Oral sodium phosphate (OSP) solution is commonly used as bowel purgative before colonoscopy. Its safety has recently been questioned with several reports of acute renal failure and chronic kidney disease following its use. All of the cases reported are following bowel preparation for colonoscopy. I present a case of acute renal failure following OSP solution given to relieve constipation. This report further highlights the dangers of OSP and the importance of caution and careful monitoring when OSP solution is used as a cathartic, or for bowel preparation before colonoscopy.


Specimens of Anopheles darlingi Root, the major vector of malaria in Brazil, were collected from several states in Brazil: Sao Paulo (Dourado), Bahia (Itabela), Rondônia (Porto Velho), Roraima (Boa Vista), and Acre (Plácido de Castro). Sequence divergence in the 2nd internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) was examined. The ITS2 sequences of mosquitoes captured in the Amazon region (Porto Velho, Boa Vista and Plácido de Castro) and in the northeast of Brazil (Itabela) were almost identical; however, a 4-5% sequence divergence was observed in the ITS2 of mosquitoes captured in the southeast (Dourado). Further analysis is needed to determine if these differences indicate that Dourado population may be a separate species.


Background:
Pain is the main reason patients present with Osteoarthritis (OA). There are many risk factors for increased pain but one risk factor that is the focus of this thesis is catastrophizing. There is a discrepancy between the amount of radiographic damage to the joint and the pain intensity felt by the OA patient, which leads to the hypothesis that there must be other non-structural factors such as catastrophizing that could explain this discrepancy.

Objectives:
(1) To assess the effect of catastrophizing on joint and body pain in individuals who have undergone total joint replacement surgery after accounting for sleep quality, anxiety and depression in people diagnosed with large joint OA and controls. X-rays and resulting K/L grade also used to account for joint damage.
(2) To identify if there are specific genes and pathways that could explain the relationship between catastrophizing and pain, also whether catastrophizing is a trait in its own right which is not dependent on depression or bad quality sleep.
(3) To identify genetic factors which contribute to the effect of catastrophizing on pain intensity in OA by comparing those with symptomatic OA to those with asymptomatic OA.

Methods:
Pain post- Total Joint Replacement (TJR) (Chapter 3): This is a case-control study design. Cases were derived from the Nottingham genetics of OA study (NGOAS) and the Genetics of Osteoarthritis and Lifestyle Study (GOAL) cohorts that have undergone joint replacement. Controls were derived from participants in the GOAL cohort that were selected as controls for OA. 1093 individuals from the NGOAS cohort who had been diagnosed with knee or hip OA were recruited from secondary care (82% post-total joint replacement (TJR) none on waiting list) and completed a questionnaire which included items on: joint pain, neuropathic pain like symptoms (using the painDETECT questionnaire), anxiety (using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) questionnaire), depression (using the HADS questionnaire) and the 13-item pain catastrophizing scale (PCS). A similar questionnaire was sent to participants from a case control OA study known as the GOAL involving 679 cases all with hip or knee OA (59.7% post-TJR, none on waiting list) and 402 non-OA controls. TJR used as cases due to this being the end point of OA with those undergoing TJR most likely in pain from OA.

High pain catastrophizing was defined as being in the top tertile of the PCS (score≥9).

SPSS was then used to calculate descriptive statistics such as percentage of participants that were female, mean age, BMI. This would give a picture of the cohort being used. Then binary logistic regressions were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for sleep, depression, anxiety and catastrophizing whilst adjusting for confounding factors such as age, BMI, gender.

Genetics (Chapter 4 and 5): Quantile-Quantile (QQ) and Manhattan plots were produced using R to quality test the genomic data. A Manhattan plot is a type of scatter plot, usually used to display data with a large number of data-points - many of non-zero amplitude, and with a distribution of higher-magnitude values, for instance in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The statistics program R (version 3.0.2) was used to create Manhattan and QQ plots using the "ggplot2" library and "qqplot" script.

A genome wide association scan (GWAS) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) extractions, conducted using Plink, were carried out on a subset of 1113 post TJR cases from the NGOAS cohort and pathway analysis was then conducted based on significant SNPs found in the GWAS.

In chapter 4 replication and meta-analysis were then carried out using a separate cohort of 679 participants, taken from the GOAL study.

Results:
Pain post- total joint replacement (TJR) (Chapter 3): The prevalence of high catastrophizing was not significantly higher in OA and post TJR cases (36.8%) than in controls (33.1%)(p<0.07), however as controls were from intravenous urography (IVU) clinics they would have higher levels of cardio-vascular disease, stroke, kidney disease for example than general population. The main factors associated with catastrophizing were older age, higher body mass index, high pain intensity, anxiety, depression and multiple regional pain. High catastrophizing was associated with increased risk of severe joint (hip or knee) pain after adjustment for sleep quality, anxiety and depression (OR= 2.99, 95% CI= 2.20-4.04, p< 1.54E-12). Similarly, high catastrophizing was associated with body pain (OR=1.47, CI=1.16-1.86, P<0.0002) and neuropathic-like pain symptoms (OR=5.35, CI=4.16-6.90, P<1.42E-35). I also explored if these associations with pain were due to the presence of comorbidities which are common in OA patients and post-TJR. I did find that pain catastrophizing scores were also associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) after adjustment for depression and sleep quality as well as BMI, age and gender (OR= 1.44, 95% CI= 1.14-1.81, p< 0.001).

Genetics (Chapter 4 and 5): Several SNPs were linked to high catastrophizing scores with a p-value <0.00005.

ADRA2C was the only gene associated with catastrophizing that replicated in chapter 4 after meta-analysis. This variant was associated with OR=0.67, 95% CI= 0.56-0.80, p-value=7.8x10[-6]. It is involved in the formation of adrenergic receptors and therefore the regulation of possibly many pain pathways including the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis as well as being required for normal presynaptic control of transmitter release in the heart.

PRR20 was another interesting finding in chapter 4. It is involved in dopamine receptors, so possibly influencing that particular pain pathway.

These data demonstrate that catastrophizing does influence pain intensity and implicates certain molecular pathways that may be involved in this relationship.

LEPRE1 and COL6A1 are both implicated in chapter 5. Both of these genes are involved in collagen formation and destruction thereby could affect the progression of OA and joint structure leading to pain. LEPRE1 is further known as one of the genetic causes of Osteogenesis imperfecta type VIII another bone formation disorder.

Conclusion:
Pain catastrophizing is associated with joint and body pain in individuals with OA after TJR and this effect is not mediated by sleep quality, anxiety or depression. Therefore catastrophizing can be said to be a trait in its own right.
Many genes and pain pathways were implicated by the genetics studies, mainly involving adrenaline and dopamine, so more focus on these neurotransmitters could be suggested for future study.

Another interesting finding that could be investigated further is the link between cardiovascular disorders and catastrophizing as this is a relatively unexplored area, made more interesting by the finding of ADRA2C both indicating involvement of the sympathetic nervous system and other central mechanisms.


The safety of geological repositories for radioactive or environmentally hazardous waste is dependent on several engineered and natural barriers. One of the natural barriers is the surrounding bedrock, in which water-conducting rock fractures may act as transport pathways in the event of a leakage from the engineered barriers. Radionuclides that are transported with the groundwater flow may be significantly retarded by sorption onto minerals and by diffusion into pores in the rock matrix and will thus have more time for radioactive decay. Thus the barrier function of the bedrock is of great importance in a safety assessment of geological repositories. The aim of this work was to gain greater understanding of the processes controlling the diffusive transport of some slightly to moderately sorbing tracers used in experiments at different size scales in heterogeneous crystalline rock. In this work, the sorption and diffusion behaviour of some selected radionuclides of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals were studied. The experiments were performed at different scales ranging from crushed and intact rock specimens in the laboratory to in situ tracer migration experiments over a distance of about 5 m in a single fracture at the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. Studies of the rock porosity and porosity distribution were included in the laboratory experiments. The results of the laboratory experiments were applied in modelling the field experiments. It was found that the relative order of sorption strength for the different tracers was consistent between experiments performed at the different scales. A solid phase size dependency in the absolute values of the sorption distribution coefficients was observed and interpreted in terms of induced sample disturbances. Deviations from an "ideally" fast and reversible sorption behaviour were indicated for some tracers in both the in situ and the laboratory experiments. Furthermore, rock heterogeneity was indicated to be of importance for the diffusion behaviour in the laboratory experiments, and the possible influence of these effects on the interpretation of the field experiments is discussed in this thesis. Transport modelling of the field experiments showed that diffusive mass transfer is required for the interpretation of the tracer breakthrough curves. However, more laboratory data on the diffusion properties in the fracture materials are needed to confirm the modelling results.


With the wide use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) simulation packages and the advent of the high level architecture (HLA) standard which supports interoperability and reusability, it is desirable to build distributed simulations by linking various types of simulation models developed using best-fit COTS packages. While almost all current work on integrating COTS packages and the HLA is based on conservative synchronization, it is worthwhile to investigate the optimistic synchronization approach. The optimistic approach can exploit parallelism and achieve promising performance in situations where causality errors may occur but in fact seldom occur. In our paper, we introduce a rollback controller using a middleware approach to handle the complex rollback procedure on behalf of the simulation model. To fully utilize the benefits of optimistic synchronization, we also introduce a novel time advance algorithm using the services provided by the HLA. A comparison of performance between the conservative and optimistic synchronization approaches based on a typical reference model is also provided.


