Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection has become a serious public health problem. The influence of HIV/HCV coinfection on plasma HCV RNA loads and clinical criteria which are usually regarded as a predictor of the progress of liver disease have not been reliably evaluated. Objectives: This study investigated the impact of HIV infection on HCV RNA load and clinical indexes in Yazd and Tehran. Materials and methods: HCV/HIV-coinfected patients and HCV-monoinfected controls were examined and compared for plasma HCV RNA and related risk factors such as HCV genotypes, liver enzymes, and transmission routes. Results: A total of 54 HCV/HIV-coinfected patients and 88 HCV-monoinfected controls were studied. The HCV RNA load mean was significantly higher in HCV/HIV-coinfected patients than in HCV-monoinfected patients (p < 0.001). HCV RNA load mean in patients infected with HCV without anti-HCV therapy was lower than HIV/HCV patients with and without highly active antiretroviral therapy that this difference was significant (p < 0.001). The HCV RNA levels were significantly higher in HIV/HCV genotype 3a coinfected patients than in genotype 3a monoinfected patients (p < 0.001). HIV RNA levels were lower in genotype 1a infected patients than in genotype 3a infected patients, but this difference was not significant statistically. The ALT mean levels were significantly higher in genotype 3a HIV/HCV-coinfected patients than in genotype 3a HCV-monoinfected patients (p < 0.001). Conclusions: HIV/HCV coinfection leads to a significant increase in plasma HCV RNA. Further evaluations of the effects of ART and HIV infection on the course of HCV infection and the response to treatment against HCV infection in other and different genotypes are also needed. Moreover, HIV-infected patients should be screened regularly for HCV coinfection, particularly if they are in high-risk groups such as IDUs and recipients of blood transfusions.


There are only a few reports in the literature on cysts of the thoracic duct. This case report concerns a 56-year-old female patient, who was operated on because of a mediastinal mass that later proved to be a cyst of the thoracic duct. The operation and immediate postoperative course were uneventful. Six months later, the patient was doing well and no further investigations were recommended.


On the 9th March 2020, the first patient with COVID-19 was admitted to ICU in the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Wales. We prospectively recorded the rate of ICU admissions of 52 patients with COVID-19 over 60 days, focusing on the epidemiology of ethnicity and deprivation. Patients were 65% (34 of 52) male and had a median (IQR) age of 55 (48-62) years. Prevalent comorbidities included obesity (52%); diabetes (33%), and asthma (23%). COVID-19 hospital and ICU inpatient numbers peaked on days 23 and 39, respectively – a lag of 16 days. The ICU mortality rate was 33% (17 of 52). Black, Asian and Minority Ethnics (BAME) population represented 35% of ICU COVID-19 admissions (18 of 52) and 35% of deaths (6 of 17). Within the BAME group, 72% (13 of 18) were found to reside in geographical areas representing the 20% most deprived in Wales, versus 27% of Caucasians (9 of 33). Less than 5% of the population within the hospital catchment area are of BAME descent, yet they represent a disproportionately high proportion of patients with ICU admission and mortality suffering from COVID-19. The interplay between ethnicity and deprivation, which is complex, may be a factor in our findings. This in turn could be related to an increased prevalence of co-morbidities; higher community exposure; or genetic polymorphisms.


Spallation behaviors of thermally grown oxide ceramic films for PM2000 Fe-Cr-Al alloy under compressive stresses were studied by surface impression method and CCD monitoring technique. The results show that the film adhesion can be qualitatively understood by testing crack region area or crack width around impression induced from surface impression technique,that is,the larger the crack region area or the wider the crack,the poorer the film adhesion; oxide film initial spallation temperature and the spalled regions morphology,site and area fraction can be obtained by monitoring continuously the film surface morphology using CCD camera during cooling from high temperature to ambient temperature which provide much useful information for understanding the spallation mechanism of thermally grown oxide ceramic film.


