Improving efficiency of protein deposition is one of the important goals in animal meat production. Theoretically as far as meat is involved, this efficiency can be increased by diminishing rate of muscle protein breakdown, provided that the rate of protein synthesis remains the same. In that case, the precursors needed for protein synthesis have to be made available by either decreasing the rate of oxidation of amino acids and/or by an increased intake of dietary protein. This implicates that waste of nitrogen into the environment would be reduced. In addition, less dietary protein is needed to deposit similar amounts of proteins in skeletal muscle (and thus meat) as in present situation. Moreover, by reduction of rate of protein breakdown, rate of protein turnover decreases, which reduces whole body energy requirement. In order to manipulate the rate of muscle protein breakdown for interventions to increase efficiency of protein accretion, mechanisms and regulation of this process have to be known. However, the knowledge in this field is limited. The first approach of this thesis has been to study the relation between muscle protein breakdown in vivo and activity of proteolytic enzyme systems in skeletal muscle. The rate-limiting step in the cascade of muscle protein breakdown would be identified if activity of one of the proteolytic enzyme systems would change in parallel with a change in muscle protein breakdown. Thus, this would then open possibilities to manipulate efficiency of protein accretion. The experiments presented in this thesis are carried out to investigate the relation between proteolytic enzyme systems and production of 3-methylhistidine (3MH). 3-Methylhistidine is a specific constituent of the myofibrillar protein, actin and myosin heavy chain. In most species, urinary excretion of 3MH can be used as an index for myofibrillar protein degradation, because this excretion is representative for the production of 3MH. In pigs, however, 3MH is not excreted in the urine, but is stored in skeletal muscle as a dipeptide called balenine (β-alanine-3-methylhistidine). In pigs, production rate of 3MH, rather than excretion rate, can be estimated using a compartmental model analysis. At the same time, three different proteolytic enzyme systems were studied in this thesis: the calpain system (μ- and m-calpain and their inhibitor calpastatin), multicatalytical proteinase and the lysosomal cathepsins, inhibited by the cystatins. As an experimental model, we have manipulated myofibrillar protein degradation by feeding a protein-free diet for 14 days to growing pigs. In the first experiment (Chapter 2), relation between 3MH production and proteinase activities in different skeletal muscles was studied. Feeding a protein-free diet reduced growth rate to almost zero. The impaired muscle growth was also reflected by a reduced DNA transcription and translation. Production of 3MH was increased in the animals fed the protein-free diet, indicating that myofibrillar protein degradation was increased. However, no change was found in activities of one of the proteolytic enzyme systems in different skeletal muscles between treatments. This discrepancy can be explained in several ways. Firstly, production of 3MH may have been elevated form sources other than skeletal muscle. Secondly, other proteases are responsible for the ratelimiting step in the breakdown of myofibrillar proteins. Thirdly, proteinase assays performed in vitro may not represent physiological activity. In the second experiment (Chapter 3), the findings of the first experiment were repeated (except for the lysosomal system). In addition, we examined the possibility that the observed findings by feeding a protein-free diet could be due to an increase in dietary carbohydrates. Therefore, a second protein-free diet was made by isocaloric exchange of dietary protein by fat. Half of the animals in each group were also realimentated after the protein-free feeding period for another 7 d, to investigate the relation between proteolytic enzyme systems and 3MH production during compensatory growth. No differences were found between treatments for 3MH production and for proteinase activities. Some compensation has only occurred during the first 3 d, based on data of growth rate and feed efficiency. In Chapter 4, chemical composition of carcass, liver, and both large and small intestines were analyzed of the animals of the second experiment in order to study changes in fat and protein concentrations. Feeding either of the protein-free diets caused fattening of the carcass while protein concentration of carcass, liver, and intestines were decreased. After realimentation, protein concentrations were restored in liver and intestines, but not in the carcass. This suggests that protein metabolism in liver and intestines responds more rapidly to dietary changes than carcass. In the third experiment (Chapter 5), the possibility that 3MH production was increased by sources other than skeletal muscle was investigated. The 3MH contribution from the gastro-intestinal tract was investigated by using two catheters, i.e. , placed in carotid artery and in portal vein. Results show that the 3MH contribution of gastro-intestinal tract to whole body 3MH production was not substantial and stayed below 5%. Moreover, feeding a protein-free diet did not change this contribution. Thus, increased 3MH production after feeding a protein-free diet originates mainly form increased breakdown of skeletal muscle. In the fourth experiment (Chapter 6), an alternative approach was used to obtain more insight into the involvement of the calpain system during myofibrillar protein breakdown, since proteolytic activity is measured in vitro which may not reveal physiological activity. In this study, the calpain system was investigated at the transcriptional level by measuring mRNA levels. Results indicated that for m-calpain and calpastatin, mRNA levels correspond to proteolytic activity. For μ-calpain, the mRNA level was reduced on d 14 for animals in the protein- free group, though proteolytic activity was not different between dietary treatments. These data suggest that the calpain system is not involved in the rate-limiting step of myofibrillar protein degradation during a protein-free feeding period. The general discussion (Chapter 7) describes the relation between 3- methylhistidine and proteolytic enzyme systems during a protein-free feeding period. The proteolytic enzyme systems examined do not seem to be responsible for the rate-limiting step during increased myofibrillar protein degradation as a consequence of feeding a protein-free diet. Therefore, other proteolytic enzyme systems must be responsible for this step. A model is discussed in which the degrading system does not necessarily contains the ratelimiting step. The rate-limiting step may be related to the dissociation of the myofibrillar structure itself.


Gliomas are the most common tumors in the brain and are almost always malignant in adults. The most malignant and most common glioma is glioblastoma multiforme. Median survival of patients with glioblastoma is less than 20 months following treatment. This poor prognosis reflects the limited efficacy of the currently available treatment modalities. Therefore, many attempts have been made to improve the treatment of this lethal disease. This paper reviews the progress that has been made recently in the treatment of malignant glioma with a focus on studies reported during the last year.


Peripheral tolerance is achieved as the result of a delicate balance between inflammatory and tolerogenic signals. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are at the forefront in maintaining this balance, and external factors capable of modifying their suppressive function can be a powerful tool in future therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. FCRL3 is a member of a novel family of antibody binding receptors expressed by specific human B cell and thymic Treg (tTreg) subsets that are reported to have altered suppressive function. Most importantly, overexpression of FCRL3 is strongly associated various autoimmune diseases. In particular, FCRL3 overexpression on Tregs is associated with more severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis. FCRL3 in B cells was shown to have dual signaling capacity; however no study addressed the functional role of FCRL3 in Treg. We used tTregs purified from human blood and pre-stimulated through FCRL3 to directly test the role of FCRL3 on Treg function using in vitro Treg suppression assays. We observed that engagement of FCRL3 increased Treg proliferation while reduced their suppressive activity, suggesting for the first time a direct link between FCRL3 and Treg function. TLR2 signaling has also been shown to repress the suppressive effect of human Tregs, therefore we tested possible integration with FCRL3 signaling. When TLR2 agonists were used together with FCRL3 pre-stimulation, we found indications of signal integration by tTreg downstream of FCRL3 and microbial sensing. We propose that FCRL3 is a novel regulator of Treg functionality, suggesting a mechanism for its association with autoimmune diseases.


&NA; Memory loss often signifies loss of independence, which is a growing concern for residents in assisted living (AL) facilities. The purpose of this exploratory study was to characterize the memory experiences and concerns of AL residents. Six residents voluntarily participated in 1‐hour recorded interviews focusing on memory and guided by eight open‐ended questions. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Subjects reported varying degrees of memory loss they found frightening and frustrating, but also accepted the loss as a natural part of the aging process. Concerns focused primarily on inability to recall staff and resident names and activities, schedules, and appointments. Understanding memory experiences and concerns is important for nursing staff members who care for AL residents. Memory challenges identified by these residents were used to develop a memory intervention for older adults residents of this and other AL facilities. Improving cognitive skills may help AL residents maintain their functional abilities, enabling them to "age in place" in AL.


Abstract– We present here a report following the Second Arab Impact Cratering and Astrogeology Conference that took place in Casablanca in November 2011. It includes a summary of the main results presented at this meeting and recent developments in impact science in the Arab world. Known and potential impact structures in this region of the world are presented on a map. The conference ended with a synopsis and a list of recommendations that are reported here. We conclude with some remarkable aspects of the postconference field trip.


Purpose
To verify the impact that group dynamics and coaching strategies have on the PD patients voice, speech and communication, as well as the group climate.

Methods
16 individuals with mild to moderate dysarthria due to the PD were divided into two groups: the CG (8 patients), submitted to traditional therapy with 12 regular therapy sessions plus 4 additional support sessions; and the EG (8 patients), submitted to traditional therapy with 12 regular therapy sessions plus 4 sessions with group dynamics and coaching strategies. The Living with Dysarthria questionnaire (LwD), the self-evaluation of voice, speech and communication, and the perceptual-auditory analysis of the vocal quality were assess in 3 moments: pre-traditional therapy (pre); post-traditional therapy (post 1); and post support sessions/coaching strategies (post 2); in post 1 and post 2 moments, the Group Climate Questionnaire (GCQ) was also applied.

Results
CG and EG showed an improvement in the LwD from pre to post 1 and post 2 moments. Voice self-evaluation was better for the EG - when pre was compared with post 2 and when post 1 was compared with post 2 - ranging from regular to very good; both groups presented improvement in the communication self-evaluation. The perceptual-auditory evaluation of the vocal quality was better for the EG in the post 1 moment. No difference was found for the GCQ; however, the EG presented lower avoidance scores in post 2.