Wideband antennas have received much attention in wireless communications and broadcasting systems. With a wide bandwidth, the signals can be transmitted by ultra-short impulses or by using multi-band groups. More information and applications can be carried through the radio frequency channels with a high data rate and accuracy. Also, there are numerous military and commercial sensing systems that require wide bandwidth to increase the range accuracy, imaging resolution, jamming/anti-jamming, and hardware flexibility. For various modern radars, such as air defense, air traffic control, astronomy, Doppler navigation, terrain avoidance, and weather mapping, the design of wideband antennas would have different considerations and specifications in order to meet the requirements of specified signals and waveforms. The key issues of emerging radar antennas are low-profile, low cost, conformal, and compact design. Currently many researchers focus on omni-directional wideband antennas because their widely-covered beamwidth enables them to detect and communicate with targets anywhere. However, this may cause the radar to confuse where the target is located. Therefore, in certain aspects, directional antennas present more interest. The effective isotropic radiated power of a directional antenna is directed to reduce power consumption at the transmitter. This is also beneficial for the receiver's link budget. According to the radar range equation, the antennas can significantly determine the radar performance owing to its power handling, aperture dimension, beamwidth resolution, and potentials of beamforming and scanning. It may spend large amount of the budget for the antenna system cost depending on required functions. In this chapter, we investigate state of the art wideband radar antennas and focus on applications for airborne radars, ground penetrating radars, noise radars, and UWB radars. The design concepts and considerations of these antennas will be addressed. Following the performance overview of these antennas, we introduce state of the art wideband antennas recently developed for new radar applications. Design details, examples, and profiles of the wideband antennas will be reviewd and discussed.


Phosphorus (P) deficiency in agricultural soil is a major constraint for crop production and increasing P acquisition efficiency (PAE) of plants is considered as one of the most cost-effective solutions for yield increase. The objective of this study was to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling (PAE) and P utilization efficiency (PUE) in barley under applied (+P) and non-applied P (−P) conditions. Based on the analysis of a recombinant inbred lines (RILs) population derived from a cross between a malting barley variety and a wild barley accession, 17 QTL controlling PAE, PUE and yield traits were detected. The phenotypic variation explained by each of these QTL ranges from 11.0 to 24.7%. Significant correlation was detected between most of P-related traits and yield traits. Five QTL clusters were identified on four different chromosomes (1H, 3H, 5H, and 7H). Two of the QTL clusters, located on chromosome 1H (for GPUP/PUP) and 7H (for SPUE/SPC), respectively, are novel. Fourteen genes located in the interval harboring the major QTL were identified as candidates associated with P efficiency. The stable QTL for PAE, PUE and yield-related traits could be important for breeding P-efficient barley varieties.


We describe in this work several polyionic hybrid molecular compounds combining, by electrostatic interactions, liquid crystalline ammonium cations and tailor made molybdenum hexanuclear dianionic cluster units. All hybrids show nematic liquid crystalline behaviour below 100 °C, no matter the nature of the metallic cluster apical and inner ligands. They also retain the shiny deep red photoluminescence properties of their parent cluster in the nematic phase. This nematic phase remains however quite viscous for all compounds and mixing them with commercially available nematic LCs seems mandatory to integrate them into electroswitchable devices. This particularity conducted us to insert the best candidate in terms of homogeneity and stability of the clustomesogen/commercial LC mixture into a LC cell and study the behaviour toward the application of an electric stimulus. We show that the application of 30 V AC voltage allows observing a reversible modulation of the photoluminescence signal by about 52%. This work presents the first deep red photoluminescent transition metal cluster containing device directed towards optoelectronic applications.


The failure of children with the nephrotic type of Bright's disease to regenerate plasma protein when fed a diet approximately optimal for the assimilation of nitrogen cannot be attributed solely to loss of protein in the urine in all cases; sometimes severe hypoalbuminemia occurs with but slight loss of urinary protein.1Further, rapid regeneration of plasma protein during recovery is, within wide limits, independent of the protein content of the diet. In observing nephrotic children in this clinic we have also noted that acute febrile episodes with peritoneal symptoms were most frequent in patients with a plasma albumin content below 1 Gm. per hundred cubic centimeters. Sometimes these episodes were accompanied by pneumococcic bacteremia and peritonitis, but often an episode ran its course without such infection. It was suggested in a previous study that when bacterial invasion occurs it may be secondary to acute disturbances in metabolism which cause


The phase diagram of the ferromagnetic Kondo model for manganites is investigated using computational techniques. In clusters of dimensions 1 and 2, Monte Carlo simulations in the limit where the localized spins are classical show a rich low temperature phase diagram with three dominant regions: (i) a ferromagnetic phase, (ii) phase separation between hole-poor antiferromagnetic and hole-rich ferromagnetic domains, and (iii) a phase with incommensurate spin correlations. Possible experimental consequences of the regime of phase separation are discussed. Studies using the Lanczos algorithm and the Density Matrix Renormalization Group method applied to chains with localized spin 1/2 (with and without Coulombic repulsion for the mobile electrons) and spin 3/2 degrees of freedom give results in excellent agreement with those in the spin localized classical limit. The Dynamical Mean Field ($D=\infty$) approximation was also applied to the same model. At large Hund coupling phase separation and ferromagnetism were identified, again in good agreement with results in low dimensions. In addition, a Monte Carlo study of spin correlations allowed us to estimate the critical temperature for ferromagnetism $T_c^{FM}$ in 3 dimensional clusters. It is concluded that $T_c^{FM}$ is compatible with current experimental results.


Mesenteric panniculitis is a non-neoplastic inflammatory process affecting the adipose tissue of the mesentery. It is an extremely rare disease. We report the case of a 30-year-old man with mesenteric panniculitis and describe the radiologic findings.


An overview of the basic results on Macdonald(-Koornwinder) polynomials and double affine Hecke algebras is given. We develop the theory in such a way that it naturally encompasses all known cases. Among the basic properties of the Macdonald polynomials we treat are the quadratic norm formulas, duality and the evaluation formulas. This text is a provisional version of a chapter on Macdonald polynomials for volume 5 of the Askey-Bateman project, entitled "Multivariable special functions".


Background Aortitis syndrome (Takayasu's arteritis) associated with various autoimmune diseases have been reported. Objectives We report the rare association of aortitis syndrome with SLE in two patients. Methods Case report. Results Case 1. A 49-year-old woman admitted with Raynaud's phenomenon, right upper extremity claudication, malar rash, and oral ulcerations. Examination showed that her right radial pulse was not palpable. A systolic bruit was heard over her right carotid artery. Laboratory results were as follows: erythrocyte sedimentation rate 89 mm/h, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, positive ANA, positive anti-ds-DNA. An artogram demonstrated a complete obstruction of the right subclavian artery near its origin. The patient was diagnosed as having SLE and TA based on ACR criteries for both diseases. She was treated with prednisolone and azathioprine. 6 months later, her right radial pulse was weakly present. Case 2. A 30-year-old man was diagnosed in 1985 as having SLE based on malar rash, arthritis, positive ANA, positive anti-ds-DNA, hematologic abnormalities. He was treated with prednisolone (P) and azathioprine. He was readmitted in 1992 with progressive difficulty walking and symptoms of lower extremity claudication. Aortogram revealed occlusion of the abdominal aorta below the renal arteries. In 1994, he developed renal and cerebral involvement and superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). He was again treated with P and cyclophosphamide (C). In 2000, A computed tomogram of the thorax confirmed SVCS due to mediastinal fibrosis. He has been using P and tamoxifen for 1 month. Conclusion Our experience with these cases suggests that all patients with SLE be followed carefully for the development of occlusive arterial involvement.


Questions
How does fine-scale soil heterogeneity impact on co-occurring species? Which species are advantaged in heterogeneous soils?

Location
Greenhouse experiment using European grassland species, University of Tartu, Estonia.

Methods
We grew plant assemblages consisting of 15 species in five soil treatments – comprising three spatially uniform fertility levels (low, medium or high) and two heterogeneous conditions created using checkerboard combinations of low- and high-fertility patches at two spatial scales (6.25 × 6.25 cm or 12.5 × 12.5 cm patches, overall medium fertility). We compared species responses (above-ground biomass) between heterogeneous and homogeneous treatments. Additionally, we compared species responses within low-fertility patches in heterogeneous treatments to the homogeneous treatment of the same fertility.

Results
Larger, dominant species were advantaged in heterogeneous compared to homogeneous conditions (with the same or lower overall fertility), whereas the growth and survival of smaller, subordinate species was reduced. Larger, dominant species also had increased above-ground biomass within the low-fertility patches in heterogeneous compared to homogeneous low-fertility conditions, but the opposite was true for smaller, subordinate species. In general, species responses in heterogeneous conditions did not differ from the homogeneous high-fertility treatment, although the heterogeneous conditions had lower overall fertility.

Conclusions
In our experimental grasslands, species differed in their responses to fine-scale soil heterogeneity. Patchy resource distribution directly benefits larger, dominant species that can forage among patches and produce more above-ground biomass compared to conditions where the same amount of resources is distributed homogeneously. Smaller, subordinate species that are more likely confined to a uniform soil patch are disadvantaged by heterogeneity due to increased root and shoot competition from neighbouring species. These species-specific responses to fine-scale soil heterogeneity and altered competitive interactions have important implications for plant community structure and productivity.


Seed banking has been the single most significant reaction of the research community to the alarming rates of plant genetic erosion occurring in the wild. One enduring challenge for a wiser utilization of the resources enclosed in seed banks, however, has been the estimation of their genetic potentials for agriculture's benefit. Key to detecting in landraces and/or wild relatives of modern crops any allelic variant lost during domestication and crop improvement is the use of molecular information to determine structure, evolution, and function of the genes harbouring these alleles. This paper reviews some of the theoretical and statistical issues surrounding the use of molecular population genetics tools for the detection of agronomical valuable alleles in seed banks. Emphasis is made on the technical limitations imposed by seed banking that may lessen the success of integrated and multi-disciplinary molecular approaches. The influence that population stratification and linkage disequilibrium exert on specific experimental designs for a better understanding of the evolutionary history of potential agronomic-related genes is also examined.


