosis is made on history alone: pain occurs in paroxysms, each pain lasts from a few seconds to several minutes, and no pain is experienced in between. The frequency of attacks ranges from four or five to hundreds a day, attacks can occur daily for weeks or months, or there can be months or years of pain remission. Pain is severe and described as intense, sharp, stabbing, or shooting—often like an electric shock. It can be triggered by light touch in any area innervated by the trigeminal nerve. Triggers include eating, talking, washing the face, wind, and cleaning the teeth. The condition can impair activities of daily living and lead to depression. Some people experience background pain of lower intensity for 50% of the time; this form of the disease is termed atypical trigeminal neuralgia, type 2 trigeminal neuralgia, or trigeminal neuralgia with concomitant pain. Neurological examination is usually normal but sensory and autonomic symptoms may be reported, and people with a long history of the disease may show subtle sensory loss. Key findings: efficacy of interventions


microRNAs (miRNAs) are small (21-23 nucleotides) single-stranded RNAs that play important roles in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The binding of miRNA to its specific target mRNAs at 3' UTR causes either degradation of the mRNAs or inhibition of protein translation. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNA participate in the regulation of almost every cellular process investigated and changes of their expressions are observed in human pathologies. In neurons the functions of miRNA pathway are just beginning to emerge. Recent studies have elucidated that miRNAs are dysregulated in neurological disorders and that they serve important roles in neural development. Subcellular localization of miRNA and miRNA machinery has also been identified in axons which suggests its involvement in axonal functions. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that miRNA pathway is involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in sciatic nerve after injury and that it plays a critical role for peripheral nerve regeneration. We performed sciatic nerve crush as our injury model on adult mice. A corresponding injury-regulated expression of miRNA machinery including components of RNA induced silencing complex (RISC) and Processing bodies (P-bodies) were observed in both western blot analysis and immuofluorescent staining. Microarray analysis followed by RT-qPCR confirmation revealed a group of miRNAs following injury-regulated expression patterns as well. The physiological importance of miRNA pathway in peripheral nerve regeneration was evaluated in inducible Dicer knockout mice. Blocking Dicer-dependent miRNA biogenesis significantly delayed peripheral nerve regeneration in behavioral tests electrophysiological studies and histological evaluations. The detrimental effect of Dicer ablation on regenerative axon growth was also shown in dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. A significant decrease in axon length and arborization was observed in vitro. To find the specific miRNAs involved in mediating axon growth 19 miRNAs differentially expressed after nerve injury were identified with miRNA array analyses. Functional analysis for injury-induced miRNAs has shown that miR-431 promoted axon growth in DRG neurons. Bioinformatics prediction followed by experimental approaches proved Kremen1 as a target gene for miR-431. A negative correlation between miR-431 and Kremen1 expression was confirmed at both mRNA and protein levels. Since Kremen1 inhibits the Wnt signaling enhanced axon growth after overexpressing miR-431 might be mediated through Wnt signaling. The findings of this study improve our understanding of the significant role that miRNA pathway plays in regenerative axon growth.


Abstract This paper addresses the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) to improve the level of service quality being provided by organizations today. A model is presented that identifies tasks a service firm should complete in adapting a TQM approach to continuous quality improvement. Implications and recommendations are also examined regarding the application of TQM to service organizations.


Mobile computing growth has led to a world connecting people, devices, organisations and appliances. This world of ubiquitous computing is served through multiple digital products and services, which provide value to the user. The user is the central player in this digital landscape and the importance of identifying and understanding the user is significant to the creators of digital products and services, or digital innovation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between digital identity and digital innovation in the context of mobile computing. Exploring this relationship will help further the understanding of whether the presence of digital identity has a positive influence on digital innovation. The exploratory study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative strategies within an inductive approach in order to understand the concepts of digital identity and digital innovation. The Holmström-Nylen (2015) Framework was amended to measure the presence of digital innovation in the product or service and also to classify the relationship between digital identity and digital innovation. The results identified a series of themes and causalities between the implementation of digital identity and mobile computing for digital product or service. The results also suggested a possible relationship between digital innovation and digital identity, depending on the surrounding organisational factors, however there was not enough conclusive evidence of an enabling role between digital identity and digital product or service innovation.


Occupational safety and health is traditionally a challenging area in the labor-intensive construction industry as accidents at work and non-ergonomic work conditions lead to absences and premature retirement of construction workers. Recently, the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its accompanying technologies (e.g. wearable technologies) has enhanced interest in the occupational safety and health of construction work. The level of technology acceptance among construction workers is a crucial element in the adoption of these technologies. The main objectives of this study are to enhance understanding about construction workers' attitudes towards IoT-based data-intensive work safety and wellbeing solutions and to identify factors that can promote technology adoption. Data for the study was collected through an online survey of 4385 construction workers. Based on the survey data it seems that construction workers would accept the sharing and utilizing data collected from them in the worksite environment if it could help identify employee personal health risks or promote personal and colleagues' occupational safety. Respondents were most concerned about privacy and security regarding wearables in the workplace. It can be concluded that user acceptance and trust building are key components in the adoption of IoT-based occupational safety and health solutions. Future studies should investigate methods for actively involving construction workers in the design and development process of IoT-based work safety solutions and examine technological solutions that promote trust building among construction workers.


Sperm genome condensation is mainly important as the genome expression should be repressed until it is fertilised with oocyte. In most of the mammals, protamines play an important role in genome condensation. In humans, histone variants were present in germ cells when compared with somatic cells. How suc-cessful replacement of histones by protamines occurs in most of the mammals is an interesting question. Little information is known about transition proteins that replace histones with protamines. Apart from condensation, which mechanisms prevent expression of X and Y chromosomes in sperm is to be studied. If exposed to genotoxic agents like Metosartan that damage testes should also be considered, in order for assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilisation to succeed.