Conclusion
All patients showed improvement in the voice, speech and communication self-evaluation; EG showed lower avoidance scores, creating a more collaborative and propitious environment for speech therapy.


Christoff and Eckersley write as one throughout Globalization and the Environment. The book presents a comprehensive inquiry into the complicated, and often deleterious, relationship between globalization and the environment, contextualized by two in-depth case studies on climate change and biodiversity loss. The authors deliver a well-balanced critique of capitalism and the processes of modernization and development, taking care to steer away from wide-ranging condemnation of a system that has made possible a better quality of life for many in disparate areas of the globe. This book, in many ways, synthesizes the most renowned critical scholarship that has been done at the intersection of economy and environment, as various strands of globalization become ever more acutely realized in terms of social and environmental consequences for the most vulnerable among us. Although the discourse around globalization and its discontents is well documented, Christoff and Eckersley go beyond lamenting negative consequences to expose underlying political and economic conditions that have resulted in the exploitation and alienation of the Earth's natural and human resources. The authors recognize factors to which many others would turn a blind eye: co-opted discourses around sustainability, justice, and security, as well as the problematics of liberalism and democracy, the drawbacks of localism, and the appropriation and equation of GDP to development, to name a few. They appeal for a "rechanneling" of globalization rather than a "reversal" in order for its inherent transformative potential to be possible (p. 16). In this way, then, Globalization and the Environment attempts to reclaim co-opted connotations of justice, growth, and accountability, and it calls for reform of the processes and outcomes of globalization. This reform requires a new mode of accountability, especially in terms of governance. Throughout the book, this reader sensed that Christoff and Eckersley would ultimately succeed in untangling the Gordian knot of globalization and reveal the systemic causes of global environmental degradation. Although they do not succeed in this, the conceptual framework they deliver is useful for both students of environmental politics and seasoned scholars. Indeed, the book could work well as a primer on the ugly social and environmental contradictions that result from the processes of globalization. However, to understand the book's nuanced


In this work, morphology of Beta vulgaris L. cells permeabilized with 0.7 mM of Triton X-100® was evaluated using digital image processing and concepts of fractal dimension (perimeterarea relations). Important morphometric changes were found when the contact-time with chemical agent was increased. The size of cells decreased, the cells lost the roundness and their shape was more sinuous; this behaviour was a result of a probable shrinkage caused by the excess of exposure with the permeabilization agent. Morphology of B. vulgaris cells after permeabilization, exhibited a fractal nature since the slope of the ratio of the logarithm of the perimeter vs logarithm of the area was higher than unit. Fractal geometry of the cell morphology was affected as a result of the exposure to Triton X-100®. Those changes can be attributed to the loss of turgor and structure of the cell wall.


Abstract Assuming that successful precipitation modification could be achieved under atmospheric conditions favorable for the development of natural precipitation, a three-phase study was made to acquire information on the potential for alleviation of moderate to severe droughts in Illinois. The first phase involved time-space analyses of monthly precipitation characteristics in previous major droughts of 12- to 24-month duration. In the second phase, detailed analyses were made of various storm properties during the 1953–54 drought, one of the worst on record in Illinois. The third phase involved use of a one-dimensional cloud model to investigate cloud seeding potential in the 1953–54 drought. Overall, results indicated that atmospheric conditions are favorable for natural precipitation development frequently enough in most droughts that successful cloud seeding operations could contribute occasionally to temporary alleviation of water shortages over portions of an extensive drought region, particularly...


Abstract Kurihara and Holloway's approach of applying the box integration method to the Kurihara grid has been followed for a global forecast model. After encountering problems with the original system, it was found that the truncation error associated with both the orientation of grid points around each Pole and the computation scheme must be carefully considered. A slight alteration was made in Kurihara's grid which alleviated the troubles and provided acceptable forecasts.


Chronic acetanilid poisoning is probably very much more frequent than the medical profession appreciates, for the reason that the symptoms may be comparatively inconspicuous. The drug in its pure form or in various proprietary combinations is so easily obtained that its indiscriminate use has naturally resulted. A very striking case came under my observation three years ago and was reported by myself and Dr. C. Y. White; since that time two additional cases have been under my care: one, a private patient, was sent to me by a medical friend on account of obscure symptoms, which proved to be the result of chronic acetanilid poisoning; the other, a hospital patient with rather more marked symptoms, was referred to me on account of other conditions. Case 1. —Mr. W. C. H., aged 38, a merchant, consulted me in July, 1902, on account of increasing weakness, nervousness and slight shortness of breath.


Purpose: The present study is aiming to evaluate patients' awareness to participate in further diagnostics for osteoporosis and to find out if there are significant differences with regards to fracture site. Methods: Patients at risk for underlying osteoporosis (female >60 and male >70 years) undergoing surgical treatment for a distal radius fracture (DRF) or a proximal femur fracture (PFF) were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing the awareness for underlying osteoporosis. Furthermore, dual-X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were analyzed. Results: Overall, 150 patients (w = 122/m = 28, mean age 79.9 years (±8.6)) were included, of these, 36 patients suffered a DRF and 114 patients a PFF. Of these, 68 out of the 150 patients (45.3%) considered that an examination was necessary, whereas in PFF patients the awareness was higher than in the DRF Group (41% vs. 32%). Conclusions: The patients' willingness to undergo further diagnostics for osteoporosis was generally poor. DRFs are frequently accompanied by a lower limitation of quality of life compared to PFF, which might be causative for even poorer awareness in these patients. Especially younger patients (age 60–70 years) with a distal radius fracture seemed to underestimate osteoporosis.


Multiterminal dc networks are drawing a lot of interest lately in applications related to distributed generation, particularly in those that also integrate energy storage (ES). A few approaches for controlling the operation of such systems have been proposed in the literature; however, the existing structures can be significantly enhanced. This paper proposes an improved primary control layer, based on custom droop characteristics obtained by combining concepts of droop and dc-bus signaling control. This approach is designed to be generic and takes into account the various operating states of the network. Five operating bands, similar to the operating states of the ac grids, as well as various droop characteristics for different elements connected to the dc network, are defined. For the ES, the state of charge is taken into account at the primary control level and included in the droop characteristic, creating a two-variable droop surface. The proposed control strategy is validated through simulation and experimental results obtained from a case study that involves a micro dc network composed of a photovoltaic generator, a lead-acid battery, and a connection point to the ac grid.


A numerical investigation of laminar forced convective heat transfer was performed in a three-dimensional channel with baffles in which a uniform heat flux was applied to the top and bottom walls, and the sidewalls were considered adiabatic. The trade-off between heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop produced by the baffles was studied for periodically fully developed flow (PDF). The numerical analysis was performed using a finite volume approach. The computer code was validated against the experimental results of Goldstein and Kreid [1] and Beavers et al. [2] for a three-dimensional channel without baffles. Parametric runs were made for Reynolds numbers of 150, 250, 350, and 450 for baffle height to channel width ratios (H/D y ) of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8. Heat transfer behavior was studied for Prandtl numbers of 0.7 and 7.0, and for wall thermal conductivity to fluid thermal conductivity ratios (K) of 1, 10, 100, and 1000.


Anodic oxidation allows the preparation of aluminum oxide (AAO) templates with self-organized, ordered pores and diameters ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm. Electrochemical deposition of metals, semiconductors and oxides has been demonstrated. As a case study, we investigated the growth of Fe/Ni nanowires in the AAO templates. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy are used to optimize growth parameters and to demonstrate that length scales and periodicities of the templates can be transferred to the wire arrays. This paves the way for the preparation and investigation of tailored matter on nanoscales with emerging applications in photonics, sensorics and information technology.


The Western Ghats is a global biodiversity hotspot and home to diverse and unique assemblages of amphibians. Several rivers originate from these mountains and hydropower is being tapped from them. The impacts of hydrological regulation of riparian ecosystems to wildlife and its habitat are poorly documented, and in particular the fate of frog populations is unknown. We examined the effects of dams on riparian frog communities in the Thamirabarani catchment in southern Western Ghats. We used nocturnal visual encounter surveys constrained for time, to document the species richness of frogs below and above the dam, and also at control sites in the same catchment. While we did not find differences in species richness below and above the dams, the frog community composition was significantly altered as a likely consequence of altered flow regime. The frog species compositions in control sites were similar to above-dam sites. Below-dam sites had a distinctly different species composition. Select endemic frog species appeared to be adversely impacted due to the dams. Below-dam sites had a greater proportion of generalist and widely distributed species. Dams in the Western Ghats appeared to adversely impact population of endemic species, particularly those belonging to the genus Nyctibatrachus that shows specialization for intact streams.


A bounded linear operator is said to be nice if its adjoint preserves extreme points of the dual unit ball. Motivated by a description due to Labuschagne and Mas- cioni (9) of such maps for the space of compact operators on a Hilbert space, in this article we consider a description of nice surjections onK(X, Y ) for Banach spaces X, Y. We give necessary and sufficient conditions when nice surjections are given by compo- sition operators. Our results imply automatic continuity of these maps with respect to other topologies on spaces of operators. We also formulate the corresponding result for L(X, Y ) thereby proving an analogue of the result from (9) for L p (1 <p �= 2 < ∞) spaces. We also formulate results when nice operators are not of the canonical form, extending and correcting the results from (8).