Metal biosorption by a mixed-microbial biosorbent of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (bacterium) and Saccharicola bicolor (fungus) was compared against their respective single biosorbents to determine their efficacies in removing Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd in single and multi-metal solutions. The multi-metal solutions mimic natural wastewater which may interact differently between metal ions-biosorbent, as well as between the metal ions. The results revealed that application of S. maltophilia (single, Sm) was the most effective, followed by mixed-biosorbent (MB), then S. bicolor (single, Sb); occurring in both single and multi-metal solutions. The biosorbents preferred Cu > Pb > Cd > Zn in both metal-solutions, with Sm demonstrating superior biosorption for all metals compared to other biosorbents. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis detected different functional group profiles present on mixed biosorbent compared to the respective single forms, which may have influenced metal biosorption. All biosorbents adsorbed most of the metals via a rate-limiting step indicated by compliance to pseudo-second order kinetic. The biosorbent Sm was identified to having the most potential for further development as useful biosorbent for application in natural wastewater.


The question of whether opinions of stubborn agents result in Nash equilibrium under the presence of troll is investigated in this study. The opinion dynamics is modelled as a differential game played by n agents during a finite time horizon. Two types of agents, ordinary agents and troll, are considered in this game. Troll is treated as a malicious stubborn content maker who disagrees with every other agent. On the other hand, ordinary agents maintain cooperative communication with other ordinary agents and they disagree with the troll. Under this scenario, explicit expressions of opinion trajectories are obtained by applying Pontryagin's principle on the cost function. This approach provides insight into the social networks that comprise a troll in addition to ordinary agents.


This paper presents an adaptive state of charge estimator for rechargeable batteries using the Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). That technique is based on that the charging current for any battery, in un-controlled current charging circuit, changes according to the battery state of charge (SOC). This proposed estimator will use the charging current, battery voltage samples and the time of each sample, from charging start, as ANFIS inputs and SOC as the output. The proposed estimator will be applied on Nickel-Cadmium battery model to test the validity of SOC ANFIS estimator to estimate the state of charge. Also, to know how the proposed estimator will be able to adapt with a new battery behavior such as capacity loss, the estimator will be tested in the case of a loss in capacity for the same Nickel-Cadmium battery model. The paper will depend on ANFIS and simulations tools in MATLAB Program to make all required models, moreover, getting the training and testing data through a charging circuit model.


As SoC design enters into mainstream usage, the ability to make post-fabrication changes will become more and more attractive. This ability can be realized using programmable logic cores. These cores are like any other IP in the SoC design methodology, except that their function can be changed after fabrication. In many cases, non-rectangular programmable logic cores are required, either to better mesh with the other IP cores, or because of I/O constraints. In order to use programmable logic cores, placement and routing algorithms are required to implement user circuits on the core. Existing placement and routing algorithms that target programmable logic were optimized for stand-alone FPGAs which are invariably square or rectangular. We show that these algorithms do not work well when targetting non-rectangular programmable logic cores, and we present enhancements to existing placement and routing algorithms that allow the algorithms to better target these cores. It is shown that the new algorithms lead to a 12% critical path improvement for "U"-shaped cores, and a 4% improvement for "O"-shaped cores. The density and speed penalty for using these non-rectangular cores is significant, compared to square cores, however, we show that the penalty would be significantly larger if the original algorithms were used.


We investigate the performance of the parametric maximum likelihood component separation method in the context of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode signal detection and its characterization by small-scale CMB suborbital experiments. We consider high-resolution (FWHM = 8′) balloon-borne and ground-based observatories mapping low dust-contrast sky areas of 400 and 1000 square degrees, in three frequency channels, 150, 250, 410 GHz, and 90, 150, 220 GHz, with sensitivity of order 1 to 10 μK per beam-size pixel. These are chosen to be representative of some of the proposed, next-generation, bolometric experiments. We study the residual foreground contributions left in the recovered CMB maps in the pixel and harmonic domain and discuss their impact on a determination of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r. In particular, we find that the residuals derived from the simulated data of the considered balloon-borne observatories are sufficiently low not to be relevant for the B-mode science. However, the ground-based observatories are in need of some external information to permit satisfactory cleaning. We find that if such information is indeed available in the latter case, both the ground-based and balloon-borne experiments can detect the values of r as low as ∼0.04 at 95 per cent confidence level. The contribution of the foreground residuals to these limits is found to be then subdominant and these are driven by the statistical uncertainty due to CMB, including E-to-B leakage, and noise. We emphasize that reaching such levels will require a sufficient control of the level of systematic effects present in the data.


Scratch is a visual, block-based programming language, adopted as a computational thinking development tool in elementary education among many countries. Thailand has also recently included Scratch as part of the computing science course in its basic education. However, Thailand is facing a shortage of ICT teachers who are skillful in Scratch programming, especially in small provincial schools. This research aims to overcome the shortage by developing ScratchThAI, a Scratch tutorial chatbot. It is designed to assist young learners directly through a messaging platform. By giving supports through a textual conversation, more relevant advice, knowledge, and resources could be provided precisely. Different levels of each computational thinking concept are extracted and evaluated by the designed assessment algorithm. Extra predefined exercises are assigned based on the analyzed learner's strengths and weaknesses in order to actively improving the learner's understanding. Moreover, gamification is incorporated to engage and motivate young learners in computational thinking development.


Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are highly effective unsupervised learning frameworks that can generate very sharp data, even for data such as images with complex, highly multimodal distributions. However GANs are known to be very hard to train, suffering from problems such as mode collapse and disturbing visual artifacts. Batch normalization (BN) techniques have been introduced to address the training. Though BN accelerates the training in the beginning, our experiments show that the use of BN can be unstable and negatively impact the quality of the trained model. The evaluation of BN and numerous other recent schemes for improving GAN training is hindered by the lack of an effective objective quality measure for GAN models. To address these issues, we first introduce a weight normalization (WN) approach for GAN training that significantly improves the stability, efficiency and the quality of the generated samples. To allow a methodical evaluation, we introduce squared Euclidean reconstruction error on a test set as a new objective measure, to assess training performance in terms of speed, stability, and quality of generated samples. Our experiments with a standard DCGAN architecture on commonly used datasets (CelebA, LSUN bedroom, and CIFAR-10) indicate that training using WN is generally superior to BN for GANs, achieving 10% lower mean squared loss for reconstruction and significantly better qualitative results than BN. We further demonstrate the stability of WN on a 21-layer ResNet trained with the CelebA data set. The code for this paper is available at this https URL


This article examines the lack of internationalization of the University of Kinshasa (Unikin, Democratic Republic of the Congo) in spite of the proposed higher education reforms promoted by international institutions and relayed by cooperation agencies. It shows Unikin's powerful institutional and corporatist mechanisms by looking at the university through the prism of its history and of the current education market in the Congo. It describes the user-pay system and the organization of academic careers in particular. These two issues are central to a type of public action which is based on concessions and corporatism and seems incompatible today with the virtuous competition which underlies the national and international discourses about education reform.


Lisheen is a strata-bound zinc-lead deposit formed during the Mississippian by replacement of hydrothermally dolomitized, grossly stratiform breccia bodies located near the base of the Carboniferous Waulsortian Limestone. It represents one of a number of carbonate-hosted massive sulfide ore deposits in the Irish ore field that, due to several unique features, have been classified as Irish type.

Disseminated pyrite occurs in preore dolomite and around the margins of preore dolomite clasts within dolomite breccias. Early fine-grained sphalerite-pyrite mineralization occurs as infill of intergranular dolomite porosity. Locally, massive to semimassive iron sulfide is observed, mainly comprising pyrite with lesser marcasite. A complex polymetallic sulfide assemblage typifies the main ore stage, dominated by fine-grained disseminated, massive or colloform sphalerite and galena, with minor pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, tennantite, nickel- and cobalt-bearing minerals. Silver occurs in solid solution in tennantite, galena, and sphalerite. Dolomite and barite dominate the gangue, with lesser calcite. Main-stage mineralization involved the progressive replacement of preexisting iron sulfides and the dolomite breccias, initially by replacement of the breccia matrix and ultimately by replacement of clasts. Coarse crystalline sphalerite and euhedral galena crystals are generally restricted to fracture-fill mineralization or vugs within main ore-stage assemblages where they occur with euhedral dolomite and calcite.

Barite intergrown with main ore-stage sulfides has δ 34S values of 14.3 to 18.1 per mil, consistent with the derivation of sulfate from coeval Carboniferous seawater. The δ 34S values for sulfides range from –44.1 to +11.8 per mil, with a mean value of –13.7 per mil, typical of the Irish ore deposits. The dominant low δ 34S signature is considered to be the result of bacterial reduction of coeval seawater sulfate. Extremely low δ 34S values, in the range of –38 to –44 per mil, are only observed in preore disseminated pyrite; such extreme fractionations are thought to be due to low bacterial sulfate reduction rates coupled with oxidative cycles in near-sea floor pore waters. Main ore-stage sulfides have δ 34S values in the range of –4 to –18 per mil, with a mode of –10 per mil, consistent with a typical bacterial fractionation from coeval seawater sulfate. Isotopic equilibrium between cogenetic sulfides is not observed. The bacteriogenic sulfur component was probably transported from bacterial colonies fringing the ore system by low-temperature brines.

The δ 34S values of late ore-stage sulfides mainly range from –20.2 to +12.0 per mil, with the majority having relatively high values (mean = –3.0 ± 8.5‰, 1 σ ) interpreted as being due to the presence of a hydrothermal sulfur component, leached from the lower Paleozoic basement. For galena and sphalerite there is a general increase in δ 34S values with depth in the system, with time, and with proximity to east-west– and northwest-trending faults. These relationships suggest that input of hydrothermal sulfur from depth via fractures became increasingly important. Hydrothermal sulfur appears to be more important at Lisheen than the other major Irish deposits.

Galena lead isotope analyses gave average 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb values of 18.183, 15.594, and 38.080, respectively. These data do not correlate with ore-stage, galena texture or δ 34S. The results are comparable to previous data from Lisheen and from Silvermines, 35 km to the west, implying a common lead source in the lower Paleozoic basement.