Abundance estimates for black bears (Ursus americanus) are an important tool for effective management. Recent advancements in DNA technology have enabled genetic tagging mark-recapture population estimates using DNA from hair samples. I conducted a population estimate using genetic tagging in 2 study sites presumed to have different bear densities in northern New Hampshire (Pittsburg and Milan). To test repeatability, I conducted the genetic tagging estimates in 2 consecutive years. I also compared these estimates to those derived from traditional methods used by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) using hunter harvest and mortality data. I found that the density estimates produced from the genetic tagging methods were consistent in the 2 years, and were similar to those derived from traditional methods. In 2006, the estimated number of bears in Pittsburg (315 km2) was 70, corresponding to a density of 0.16-0.28 (95% CI) bears/km2 . In 2007, the Pittsburg (400 km2) estimate was similar: 78 bears with a density of 0.15-0.24 bears/km2. In Milan (440 km2) during 2006, the estimated number of bears was 106 corresponding to a density of 0.13-0.35 bears/km2. The 2007 Milan estimate (371 km2) was similar with 99 bears and a density of 0.19-0.34 bears/km2. While the traditional methods may be appropriate and more cost effective for density estimation at a regional scale, I found that the genetic tagging methods were able to detect demographic variation at a local scale. In addition to generating population estimates, I used the genetic information to identify population and spatial genetic structure and to determine if landscape features such as roads and rivers caused resistance to gene flow. I tested for population distinction using the program STRUCTURE, FST values, and a mean relatedness function. I used a Mantel test of isolation by distance and spatial autocorrelation for the spatial analyses. To assess landscape resistance, I used an analysis of mean relatedness between subpopulations divided by landscape features. Through consensus, I found that the 2 study sites were genetically distinct (F ST = 0.024, P = 0.05). I also found a positive relationship between genetic and geographic distance (R = 0.13, P>0.0001), and that females showed spatial autocorrelation through 5 km. Regarding landscape resistance to gene flow, I found that the presence of Route 3 in Pittsburg did not cause genetic differentiation between subpopulations on either side of the road, while the Route 16-Androscoggin River corridor in Milan influenced the genetic population structure of females.


Phosphorylation of neurofilament-L protein (NF-L) by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) inhibits the reassembly of NF-L and disassembles filamentous NF-L. The effects of phosphorylation by A-kinase on native neurofilaments (NF) composed of three distinct subunits: NF-L, NF-M, and NF-H, however, have not yet been described. In this paper, we examined the effects of phosphorylation of NF proteins by A-kinase on both native and reassembled filaments containing all three NF subunits. In the native NF, A-kinase phosphorylated each NF subunit with stoichiometries of 4 mol/mol for NF-L, 6 mol/mol for NF-M, and 4 mol/mol for NF-H. The extent of NF-L phosphorylation in the native NF was nearly the same as that of purified NF-L. However, phosphorylation did not cause the native NFs to disassemble into oligomers, as was the case for purified NF-L. Instead, partial fragmentation was detected in sedimentation experiments and by electron microscopic observations. This is probably not due to the presence of the three NF subunits in NF or to differences in phosphorylation sites because reassembled NF containing all three NF subunits were disassembled into oligomeric forms by phosphorylation with A-kinase and the phosphorylation by A-kinase occurred at the head domain of NF-L whether NF were native or reassembled. Disassembling intermediates of reassembled NF containing all three NF subunits were somewhat different from disassembling intermediates of NF-L. Thinning and loosening of filaments was frequently observed preceding complete disassembly. From the fact that the thinning was also observed in the native filaments phosphorylated by A-kinase, it is reasonable to propose the native NF is fragmented through a process of thinning that is stimulated by phosphorylation in the head domain of the NF subunits.


This article identifies and documents a trend in State practice over the past decade or so, regarding the impact of sea level rise on the lawfully determined limits of maritime zones and the existing maritime boundaries. It juxtaposes this development with the findings and recommendations of two committees of the International Law Association in 2012 and 2018 – the Committees on Baselines and Sea Level Rise – and examines the role played since 2019 by the International Law Commission. It explores the implications of emerging State practice for the interpretation of the rules and principles of the 1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention. It documents the complex interactions between the findings of international law scholarship and the evolution of State practice, and concludes that this interaction has played an important role in facilitating legal certainty and stability in the development of a response to this increasingly pressing international law issue.


This paper discusses the development and application of a prestack method that scans for the average vertical velocity ratio (VP/VS) value, generally referred to as γ0, and the stacking velocities of multicomponent seismic data using a converted-wave (PS) nonhyperbolic traveltime equation. The procedure entails computing semblance as a function of two variables namely, the PS stacking velocity VPS, and γ0, with respect to the PS zerooffset time tps0. The results are displayed in 2D plots. We tested the procedure using numerical data sets and real data sets from the Blackfoot Field in Southern Alberta. We observed that the γ0 values from the scanning method agree reasonably well with theγ0 values from the well log of Well 09-08 located at the CDP location at which the analysis was performed. In addition, when these γ0 estimates are used for PS-PP time mapping, the time difference between the computed and actual PP time at the target level is found to be 10 ms; being an error of less than 3%.


There is currently no consensus regarding how to intervene in anaesthetic‐induced hypotension. Whether or not the balance between cerebral oxygen supply and demand is maintained lacks adequate elucidation. It is thus intriguing to explore how cerebral tissue oxygen saturation is affected by anaesthetic‐induced hypotension. Thirty‐three patients scheduled for elective non‐neurosurgical procedures were included in this study. Physiological measurements were performed immediately before induction with propofol and fentanyl and after tracheal intubation. Mean (SD) Bispectral index decreased from 84.3 (9.3) to 24.4 (8.0) (p < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure decreased from 84.4 (10.6) mmHg to 53.6 (11.4) mmHg (p < 0.001). However, cerebral tissue oxygen saturation remained stable (67.0 (9.4) % vs 67.5 (7.8) %, p = 0.6). These results imply that the fine balance between cerebral oxygen supply and demand is not disrupted by anaesthetic‐induced hypotension. An interpretation based on neurovascular coupling and cerebral autoregulation is proposed.