TaggedP Abstract Background: International guidelines recommend endurance (ET) and strength training (ST) in patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), but only provide rough guidance on how to set the initial training load. This may unintentionally lead to practice variation and inadequate training load adjustments. This study aimed to develop practical recommendations on tailoring ET and ST based on practices from international experts from the fi eld of exercise training in CRDs. Methods: 35 experts were invited to address a 64-item online survey about how they prescribe and adjust exercise training. Results: Cycling (97%) and walking (86%) were the most commonly implemented ET modalities. Continuous endurance training (CET, 83%) and interval endurance training (IET, 86%) were the frequently applied ET types. Criteria to prescribe IET instead of CETwere: patients do not tolerate CET due to dyspnoea at the initial training session (79%), intense


The establishment of high-throughput sequencing technologies and subsequent large-scale genomic datasets has flourished across fields of fundamental biological sciences. The introduction of genomic resources in fisheries management has been proposed from multiple angles, ranging from an accurate re-definition of geographical limitations of stocks and connectivity, identification of fine-scale stock structure linked to locally adapted sub-populations, or even the integration with individual-based biophysical models to explore life history strategies. While those clearly enhance our perception of patterns at the light of a spatial scale, temporal depth and consequently forecasting ability might be compromised as an analytical trade-off. Here, we present a framework to reinforce our understanding of stock dynamics by adding also a temporal point of view. We propose to integrate genomic information on temporal projections of species distributions computed by Species Distribution Models (SDMs). SDMs have the potential to project the current and future distribution ranges of a given species from relevant environmental predictors. These projections serve as tools to inform about range expansions and contractions of fish stocks and suggest either suitable locations or local extirpations that may arise in the future. However, SDMs assume that the whole population respond homogenously to the range of environmental conditions. Here, we conceptualize a framework that leverages a conventional Bayesian joint-SDM approach with the incorporation of genomic data. We propose that introducing genomic information at the basis of a joint-SDM will explore the range of suitable habitats where stocks could thrive in the future as a function of their current evolutionary potential.


Smart wrist devices available today like smart watches and fitness trackers are usually enriched with inertial sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes that can be used to capture wrist motions. This opens an opportunity to use these devices for user authentication, exploiting an important biometric trait of a user: the wrist gestures during performing a signature in the air. In contrast to traditional authentication methods, the gestures can be captured while signing in the air freely with no need for any input media like keypads and signature capture devices. This paper presents result from a preliminary study that shows the potential of the proposed approach to be used for robust user authentication.


Introduction: Cell stiffness (Young9s E modulus), as measured via Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a newly recognized characteristic of cancer cells. We previously demonstrated that cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells have a stiffer cell membrane as compared to their syngeneic cisplatin-sensitive counterpart, and that cisplatin increases cell stiffness in cisplatin-sensitive cells. Here we examine the role of Rho GTPase in cell stiffness and cisplatin resistance. Experimental Procedures: Prior to AFM analysis, cells were stained with Annexin V-FLUOS and only non-apoptotic cells were chosen for measurements. Cell stiffness was measured via AFM on live cells in physiological buffer. The actin cytoskeleton was visualized using phalliodin-ATTO 647N. Cells were imaged with a Leica TCS SP5 STED confocal system or a Nikon Eclispe 90i. Cisplatin sensitivity was determined via the XTT [2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt] cell viability assay. A nonlinear regression curve fit (one phase exponential decay) was used to analyze cisplatin dose response experiments and determine the IC50 (GraphPad Prism). Rho inhibition and activation were accomplished using Rho Inhibitor I and Rho Activator II, respectively (Cytoskeleton, Inc.). Results: The cisplatin IC50 of cisplatin-sensitive (A2780, OVCAR5, SKOV3) and cisplatin-resistant (CP70, OVCAR5-CisR, SKOV3-CisR, RMG-1) cells correlated with Young9s E modulus, with increasing IC50 corresponding to a stiffer cell phenotype. Cells that are resistant to cisplatin displayed an actin cytoskeleton that consisted of long stress fibers that spanned the width of the cell. Rho inhibition in CP70 and OVCAR5-CisR cells abolished this network of actin stress fibers, decreased cell stiffness, and increased cisplatin sensitivity. In contrast, Rho activation in A2780 and OVCAR5 cells induced the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton into long stress fibers, increased cell stiffness, and decreased cisplatin sensitivity. We demonstrated previously that cisplatin increases cell stiffness in cisplatin-sensitive OVCAR5 cells, and here we show that cisplatin induces actin stress fiber formation in these cells. Conclusions: Rho-mediated actin stress fiber formation increases cell stiffness and mediates cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells. Citation Format: Chintda Santiskulvong, Shivani Sharma, Laurent Bentolila, Jian Y. Rao, James Gimzewski, Oliver Dorigo. The role of Rho GTPase in cell stiffness and cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2122. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2122


The special silicone tube (50-120 mm in length) consists of three pieces. One piece is the thinner central segment [20-40 mm long, 0.64 mm outer diameter (OD), 0.30 mm inner diameter (ID)], and the other two are thicker bilateral segments (10-50 mm long, 0.94 mm OD, 0.51 mm ID). Both ends of the three-piece silicone tubing (TPST) were sealed by the silastic medical adhesive with or without the silicone rod (2 mm long, 0.5 mm diameter) and diagonally cut to taper the end. To push the TPST from the upper and lower puncta into the lacrimal passage, a thin metal probe (0.4-0.6 mm diameter) was inserted into both sides of the tube through a small cut. In this new technique, there is no difficult procedure of retrieving the tip of a metal probe from the nasal cavity. The TPST requires no suture to secure it in position. The success rates were 63.6% (7/11), 100% (5/5) and 50% (1/2) for nasolacrimal-duct obstruction, canalicular obstruction, and canalicular and nasolacrimal-duct obstructions, respectively (follow-up: 3.4-12 months, mean 5.3 months).


An important but rather underexplored pathway implicated in liver disease is the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling axis. LPA acts through G-protein coupled receptors inducing downstream signaling pathways related to cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, and is predominantly produced by the extracellular phosphodiesterase, Autotaxin (ATX). ATX has gained significant attention lately with an impressive number of ATX inhibitors (type I-IV) reported. Here, we aim to evaluate the therapeutic potential of a (yet unexplored) type IV ATX inhibitor, Cpd17, in liver injury. In this study, we first confirmed the involvement of the ATX/LPA signaling axis in human and murine diseased livers. Thereafter, we evaluated the effects of Cpd17, in comparison with the classic type I ATX inhibitor PF8380, in vitro. While both inhibitors attenuated induced cell injury phenotypes as assessed using various assays and specific readout parameters in hepatocytes, macrophages, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), Cpd17 appeared more effective. This prompted us to characterize the mechanism of action of both inhibitors in situ and in vitro in macrophages and HSCs, demonstrating that Cpd17 was more potent in inhibiting relevant signaling pathways, namely RhoA-mediated cytoskeletal remodeling, and phosphorylation of MAPK/ERK and AKT/PKB. Finally, we investigated the therapeutic potential of Cpd17 in two liver disease mouse models, CCl4-induced acute liver injury and diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. We demonstrate that Cpd17 has an excellent potential for reducing liver injury in both disease models in vivo. We conclude that ATX inhibition, by type IV inhibitor in particular, has an excellent potential for clinical application in liver diseases.


Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a promising choice to overcome the superparamagnetic limit in magnetic recording to further increase the areal recording density of hard disk drive media. However, HAMR brings about serious problems to slider-disk interface, such as lubricant depletion on disk surface at the high temperature in HAMR. Experimental studies of lubricant depletion under laser irradiation are still very limited so far. It is essential to do experimental studies under real HAMR conditions or under equivalent conditions when a standalone laser is used to emulate HAMR system. Laser heating duration in one heating and cooling process in HAMR is as short as 1 ns. It is believed that lubricant depletion under such short heating duration should be different from that under long time continuous heating. In this work, the effect of laser heating duration in one heating and cooling process on lubricant depletion is studied experimentally on a self-developed HAMR tester. Laser power, laser heating rate and laser heating duration of the tester are tunable and comparable with that of a HAMR head laser. The tester also supports macroscopic study. A method to control laser focus point on disk surface is also developed, which is the prerequisite to control laser heating temperature. From the experimental studies, it is found that longer laser heating duration results in more severe lubricant depletion. It is also found that lubricant depletion under laser heating is caused by both lubricant flow on disk surface and lubricant loss via evaporation/decomposition.


The geostrategic approach refers to China's method to rise as global power through worldwide trade expansion and the development of its military and naval capabilities. It creates clusters of countries interlinked as China's trade partners, thus being assets to its global ascent. China's importance in global trade is a function of its partners' behavior embracing its trade mechanism. The edges connecting nodes are multidirectional, implying that countries are as much interested in their China-induced interlinkages as they are in their partnership with China. This results in China's centrality, a quality gained from being dominant in trade partnerships in terms of numbers and significance. This chapter examines the approach, process, and historical, geographic, and behavioral components that China uses in its ascent as central node in the international trade network. It explores how underlying dimensions making China's national character conjointly devise its behavior in global trade.