The textural, mineral, chemical, and isotopic evidence suggests that main-stage ore was precipitated as a consequence of rapid supersaturation, caused by fluid mixing within the permeable dolomite breccias. This process involved relatively high temperature (ca. 240°C), metal-bearing solutions derived from a basement-equilibrated fluid reservoir (carrying Zn, Pb, Fe, Cd) and shallow, saline (ca. 25 wt % NaCl equiv) formation waters rich in bacteriogenic H2S. Minor metals (Cu, As, Ni, Co) are thought to have been stripped from the footwall Old Red Sandstone during hydrothermal alteration around fault conduits. The availability of abundant seawater sulfate, operation of open-system bacterial sulfate reduction, and episodic availability of free oxygen imply that ore formation cannot have occurred at significant depth below the paleosea floor. Cessation of mineralization was due to a cut-off of the sulfur-rich brine supply, possibly by deposition of impermeable hanging-wall sediments. This process of ore formation is consistent with evidence from the other economic Irish-type deposits in the ore field.


Objectives: To investigate the effect of short-term statin treatment on impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and haemodynamic abnormalities typically occurring in chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: In a double-blind, crossover study endothelium-dependent vasodilatation was measured in conduit and resistance vessels of 23 patients with non-ischaemic CHF after 6 weeks of placebo and 40 mg atorvastatin. The haemodynamic impact was assessed by cardioendocrine hormones, echocardiography and clinical indicators of CHF. Results: Cholesterol concentrations were population average (low density lipoprotein 3.56 (SEM 0.16) mmol/l, triglycerides 1.70 (0.20) mmol/l and high density lipoprotein 1.17 (0.07) mmol/l). In resistance vessels, the area under the curve ratio during acetylcholine infusion increased from 9.2 (1.9) with placebo to 12.2 (2.1) with statin (p < 0.01). This improvement was reversed during co-infusion with the nitric oxide antagonist NG-monomethyl-l-arginine. In conduit arteries, flow-mediated dilatation increased from 5.64 (SEM 0.88)% with placebo to 6.83 (0.97)% with statin (p < 0.05). Endothelium-independent vasodilatation did not change (p  =  0.68 for conduit and p  =  0.45 for resistance vessels). Endothelin 1 and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) decreased from 1.57 (0.08) and 51.3 (1.0) with placebo to 1.42 (0.09) pg/ml (p < 0.05) and 42.1 (7.5) pmol/l (p < 0.05), respectively, with statin. Conclusions: In patients with non-ischaemic CHF and population-average cholesterol concentrations, short-term statin treatment improves endothelial function in conduit and resistance vessels and lowers plasma endothelin 1 and ANP concentrations.


One objective of the modification of the total condylar knee is to increase the range of flexion without compromising the durability of the prosthesis. The KU knee prosthesis was designed to improve postoperative range of motion. This prosthesis has a unique ball-and-socket joint in the center of the posterior portion of the femorotibial articulation. A retrospective comparative study was undertaken to determine whether the KU knee prosthesis had achieved its design objectives. The study was based on the clinical observation of two populations: one (the TC group: 31 joints) with total condylar prostheses and the other (the KU group; 31 joints) with KU knee prostheses. At two years postoperatively, the mean postoperative range of flexion was 94 degrees (range: 60 degrees to 120 degrees) in the TC group and 120 degrees (range: 95 degrees to 150 degrees) in the KU group. The mean postoperative range of flexion was 24 degrees better in the KU group than in the TC group (p < 0.01). The mean functional score was 76 points (range: 61 to 86) in the TC group and 81 points (range: 56 to 92) in the KU group. There were no statistically significant difference in pain, walking ability, deformity, extension lag, and activities of daily living (ADL) score between the two groups. However, a statistically significant difference was detected in the range of motion (ROM) score (p < 0.01). No major complications occurred in either of the two groups. Although the follow-up period was not long enough, the KU knee was thought to be a promising modification of the total condylar knee prosthesis.


SnO2 nanowhiskers of mass production have been synthesized by evaporating metal tin (Sn) powders at 800 °C. The synthesized products were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Each SnO2 nanowhisker was a tetragonal rutile single crystal, with the diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm and the lengths extending to tens of micrometres. The SnO2 nanowhiskers exhibited a sensitivity of 23 to 50 ppm ethanol gas at 300 °C. Our results demonstrated that SnO2 nanowhiskers have a promising application for gas sensor fabrication.


Diverticula on the left side of the colon, especially in the sigmoid colon are a common occurrence in the West. However, right-sided diverticula are less common, being reported from Asian countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and India. Diverticula of the transverse colon are very rare with very few cases reported in literature. We report a case of perforated true diverticulum of the transverse colon in a sixty-two year-old lady.


What is the meaning of "class struggle" in advanced capitalist societies? Recent political debate has tended to marginalize the question of class conflict, a notion seen as central by earlier thinkers of both the left and the right. In this study Miliband argues for the continued relevance and centrality of class struggle in today's Western societies and examines current examples of class structures and power relationships in the West. He analyzes the role of both labor organizations and new social movements such as the "green" and "feminist" movements in the class struggles of today and explores the ways in which the power elites and dominant classes seek to maintain the social order.


Patients' families are important in hospice not only because they themselves might benefit from it, but also because they influence whether and how hospice is used to begin with. We hypothesized that, among the married, people with less capable spouses (in this case, those who are less healthy) should be less able to use home hospice care and should enroll in hospice later in the course of their illness, closer to death. We tested this hypothesis by evaluating the impact of spousal health on the timing of patients' use of hospice in a select group of 517 couples, a total of 1034 patients, for whom we have health data for both partners from Medicare claims records. We evaluated cohort survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression, and we measured illness burden using the Charlson comorbidity score. Among the probands, 45.6% had a primary cancer diagnosis, 44.5% were female, 7.5% were nonwhite, their mean age was 80.0 years (+/-7.6 SD), and their mean Charlson score was 3.1 +/- 3.0. The probands' median survival after hospice enrollment was 55 days. Spouses were similarly composed demographically, but were less likely to have a cancer primary diagnosis (35.4% had cancer) and were slightly younger than the probands; their mean Charlson score was 2.9 +/- 2.9. Each additional point in the Charlson score of the spouse, controlling for measured characteristics of the proband, is associated with a 5.1% increase in the risk of death after enrollment. That is, after controlling for the characteristics of hospice patients themselves, those with sicker spouses are enrolled later. Compared with patients with the healthiest spouses, those with moderately sick and very sick spouses had considerably later enrollment into hospice, with the median survival decreasing from 111 to 49 to 22 days across the groups. Our data suggest that there may be a separate role of spousal health in affecting the time of hospice enrollment, and that patients' social support may affect not just their health status to begin with, but also their use of health care in general.


Altered lipid metabolism is increasingly recognized as a signature of cancer cells. Enabled by label-free Raman spectromicroscopy, we performed quantitative analysis of lipogenesis at single-cell level in human patient cancerous tissues. Our imaging data revealed an unexpected, aberrant accumulation of esterified cholesterol in lipid droplets of high-grade prostate cancer and metastases. Biochemical study showed that such cholesteryl ester accumulation was a consequence of loss of tumor suppressor PTEN and subsequent activation of PI3K/AKT pathway in prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, we found that such accumulation arose from significantly enhanced uptake of exogenous lipoproteins and required cholesterol esterification. Depletion of cholesteryl ester storage significantly reduced cancer proliferation, impaired cancer invasion capability, and suppressed tumor growth in mouse xenograft models with negligible toxicity. These findings open opportunities for diagnosing and treating prostate cancer by targeting the altered cholesterol metabolism. Citation Format: Hyeon Jeong Lee, Shuhua Yue, Junjie Li, Seung-Young Lee, Tian Shao, Bing Song, Liang Cheng, Timothy A. Masterson, Xiaoqi Liu, Timothy L. Ratliff, Ji-Xin Cheng. Cholesteryl ester accumulation induced by PTEN loss and PI3K/AKT activation underlies human prostate cancer aggressiveness. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Targeting the PI3K-mTOR Network in Cancer; Sep 14-17, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(7 Suppl):Abstract nr A06.


The Grid has become a huge and important instrument, playing a key role in the everyday work of many researchers. A large amount of software is being developed both to manage the grid infrastructure itself (gLite middleware), to facilitate the task of grid users (e.g workflow managers, pilot job managers, etc.), and to run the computations. That software must be designed to handle network and services outages in a highly distributed environment, while still providing the expected performance. It is inconvenient to test software using the production infrastructure, since (1) it might not exhibit the behaviour that is required to test extreme conditions (services are unlikely to crash as often as required when testing fault tolerance); (2) it might not be possible to replace key parts of the infrastructure without degrading the user experience; (3) experiments are not easily reproduced in production conditions. In this paper, we present our ongoing work on deploying the gLite middleware on the Grid'5000 testbed, a scientific instrument designed to support research on parallel, large-scale and distributed computing. Tools were written to automatize the deployment of the gLite middleware on several sites and clusters, resulting in a deployment of 5 sites and 8 clusters on 441 machines in less than an hour. This provides a solid basis for future experiments on the gLite middleware and on software that interact with the middleware.


Objective To investigate the relationship between serum folate (FA) levels and residual renal function (RRF) in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Methods Clinical data were collected from 180 hospitalized patients who received CAPD regularly. Patients were divided into the FA deficiency group and the FA non-deficiency group according to serum FA level. Data on age, sex, PD vintage, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, serum FA, total Kt/V, residual kidney Kt/V, peritoneum Kt/V, creatinine clearance (Ccr), ultrafiltration volume, cystatin C (cytC), serum creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen, retinol-binding protein and the primary disease were gathered from 2 groups. Statistical methods were used to analyze the relationship between serum FA level and RRF. Results Peritoneal Kt/V, cytC, Scr were higher, and residual kidney Kt/V was lower in FA deficiency group than in non-deficiency group. Univariate correlation showed the peritoneal Kt/V, cytC, Scr negatively correlated with serum FA while residual kidney Kt/V positively correlated with serum FA, and there was a simple linear regression relationship between serum FA and residual kidney Kt/V. Differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion There is a relationship between serum FA and RRF in CAPD patients. Prospective studies or trials should be performed to clarify the importance of FA supplementation on RRF during peritoneal dialysis.


Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is an important tool for investigating vascular networks and microcirculation in living tissue. Traditional OCTA detects blood vessels via intravascular dynamic scattering signals derived from the movements of red blood cells (RBCs). However, the low hematocrit and long latency between RBCs in capillaries makes these OCTA signals discontinuous, leading to incomplete mapping of the vascular networks. OCTA imaging of microvascular circulation is particularly challenging in tumors due to the abnormally slow blood flow in angiogenic tumor vessels and strong attenuation of light by tumor tissue. Here we demonstrate in vivo that gold nanoprisms (GNPRs) can be used as OCT contrast agents working in the second near infrared window, significantly enhancing the dynamic scattering signals in microvessels and improving the sensitivity of OCTA in skin tissue and melanoma tumors in live mice. This is the first demonstration that nanoparticle-based OCT contrast agent work in vivo in the second near infrared window, which allows deeper imaging depth by OCT. With GNPRs as contrast agents, the post-injection OCT angiograms showed 41% and 59% more microvasculature than pre-injection angiograms in healthy mouse skin and melanoma tumors, respectively. By enabling better characterization of microvascular circulation in vivo, GNPR-enhanced OCTA could lead to better understanding of vascular functions during pathological conditions, more accurate measurements of therapeutic response, and improved patient prognoses.


A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensor sandwiched between two elastic layers fixed to a rigid foundation is shown to be able to resolve a shear stress component produced by loading the upper layer's surface with a rigid indenter. When the measured charge response of the sensor is compared to that predicted by analytical solution of the corresponding axisymmetric elastic contact problem, a significant qualitative agreement between the two responses results. The experimentally determinated sensitivity, on the other hand, is found to be higher than that predicted analytically. Possible causes of this discrepancy are discussed. >


The central building block of secure and privacy-preserving Vehicular Communication (VC) systems is a Vehicular Public-Key Infrastructure (VPKI), which provides vehicles with multiple anonymized credentials, termed pseudonyms. These pseudonyms are used to ensure message authenticity and integrity while preserving vehicle (thus passenger) privacy. In the light of emerging large-scale multi-domain VC environments, the efficiency of the VPKI and, more broadly, its scalability are paramount. By the same token, preventing misuse of the credentials, in particular, Sybil-based misbehavior, and managing "honest-but-curious" insiders are other facets of a challenging problem. In this paper, we leverage the state-of-the-art VPKI system and enhance its functionality towards a highly-available, dynamically-scalable, and resilient design; this ensures that the system remains operational in the presence of benign failures or resource depletion attacks, and that it dynamically scales out, or possibly scales in, according to request arrival rates. Our full-blown implementation on the Google Cloud Platform shows that deploying large-scale and efficient VPKI can be cost-effective.


This paper proposes a modification to RNN-Transducer (RNN-T) models for automatic speech recognition (ASR). In standard RNN-T, the emission of a blank symbol consumes exactly one input frame; in our proposed method, we introduce additional blank symbols, which consume two or more input frames when emitted. We refer to the added symbols as big blanks, and the method multi-blank RNN-T. For training multi-blank RNN-Ts, we propose a novel logit under-normalization method in order to prioritize emissions of big blanks. With experiments on multiple languages and datasets, we show that multi-blank RNN-T methods could bring relative speedups of over +90%/+139% to model inference for English Librispeech and German Multilingual Librispeech datasets, respectively. The multi-blank RNN-T method also improves ASR accuracy consistently. We will release our implementation of the method in the NeMo (https://github.com/NVIDIA/NeMo) toolkit.


We investigated flooding patterns in the urbanised city-state of Singapore through a multimethod approach combining station precipitation data with archival newspaper and governmental records; changes in flash floods frequencies or reported impacts of floods towards Singapore society were documented. We subsequently discussed potential flooding impacts in the context of urban vulnerability, based on future urbanisation and forecasted precipitation projections for Singapore. We find that, despite effective flood management, (i) significant increases in reported flash flood frequency occurred in contemporary (post-2000) relative to preceding (1984–1999) periods, (ii) these flash floods coincide with more localised, "patchy" storm events, (iii) storms in recent years are also more intense and frequent, and (iv) floods result in low human casualties but have high economic costs via insurance damage claims. We assess that Singapore presently has low vulnerability to floods vis-a-vis other regional cities largely due to holistic flood management via consistent and successful infrastructural development, widespread flood monitoring, and effective advisory platforms. We conclude, however, that future vulnerabilities may increase from stresses arising from physical exposure to climate change and from demographic sensitivity via rapid population growth. Anticipating these changes is potentially useful in maintaining the high resilience of Singapore towards this hydrometeorological hazard.


SUMMARY The dynamic coupling between plate motion and mantle convection is investigated in a suite of Cartesian models by systematically varying aspect ratios and plate geometries. The aim of the study presented here is to determine to what extent plates affect mantle flow patterns, temperature and surface heat flux. To this end, we compare numerical convection models with free-slip boundary conditions to models that incorporate between one and six plates, where the geometries of the plates remain fixed while the plate velocities evolve dynamically with the flow. We also vary the widths of the plates and the computational domain in order to determine what constraint these parameters place on the mean temperature, heat flux and plate velocity of mantle convection models. We have investigated the influence of plates for three whole-mantle convection cases that differ in their heating modes (internally heated and basally heated) and rheologies (isoviscous and depth-dependent viscosity). We present a systematic investigation of over 30 models that exhibit increasingly complex behaviour in order to understand highly time-dependent systems using the insight gained from simpler models. In models with aspect ratios from 0.5 to 12 we find that for the same heating mode, variations in temperature can be as much as 40 per cent when comparing calculations with unit-width plates to models incorporating plates with widths equal to five times the model depth. Mean surface heat flux may decrease by 60 per cent over the same range of plate widths. We also find that internally heated mantle convection models incorporating plates exhibit novel behaviour that, we believe, has not been described previously in mantle convection studies. Specifically, in internally heated models, plate motion is characterized by episodic reversals in direction driven by changes in the mantle circulation from clockwise to counterclockwise and vice versa. These flow reversals occur in internally heated convection and are caused by a build-up of heat in the interiors of wide convection cells close to mantle downwellings. We find that flow reversals occur rapidly and are present in both single-plate and multiple-plate models that include internal heating. This behaviour offers a possible explanation for why the Pacific plate suddenly changed its direction some 43 Ma.


During in vitro experiments using pooled human plasma at 37 degrees C, sisomicin alone showed only a small loss of activity of 12% in 24 hr. Incubation with 80 micrograms/ml mezlocillin did not alter the rate of inactivation. But, after the addition of 300 micrograms/ml mezlocillin to either 5.0 or 2.5 micrograms/ml sisomicin, the sisomicin half-life was reduced by 50% and 100% respectively. When the mean drug concentration ratios are compared, inactivation of sisomicin by mezlocillin was significantly less than that reported for carbenicillin or ticarcillin. Sisomicin pharmacokinetics were studied in 27 patients with normal and various degrees of impaired renal function (Part A) and were not changed by the simultaneous administration of mezlocillin 60 mg/kg (Part B). Furthermore, even in far advanced renal insufficiency, sisomicin inactivation by mezlocillin could not be demonstrated. The differing results obtained with mezlocillin compared to carbenicillin or ticarcillin might be explained by differences in the physico-chemical properties of the drugs in addition to the different kinetic behavior of mezlocillin in patients with impaired renal function.


Marattia aganzhenensis sp. nov. from the Lower Jurassic Daxigou Formation of Lanzhou, Gansu, China, is the second species of Marattia known in fertile structure from China, in addition to Marattia asiatica. The new species demonstrates the variability of the genus through its distinct character states. This new species is distinguished by the absence of venuli recurrentes, the shorter synangia, exclusively monolete spores without surface ornamentation, and the low number of spores produced per sporangium.


Sipuleucel-T is a cellular immunotherapy approved for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We report a patient developing an immune related adverse effect from sipuleucel-T drug-induced erythema annulare centrifugum-like eruption. A brief review of the mechanism and implications of this eruption are also included.


It has been previously demonstrated that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) regulates insulin secretion. PACAP exerts its biological action by binding to at least three different receptor subtypes coupled to different signal transduction mechanisms. The signaling pathways underlying the insulinotropic effect of PACAP involve mainly the activation of adenylate cyclase to form cAMP, which directly and indirectly, through increased intracellular Ca2+, stimulates insulin exocytosis. In the present study we have characterized the functional and molecular expression of PACAP/vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptors isoforms and subtypes and its isoforms in a beta-cell line and in isolated rat pancreatic islets. Although insulinoma cells express the messenger RNA encoding PAC1 (-R and -hop variants), VPAC1 and VPAC2, binding experiments indicate the preponderance of PAC1 over VPAC 1-2 receptors. We have also shown that the main signaling pathway of PACAP in beta-cells is mediated by adenylate cyclase, whereas the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate pathway is almost inactive. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that PACAP exerts long-term effects on beta-cells, such as transcriptional regulation of the insulin gene and genes of the glucose-sensing system (GLUT1 and hexokinase 1).