Electromechanical devices are used in a wide range of dynamic applications, from hard disk drives to levitating trains; therefore any improvements in the dynamic performance of such devices would be of significant academic and commercial benefit. This thesis presents theoretical and experimental analyses of shorted turns (conductive loops inductively coupled to a coil). The effect of shorted turn design parameters was investigated using electromagnetic actuator models, measuring force and electrical impedance, with the aims of increasing dynamic range and stability. It was found that a shorted turn reduces the motor constant at high frequencies; it does however significantly improve the transient response of the total coil current. This would suggest that although a shorted turn is likely to reduce the peak force, with the correct shorted turn configuration an increase in acceleration may be apparent; this would be particularly beneficial for positioning actuators with fast response time, such as those found within hard disk drives. A shorted turn was also found to provide damping, attributed to eddy-currents, which reduced resonance in tests. Utilising an inductively-coupled secondary coil it was possible to control the shorted turn effect, switching it on and off as desired. This could be applied in practice: the shorted turn could be passive in the acceleration phase and active in the deceleration phase, potentially leading to improvements in the dynamic performance.


Dust has been recognized as the most serious occupational health hazard across the South African Mining Industry. During 1998 more than 5600 mineworkers were certified with silicosis, a silica related lung disease. The objective of this research project is to describe the trend in respirable dust concentrations in four underground gold mines for the period 1999 to 2002. The mines under discussion are situated in the Klerksdorp area and they were selected because they are a typical representation of deep underground gold mines. Typical gold mines use the same method of ventilation distribution and have similar dust sources e.g. breaking, transporting and tipping of rock. They are all situated in the same geographical area and all make use of conventional mining methods. A total of 4645 previously collected personal respirable dust samples were analysed for this research report making use of a central laboratory situated in the Klerksdorp area. The respirable dust samples were collected by the Occupational Hygienists appointed on the mines for control purposes over the years 1999 to 2002. The arithmetic mean respirable dust concentrations for the four mines in discussion was 0,39mg/m in 1999, 0,33mg/m in 2000, 0,30mg/m in 2001 and 0,31mg/m in 2002 against the mine's internal target of 0,4mg/m. The report shows a statistically significant downward trend in the proportion of measurements below 0,4mg/m for mines 1, 2 and 3. The percentage of respirable dust samples above the internal target of 0,4mg/m was 6,78% in 1999, 6,15% in 2000, 4,71% in 2001 and 4,38% in 2002. Although there is a general downwards trend in the percentage of samples above the target, there is an increase in the number of samples above the target. In 1999, 202 samples were above, 310 in 2000, 402 in 2001 and 361 in 2002. The key limitation to the project is the integrity of the data. The major limitations identified include non compliance with the sampling strategy. There is no guarantee that the instrumentations were worn on the body for the whole shift or whether any tampering of the gravimetric pumps took place. The sampling strategy measures all occupations, but all occupations do not receive the same type and amount of exposure, making it impossible to allocate exposure to a certain workplace. Samples could get affected during storage and transport. The most recent audits on the mine's central laboratory show 100% compliance with the required standards. The mines under study are well in line with the DME requirements on the guidelines for a measurement strategy of airborne pollutants. The gravimetric sampling strategy includes the scheduling of samples managed by the electronic database system. Although the report indicates that the results are pointing in the right direction, the integrity of the data should be tested continuously. Supervision of the pump wearers is of great concern and training of these wearers is essential for explaining the purpose of the personal monitoring strategy. There is a scarcity of published information on respirable dust concentrations in underground gold mines and further research is required.


In this paper, we use tools from rate-distortion theory to establish new upper bounds on the generalization error of statistical distributed learning algorithms. Specifically, there are $K$ clients whose individually chosen models are aggregated by a central server. The bounds depend on the compressibility of each client's algorithm while keeping other clients' algorithms un-compressed, and leverage the fact that small changes in each local model change the aggregated model by a factor of only $1/K$. Adopting a recently proposed approach by Sefidgaran et al., and extending it suitably to the distributed setting, this enables smaller rate-distortion terms which are shown to translate into tighter generalization bounds. The bounds are then applied to the distributed support vector machines (SVM), suggesting that the generalization error of the distributed setting decays faster than that of the centralized one with a factor of $\mathcal{O}(\log(K)/\sqrt{K})$. This finding is validated also experimentally. A similar conclusion is obtained for a multiple-round federated learning setup where each client uses stochastic gradient Langevin dynamics (SGLD).


Screening for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is recognised to be present in 30%–60% of children with Down syndrome (DS) compared with 0.6%–2% of the general population, is controversial. Untreated, OSA can lead to complications such as pulmonary hypertension, behavioural problems and failure to thrive. However, the best screening tool remains debatable. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) guidelines1 recommend screening children with DS with overnight oximetry and referring those with abnormal results for polysomnography. However, in our experience, oximetry remains insufficiently sensitive to detect the majority of cases.