Using data from South Asia for the period 1990–2017, this paper examines the effectiveness of the health sector aid on infant mortality, neonatal mortality, child mortality and a new composite index of child mortality. The investigation of South Asia is interesting not only because it accounts for roughly one quarter of the world population and has attracted significant aid over the years but also because of the significant variations in health outcomes between countries in the region. Applying the instrumental variables method to account for the endogeneity of aid, we find that health-focused aid assists in improving child health outcomes in South Asian countries. The effect operates mainly through female literacy and is robust to a variety of specifications. Our findings have significant policy implications for achieving the post-MDG target and point to the importance of the health sector aid to improve child health for countries swamped with poorer health status. JEL Codes: F35, I15, O53


Hospitalization data were extracted for Marines who incurred disease and nonbattle injuries in Vietnam from 1965 through 1969, and the inter-echelon movement of each patient who was hospitalized at an echelon II or III facility was tracked until the treatment was completed or until the patient was moved to a continental U.S. facility. The inter-echelon flow of treatment for different types of diagnosis categories was also examined. Results showed that approximately three-fourths of the patients admitted to echelon II or III facilities had no further treatment recorded at a higher echelon of care. Less than one-fifth of the patients required treatment at an echelon IV or echelon V facility. Of the major diagnostic categories, those with infective or parasitic diseases had the lowest percentage of patients treated at echelon IV or V facilities.


The work contained in this interim report provides a case study describing the design, construction, initial structural evaluation, and performance predictions of the full-depth perpetual pavement constructed on SH 114 in the Fort Worth District. Based on the research findings, recommended improvements to design and construction practices are proposed. The research methodology and scope of work included data collection, laboratory and field testing, computational simulations, and performance predictions. Laboratory testing for characterizing the asphalt mixture properties included the Hamburg, the Overlay Tester, Dynamic Modulus, and Repeated Load Permanent Deformation tests. Asphalt-binder testing was accomplished with the Troxler Ignition Oven and the Dynamic Shear Rheometer, respectively. Field testing involved visual surveys, coring, infrared quality control tests, forensic investigations, and nondestructive performance evaluations using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) measurements. Computational analyses included the FPS, PerRoad, VESYS, and MEPDG software. The SH 114 design utilized the perpetual pavement concepts, with a thick 1-inch stone-filled layer as the main structural component. This layer was found to be considerably stiffer than the traditional Texas Department of Transportation mixes. However, this material was also found to be highly permeable and subject to vertical segregation. During construction, the Fort Worth District found it necessary to retrofit edge drains to minimize problems with water trapped in the asphalt layers. For comparison purposes, the Fort Worth District also included a similar section constructed with traditional dense graded mixes. Laboratory and field results from both sections are included in this report. Recommendations are also provided for the structural design of future perpetual pavements in Texas. From the results presented in this project, the current designs are very conservative. The results generated support the transition to higher design moduli for these full-depth pavements.


In this letter, we develop switched conditional PDF-based split vector quantization (SCSVQ) method using the recently proposed conditional PDF-based split vector quantizer (CSVQ). The use of CSVQ allows us to alleviate the coding loss by exploiting the correlation between subvectors, in each switching region. Using the Gaussian mixture model (GMM)-based parametric framework, we also address the rate-distortion (R/D) performance optimality of the proposed SCSVQ method by allocating the bits optimally among the switching regions. For the wideband speech line spectrum frequency (LSF) parameter quantization, it is shown that the optimum parametric SCSVQ method provides nearly 2 bits/vector advantage over the recently proposed nonparametric switched split vector quantization (SSVQ) method.


textabstractThe aim of the present study was to develop the correlation-based method for
quantitative blood flow for intravascular ultrasound purposes. The feasibility of
the technique was studied by means of computer simulations, in vitro and in
animal measurements, and in patient validation. A general overview in IVUS
flow is presented (Chapter 2). Computer simulations were implemented for the
study of the decorrelation characteristics of the ultrasound beam from the lVUS
array catheter. First, blood was mimicked as a collection of randomly located
point scatterers as single red blood cells (Chapter 3). Second, strings of point
scatterers were used as aggregates of red blood cell (Chapter 4). Different blood
flow profiles were also studied by means of computer simulation (Chapter -5). In
vitro measurements were performed to validate the results presented in Chapter
3, 4 and 5 (Chapter 6). In vitro measurements of the ultrasound beam of the
IVUS array catheter were performed to calibrate the correlation-based method for
quantitative blood flow method (Chapter 7). Noise in the radio frequency signals
is of major importance in the correlation-based blood velocity method; therefore,
a technique was needed to correct the correlation coefficients for noise. Numerical validation, and in vitro and in animal measurements were performed to validate
the correlation-based method for blood velocity estimation and quantitative volume
blood flow, and the new technique that corrects for noise (Chapter 8 and
9). Finally, a functional parameter such as coronary flow reserve ( CFR, ratio between
high flow and low flow) of the heart was evaluated in patients (Chapter 9).
In another series of patients CFR was compared with Geometric Measurements
of Coronary Dimensions (Chapter 10).


Research examining gait biomechanics of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown significantly in recent years and has demonstrated that persons with ASD walk at slower self-selected speeds and with shorter strides, wider step widths, and reduced lower extremity range of motion and moments compared to neurotypical controls. In contrast to walking, running has yet to be examined in persons with ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine lower extremity running biomechanics in adolescents (13-18-year-olds) with ASD and matched (age, sex, and body mass index) neurotypical controls. Three-dimensional kinematics and ground reaction forces (GRF) were recorded while participants ran at two matched speeds: self-selected speed of adolescents with ASD and at 3.0m/s. Sagittal and frontal plane lower extremity biomechanics and vertical GRFs were compared using two-way ANOVAs via statistical parametric mapping. Adolescents with ASD ran with reduced stride length at self-selected speed and reduced vertical displacement, loading-propulsion GRFs, propulsion plantarflexion moments, loading-propulsion hip abduction moments, and loading knee abduction moments at both speeds. Running at 3.0m/s increased sagittal plane hip and knee moments surrounding initial contact and frontal plane knee angles during mid stance and propulsion compared to self-selected speeds. Reduced contributions from primarily the ankle plantarflexion but also knee abduction and hip abduction moments likely reduced the vertical GRF and displacement. As differences favored reduced loading, youth with ASD can safely be encouraged to engage in running as a physical activity.


Knowledge of the frequencies and the phenotype of Rhesus system is very important for Blood Bank and transfusion service policies. This study was conducted on 2875 blood samples from Blood Bank in Teaching Hospital in Basrah to study different Rh phenotype in blood donors. The result showed that the frequency of Rh positive was found to be (93.1%) and Rh negative was (6.99%). The Rh phenotypes in 87 Rh negative blood samples present in decreasing order of frequency were as follows: rr, r1r, r11r, r1r11, r1r1, r11r11, ry . The results of this study were compared with the results of


Sex education is crucial for children and young people. Parents rely on schools for teaching sex education to their children. However, schools in Indonesia have been wary of teaching sex education to students, especially those in pre-schools. The recent rise of sexual harassment and violence cases are clear examples of children's lack of sexual knowledge which they should have received from the early years either through their parents or at school. This study analyzed the perceptions of millennial parents about their role in maintaining the mental health of children aged three to six years by educating them on sex. The study used a qualitative approach using interviews and observation methods for data collection. The subjects included were parents living in Tangerang Regency, Banten. This research is expected to increase the general public's understanding of the importance of sex education for pre-school children.
Keywords: perception, millennial generation, sex education


Tilapia is one of the fish that is widely cultivated in Indonesia. The obstacle to tilapia cultivation is high reproduction, which inhibits growth. An alternative to increase growth is by inhibiting gonad growth, so that feed energy is focused on somatic development. The aim of this research was to analyse the effect of velvet bean extract concentration on individual growth and gonad development of female tilapia fish and to determine the optimum concentration of velvet bean extract to increase growth and reduce reproductive activity in female tilapia fish. This study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with the addition of various velvet bean extracts and compared with the control (without velvet bean extract). The use of velvet bean extract had a significant effect (p<0.05) on growth parameters such as length, weight, fecundity and egg diameter. The best treatment was found in treatment 3 (velvet bean extract 5 ml.kg-1 ) which resulted in growth in individual length of 16.1 cm, individual weight of 89.43 g, fecundity of 2206 and egg diameter of 1.11 mm. In addition, the dose in this treatment may reduce the reproductive activity of tilapia.


Studies to determine how a microbe can persist in a foreign environment are essential in understanding water contamination by infectious agents. Annular reactors were designed, constructed, and used as a laboratory-based model to study naturally-occurring biofilms. Untreated groundwater was used a s the bulk liquid, and a foreign microbe with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker was introduced. It was demonstrated that under oligotrophic conditions Escherichia coli O157:H7 86-24 did not grow planktonically. The microbe demonstrated an ability to integrate into the existing biofilm. Various environmentally-relevant concentrations of nitrogen and phosphate were also used to detect any effects on its persistence. The results suggest that the persistence of the E. coli O157:H7 86-24 was enhanced when the bulk fluid was amended to contain 100 ppm nitrate, and hindered when phosphate was added. To utilize available molecular tools, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) were used. It was found that the E. coli O157:H7-specific primers were not as reliable in detecting E.coli O157 within the biofilm when compared to detection using the GFP marker. PCR using 16S rRNA primers were also used to gain insight into the microbial diversity of the biofilm.


A new study supports breast cancer screening for women under 50 years old, as the researchers say that most deaths from breast cancer occur in younger women who do not receive regular mammograms. But some experts have queried omissions in the study.

Mammography screening remains controversial, with studies showing varying benefits. The NHS breast cancer screening programme routinely invites women over 50 every three years for screening. However, the scheme is in the process of being extended to women from the age of 47.