TRIASSIC DOLOMITES AND DOLOMITIC BRECCIAS OF THE MARUSZYNA KLIPPE Summary Dolomites and dolomitic breccias occur in situ at Maruszyna in the northern slope of the Tutkowska Rola hill, where they form a lense approximately 350 m long and 2-26 m thick in its middle portion. In the south, to the steeply inclined rocks (60-65°) adhere Posidonia and Super-Pasidonia beds (Dogger) that grade upwards into radiolarites and cherty limestones (Malm-Neocomian) overlain by Globigerina-radiolaria and Globatruncana marls (Cretaceous) (Fig. 1). All these rocks occur in a lense-like form extending E - W, and tectonically compressed. Its elements wedge out between shear surfaces. The whole sequence is classified into the Pieniny series. In the north Globotruncana marls belonging to the Branisko series adhere to the dolomites. Within these marls lenses of Jarmuta conglomerates occur that contain very abundant and differently rounded dolomite fragments. Within the Maruszyna dolomites breccias prevail, the size of their constituents ranging from fine argillaceous flour, through sand, to rubble. Locally they are cemented to compact blocks or beds. In these breccias, disintegrated at the surface, a few layers of hard very heavily fractured dolomites have been preserved. The dolomites are light in colour, ocher-yellow and locally attain a grey colouring due to algal accumulations. Occasionally a faint banding may be seen. Within these biogenic dolomites the micrite-sparite and micrite varieties have been distinguished by A. Maliszewska (1974). The elipsoidal, frequently blurred, algal concentrations are less abundant (up to 30%) in the fine-crystalline micrite-sparite dolomites than in the micrite varieties (80% and over) that, in addition, contain more clay matter and pseudomorphs traces after shell remnants and occasionally iron hydroxides concentrations. Some dolomites of these layers have rounded caverns and pores partly filled with dolomitic-ferruginous substance and partly void (cavernous dolomites). Like the caverns, the fissures are filled with yellow-brown dolomite containing hydrated iron oxides admixtures and occasionally calcite crystals. According to A. Maliszewska (1974) the Maruszyna dolomites are algal dolomites laid down far from the shore of their marine depositional basin in considerably saline waters. The fine grain size indicates these dolomites to have been formed simultaneously with the deposition of the entire carbonate series or slightly later. The carbonates were subject to recrystallization during the period of diagenetic alterations but prior to the brecciation. According to A.Maliszewska the lithofacies development points to the Triassic age of the rocks. In absence of palaeontological evidence this assumption has been based on lithological analogies, chiefly to the Lower Campilian sediments distinguished by Z. Kotanski (1963) in the Haligovce K1ippe. The Maruszyna dolomites are the lowest and the oldest stratigraphic member not only of the Pieniny series, but also of all the remaining series of the Polish part of the Pieniny Klippen Belt. Despite the macroscopic similarities to the Tatra series the dolomites - as to their facies development - are closer to the Triassic sediments of the Cracow-Silesia region (A. Maliszewska, 1974). The distinctness of the dolomites, and even of the entire Pieniny Mesozoic, from the rocks of the Tatra region (despite certain analogies) has been confirmed by geochemical examinations (J. Calikowski, B. Gondek, K. Szpanier, 1968) that revealed the hydrocarbons of the Pieniny series and its basement to differ from those of the Podhale Palaeogene and its basement. Consequently the rock groups (of Triassic-Jurassic age) had a different history and were laid down in different depositional basins between which no communication existed. Normal 0 21 false false false PL X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
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Members of the Enterobacteriaceae family are widely distributed in nature and exhibit substantial diversity in ecology, host range and pathogenic potential for man. While wide discrepancies in methodology exist between epidemiological studies, the available data indicate an increased prevalence of oral and/or oropharyngeal Enterobacteriaceae carriage in patients with illnesses of varying severity compared with healthy subjects. This paper reviews the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in the oral and oropharyngeal region of healthy human subjects and those affected by different disease entities, and discusses the complexities associated with collating and interpreting such data. The effect of antimicrobials and antiseptics on oral and oropharyngeal Enterobacteriaceae has also been reviewed, while highlighting the gaps in knowledge and future research directions.


Noncognitive skills have been demonstrated to predict a range of socioeconomic outcomes including educational attainment and employment. There is however little evidence of how consistent and reliable noncognitive skills are over time or across different measures. Using data from a UK cohort, we show that some key indicators of noncognitive skills are inconsistent, that phenotypic relationships between them are generally weak, and that they associate with educational and labour market outcomes inconsistently and less strongly than cognitive skills. Genomewide analyses reveal that noncognitive skills exhibit low heritability and no clear shared genetic architecture with cognitive skills or outcomes. Our results implicate a high noise to signal ratio and suggest caution in the use of noncognitive measures as reliable indicators of underlying traits. Some noncognitive skills, particularly behavioural difficulties, may provide malleable targets for interventional educational programmes, but many current measurements may be too imprecise and inconsistent to be reliably used.