We performed a three-stage study to determine the effectiveness of current diagnosis and screening for OSA in DS patients. A retrospective case review from 2007 to 2009 and …


As a 1-D nanostructural material, carbon nanotube (CNT) has attracted lot of attention and has been used to build various nanoelectronic devices due to its unique electronic properties. In this paper, a reliable and efficient nanomanufacturing process was developed for building single-CNT-based nanodevices by depositing the CNTs on the substrate surface and then aligning them to bridge the electrode gap using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanomanipulation. With this technology, single CNT-based IR sensors have been fabricated for investigating CNT's electronic and photonic properties. The fabrication of single-CNT-based IR sensors demonstrated the reliability and efficiency of the nanomanufacturing process. Experimental tests on single-multiwalled-CNT-based IR sensors have shown much larger photocurrent and quantum efficiency than other reported studies. It has also been shown that a high signal to dark current ratio can be accomplished by single-walled-CNT (SWNT) based IR sensors. Moreover, the testing of SWNT-bundle-based IR sensors verified that the performance of CNT bundle/film-based nanoelectronic devices was limited by the mixing of semiconducting CNTs and metallic CNTs, as well as the unstable CNT-CNT junctions in a CNT bundle or network.


Biomes are very large areas on the earth's surface, with animals and plants adapting to their environment. Biomes plus all of the associated environmental factors within the field of ecology make up an ecosystem. Desserts, forests, grasslands,oceans etc


We conducted on-road and simulator studies to explore the mechanisms underpinning driver-rider crashes. In Study 1 the verbal protocols of 40 drivers and riders were assessed at intersections as part of a 15km on-road route in Melbourne. Network analysis of the verbal transcripts highlighted key differences in the situation awareness of drivers and riders at intersections. In a further study using a driving simulator we examined in car drivers the influence of acute exposure to motorcyclists. In a 15 min simulated drive, 40 drivers saw either no motorcycles or a high number of motorcycles in the surrounding traffic. In a subsequent 45-60 min drive, drivers were asked to detect motorcycles in traffic. The proportion of motorcycles was manipulated so that there was either a high (120) or low (6) number of motorcycles during the drive. Those drivers exposed to a high number of motorcycles were significantly faster at detecting motorcycles. Fundamentally, the incompatible situation awareness at intersections by drivers and riders underpins the conflicts. Study 2 offers some suggestion for a countermeasure here, although more research around schema and exposure training to support safer interactions is needed.


A facile strategy for the introduction of tert-butyl and hexyl chains to the indolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazole
scaffold is presented. With these building blocks six materials based on three different 4,4ʹ-bis(N-
carbazolyl)-1,1ʹ-biphenyl derivatives with varying degree of planarization were prepared.
Characterization of the materials showed that the alkyl chains have only minor effects on the
photophysical properties of the compounds. In contrast, thermal robustness towards decomposition
and electrochemical stability are increased by the introduced alkyl chains. Detailed investigation of
the solubility in five different solvents revealed that the incorporation of the alkyl chains increases the
solubility significantly. The increased solubility of the materials allowed the application as host
materials in red, green and blue solution processed PhOLEDs. Hence, this work presents the first
solution processed OLED devices based on the indolo[3,2,1-jk]carbazole scaffold.


INTRODUCTION
Husbandry conditions for rabbits in Switzerland are at a high animal welfare level in international comparison. Wire mesh flooring is prohibited and group housing is mandatory up to the age of eight weeks. Despite these animal-friendly husbandry standards, animal losses seem to be a significant problem, although reliable data on professional Swiss meat rabbit production is lacking to date. A herd survey was carried out in 52 rabbit farms to address this situation. At the same time, each new litter and each fattening group was documented with a standardized form focusing on animal death and the use of medication by the farmer over a one year period. In the case of increased mortality or new health problems, dead rabbits were sent to the National Reference Center for Poultry and Rabbit Diseases (Zurich) for pathological examination including bacteriological and parasitological diagnostics. Data from 32 farms were evaluated. The average mortality of young animals (birth to weaning) was 14.9% (1.0-30.0%) and of fattening rabbits (weaning to slaughter) 17.3% (4.3-31.8%). Intestinal diseases, mainly dysentery, intestinal coccidiosis and mucoid enteropathies, were the primary cause of death (68.2%). Eimeria spp., Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens were identified as the most frequent pathogens. Respiratory diseases were found in 18.7% of the examined rabbits, with Pasteurella multocida identified as the most common pathogen. 60.0% of the farms used antibiotics during the study period and a third (34.7%) of all the fattening animals were medicated with at least one antibiotic. The present results confirm that despite high animal welfare standards infectious diseases and mortality rates represent a considerable problem in professional Swiss meat rabbit production. Risk factors of increased morbidity and mortality should be identified to improve rabbit health, to reduce the high mortality rate and the extensive use of antibiotics in professional Swiss meat rabbit production. Practicable management improvements with specific prevention strategies should be developed.


PURPOSE
Previous studies have presented conflicting findings regarding the protective effects of circulating sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) on ischemic stroke (IS). This study aimed to assess the causal effect of SHBG on IS using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and to identify potential mediators.

METHODS
First, the causal effect of SHBG on any IS (AIS), cardioembolic stroke (CES), large artery stroke (LAS), and small vessel stroke (SVS) was assessed by inverse variance weighed (IVW) method. Two additional MR methods (weighted median and MR-Egger) were used to supplement the IVW results. Subsequently, a two-step MR was further performed to assess whether three glycemic profiles [fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)] and five lipid profiles (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides) mediated the causal effect. Furthermore, Cochrane's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO global test, and leave-one-out analysis were performed for sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS
The IVW results showed that SHBG significantly reduced SVS risk (odds ratio= 0.60, 95% confidence interval: 0.47-0.77, P = 4.60E-05). The weighted median and MR-Egger results were parallel to IVW. However, no significant associations were found between SHBG and AIS, CES, and LAS. Mediation analysis indicated that HbA1c may be involved in SHBG reducing SVS risk. Sensitivity tests demonstrated the reliability of causal estimates.

CONCLUSIONS
Circulating SHBG levels may decrease SVS risk by lowering HbA1c levels. Therefore, individuals with low circulating SHBG levels should focus on glycemic control to reduce future SVS risk.