The latest study, published in the journal Cancer , uses a technique called "failure analysis," which looks backwards from death to discover correlations at diagnosis instead of looking forwards from the start of a study.1 Only one other failure analysis related to cancer has been published to date.

The researchers looked at 7301 patients with invasive breast cancers diagnosed between 1990 and 1999, who were followed until 2007. Among this group …


Quasi-periodic physiologic signals such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) and pulse oximetry are sensitive to artifact and noise caused by patient movement, electrical interference, and sensor movement. This reduces the accuracy of algorithms that process these signals such as QRS detectors. The noise cannot be completely eliminated by traditional bandpass filters because the signal bandwidth often has significant overlap with the bandwidth of the artifact. We describe a simple adaptive comb filter (ACF) that attenuates the noise power between the signal harmonics and continuously estimates the heart rate without detecting individual beats. The filter applied to each harmonic has a finite impulse response (FIR), a user-specified bandwidth, and linear-phase to prevent distortion of the signal morphology. Keywords— Adaptive comb filter, bandpass filter, electrocardiogram (ECG), pitch estimation, QRS detection algorithms, signal enhancement.


Weta are giant, flightless orthopterans that are endemic to New Zealand. Although they are known to consume fleshy fruits and disperse seeds after gut passage, which is unusual among insects, their effectiveness as seed dispersal mutualists is debated. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments on alpine scree weta (Deinacrida connectens) and mountain snowberries (Gaultheria depressa) to investigate how fruit consumption rates, the proportion of ingested seeds dispersed intact and weta movement patterns vary with weta body sizes. On average weta dispersed 252 snowberry seeds nightly and travelled at a rate of 4 m min -1 . However, seed dispersal effectiveness varied over three orders of magnitude and was strongly associated with body sizes. Smaller weta consumed few snowberry seeds and acted primarily as seed predators. On the other hand, the largest weta consumed and dispersed thousands of seeds each night and appear to be capable of transporting seeds over large distances. Overall results indicate that scree weta shift from being weakly interacting seed predators to strongly interacting, effective seed dispersers as they increase in size.


CONTEXT
Obesity is a prominent feature of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), a disorder caused by heterozygous GNAS mutations that disrupt the stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit Galpha(s). Because Galpha(s) is paternally imprinted in certain hormone target tissues, maternal inheritance of AHO leads to multihormone resistance [pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP1a)], whereas paternal inheritance leads to AHO alone [pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (pseudoPHP)]. Classically, the obesity in AHO is described as occurring similarly in both conditions.

SETTING
This observational study was conducted at the General Clinical Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; National Institutes of Health.

PATIENTS
Fifty-three patients with AHO (40 with PHP1a and 13 with pseudoPHP) and two with progressive osseous heteroplasia were studied.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Main outcome measures were weight and height sd score (SDS), body mass index (BMI) percentiles, and BMI z-scores.

RESULTS
Patients with PHP1a had significantly greater mean weight SDS, BMI percentages, and BMI z-scores compared with patients with pseudoPHP. These differences in BMI were secondary to adipose content based on dual energy x-ray absorptiometry analysis. The mean BMI z-score +/- sem for PHP1a was 2.31 +/- 0.18 compared with 0.65 +/- 0.31 in pseudoPHP (P = 0.000032). Twenty-five of 40 (62.5%) patients with PHP1a had mean BMI z-scores greater than two SDS above the mean, whereas no patients with pseudoPHP had BMI z-scores in this range.

CONCLUSIONS
Although the AHO phenotype for PHP1a and pseudoPHP has been thought to be similar, we have found that obesity is a more prominent feature in PHP1a than in pseudoPHP and that severe obesity is characteristic of PHP1a specifically. These findings may implicate paternal imprinting of Galpha(s) in the development of human obesity.


Wireless channels are error-prone and susceptible to several kinds of interference from different time scales. This paper investigates the resource optimization and scheduling of wireless networks through a time-scale decomposition approach. We decompose the dynamics of time-varying wireless channel conditions into two random processes in different time scales: a slow time-varying process in a larger time scale, called frame-scale, and a stationary random process with high variation in a smaller time scale, called slot-scale. This results in two different algorithms dealing with each time-scale: the resource optimizer optimize the sum of utilities in the slowly changed time scale, and the slot scheduler exploits the efficiency in the highly variable time scale. Our scheme can obtain a high utilization while providing service guarantee. Simulation results show our scheme can improve the performance and efficiency substantially.


CRONE control, robust control methodology based on fractional differentiation, is applied to state observer design. State observation can indeed be viewed as a regulation problem given that the goal of a state observer is to cancel the observation errors in spite of measurement noises, disturbances and plant perturbations. This conclusion has been used recently to define a new class of state observers known in the literature as "dynamic observers" or "input-output observer". It is based on the observation error dynamic feedback. In this paper, this idea is used to define the CRONE observer design methodology. Performance robustness of the obtained observers versus plant perturbations is analysed. As for CRONE control, fractional differentiation in the definition of an equivalent open loop transfer function permits to reduce the number of parameters to be optimised.


This final rule adopts, without change, the interim final rule with request for comments we published in the Federal Register on September 18, 2013. The interim final rule modified our rules regarding Medicare Part B income-related monthly adjustment amounts to conform to changes made to the Social Security Act (Act) and Internal Revenue Code by the Affordable Care Act. We also removed provisions that phased in income-related monthly adjustment amounts between 2007 and 2009 and updated a citation to reflect the transfer of authority for hearing appeals under title XVIII of the Act from the Social Security Administration to the Department of Health and Human Services.


Job satisfaction is an important concept that should be emphasized in the teaching profession. Job satisfaction, which is one of the basic research topics of social psychology and organizational psychology, has been examined in a limited number of studies in national literature specifically for teaching music. These studies give some important clues about the music teachers' job satisfaction and what factors are affected by their job satisfaction. However, it is not enough in number to make a general evaluation. There is a need for empirical research on the subject. In this study, the job satisfaction of music teachers was focused on and it was examined whether job satisfaction differs according to gender, seniority, institution, and participation in in-service training. The study, which has quantitative descriptive, was conducted with 48 music teachers working in a provincial city. The data were obtained using the Personal Information Form and Job Satisfaction Scale developed by P. E. Spector. ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis. The results showed that music teachers' job satisfaction was moderate; while job satisfaction was not differed according to gender and institution, it differed according to participation in in-service training and seniority; the job satisfaction scores of the music teachers who participated in in-service training activities organized by the Ministry were statistically higher than those who did not and those with 1-5 years of experience were statistically higher than the senior teachers.


Background: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally found in nutrient-rich environments such as milk, dairy products, meat, vegetables, and fruits. The functions of LAB depend upon the sufficient number of bacteria being available in the intestines, and the actions of these bacteria are generally species and strain-specific. The challenges encountered in identifying and classifying lactic acid bacteria have complicated the research process. Despite encountered challenges, various benefits of lactic acid bacteria have been identified. The current study aimed to isolate and characterize indigenous LAB bacteriocins producers from local food sources using morphological, biochemical, and molecular methods. Methodology: One thousand indigenous LAB were isolated and screened from local fresh and fermented foods in Karachi's retail markets for three years. 46 LAB isolates exhibited inhibitory activity against other LAB and non-LAB gram-positive bacteria in broth medium. Three of forty-six isolates were selected for further study of the nature and production of the inhibitory substance based on production in broth, bacteriocin nature of the substance, and relatively wide antibacterial spectrum. Results: The three indigenous LAB producers were identified as Lactococci based on microscopy, catalase, biochemical and molecular characterization. Bacteriocin of the isolate C130 was heat tolerant at 100°C and produced during the late logarithmic phase of growth. There is still a need for investigation to identify the role of LAB, which might help prevent certain chronic illnesses and infections. Most beneficial impacts are known in constipation, hypocholesterolemic effects, urogenital infections, and colon cancer.   Conclusion: L. lactis C130 was found to be a thermostable bacteriocin producer with a fair antibacterial spectrum against various food spoilage.


There are both culturalist and structuralist approaches to the integration of the second-generation immigrants into mainstream society. These approaches focus on cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic assimilation. Successful societal membership is associated with psychosocial adaptation, hybrid identity, selective acculturation or biculturalism, which is an individual's adjustment to new psychological and social conditions. Individual identity is related to the sense of belonging, integration and engagement in the current space. Self-identity is fluid and flexible; it comprises individual and collective identity, habitus or unconscious identity, agency and reflexivity, which is re-evaluated and adjusted throughout the life trajectory of a migrant and connected to citizenship and solidarity. This study investigated heritage language use, maintenance and transmission, as well as language and cultural identity and social inclusion of second-generation immigrants in Cyprus with various L1 backgrounds. The analysis of the data (e.g. questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, observations) showed that second-generation immigrants have a hybrid language and cultural identity, as well as multifarious perceptions regarding citizenship, inclusion and belonging. These immigrants try to assimilate to the target society, but at the same time they have a strong link with the community of residence, their L1 country and their heritage or home language. The participants also use mixed/multiple languages at home and elsewhere.


For several decades, a political discourse, which incites exclusion and hatred againt those who are perceived as different, has been gaining ground, most notably in affluent and developed countries. Focusing on the growth of racism in large cities and urban areas, this volume presents the views of international scholars who work in the social sciences and statements by non-practicing academics such as journalists and policy makers. The contributions of the scientists and the non-academic specialists are grouped around common themes, highlighting existing debates and bringing together widely scattered information. The book explores the ways in which old forms of racism persist in the urban context, and how traditional exclusion systems like casteism can be likened to contemporary forms like racism directed at refugees.