PhIP is a known food carcinogen found in well done meat which causes several cancers including breast cancer. PhIP metabolites produce DNA adduct and DNA strand breaks. Curcumin, obtained from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has potent anticancer activity. So far none of the study demonstrates the inhibition of PhIP induced cytotoxicity by the co-treatment of Curcumin in normal breast epithelial cells in vitro. Therefore, we developed a model system using the MCF 10A normal breast epithelial cells to study the PhIP cytotoxicity and if cells are co-cultured with Curcumin and PhIP how it affects. Consequently, the core signaling pathways have been explored to evaluate the efficacy of Curcumin. In this study, the effectiveness of Curcumin was investigated in MCF 10A cells along with PhIP. The cytotoxic ability was detected with MTT assay, ROS activation by DCF, the influence of the cell cycle was checked with flow cytometry, DNA damage by comet assay, DNA adduct formation by anti-PhIP DNA primary, and apoptosis by Annexin-V-FITC staining. The influence of the core signaling pathways was evaluated by RT PCR and/or Western blotting which included Nrf2 (GSR, GPX, NQO1), FOXO (Catalase, GADD45, PRDX3) targets; DNA repair genes/proteins BRCA1, H2AFX and PARP-1; and tumor suppressor P16 gene expression. PhIP cytotoxicity induced the expression of various antioxidant and DNA repair genes on MCF-10A cells but co-treatment of Curcumin retained its expression level similar to untreated groups. Additionally, Curcumin co- treatment increased the expression level of tumor suppressor expression gene P-53. Expression of antioxidants genes was induced by PhIP whereas Curcumin significantly suppress the PhIP induced ROS activation, DNA strand breaks and DNA adduct formation and consequently inhibited the cell death. In conclusion, Curcumin appears to be effective to inhibit P450 mediated ROS production and PhIP-DNA adducts which consequently reduces DNA damage. Citation Format: Ashok K. Jain, Abhilash Samykutty, Carissa L. Jackson, Muthusamy Thangaraju, Darren D. Browning. Curcumin inhibit PhIP induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting ROS production, DNA strand breaks and DNA adducts formation in MCF 10A cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4106. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4106


ABSTRACT The updip Tuscaloosa trend of southwest Mississippi lies north of both the Lower Cretaceous shelf edge and the currently developing "intermediate" Lower Tuscaloosa play in the "Florida parishes" of eastern Louisiana and in Wilkinson County, Mississippi. The updip trend first became active in the 1940s with the discovery of major reserves at Brookhaven and Mallalieu fields in Lincoln County and Cranfield field in Adams County. Today the trend is considered mature; however, it has become increasingly more active with the discovery of several new fields since 1981, including Olive, Liberty, and Friendship Church fields. One of the primary reasons for several of these discoveries is the development of new seismic-stratigraphic methods integrated with detailed subsurface geological interpretations. The fact that oil can be found at relatively shallow depths with reasonable drilling costs and minimal engineering problems has provided the incentive to pursue this play.


The Neogene and Quaternary depositional and structural characteristics of the southwestern Croatian Pannonian Basin System (CPBS) are unique within the Pannonian Basin System (PBS). Due to its position at the basin margin, the area was covered by shallow and partially isolated parts of the Pannonian Sea in the Badenian (Mid Miocene). Later, in the Pannonian and Pontian ages, the area contained several brackish lakes, the largest being Sava Lake and Drava Lake. Tectonic events, sedimentation and depositional mechanisms occurring during the Neogene in the CPBS have revealed that those areas can be considered as former shallow seas or lakes dominated by clastic sedimentation. Marine coarse-grained clastic sedimentation took place during the Badenian, with local sources of material and numerous alluvial fans developed during the first transtensional phase. In the Pannonian and Pontian (Late Miocene), sediments were deposited by turbidity currents from a single, distal material source located in the Eastern Alps during the second transtensional tectonic phase.


This technical report lists all the TEACUP tasks implemented and their parameters as well as the environment variables that can be used to control the look of graphs.


Otomycosis is frequently encountered in tropical and subtropical zones. In Ivory Coast diagnosis of this disease is often based solely on the clinical symptoms. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, predisposing factors, and etiologic agents associated with otomycosis at the Treichville University Hospital Center in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Mycological examinations were performed on specimens obtained from 115 patients presenting with external otitis at the d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Department. Fungi-positive cultures were obtained in 49 patients for an overall otomycosis prevalence of 42.6 (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 34.4-52.2). Univariate analysis showed that the predisposing factors for otomycosis were frequent swimming in natural or artificial pools (Relative Risk (RR) 3.7; CI 1.7-8.1), daily ear cleaning (RR 3.5; CI 1.8-6.8) and excessive use of eardrops containing antibiotics and corticoids (RR = 9.3; IC95% = 4.3-20.1). The most common etiologic agents were Aspergillus flavus (20.4%), Candida albicans (16.3%), Candida parapsilosis (14.3%), and Aspergillus niger (12.2%). A combination of two agents was found in five cases. These data show that otomycosis is endemic in Ivory Coast. Management of otomycosis must include mycological examination for diagnosis as well as changing behavior patterns leading to infection.


This article presents the findings of a recent survey of natural resource webinar providers. Respondents were asked a range of questions regarding their webinar services. Findings showed that respondents most commonly marketed their webinars through email or websites and targeted an audience of professionals. Respondents noted that the greatest challenge in offering webinars was the time commitment, whereas access to high-quality speakers added the most value to a webinar portal. Although the majority of responding webinar providers do not currently charge for their webinars, over one third noted that they would be willing to pay a fee per participant.


Up to 50% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have the so-called "cryptogenic cirrhosis." Most of them are affected by at least one of the condition characterizing the metabolic syndrome, as obesity or diabetes. Recent observations found that type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) confers a three-fold risk of HCC. Main molecular feature of the conditions of metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance, i.e. the reduced sensitivity to insulin action and, as consequence, increased secretion of this hormone. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia influence hepatocarcinogenesis via several molecular pathways, such as phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/P13K/Akt and MAPK kinase (MAPKK). Diabetes also seems to influence negatively the prognosis and the clinical course of HCC patients, independently from the cause of the underlying cirrhosis. It's well known that insulin-sensitizing drugs may reduce the incidence of HCC. Metformin activates 5-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), that has growth inhibition effects on human cancer cell lines via inhibition of its downstream target mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and decreases the expression of Livin, a protein involved in both cell proliferation and survivalexpressed at high level in neoplastic cell. Also thiazolidinediones seem to prevent tumor formation in the liver via the inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-independent regulation of nucleophosmin. More debated is the role of sulfonylureas in decreasing HCC incidence in diabetic patients. Further investigations are needed to define reliable indications to therapy and surveillance in patients with diabetes or insulin resistance.


Abstract A modern, accurate, simple and sensitive spectrophotometric procedure is tested for the appreciation of metoclopramide medicine as perspicuous form, as well as in various kinds of pharmaceutical dosages. The procedure depends on the interaction of metoclopramide (MCP) medicine and orcinol reagent by utilizing azo coupling reaction. The orcinol in NaOH solution middle to give a latterly ligand which reacts with copper (II) to output the complex with strong yellow color at 50°C. The resulting complex is water soluble, stable and can be determined spectrophotometrically at wavelength 459 nm. The calibration curve absorbance vs. concentration was established in the concentration range 0.6-12 ppm, and the curve followed the Beer's law in this range. The procedure precision is given by the average recovery of 99.91% sequentially, as well as by the average relative standard deviation 0.70%, related to the amount of drug. The sensitivity is established at molar absorptivity 1.9044×104 l‧cm-1‧mol-1. The Sandell sensitivity is tested as 0.002 μg/cm2. The analytical results for the tested procedure agree with the official procedure. The interferences from medicine additives were tested. The established procedure is successfully examined on the appreciation of MCP in diverse kinds of pharmaceuticals.


Using an analysis of primary documents and secondary sources, the problem of domestic violence against women in Sri Lanka is surveyed from the perspectives of public health, as well as human and legal rights. The limited Sri Lankan literature on the measurements, context and prevalence of such violence, as well as legislation for its prevention, is reviewed. Responses to the problem by the government and non-government organisations are described. These include using international organisations, forums and conventions to further the human rights dimensions of the problem, the establishment of support services and domestic legal reforms to accord greater protection to women. While The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act 2005 gave legislative recognition to the problem and put into place some welcome reforms, it lacked a comprehensive response to the problem. It is argued that health service providers need to be trained to be aware of domestic violence as the potential cause of physical injuries and mental conditions and that the medical record should document the circumstances and nature of domestic violence. Hospital outpatient departments should offer counselling, referrals to crisis centres and shelters, and should collect sex disaggregated data on domestic assaults. Finally, primary health care workers can both support women in dealing with domestic violence as well as performing a sentinel role in prevention. Specific and comprehensive public policy on violence against women must be developed to allow the health sector to play its role within a context of inter-sectoral collaboration.


Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Center, part of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, has developed a series of long life microcryocoolers for avionics and space sensor applications. We report the development and testing of three varieties of single-stage, compact, coaxial, pulse tube microcryocoolers. These coolers support emerging large, high operating temperature (100-150K) infrared focal plane array sensors with nominal cooling loads of 200-2000 mW, and all share long life technology attributes used in space cryocoolers, which typically provide 10 years of continuous operation on orbit without degradation. These three models of microcryocooler are the 345 gram Micro1-1, designed to provide 1 W cooling at 150 K, the 450 gram Micro1-2, designed to provide 2 W cooling at 105 K, and the 320 gram Micro1-3, designed to provide 300 mW cooling at 125 K while providing the capability to cool the IR focal plane to 125 K in less than 3 minutes. The Micro1-3 was also designed with a highly compact package that reduced the coldhead length to 55 mm, a length reduction of more than a factor of two compared with the other coldheads. This paper also describes recent design studies of 2-stage microcryocoolers capable of providing cooling at 25-100K. LMSSC is an industry leader in multiple-stage coolers, having successfully built and tested eight 2-stage coolers (typically cooling to 35-55K), and four coolers with 3 or 4 stages (for cooling to 4-10K). The 2-stage microcryocooler offers a very low mass and compact package capable of cooling HgCdTe focal planes, while providing simultaneous optics cooling at a higher temperature.