The paper presents a summary of six studies on the transition from junior to senior sports conducted by Swedish master's students under the author's supervision. All the studies were qualitative and used the developmental model (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004) and the athletic career transition model (Stambulova, 2003) as theoretical frameworks. Ekengren (2003) studied male handball players in the transition. Josefsson (2004) conducted an intervention case study of a female track-and-field athlete in the transition. Hornbrinck and Bage (2005) interviewed female football players who made successful transition to the senior national team. Mavroidis (2005) focused on the role of coaches in the transition of male football players. Vujic (2006) contrasted one successful and one crisis transitions in swimming. Stolze (in progress) follows the transition of four female football players longitudinally. To summarise, the studies demonstrate that the transition from junior to senior sports relates not only to a sport context. Besides new challenges in practice and competitions, the athletes experience new demands in psychological development (identity formation, striving for independence), in psychosocial (importance of socializing, having friends/love), and in academic/vocational development (higher education/professional choice demands). As a result, the athletes are under high life stress and need to find time/energy for everything. The successful transition lasts one-three years depending on the resources/barriers balance and coping strategies. Career planning, balancing lifestyle, stress/time/energy management, effective recovery are important issues helping athletes to develop internal resources to cope. Continuity in coaching and significant others' psychological support are the most valued external resources for the transitional athletes.


Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best approximation to global renal function and its estimation is of great relevance for clinical practice. Since the measurement of GFR by reference methods is complex, costly and not widely available, its routine evaluation is performed using endogenous biomarkers. Within these, creatinine is the most commonly used. It allows the estimation of GFR by means of its clearance or by formulas based on its concentration on plasma. Creatinine measurement should be performed using enzimatic methods as they confer more accurate values than Jaffe methods, especially for normal and low creatinine levels.


Abstract We report on the petrology, microstructure, and seismic properties of 44 peridotite xenoliths extracted from the upper mantle beneath Marie Byrd Land (MBL), West Antarctica. The aim of this work is to understand how melt-rock reaction, refertilization, and deformation affected the seismic properties (velocities, anisotropy) of the West Antarctic upper mantle, in the context of MBL tectonic evolution and West Antarctic Rift System formation. Modal compositions, mineral major element compositions, microstructures, and crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) provide evidence for diachronous reactive melt percolation and refertilization. Olivine shows three main CPO patterns, the A-type, axial-[010], and axial-[100] texture types. Average seismic properties of the MBL mantle lithosphere are mainly controlled by the strength of olivine crystallographic texture. Reactive melt percolation and refertilization likely modified seismic velocities and anisotropy, as is suggested by a systematic decrease in maximum P-wave and S-wave anisotropies with increasing modal abundance of pyroxene. At larger spatial scales, the seismic properties of the MBL mantle xenoliths are dominated by the anisotropy resulting from the A-type olivine CPO. Variations between individual volcanic centers, however, attest to spatial variations in the mantle structure, potentially related to 3-D deformation and the prolonged tectonic history of MBL. Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5315261


The yield of oxidative phosphorylation in isolated tomato fruit mitochondria depleted of free fatty acids remains constant when respiratory rates are decreased by a factor of 3 by the addition of n-butyl malonate. This constancy makes the determination of the contribution of the linoleic acid-induced energy-dissipating pathway by the ADP/O method possible. No decrease in membrane potential is observed in state 3 respiration with increasing concentration of n-butyl malonate, indicating that the rate of ATP synthesis is steeply dependent on membrane potential. Linoleic acid decreases the yield of oxidative phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner by a pure protonophoric process like that in the presence of FCCP. ADP/O measurements allow calculation of the part of respiration leading to ATP synthesis and the part of respiration sustained by the dissipative H+re-uptake induced by linoleic acid. Respiration sustained by this energy-dissipating process remains constant at a given LA concentration until more than 50% inhibition of state 3 respiration byn-butyl malonate is achieved. The energy dissipative contribution to oxygen consumption is proposed to be equal to the protonophoric activity of plant uncoupling protein divided by the intrinsic H+/O of the cytochrome pathway. It increases with linoleic acid concentration, taking place at the expense of ADP phosphorylation without an increase in the respiration.


Jeng and Wells (2000) initialized the examination of venture capital (VC) determinants across countries. Meanwhile, we enlarge their scope using aggregated VC funding in 118 countries, 78 being considered emerging markets, using panel data from 2000 to 2013. We show that M&A activity, legal rights and investor protection, innovation, IP protection, corruption and also corporate taxes and unemployment have impact. We reveal the economic magnitude and direction of impact of the determinants to be different for the two country categories for several parameters, enhancing previous research by emphasizing that VC investment drivers can be different for developed and developing countries.


The Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005 (Cth) ("WorkChoices") presented significant changes to the Industrial Relations regime in Australia with new statutory minimum standards in conditions of employment, a shift towards individual based workplace agreements and a complete overhaul of the administrative process. The Australian Government in enacting WorkChoices stated the need for a system that ensures fair pay for employees and flexibility in workplaces to enable employees to meet both family and workplace responsibilities. In this article we critique the likelihood of those aims being achieved. Our holistic analysis shows that the impact of WorkChoices on women is in fact particularly severe. We examine aspects of the cultural landscape, which contribute to gendered implications for workplace agreement process and outcomes. The result appears to be continued pay inequity, gender stratification–both horizontal and vertical–in the workforce and women's shouldering of the double load with increased workforce participation while upholding their substantial family responsibilities. The findings have implications for the heralded industrial relations amendments. Evidence of Excellence is the journal's B ranking and its focus on law reform since the authors' research is intended to be of practical use.


The technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework provides an understanding of a teacher's knowledge in the three areas and how it is used to effectively teach with technology (Koehler, Mishra, & Cain, 2013). This study explores the TPACK of middle and high school math and special education teachers and how teachers integrate technology in their mathematics classrooms. Teachers in a rural public school district in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S were surveyed. In the concurrent mixed-method design, data were collected using a survey with 22 close-ended questions from Zelkowski, Gleason, Cox, & Bismark (2013) to measure teachers' TPACK (Likert scale of 1 to 5) and 7 open-ended questions regarding technology integration.  Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data while a two-cycle coding process, using holistic and pattern coding (Saldana, 2013), was used to analyze and identify themes of the qualitative data. The quantitative data showed that teachers were most confident in their pedagogical knowledge and least confident in their technical knowledge. The themes that emerged for technology integration reflected conceptual understanding, teaching strategies, time and student engagement. The high confidence in pedagogical knowledge is reflected in how teachers integrate technology, which was pedagogical in nature.


An overview of the results from various searches for charged Higgs bosons (H$^{\pm}$) is presented, based on data from proton-proton collisions delivered by the CERN LHC and recorded by the CMS experiment. These include the first running period (Run 1) legacy results at a $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb$^{-1}$, as well as the most recent results with the second running period Run 2 at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Model-independent upper limits at 95% confidence level on the branching ratio and/or the production cross section times the branching ratio for various processes are summarised, for charged Higgs bosons in the mass range of 80 GeV up to 3 TeV. For the first time in CMS, the intermediate-mass range near the top quark mass is also explored. A summary of the interpretation of these exclusion limits in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) for specific benchmark scenarios is also presented.


Silicon photonics offers an opportunity for low cost opto-electronic solutions for applications ranging from telecommunications down to chip-to-chip interconnects. The presentation will give an overview of silicon photonics research at Intel and discuss some of the applications and challenges with building photonic devices from silicon.


The main objective of this study was to model and simulate a reduced three-dimensional (3D) model for researching the hoisting system of a Multi – rope Friction Winder. By introducing the relative nodal method, the simplified dynamic equations have been derived via the virtual work principle and validated on a virtual prototype with the RecurDyn software package. Kinematics and dynamics characteristic date are obtained by computer-aided dynamic simulation of virtual Multi – rope friction winder. The result is in accord with theoretical analysis. The research work will provide a powerful tool and useful method for the design of economic and credible elevator system. The approach can be generalized to analysis other flexible drive fields.


This research was carried out Yuzuncu Yil University, Agricultural Faculty experimental field in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The experiment was conducted to determine the relationship among yield and some yield components using correlation and path coefficient analysis. In the experiment 12 pea genotypes were used. The experiment was designed randomized complete blocks design with four replications. At the end of the study, positive and significant relationship were found among seed yield and pods per plant and biological yield in both years. The strongest and direct positive effects were the biological yield (p = 0.6500), numbers of pods per plant (p = 0.3137) and the seed yield. These were followed by first pod height (p = 0.2398) and number of seeds per pod (p = 0.2227).


Most undergraduate students of aqueous geochemistry are told that polynuclear aqueous complexes can largely be ignored because they form only from concentrated metal solutions that are rare at the Earth's surface. However, these polynuclear complexes can serve as models for more-complicated surface structures and are the precursors to nanometric and colloidal solids and solutes. There are many reasons why polynuclear complexes should be foremost in the minds of geochemists, and particularly those geochemists who are interested in molecular information and reaction pathways:

1. Polynuclear complexes contain many of the structural features that are present at mineral surfaces, including a shell of structured water molecules. Because aqueous nanoclusters tumble rapidly in an aqueous solution, one can use solution NMR spectroscopy to determine the structure and the atomic dynamics in these clusters in ways that are impossible for mineral surfaces.

2. Some polynuclear complexes are metastable for long periods of time and may represent an important vector for the dispersal of metal contaminants from hazardous waste. The chemical conditions found in many polluted soils: high metal concentrations, elevated temperatures, and either highly acidic or highly alkaline solutions with a large pH-gradient, are needed to synthesize many polynuclear complexes. It is easy to make a solution that is 5 M in dissolved aluminum at 4 < pH < 6, composed of nanometer-sized clusters that are stable for months or years.

3. Polynuclear complexes lie at the core of many biomolecules, including metalloproteins such as ferritin and enzymes such as nitrogenase. Recent work has suggested that they are present in natural waters (e.g., Rozan et al. 2000) and serve as nuclei for crystal growth.

4. Aqueous clusters are sufficiently small that they can serve as experimental models for ab initio computer simulations that relate bonding to reactivity.

In this chapter we discuss polynuclear complexes of aluminum. There is …


In a representative sample of the Italian population (N=2,002), surveyed in January 2008, we studied the direct and interactive effects exerted on fear of crime by direct and indirect victimization, on the one hand, and perceived level of disorder of participants' community, on the other hand. Indirect victimization fostered fear of crime among participants reporting high levels of social disorder in their community. However, direct and indirect victimization did not influence fear of crime among participants reporting not living in a disordered community. Implications and limitations of this work and possible further research directions are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


There is a growing interest in public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a model for e-government service development and delivery. Although various underlying benefits of such arrangement have been enumerated, there exist challenges and issues in PPPs manifest in a number of unsuccessful cases. The success of PPPs in e-government depends on a number of factors that need to be considered from the first stage of evaluating the PPP to the last stage of development and roll-out. However, there is a dearth of PPP studies in the e-government literature that identified the success factors behind these efforts. Hence, this research attempts to address the existing gap by investigating what factors contribute to a successful e-government PPP. The paper starts out by introducing the relevant concepts and literature and then providing a review of e-government PPPs in Singapore, which has been a leader in e-government. We identify success factors based on existing studies and information of 5 cases of e-government PPPs. In future, we plan to collect data from new cases to further develop and validate these factors and identify their inter-relationships. This study is expected to contribute to research and practice by identifying success factors in different stages of egovernment PPP.