A flow microreactor system consisting of micromixers and microtube reactors provides an effective tool for the generation and reactions of aryllithiums bearing an alkoxycarbonyl group at para-, meta-, and ortho-positions. Alkyl p- and m-lithiobenzoates were generated by the I/Li exchange reaction with PhLi. The Br/Li exchange reactions with sBuLi were unsuccessful. Subsequent reactions of the resulting aryllithiums with electrophiles gave the desired products in good yields. On the other hand, alkyl o-lithiobenzoates were successfully generated by the Br/Li exchange reaction with sBuLi. Subsequent reactions with electrophiles gave the desired products in good yields.


Objective We sought to assess what proportion of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are excluded from cardiac surgery are eligible for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods Between July 2007 and December 2008, 98 patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis judged inoperable were referred to our institution for percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty (PABV). They entered a screening for TAVI with the CoreValve Revalving System or the Edwards-Sapien valve, comprising general clinical evaluation, echocardiogram, coronary angiography, angiography and angio-CT scan of thoracic aorta and ilio-femoral axes. Results Mean patients' age was 82 ± 7 years; the vast majority presented relevant comorbidities. Mortality risk predicted by the logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation was on average 25.3 ± 14.5%. Overall, 45 (45.9%) patients met the criteria for TAVI: 29.6% for percutaneous transfemoral access, 6.1% for trans-subclavian and 10.2% for transapical approaches. Reason for exclusion was severe noncardiac comorbidity in around half of the cases. PABV allowed re-classification of several patients with very poor left ejection fraction and severe mitral regurgitation. Among the 39 patients undergoing TAVI after the screening, in-hospital mortality was 3.7% for transfemoral and 0 for trans-subclavian and transapical approaches. Conclusions TAVI represents a viable therapeutic option for elderly patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are not candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement. However, presently less than half of them actually fulfil the criteria for these procedures.


Ab initio simulations are performed for Cu atoms adsorbed on the perfect MgO(001) substrate, with an ordered metal coverage varied from 1 monolayer (ML), i.e. almost single atoms, up t o1M L. As trong dependence of the adhesion energy and the sub-monolayer film distance from the substrate on the surface coverage and adsorbate positions (Mg 2+ or O 2− )i s discussed. The nature of interfacial bonding at all coverages is physisorption .W hen increasing Cu atomic fraction, a decrease of the substrate-induced polarization of adatoms accompanied by an increase of both in-plane metallic bonding and the interfacial distance has been found. Combining results of ab initio calculations with thermodynamic theory (taking into account the lattice mismatch), we show that the metal cluster formation becomes the predominant growth mode even at low Cu coverages, in agreement with experiment. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)


The first stock market quotation systems were installed in brokers' offices in 1960 by Scantlin Electronics, Inc (SEI). These primitive, magnetic tape based systems were enthusiastically received, and in the next two years some 800 were installed. However, SEI's success attracted competition, which forced the company in late 1962 to inaugurate a new service based on a four-CPU Control Data 160A computer system located in New York City. This system processed and stored market data, meanwhile receiving requests and transmitting replies on eight 2000 bps Dataphone(tm) lines to SEI offices in some 20 cities. Low speed lines in those cities connected the offices to SE/ keyboard-printers on the brokers' desks.


The pathogen Staphylococcus aureus in general, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in particular, represent serious threats for human health worldwide, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Over the past decades, the epidemiology of S. aureus has changed drastically especially due to the emergence of highly transmissible community- and livestock- associated lineages, which seriously complicate the fight against this pathogen. It is therefore necessary to develop novel approaches to identify its key determinants for epidemic behavior and virulence, which may serve as markers that distinguish high-risk clones, or as targets for novel anti-staphylococcal interventions. Accordingly, the aim for the present PhD research was to pinpoint the most important virulence factors of two highly transmissible S. aureus lineages that spread among healthy individuals in the community and livestock. To achieve this objective, an effective analysis workflow was established, involving a combination of DNA-based typing approaches, high-throughput proteomics analyses, and two facile infection models. This led to the identification of several critical virulence determinants. An additional aim was to explore bacterial niche adaptations and interactions among pathogenic and commensal bacteria to obtain a better understanding of the fitness of S. aureus in the human host. This was achieved through a detailed analysis of possible changes in S. aureus gene expression, gene regulation, protein composition and virulence upon co-culturing with clinical isolates of Klebsiella oxytoca and Bacillus thuringiensis under infection-mimicking conditions. Altogether, the results presented in this PhD thesis highlight the importance of identifying proteomic signatures to understand and fight highly virulent S. aureus lineages.


Should we consider the idea that, in Northern Ireland, religion is part and parcel of someone's identity and determines one's nationality, then a Catholic is Irish and a Protestant is British. This is a basic premise that playwright Anne Devlin tries to deconstruct in her two theatre plays, Ourselves Alone and After Easter. In fact, unlike her co-citizens, she was lucky enough to grow up in a Northern Irish Catholic family, the head of which, her father, Paddy Devlin, was renowned for advocating democratic values. Her father had a strong impact on her private life - she soon learnt not to perpetuate the ancestral conflicts between the two communities in her country - as well as on her writing. Even though they may not be entirely autobiographical, her plays are suffused with references to her childhood in Belfast, her father as well as his fight in favour of equal civil rights in Northern Ireland. Yet, despite the exertions of Paddy through politics and of Anne through literature, the divisions seem to be so deeply rooted in people's minds that reunification is still too far away.


I was interested to read the report by Luchelli et at. (1995). Their paper is a welcome contribution to the debate on the nature of focal retrograde amnesia. I would like, if I may, to offer a few comments, and also to mention a similar case which may help to shed light on the mechanisms underlying the memory disorder that they reported. It would seem that both patients reported in Luchelli et al. (1995) had suffered a loss of personal identity. Case G.R. 'experienced a sense of uncertainty about his identity . . . did not know his occupation . . . he could not say whether he used to smoke or not . . . when shown pictures of his family members, relatives and acquaintances, he failed to recall anything about them' (1995, p. 168). It is not specifically stated in the report whether or not case G.R. knew his own name, but these statements indicate a significant loss of personal identity. Case M.M. had a more clear-cut loss of personal identity. 'He realised that he did not know who he was and failed to recognize relatives when they arrived at the hospital' (1995, p. 172). In my experience, loss of personal identity which is so severe that the person does not know his own name is usually psychogenic in origin. While loss of personal identity may very rarely occur in cases of brain pathology (Glees and Griffith, 1952; High et al., 1990), this is usually in the context of the acute stages of a very severe insult to the brain. The brain injury to case M.M. appeared to be mild. It is difficult to comment on some of the CT scan and PET scan changes that were reported in the absence of relevant scan figures. Case G.R. undoubtedly had a more serious insult to the brain, though it did not appear to be very severe. I would therefore interpret the loss of personal identity as shown by these two cases as being psychological in origin. The co-existence of psychological and cerebral aetiologies in a case of marked memory disorder is, of course, uncommon but not at all rare. The case described by Stuss (Stuss, 1993; Stuss and Guzman, 1988), and also the cases described by Binder (1994), probably fall into such a category. The occurrence of transient global amnesia (TGA) after minor


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate quiescence-related resistance to proteasome-inhibition mediated proteotoxicity, and its regulatory mechanisms. Introduction: Quiescence, the reversible arrest of cellular proliferation, is critical for normal cellular development and tissue maintenance. Moreover, while proteasome inhibitors (PIs) are used to treat specific cancers, it has been shown that subsets of cells within a tumor, through quiescence, avoid PI-induced apoptosis and survive. Thus, deciphering the mechanisms through which quiescent cells resist proteasome inhibition is of basic and clinical relevance. Methods: Proliferating and quiescent primary human fibroblasts were used as a model system to study the effects of PIs (MG132, epoxomycin and Bortezomib). Flow cytometry, Western blots, microscopy and microarrays were used to identify specific pathways activated by proliferating and quiescent fibroblasts in response to proteasome inhibition. Results: We found that the proteasome-inhibited quiescent fibroblasts maintain viability while proliferating fibroblasts rapidly undergo apoptosis. We further found that proteasome-inhibited proliferating and quiescent fibroblasts up-regulate multiple protective pathways, including authophagy, chaperones and antioxidants, and evidence no observable difference in proteasome-mediated degradation pathway activity. However, we found that in proliferating fibroblasts, proteasome inhibition leads to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), peri-nuclear protein aggresomes, and apoptotic cell death. By comparison, proteasome-inhibited quiescent cells display selective up-regulation of MnSOD (a ROS detoxifying enzyme), dispersed protein aggregates, and less apoptotic cell death. Knockdown of p62/SQSTM1 (a protein important for aggresome formation) or treatment with an antioxidant N-acetylcysteine results in reduced aggresome formation and decreased apoptosis in response to proteasome inhibition. Moreover, inhibition of autophagy sensitizes serum-starved quiescent cells to proteasome inhibition induced apoptosis. This suggests that multiple mechanisms, including autophagy, ROS detoxification and differential subcellular trafficking of ubiquitinated proteins are implicated in quiescence-related resistance to PI-induced apoptosis. These results point to possible strategies for improving the effectiveness of PIs in cancer treatment.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2033. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2033


The mixture of epithelial and stromal components in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may confound sequencing‐based studies of tumor gene expression. Virtual microdissection has been suggested as a bioinformatics approach to segment the aforementioned components, and subsequent prognostic gene sets have emerged from this research. We examined the prognostic signature from the epithelial gene set of one such study using laser capture microdissected (LCM) epithelial samples. We also examined this gene set in matched stromal samples to determine whether prognostic findings were specific to the epithelium. LCM samples from 48 long‐term and 48 short‐term PDAC survivors were obtained. The resultant epithelial and stromal components were subjected to direct mRNA quantification using a 49 gene published PDAC classifier. Component‐specific unsupervised hierarchical clustering was used to derive groups and survival differences were quantified. Immunohistochemical validation of particular genes was performed in an independent cohort. Clustering in the epithelial component yielded prognostic differences in univariable analysis (P = .02), but those differences were not significant when controlled for other clinicopathologic covariates (P = .06). Clustering in the stromal component yielded prognostic differences that persisted in the presence of other clinicopathologic covariates (P = .0005). Validation of selected genes in the epithelium (KRT6A—negative prognostic [P = .004]) and stroma (LY6D—improved prognostic [P = .01] and CTSV—negative prognostic [P = .0002]) demonstrated statistical independence in multivariable analysis. Although the genes used in this study were originally identified as being representative of the epithelial component of PDAC, their expression in the stroma appears to provide additional information that may aid in improved prognostication.