In this study, we apply a combination of face and speaker identification techniques to the task of multi-modal (i.e., multi-biometric) user authentication for mobile or variableenvironment applications. Audio-visual data was collected using a web camera connected to a laptop computer in three different environments: a quiet indoor office, a busy indoor cafe, and near a noisy outdoor street intersection. Experiments demonstrated the benefits that may be obtained from using a multimodal approach, even when both input modalities suffer from difficult environmental conditions or a poor match between training and testing conditions. Over twelve different training and testing conditions, user authentication equal error rates were reduced an average of 19% from the best individual biometric in each condition, and 36% from an audio-only system. Index Terms: speaker identification, face identification, multibiometric user authentication


ABSTRACT Previous work has shown that microbial communities in As-mobilizing sediments from West Bengal were dominated by Geobacter species. Thus, the potential of Geobacter sulfurreducens to mobilize arsenic via direct enzymatic reduction and indirect mechanisms linked to Fe(III) reduction was analyzed. G. sulfurreducens was unable to conserve energy for growth via the dissimilatory reduction of As(V), although it was able to grow in medium containing fumarate as the terminal electron acceptor in the presence of 500 μM As(V). There was also no evidence of As(III) in culture supernatants, suggesting that resistance to 500 μM As(V) was not mediated by a classical arsenic resistance operon, which would rely on the intracellular reduction of As(V) and the efflux of As(III). When the cells were grown using soluble Fe(III) as an electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), the Fe(II)-bearing mineral vivianite was formed. This was accompanied by the removal of As, predominantly as As(V), from solution. Biogenic siderite (ferrous carbonate) was also able to remove As from solution. When the organism was grown using insoluble ferrihydrite as an electron acceptor, Fe(III) reduction resulted in the formation of magnetite, again accompanied by the nearly quantitative sorption of As(V). These results demonstrate that G. sulfurreducens, a model Fe(III)-reducing bacterium, did not reduce As(V) enzymatically, despite the apparent genetic potential to mediate this transformation. However, the reduction of Fe(III) led to the formation of Fe(II)-bearing phases that are able to capture arsenic species and could act as sinks for arsenic in sediments.


With the growing trend of digitalization, new opportunities to disrupt the way value is created, offered and defended have arisen in the healthcare industry. One of the emerging concepts of digitalization is the Internet of Things (IoT), referred to as Internet of Medical things when applied in healthcare. Although these solutions bring a lot of potential opportunities for cost-reduction and improved outcomes, it also includes risks that the operators should take into account. The previous research is lacking comprehensive studies of the contextual factors and how those affect the implementation of IoT solutions in healthcare. This study aims to address this gap by understanding how contextual factors affect the implementation of IoMT solutions. To achieve this aim, a multiple case study is conducted, giving a holistic view of seven contextual factors. The results from the primary and secondary data illustrate that all of the seven studied contextual factors do influence the implementation of the solutions by the studied cases, although in different ways. The results of this study can be used by the managers of IoMT firms for creating implementation strategies, as well as by other players in the ecosystem for analyzing how to utilize the IoMT solutions.


Objective:To compare patient retention at 3 stages of pre-antiretroviral (ART) care and 2 stages of post-ART care to identify when greatest attrition occurs. Design:An observational cohort study. Methods:We reviewed files of all adult nonpregnant individuals testing HIV-positive January 1–June 30, 2010, at a primary health clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa (N = 842). We classified retention in pre-ART stage 1 (HIV diagnosis to CD4 results notification in ⩽3 months), pre-ART stage 2 (initially ineligible for ART with repeat CD4 test ⩽1 year of prior CD4), pre-ART stage 3 (initiating ART ⩽3 months after first eligible CD4 result), and at 0–6 and 6–12 months post-ART. Results:Retention among all patients during pre-ART stage 1 was 69.8% [95% confidence interval (CI): 66.7% to 72.9%]. For patients initially ART ineligible (n = 221), 57.4% (95% CI: 49.5% to 65.0%) returned for a repeat CD4 during pre-ART stage 2. Among those who were ART eligible (n = 589), 73.5% (95% CI: 69.0% to 77.6%) were retained during pre-ART stage 3. Retention increased with time on ART, from 80.2% (95% CI: 75.3% to 84.5%) at 6 months to 95.3% (95% CI: 91.7% to 97.6%) between 6 and 12 months. Cumulative retention from diagnosis to 12 months on ART was 36.9% (95% CI: 33.0% to 41.1%) for those ART eligible and 43.0% (95% CI: 36.4% to 49.8%) from diagnosis to repeat CD4 testing within one year among those ART ineligible. Conclusions:Patient attrition in the first year after HIV diagnosis was greatest before ART initiation: more than 25% at each of 3 pre-ART stages. As countries expand HIV testing and ART programs, success will depend on linkage to care, especially before ART eligibility and initiation.


Abstract The effect of Hf additions on the solidification characteristics and castability of the Ni-base superalloy IN792 has been studied. A quenching technique was employed to freeze-in the microstructure during solidification. The crack length in tube-shaped demonstration castings was evaluated. Hf additions were found to reduce the hot-tearing susceptibility significantly. Hf also caused a more gradual decrease of the liquid fraction with temperature in the last stages of solidification, which was observed to improve castability in other alloys previously and which can be correlated with lower strains and strain rates in the vulnerable period where hot tears form. It was also found that the γ/γ′ rosette structure, often referred to as γ/γ′ eutectic in the literature, actually forms by a discontinuous precipitation mechanism from the solid. The amount of γ/γ′ observed in the interdendritic area, therefore, does not reflect the amount of remaining liquid in the last stages of solidification.


The phenomenon of climate change influences primary production, food chain interactions, and distribution of fisheries species. Sukabumi Regency, especially Palabuhanratu Bay, is a fishing ground for fish larvae. Fish larvae are an essential phase in supporting the existence of fish resources. The study aims to determine the spatial distribution of fish larvae locations in Palabuhanratu Bay and analyze the relationship between the phenomenon of climate change and fish larvae locations. The variables are rainfall, salinity, sea surface temperature, currents, and tides. The phenomenon of climate change using rainfall data years 2000-2019, Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS. Salinity estimation generated from Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS using the Cimandiri Algorithm. The Split-Window Algorithm with the sea surface temperature value. The results found fishing larvae located around the estuary and the beach towards the sea along the Palabuhanratu Bay. The biggest catches from these fish larvae are in Cimandiri estuary and Citepus estuary. This research concluded that rainfall affects the catches of fish larvae because it is directly related to the oceanographic condition of the bay waters.


In this paper, numerous inkjet-/3D-/4D-printed wearable flexible antennas, RF electronics, modules and sensors fabricated on paper and other polymer (e.g. LCP) substrates are introduced as a system-level solution for ultra-low-cost mass production of autonomous Biomonitoring, Positioning and Sensing applications. This paper briefly discusses the state-of-the-art area of fully-integrated wearable wireless sensor modules on paper or flexible LCP and show the first ever 4D sensor module integration on paper, as well as numerous 3D and 4D multilayer paper-based and LCP-based RF/microwave, flexible and wearable structures, that could potentially set the foundation for the truly convergent wireless sensor ad-hoc "on-body networks of the future with enhanced cognitive intelligence and "rugged" packaging. Also, some challenges concerning the power sources of "nearperpetual" wearable RF modules, including flexible miniaturized batteries as well as power-scavenging approaches involving electromagnetic and solar energy forms are discuessed. The final step of the paper will involve examples from mmW wearable (e.g. biomonitoring) antennas and RF modules, as well as the first examples of the integration of inkjet-printed nanotechnology-based (e.g.CNT) sensors on paper and organic substrates for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It has to be noted that the paper will review and present challenges for inkjetprinted organic active and nonlinear devices as well as future directions in the area of environmentally-friendly "green") wearable RF electronics and "smart-skin conformal sensors.


In order to accommodate solutions with multiple phases, corresponding to crossing rays, we formulate geometrical optics for the scalar wave equation as a kinetic transport equation set in phase space. If the maximum number of phases is finite and known a priori we can recover the exact multiphase solution from an associated system of moment equations, closed by an assumption on the form of the density function in the kinetic equation. We consider two different closure assumptions based on delta and Heaviside functions and analyze the resulting equations. They form systems of nonlinear conservation laws with source terms. In contrast to the classical eikonal equation, these equations will incorporate a finite superposition principle in the sense that while the maximum number of phases is not exceeded a sum of solutions is also a solution. We present numerical results for a variety of homogeneous and inhomogeneous problems.


In today's changing global environment engineering graduates are expected to have both technical and soft skills. Accordingly, La Trobe University has incorporated the soft skills of communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills and leadership into its Civil Engineering course. This paper describes the contribution of teamwork to the development of soft skills during laboratory classes in a number of subjects taught at the second, third and fourth years of study. The assessment for the practical component was designed to enhance teamwork and measure the students' contribution during the laboratory/field sessions. The practical classes and teamwork requirements improved the students' technical knowledge, and students became more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. It also enhanced students' communication skills and promoted the development of interpersonal skills and a responsible attitude.


Mangroves serve as either sinks or sources for inorganic and organic nutrients and can mitigate anthropogenic nutrient pollution, control the production in adjacent systems, and prevent eutrophication. To better understand the nutrient dynamics in a subtropical mangrove, we employed a three-way approach in the Nanliu River Estuary, southern China: Pore water profiles and sediment incubations revealed benthic early diagenesis as well as sediment–water exchange of dissolved nutrients and oxygen, while tidal sampling of estuarine and mangrove water identified source and sink functions of the entire mangrove forest. Fluxes of oxygen during incubations were always directed into the sediment, indicating heterotrophy of the system. There was a net uptake of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, mainly caused by nitrate influx, while ammonium and nitrite showed variable flux direction. Despite high pore water concentrations, phosphate and silica showed net uptake. Fluxes of dissolved organic carbon were generally low except for high efflux in the dark following a storm event. Due to the combination of small forest area and strong anthropogenic nutrient input, the net sink function for dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus provides no significant buffer against the eutrophication of coastal waters.