The successful treatment of vaginal vault prolapse with eversion continues to be an enigma to surgeons. The many surgical procedures that have been proposed testify to the fact that no single reliable procedure has been developed. The vaginal operation of posterior pelvic shelf colpopexy described in this report represents an evolution of ideas drawn from other surgeons coupled with the author's personal experience. The concept of creating a high, posterior pelvic shelf for vaginal vault fixation is developed, and the surgical technique is discussed in detail.


Non-equilibrium quasiparticles are possible sources for decoherence in superconducting qubits because they can lead to energy decay or dephasing upon tunneling across Josephson junctions (JJs). Here, we investigate the impact of the intrinsic properties of two-dimensional transmon qubits on quasiparticle tunneling (QPT) and discuss how we can use quasiparticle dynamics to gain critical information about the quality of JJ barrier. We find the tunneling rate of the non-equilibrium quasiparticles to be sensitive to the choice of the shunting capacitor material and their geometry in qubits. In some devices, we observe an anomalous temperature dependence of the QPT rate below 100 mK that deviates from a constant background associated with non-equilibrium quasiparticles. We speculate that this behavior is caused by high transmission sites/defects within the oxide barriers of the JJs, leading to spatially localized subgap states. We model this by assuming that such defects generate regions with a smaller effective gap. Our results present a unique in situ characterization tool to assess the uniformity of tunnel barriers in qubit junctions and shed light on how quasiparticles can interact with various elements of the qubit circuit.


A radioimmunoassay using a proinsulin‐specific antiserum that does not react preferentially with the split forms of proinsulin has been used to compare the response of circulating proinsulin to low (25 g) and high (75 g) oral glucose loads in healthy subjects and in patients with liver cirrhosis. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A (n= 7) with normal glucose tolerance and Group B with diabetic (n= 5) and impaired (n=1) glucose tolerance. There was no apparent correlation between glucose tolerance and the results of quantitative liver function tests. In the fasted state, the concentrations of serum proinsulin did not differ significantly in patients of Group A (0·022 ± 0·002 nmol/1) or Group B (0±026 · 0±004 nmol/1) from those in healthy subjects (0·021 ± 0·002 nmol/l). After 75 g glucose, the rise in serum proinsulin to a maximum concentration of 0·082 ± 0·012 nmol/1 in patients of Group A and to 0·070 ± 0·019 nmol/1 in Group B was not significantly different at any time point up to 180 min from the rise in healthy subjects (to 0·063 ± 0·005 nmol/1). After 25 g glucose, the response of serum proinsulin in Group B patients (maximum concentration 0·035 ± 0·003 nmol/1) was not significantly different from that in healthy subjects (maximum concentration 0·032 ± 0·003 nmol/1) but a slightly enhanced release was observed in the Group A patients (maximum concentration 0·049 ± 0·003 nmol/1) that was significantly greater (P>0·05) at 60 min post‐glucose. In contrast, the concentrations of serum immunoreactive insulin and immunoreactive C‐peptide in all patients with cirrhosis were significantly elevated compared with healthy subjects both in the fasted state and at several time points following high and low oral glucose. In the fasted state, the serum proinsulin/C‐peptide molar ratio, an index of the relative state of secretion of proinsulin and insulin, was significantly lower (P>0·05) in both groups of cirrhotic patients than in healthy subjects. After high and low glucose, this ratio fell in all patients and in the healthy subjects. We conclude that cirrhosis of the liver is associated with a hypersecretion of insulin but hyperproinsulinaemia does not contribute appreciably to the elevated concentration of immunoreactive insulin in the peripheral circulation.


OBJECTIVE: To determine whether 'spiking' or angulation of the tibial tubercle is associated with other radiographic markers of osteoarthritis (OA) or pain in the knee joint, and could be taken as a reliable marker for early OA, in a large general population sample. METHODS: A total of 950 women from the Chingford general population survey underwent anteroposterior extended weight bearing radiography of the knees. Angulation of the tip of the medial and lateral tubercles, and height of the tubercles above the tibial plateau were measured. These measures were compared with standard radiographic indices including qualitative Kellgren and Lawrence global score, individual scores of osteophytes and joint space narrowing, and pain score. Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility for assessment of spiking was tested in a subgroup of 50 films using two observers and two readings. Tibial spiking (angulation and height) was defined for this study as the top 10th centile for the whole population. Patients with normal radiographs (Kellgren and Lawrence grade 0) were allocated to quartile groups on the basis of spiking to define severity. Odds ratios were then calculated for the association of spiking and knee pain. RESULTS: The majority of the measures of tibial spiking were highly reproducible. There was a significant correlation between tibial spike angulation and the presence of osteophytes, but not joint space narrowing. The correlations for spike height with osteophytes and joint space narrowing were poor. There was an association between spike angulation at the lateral tubercle and reported knee pain (odds ratio 1.45 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 2.03)) after adjustment for age, body mass index, and Kellgren and Lawrence score. There was no association between medial spike angulation or spike height and pain. Among the 950 women, 683 (72%) had normal radiographs (Kellgren and Lawrence = 0); in this group there was a similar association between pain and lateral spike angulation, but not medial spike angulation or spike height. CONCLUSIONS: Tibial spiking is associated with the presence of knee osteophytes and is reproducible, but does not have a strong independent relationship with knee pain. In patients with normal radiographs there is no useful correlation between tibial spiking and pain. Isolated tibial spiking is not a reliable sign of early knee OA, and should not routinely be reported.