At Bark House, a purpose-driven, sustainability-oriented small and medium-size enterprise (SME) based in North Carolina, a symbiotic relationship between the firm and its stakeholders has led to the development of a resilient business model that has generated hundreds of green-collar jobs. Data collected through semi-structured interviews show that by proactively engaging with stakeholders, the firm has been able to change market perceptions and behavior, and to refine its core operations to become more sustainable. In addition, the stakeholders' belief in the authenticity of the organization's commitment to environmental responsibility influences the way employees feel about themselves and how they behave with others. By putting environmental and societal concerns before profits, the firm generates customer loyalty that enables it to survive economic downturns and offers the promise of long-term success.


Even though Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been hailed as a success story of health financing in developing countries, it is facing serious challenges of financial sustainability. This has been attributed to several factors including low premium contribution by the informal sector, low health insurance levy (NHIL) and large exemption package. However, no study has been done to explore options for reforms to sustain the scheme. The objective of this study was to explore options for reforms to sustain Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme. A cross-sectional survey of five hospitals within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana was conducted. Questionnaire was administered to a total of 596 patients. Data was analysed with the aid of SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics and chisquare analysis. The results showed that only 2 in 10 respondents approved of increasing premium as a means of raising revenue to sustain the scheme. About 4 in 10 were in favour of increasing the NHIL. About 5 in 10 were in favour of co-payment for in-patients services, while about 3 in 10 approved of copayment for out-patient services. Over 7 in 10 respondents were in favour of other forms of taxes such as company tax and sin tax. Tax sources of revenue will be the most feasible option to ensure financial sustainability of the NHIS. Increasing the NHIL from 2.5% to 4% or 5% will improve the financial position of the NHIS. Co-payments could be introduced as a temporary measure.
Keywords: health insurance, patients, exemption mechanisms, children, primary care, access


Chinese herbal decoction pieces are the basic approaches for clinical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), reflecting the features and advantages of TCM. In order to investigate the clinical application status and features of Chinese herbal decoction pieces, the questionnaire on application of commonly used Chinese herbal decoction pieces was designed in this study for analysis of the application situations of Chinese herbal decoction pieces from 56 medical institutions in 10 provinces. The results showed 549 varieties of Chinese herbs and 801 varieties of decoction pieces were used on clinic. They can be classified into 19 categories according to their effects. The varieties of Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), Huangqi (Astragali Radix), Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix), Chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephale Rhizima), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Danggui (Angelicae Sinenses Radix), Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) and Maidong (Ophiopogonis Radix) were most common ones; the application of Chinese herbal decoction pieces from different medical institutions was differentiated from areas to areas. The survey results reflected the general situation about application of decoction pieces, providing the basic data for recording and completing Chinese herbal decoction pieces in essential drug system, with certain reference significance for the production of Chinese medicinal materials and the allocation of the varieties of Chinese herbal decoction pieces.


We describe multi-objective influence diagrams, based on a set of p objectives, where utility values are vectors in ℝp, and are typically only partially ordered. These can still be solved by a variable elimination algorithm, leading to a set of maximal values of expected utility. If the Pareto ordering is used this set can often be prohibitively large. We consider approximate representations of the Pareto set based on e-coverings, allowing much larger problems to be solved. In addition, we define a method for incorporating user tradeoffs, which also greatly improves the efficiency.


Purpose

The governance structure of international franchise firms varies from higher control modes, such as wholly owned subsidiaries and joint venture franchising, to lower control modes, such as area development and master franchising. Based on organizational economics, strategic management, and international business perspectives, the purpose of this paper is to use the case study analysis to empirically evaluate an integrative model on the franchisor's choice of international governance modes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applies qualitative methods, such as in-depth case analysis, to investigate a large set of variables that influence the governance structure decision of the international franchise firm. Specifically, it applies a theory-testing case study with two major competitors in the European automotive rental industry, i.e. Europcar and Sixt. Theory-testing case research is justified by the lack of explanatory research due to the complexity of the franchisor-franchisee relationship phenomena, such as the factors that influence the franchisor's choice of international governance modes. The investigation of the complex governance structure phenomenon requires a holistic analysis.

Findings

The case study shows that environmental, behavioral, transaction-specific, resource-based (system-specific, market-specific, financial resources), and international strategy considerations are important determinants of the governance mode decision of the international franchise firm.

Research limitations/implications

The study responds to the recent call in organizational economics, marketing, strategic management, and international business literature to develop and test a multi-theoretical framework to explain the governance structure of inter-organizational networks, such as franchise networks.

Originality/value

Few previous studies in international franchising have used more than one theoretical perspective to explain the governance structure of the international franchise firm. This study contributes to the theory-testing case study literature by applying a rigorous method of conducting case research. This includes developing a theoretical framework and a systematic research design. A systematic research design requires a holistic analysis by investigating the international franchise governance modes from a variety of theoretical perspectives which are the organizational economics, strategic management, and the strategy-structure perspective.


In this study, a voltage mode, multi input single output type multifunction biquad is proposed. It uses only one operational transresistance amplifier (OTRA) as the active element, while previously reported voltage mode multifunction filters require more OTRAs. Proposed multi input single output type biquad configuration can realize all five different filter transfer functions. Theoretical results are verified with PSPICE simulations using a CMOS realization of OTRA.


For modern high performance systems, aggressive technology and voltage scaling has drastically increased their susceptibility to soft errors. At the grand scale of cloud computing, it is clear that soft error induced failures will occur far more frequently, but it is unclear as to how to effectively apply current error detection and fault tolerance techniques in scale. In this paper, we focus on energy-aware fault tolerant scheduling in public, multi-user cloud systems, and explore the three-way tradeoff between reliability (in terms of soft error resiliency), performance and energy. Through a systematically optimized resource allocation, error detection approach selection, virtual machine placement, spatial/temporal redundancy augmentation and task scheduling process, the cloud service provider can achieve high error coverage and fault tolerance confidence while minimizing global energy costs under user deadline constraints. Our scheduling algorithm includes a static scheduling phase that operates on task graph based workload inputs prior to execution, and a light-weight dynamic scheduler that migrates tasks during execution in case of excessive reexecutions. All schedules are evaluated on a runtime simulation engine that (1) mimics the performance fluctuations in cloud systems, and (2) supports the injection of arbitrary fault patterns. Compared to current virtual machine or task replication techniques, we are able to reduce overall application failure rates by over 50% with approximately 76% total energy overhead.


The past three decades have witnessed the emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a field of study and a framework for the role of business corporations and financial institutions in society. After the Tsunami in 2004 people were need financial assistance to recover from the loss of tsunami and revamping their life. Only source they perceive is availing loans from banking sector and other guidance. The topic of Impact of Corporate social responsibility on Customer Satisfaction in banking service is of relevance especially for those suffered from Tsunami.  This study aims to explore the perception of the customer on CSR in banking service. The data were analyzed by modeling it using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using AMOS 18 and found that customer satisfaction is the mediating factor for banking service quality and the CSR is the most influential factor for the customer satisfaction.

 Key words: Corporate social responsibility, customer satisfaction, Tsunami, India.


Decentralized power generation and cogeneration of heat and power is an attractive way toward a more rational conversion of fossil or biofuel. In small‐scale power production fuel cell–gas turbine hybrid cycles are an emerging candidate to reach higher or comparable efficiency than large‐scale power plants. The present contribution introduces an innovative concept of hybrid cycle that allows targeting high efficiency together with carbon dioxide separation and maintaining the fuel cell operating under atmospheric condition. The system consists in a planar module of solid oxide fuel cell operating at atmospheric pressure, an oxy‐combustion unit, and two separated gas turbine units driven in an inverted Brayton cycle. A thermodynamic optimization approach, based on the system energy integration, is used to analyze several design options. Optimization results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid system enables higher energy conversion efficiency with respect to an equivalent state of the art pressurized hybrid system, whilst avoiding fuel cell pressurization technical problems, and enabling the carbon dioxide separation. The potential of designs achieving 80% First Law efficiency is shown.