The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sedimentology and paleogeography of the Mississippian Mauch Chunk sandstones in south-central and western Pennsylvania. The thin-section, heavy-mineral, and size analyses form the core of the study. The sandstones comprise two groups: subgraywacke, forming the dominant group, and protoquartzite. The subgraywacke beds are considered to have been deposited by a river system on a fluvial and prograding deltaic plain; the dominant current direction, based on paleocurrent studies, was from east to west, indicating an eastern source composed of sedimentary clastics and a metamorphic complex. The protoquartzite beds were deposited in a nearshore marine environment during the early phase of the Mauch Chunk sedimentation; the source ock of the protoquartzite was composed of mature and multicycled sediments, and was north and northwest of the study area. An isopachous and lithofacies map indicates that, in cross section, the Mauch Chunk is wedge-shaped and thins westward. The westward thinning of the terrigenous clastics is accompanied by an increase in the thickness of marine carbonates. The sedimentary model presented for the Mauch Chunk Formation is that of a molasse basin, which is an elongate miogeosynclinal basin in which the terrigenous deposits thicken toward the source and thin seaward. The model is similar to those for the Juniata-Tuscarora, the Catskill, the Pocono, and the Pottsville molasse deposits of the central Appalachians.


Abstract RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are critical for the post-transcriptional control of RNAs and play vital roles in a myriad of biological processes, such as RNA localization and gene regulation. Therefore, computational methods that are capable of accurately identifying RBPs are highly desirable and have important implications for biomedical and biotechnological applications. Here, we propose a two-stage deep transfer learning-based framework, termed RBP-TSTL, for accurate prediction of RBPs. In the first stage, the knowledge from the self-supervised pre-trained model was extracted as feature embeddings and used to represent the protein sequences, while in the second stage, a customized deep learning model was initialized based on an annotated pre-training RBPs dataset before being fine-tuned on each corresponding target species dataset. This two-stage transfer learning framework can enable the RBP-TSTL model to be effectively trained to learn and improve the prediction performance. Extensive performance benchmarking of the RBP-TSTL models trained using the features generated by the self-supervised pre-trained model and other models trained using hand-crafting encoding features demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed two-stage knowledge transfer strategy based on the self-supervised pre-trained models. Using the best-performing RBP-TSTL models, we further conducted genome-scale RBP predictions for Homo sapiens, Arabidopsis thaliana, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella and established a computational compendium containing all the predicted putative RBPs candidates. We anticipate that the proposed RBP-TSTL approach will be explored as a useful tool for the characterization of RNA-binding proteins and exploration of their sequence–structure–function relationships.


This article reports the results of research into the career motivation and satisfaction of a sample of over 3,000 teachers and school administrators in four countries: Australia, New Zealand, England, and the USA. Using the participants' own words, we explore the effects on educators of recent international educational change, understood here as a subcategory of more general social trends. Bourdieu's concepts of the Right and Left Hands of the state are used to interpret the experience of teaching in a climate where, while more is expected and demanded of schools, and schools and teachers are scrutinised as never before, educational resources have become scarcer, and the status and image of teaching as a profession has declined.


Lattice theory play an important role in mathematics as well as in other disciplines such as computer science, engineering, cryptography, etc. In this paper, we introduce the concept of generalized soft lattice (gs lattice) and investigate some of its fundamental properties. Further we define soft valuation on a generalized soft lattice (gs lattice) and study its major properties. In the last section we discuss the notion of soft distance function and express it in terms of soft valuation. Here we discuss the notions of soft pseudo metric lattice and soft metric lattice.


'Pericles' was one of two productions (with 'Timon of Athens') which were the result of a collaboration between The Royal Shakespeare Company and Cardboard Citizens theatre company. They were presented as part of both the Complete Works Festival and the Belfast International Festival. Fred Meller was the costume and set designer for both productions.

In 'Pericles', Shakespeare's themes of loss and reunion have been directly experienced by many of the members of Cardboard Citizens and were shared during the improvisational production process with RSC actors. They in turn shared their experience of Shakespeare's language. As in all Meller's collaborations with Cardboard Citizens, his role as designer involved a deeply integrated contribution to the productions as a whole beyond the normal role assumed for a stage designer.

'Pericles', performed in a vast supermarket distribution warehouse off the Old Kent Road, challenged all the conventions of theatre performance, even those conventions established as site-specific theatre. Movement through ten spaces, each the size of half a football pitch gave the audience the experience of a journey into different worlds.

The audience became cast themselves as asylum seekers, sitting at individual desks to fill out the government's asylum form. They then accompanied Pericles through three storms and eventual reunion with his family. They created the storms out of a washing machine space with an industrial container as a ship and wet red cross parcels as the sea.


The modalities of an inhaled treatment depends on the characteristics of the aerosol, on the age of the child, and mainly on the inhalatory system. Before the age of 8 years, the pressurised metered dose inhaler must be used together with a spacer device. Above this age, the use of a breath-actuated inhaler or of a dry powder inhaler can be proposed. Demonstration and educational instructions will increase the probability of compliance and efficiency of the treatment.


Abstract This article examines suicide among the Ticuna based on the dimensions of experience that is little or not directly mentioned in the immediate narratives about the deaths. It thus focuses on how these suicides are lived in the daily practices instilled by state institutions, and on how certain discourses are incorporated in the undertaking of critical daily events. Based on readings, interpretations and local sensibilities, enhanced in dynamics about health, disease and cure, and on the parental demands and expectations related to educational trajectories, the article presents an analysis about the functioning and development of government discourses and programs in indigenous villages.


Micropropagated plantlets of four citrus species, viz., Citrus reticulata Blanco, C. volkameriana, C. reshni, and C. nobilis x C. deliciosa were simultaneously rooted and acclimatized in culture jars filled with soilrite or soilrite topped over farmyard manure (FYM). The protocol involved direct planting of 6- to 8-week-old in-vitro-proliferated microshoots (2-2.5 cm long) in sterile soilrite or soilrite topped over FYM. Root initiation in the various species ranged from 9 to 19 days in the different carriers. Shoots rooted in soilrite topped over FYM resulted in improved growth and better establishment after transfer to the soil. This single-step rooting and acclimatization of in-vitro-proliferated citrus microshoots is an improvement over rooting in agar medium. Better rooting (80-91%) and very high ex vitro survival (90-97%) was achieved using this protocol, hence, overcoming the problem of transplant shock, a major problem in the establishment of micropropagated plants of citrus.


Purpose
To evaluate the effect of intravitreal ranibizumab injections on aqueous concentrations of angiogenic or inflammatory cytokines in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods
Thirty eyes of 25 patients with center-involved DME were recruited to the study. All had a central macular thickness (CMT) of >300 μm and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 28 and 70 logMAR letters (Snellen equivalent 20/320-20/40). At baseline, all eyes had 0.1 mL of aqueous collected before ranibizumab treatment. At week 4, a second ranibizumab injection was administered and at week 8, aqueous sampling was repeated before a third ranibizumab injection. From week 12, all eyes were followed at 4-weekly intervals and the need for ranibizumab treatment was determined by BCVA and CMT measurements. Levels of 32 cytokines were assessed at baseline and at week 8 using a multiplex array assay.

Results
Following two consecutive ranibizumab injections, there was a statistically significant reduction in VEGF (P < 0.00001), as well as IL-1β (P = 0.00006), IL-7 (P = 0.00002), IL-8 (P = 0.00023), IL-10 (P < 0.00001), IL-12 (P < 0.00001), IL-17 (P = 0.00024), MCP-1 (P = 0.00023), and TNF-α (P < 0.00001). There was also an upregulation of soluble VEGF receptor-2 (P = 0.00004). A P < 0.0015 was considered significant in this study.

Conclusions
Ranibizumab treatment influences various inflammatory cytokine concentrations in addition to reducing aqueous VEGF concentrations in patients with DME. This may contribute to its therapeutic effect in patients with DME.


In vitro bovine cervical mucus (BCM) penetration tests, sperm penetration assays (SPA) using zona-free hamster eggs, and routine semen analyses were performed on a total of 136 freshly collected semen samples from men who were seen at an infertility clinic. The correlations between bovine cervical mucus penetration and other semen parameters were the percent motile spermatozoa (r = 0.48), progressive motility grade (r = 0.44), sperm count (X 10(6)/ml) (r = 0.47), the percent normal morphology (r = 0.32) and the percent eggs penetrated (r = 0.46) (P less than 0.0001 for each correlation coefficient). When known fertile (n = 32) and infertile (n = 18) groups were tested, positive mucus penetration was associated 75% correctly and positive egg penetration was associated 90% correctly to clinical status. The mucus test had no false-negative results and the SPA had no false-positive results in these groups. It appears, then, that the mucus test and sperm penetration assay, although contributing different elements of data to an infertility evaluation, are both useful adjuncts to a semen analysis.


The Federal Republic of Nigeria has acknowledged and therefore encapsulated the importance of cultural regeneration to national development when it spelt out in its National Policy on Education (NPE) one of its objectives of education as to develop and promote the Nigerian culture in the context of the world's cultural heritage. Although this objective is well recognized, in practice Nigeria's policy makers and leaders appear to contradict this policy statement by laying too much emphasis on science and engineering disciplines in its institutions of learning at the expense of the humanities with the false hope that cultural development would automatically follow economic and technological development. This paper points out that cultural development is not only central toany meaningful development but that if the Nigerian culture is to properly fit into the world's cultural heritage, then it requires regeneration through education in order to be relevant in today's modern world.