Dagher, Jessica M. M.S., Department of Chemistry, Wright State University. 2018. The fate and one-dimensional transport of Creighton colloidal silver nanoparticles through saturated porous media. With the ubiquitous burst of nanotechnology, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have become indispensable in numerous industrial, medicinal, and research applications. Consequently, AgNPs have been alarmingly disposed into subsurface water increasing the risk of human and environmental exposure. While mechanisms of AgNP cytotoxicity have been reported, research studies on AgNP transport in subsurface water are needed, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The main goal of this study was to investigate the environmental fate and transport of widely-used Creighton colloidal AgNPs in a laboratory transport system simulating a porous, saturated groundwater aquifer. To achieve this, a large volume of AgNPs was synthesized, characterized using a suite of well-established analytical and microscopy techniques, and manipulated by tangential flow filtration. AgNPs and a conservative tracer, Cl as a potassium chloride solution, were pulse-injected upward through a one-dimensional laboratory column (5 cm in depth, 2.5 cm diameter) at fixed pH, flow rate, and ionic strength, and pore volume. Breakthrough curves for AgNP transport were constructed using UV-Vis absorption, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Smaller AgNPs (1−20 nm in diameter) were found to elute faster than larger AgNPs (1−100 nm in diameter). Flow rate and AgNP size were found to influence the sorption of AgNPs onto the media, as evidenced by the size and shape of the non-equilibrium breakthrough curves. Facilitated transport was attributed to moderate electrostatic repulsions between the negatively charged AgNPs and the polar glass beads. The transport of the AgNPs through the one dimensional laboratory system and the accurate ICP-OES-based quantification of nanosilver concentration in colloidal samples were translated into two novel laboratory experiment modules, which were successfully implemented into the Experimental Nanomaterials and Nanoscience course and the Instrumental Analysis laboratory course at WSU respectively.


AIM To describe the prevalence of and risk factors for pterygium in a population based sample of residents of the Australian state of Victoria who were aged 40 years and older. METHODS The strata comprised nine randomly selected clusters from the Melbourne statistical division, 14 nursing homes randomly selected from the nursing homes within a 5 kilometre radius of the nine Melbourne clusters, and four randomly selected clusters from rural Victoria. Pterygium was measured in millimetres from the tip to the middle of the base. During an interview, people were queried about previous ocular surgery, including surgical removal of pterygium, and their lifetime exposure to sunlight. RESULTS 5147 people participated. They ranged in age from 40 to 101 years and 2850 (55.4%) were female. Only one person in the Melbourne cohort reported previous pterygium surgery, and seven rural residents reported previous surgery; this information was unavailable for the nursing home residents. Pterygium was present upon clinical examination in 39 (1.2%) of the 3229 Melbourne residents who had the clinical examination, six (1.7%) of the nursing home residents, and 96 (6.7%) of the rural residents. The overall weighted population rate in the population was 2.83% (95% CL 2.35, 3.31). The independent risk factors for pterygium were found to be age (OR=1.23, 95% CL=1.06, 1.44), male sex (OR=2.02, 95% CL=1.35, 3.03), rural residence (OR=5.28, 95% CL=3.56, 7.84), and lifetime ocular sun exposure (OR=1.63, 95% CL=1.18, 2.25). The attributable risk of sunlight and pterygium was 43.6% (95% CL=42.7, 44.6). The result was the same when ocular UV-B exposure was substituted in the model for broad band sun exposure. CONCLUSION Pterygium is a significant public health problem in rural areas, primarily as a result of ocular sun exposure.


Contemporary cancer therapy has resulted in significant survival gains for patients. However, many current and emerging cancer therapies have an associated risk of cardiotoxicity, either acutely or later in life. Regular cardiac screening and surveillance is recommended for patients undergoing treatment for cancer, with emphasis on the early detection of cardiotoxicity before irreversible complications develop. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is able to accurately assess cardiac structure, function, and perform advanced myocardial tissue characterisation, including perfusion, features which may facilitate the diagnosis and management of cardiotoxicity in cancer survivors. This review outlines the current standards for the diagnosis and screening of cardiotoxicity, with particular focus on current and future applications of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.


Epilepsy is a nervous disease which causes seizures. Electroencephalography (EEG) gives complex information about the brain dynamics but its visual inspection is difficult and requires skilled interpreters. Source localization means identifying the area of the brain where a seizure can occur. In general, source localization is necessary for patients with a special condition in epilepsy, i.e. when their disease is resistant to drugs. One-third of the people having epilepsy are drug resistant and the latest anti-epileptic drugs cannot stop the seizures completely. Unexpected occurrence of seizure disturbs the quality of life and causes physical damage and thus epilepsy should be predicted. This study will use various signal processing methods to extract features by studying the pre-ictal and inter-ictal periods, localize the source and then finally predict epilepsy with the help of Artificial Neural Networks. The knowledge thus derived can help in preparing a wearable brain - computer interface.


The Unit Commitment (UC) problem in electrical power production requires to optimally operate a set of power generation units over a short time horizon (one day to a week). Operational constraints of each unit depend on its type (e.g., thermal, hydro, nuclear, . . . ), and can be rather complex; typical ones concern minimum and maximum power output, minimum upand down-time, start-up and shut-down limits, rampup and ramp-down limits. Also, the objective function is often nonlinear. Thus, even the Single-Unit Commitment (1UC) problem, in which only one unit is present, has a rich combinatorial structure. In this work we present the first MINLP formulation that describes the convex hull of the feasible solutions of (1UC) comprising all the above constraints, and Second-Order Cone representable power generation costs. The new formulation has a polynomial number of both variables and constraints, and it is based on the efficient Dynamic Programming algorithm proposed in [23] together with the perspective reformulation technique proposed in [22]. We then analyze the effect of using it to develop tight formulations for the more general (UC). Since the formulation, despite being polynomial-size, is rather large, we also propose two new formulations, based on partial aggregations of variables, with different trade-offs between quality of the obtained bound and cost of the solving the corresponding continuous relaxation. Our results show that navigating these trade-offs may lead to improved performances for the partial enumeration approach used to solve the problem.