Background: Over the past decade, pharmaceutical companies have introduced a number of initiatives to boost the productivity of clinical trials. In clinical trials, this can take to reduce costs and durations of that are being considered in applying information technology. One of these initiatives has been the rollout of electronic data capture (EDC) systems, which allow patients and researcher to enter their trial information directly, either in electronic diaries or online systems. The utilization rate of the EDC in the United States is 41.5%, and similar trends can be seen in 40.5% in Japan. Objectives: Currently, the adoption of EDC in Korea is also getting increased, so the current status of EDC application should be assessed in clinical trials. The aim of this study was identified in present status of EDC system and to improvements to develop it. Method: The survey of participants has been accomplishment in a clinical research coordinator workshop and e-CRF System workshop, which was held in a University Hospital, located in Seoul. The main questionnaire items were 14 including the career of EDC system. Totally, 109 responses were classified by fields of clinical trials study, and comparison analyzed each questionnaire items. Result: The survey of participants has been separated pharmaceutical company participants (39.4%), contract research organization or clinical research associate participants (26%), investigator (research coordinator) (24%), and other participants (10.6%). Current EDC System applied Phase III(40.0%) and will plan to use of system Phase I(34.5%), Phase II(16.7%) Conclusion: EDC systems are increasingly applied for clinical trials and current status of EDC system was assessed in this study. To increase the adoption of the EDCs, the related regulations should be developed, and also decision makers need to understand the importance of information technology in clinical trials.


Modern realities suggest a special syncretic process – the politicization of sports through the media. Despite the fact, that such determinants are dialectically characteristic of countries in conditions of international tension (including latent nature), as was the case in the 20th century during the many years of confrontation between USSR and USA, the events of 2018 forced to view this picture from the standpoint of publishing political conflict, in which there was a representation of sporting events. The Olympic (so-called «doping») scandal against the Russian National Team was actively covered by European and Western media, which operated not only with rhetoric of irony, but also with the rhetoric of imaginary justice. And the discovery in the blood of a curling expert A. Krushelnitsky, meldonium and, as a result, the deprivation of his bronze medals at the Olympics-2018 became for the Western media the main (and only) proof of dishonest behavior of the National Team. In turn, the representation of the conflict by the Russian media was a mirror reaction. The politicization of sports through media at the present stage continued in the spring and summer of 2018 during the preparation and holding of the World Cup in Russia. Despite the prevalence of negative messages in the media agenda of foreign publications on the eve of the Championship (operating with the rhetoric of unreasonableness), the representation of a sporting event by the Russian media, which worked on the principle of media solidarization (complementing the agendas of «traditional» media and «new media» — blogging, social media) in accordance with the laws of media logic, constructed the atmosphere of a universal sports festival, which manifested itself at the level of high organization of both football matches at all sports venues in the country, and out-of-stage performances (flash mobs, concerts, etc.), with an emphasis on tolerance, security, service compliance with international standards, forced a number of Western and European media controllers begin to adhere to the rhetoric of recognition.


The neuropeptide somatostatin has been suggested to play a role in seizure genesis, electrical kindling and the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. The purpose of the present experiment was to study somatostatin-immunoreactive (SS-IR) neurons in hippocampus during alcohol-withdrawal kindling. Alcohol-withdrawal kindling was performed by subjecting male Wistar rats to seven weekly episodes consisting of 2 days of severe alcohol intoxication and 5 days of alcohol withdrawal. Then the kindled animals (multiple withdrawal group) and a single withdrawal group, which was fed isocalorically with the kindled animals during episodes 1-7, were exposed to 4 days of severe alcohol intoxication (episode 8). During the following withdrawal, the seizure activity was observed 9-15 h after last alcohol dose, in order to subdivide the animals from these two groups into groups with and without seizures. Subsequently, SS-IR neurons were visualized immunocytochemically and counted in the hilus of the dentate gyrus (hippocampus). The number of SS-IR neurons per unit area of the hilus was neither affected by a single nor by multiple episodes of alcohol withdrawal. We therefore concluded that a loss of these neurons is not involved in the development of alcohol-withdrawal-kindled seizures.


Background In the craniofacial surgery literature, there is a wide disparity of opinions regarding the appropriate treatment of nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis. With the lack of level 1 evidence to support a particular regimen, our study aims to elucidate the current state of practice among craniofacial surgeons with the hope of establishing a standard of care. Methods An internet-based survey was sent to 102 craniofacial surgeons in 14 countries on 4 continents. Data were collected regarding the following parameters: primary indication for surgery, preference of timing, and choice of operative intervention for patients presenting with nonsyndromic isolated sagittal synostosis with normative intracranial pressure values. Surgeons were also queried regarding preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative protocols. Results After 2 mailings, the response rate was 58% (59/102). For 63% of respondents, skull deformity was the primary indication for treatment of craniosynostosis. Open surgical management of sagittal craniosynostosis was most commonly performed at 6 months (35%) of age. Total cranial vault remodeling was the most commonly performed procedure (37%). Thirty-five percent of craniofacial surgeons chose an endoscopic surgical approach for patients presenting at younger than 4 months. Only 10% of craniofacial surgeons selected spring-assisted strip craniectomy. Seventy-one percent of polled surgeons performed computed tomographic scans of the skull in all cases, irrespective of presentation. Conclusion Our survey demonstrates that there exists a wide disparity of opinion regarding diagnosis and treatment of nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis. When current practice is compared to findings in the literature, significant discrepancies exist.


Quantifying faculty productivity has been of interest since the creation of the Journal Impact Factor.  With the electronic age, copious documents can be analyzed to calculate the h-index , which assesses the productivity and impact of the citation.  Changing generational characteristics have increased the use of third-party websites and their emerging role in disseminating research justify this pilot study examining the application of altmetrics along with h-index scores to assess Hospitality Management faculty productivity.  Findings corroborated the positive correlation between h-index and program recognition and altmetric score.  A range of penetration rates regarding altmetric events among hospitality management faculty was found.


The measurement of the flame temperature and burning zone conditions in cement kilns has long been considered absolutely critical in maintaining optimum clinker production levels. This process control has evolved over the years ; from the well-trained eye of a seasoned kiln burner to the dual imaging pyrometry technology used to continually monitor cement kiln burning zones. This device easily integrates into any of today's sophisticated control systems, and quickly becomes a critical link in establishing a control strategy for kiln operation. This article spotlights the installation and operation of three Spyrometer TM systems at Medusa's Wampum facility during the plant's 1995 automation project. The camera's microprocessors link directly to the remote I/O racks of the new PLC based control system. So they not only provide a continual window into all three burning zones, but they monitor six temperatures at operator specified windows. These inputs can also be used as a BIF regulated waste fuel interlock or as an expert system control parameter. The data generated from the pyrometer's temperature measurement can also be used in an effective clinker quality control programme. By coupling clinker microscopy and cement physical testing with the trended data, tangible performance improvements are demonstrated for not only the product, but with the process operation.


A new approach produces optimal signature placement for concurrent detection of processor and program-memory errors using signature monitoring. A program control-how graph, labeled with the overhead for placing a signature on each node and arc, is transformed into an undirected graph. For an order-independent signature function such as an XOR or arithmetic checksum, the undirected graph and a spanning tree algorithm are shown to produce an optimal placement in O(n log beta (n, m)) time. Cyclic codes, which are order dependent, are shown to allow significantly lower overhead than order-independent functions. Prior work suggests overhead is unrelated to signature-function type. An O(n) graph-construction algorithm produces an optimal signature placement for cyclic codes. Experimental data show that using a cyclic code and horizontal reference signatures, the new approach can reduce average performance overhead to a fraction of a percent for the SPEC89 benchmark suite, more than 9 times lower than the performance overhead of an existing O(n/sup 2/) placement algorithm. >


: Thirty women pregnant for the first time were interviewed during the first trimester to determine their image of and feeling toward their fetuses. Most women grossly underestimated the size and development of the fetus as well as its activities, attributing "formless,""unattractive" and animal-like features to it. Only 9 of the 30 women thought the fetus to be a real person at this stage of pregnancy. These women predicted they would feel grief if the fetus were miscarried, were more anxious about possible abnormality, more willing to abstain from intercourse to protect the fetus, thought the fetus could affect the mother, and were less ambivalent or unhappy when the pregnancy was confirmed. These 9 women differed from the other 21 in being from larger families or having jobs, such as nursing, which involved nurturing skills. The implications of these feelings or lack of them toward the fetus in the first trimester is discussed.


Collaborative concept mapping (CCM) has been a tool deployed by educators to enhance learning in such situations as primary science classes, supported learning environments and asynchronous computer-mediated learning. Of its outcomes, CCM has produced rich group discussion about ideas and possibilities pertinent to the topic or problem at hand. The majority of research into CCM has been explicitly pointed at enhancing learning. This chapter takes a different tack by reporting on how the authors used CCM to seek understandings of its utility in enabling collaborative research by creating synergies within a research team located in the Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Queensland. The following questions were used to focus the research:
• What was the research team's experience of collaborative concept mapping?
• What propositions did the team construct about teamwork and collaboration?
• How did the interactions among team members facilitate meaning-making about teamwork and collaboration?
The data consisted of this team's collaborative concept map and recordings of the dialogue during the process of constructing the map. Analysis revealed the team's emerging propositions about teamwork and collaboration and also contributed understandings of the co-constructed patterns of talk that produced this dynamic map. The chapter concludes that collaborative concept mapping is a useful tool for research and other team development, and possibly for the collaborative conceptualisation of future team research projects.