The complete human DNA sequence of the human genome was published in 2004 and we entered the postgenomic era. However, many studies showed that gene function is much more complex than we expected, and that mutation of disease genes does not give any clue for molecular mechanisms for disease development. Since the first report on gene knockout mice in 1989, knockout mice have been shown to be a powerful tool for functional genomics and for the dissection of developmental processes in human diseases. In accordance with this successful application of knockout mice, three major mouse knockout programs are now underway worldwide, to mutate all protein‐encoding genes in mouse embryonic stem cells using a combination of gene trapping and gene targeting. We developed the exchangeable gene trap method suitable for large scale mutagenesis in mice. In this method we can produce null mutation and post‐insertional modification, enabling replacement of the marker gene with a gene of interest and conditional knockout. We herein discuss the effect of this gene‐driven type approach for cancer research, especially for finding the genes that are related to cancer, but are paid little attention in hypothesis‐driven cancer research. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1–6)


Different African people have reconciliation and local processes of achieving peace and justice. The question is if these regional traditions have to be considered by the ICC Prosecutor in order to analyze cases or to forgo a prosecution in accordance with article 53 of the Rome Statute. Could the Prosecutor consider that an investigation would not serve the interests of justice taking into consideration the traditional practices of the African peoples involved? This question is especially relevant because of the supposed existence or construction of a universal or global standard of criminal justice.


Aim The aim of this study is to determine whether iron deficiency is associated with zinc deficiency. Methods Ninety-eight patients with ID and/or IDA and 100 healthy controls who were examined at Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Pediatric and Child Health Department outpatient clinic were included prospectively in this study. Blood samples were collected from cases and controls for complete blood count, iron, TIBC, ferritin and zinc levels. The association between zinc levels and hematological and biochemical parameters were examined. Results There was significant difference (p<0.05) between zinc levels of the cases and controls, serum zinc levels were lower in cases compared to controls. Zinc deficiency was more frequent in children with iron deficiency and/or anemia (9.2%) than those without iron deficiency (1%). In cases, no significant difference was found (p>0.05) between zinc levels in relation to the absence or presence of anemia. There was no correlation between zinc levels and Hb, Htc, MCV, ferritin or TIBC (p>0.05). However there was a positive correlation beween zinc levels and iron and TSI. In the control group, there was no statistical relation between zinc levels and Hb, Htc, MCV, iron, TIBC, TSI and ferritin levels (p>0.05). Conclusion In our study, we detected significant lower zinc levels in children with iron deficiency before the onset of anemia. Therefore, we propose that the use of preparations containing both iron and zinc might be more effective in improvement of clinical signs of iron and zinc deficiency.


The US Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network enters its fourth decade with a distinguished record of achievement in ecological science. The value of long-term observations and experiments has never been more important for testing ecological theory and for addressing today's most difficult environmental challenges. The network's potential for tackling emergent continent-scale questions such as cryosphere loss and landscape change is becoming increasingly apparent on the basis of a capacity to combine long-term observations and experimental results with new observatory-based measurements, to study socioecological systems, to advance the use of environmental cyberinfrastructure, to promote environmental science literacy, and to engage with decisionmakers in framing major directions for research. The long-term context of network science, from understanding the past to forecasting the future, provides a valuable perspective for helping to solve many of the crucial environmental problems facing society today.


Heart rate estimation from electrocardiogram signals is very important for the early detection of cardiovascular diseases. However, due to large individual differences and varying electrocardiogram signal quality, there does not exist a single reliable estimation algorithm that works well on all subjects. Every algorithm may break down on certain subjects, resulting in a significant estimation error. Ensemble regression, which aggregates the outputs of multiple base estimators for more reliable and stable estimates, can be used to remedy this problem. Moreover, active learning can be used to optimally select a few trials from a new subject to label, based on which a stacking ensemble regression model can be trained to aggregate the base estimators. This paper proposes four active stacking approaches, and demonstrates that they all significantly outperform three common unsupervised ensemble regression approaches, and a supervised stacking approach which randomly selects some trials to label. Remarkably, our active stacking approaches only need three or four labeled trials from each subject to achieve an average root mean squared estimation error below three beats per minute, making them very convenient for real-world applications. To our knowledge, this is the first research on active stacking, and its application to heart rate estimation.


NO is obviously identical with the relaxation factor produced by the vascular endothelium (EDRF) and is also the substance responsible for some other biological activities. It is formed in the organism from L-arginine by the action of the enzyme NO synthetase. The main mechanism of action is the activation of the enzyme guanyl cyclase and the result is an increase of the intracellular level of cyclic guanyl monophosphate. Depending on the type of effector cell, either vasodilatation occurs and adhesion is inhibited and the blood platelets coagulate or the cytotoxicity of macrophages increases. With the development of new, more effective inhibitors of NO synthetase there is also the possibility to study the physiological importance of NO in more detail. These new discoveries provide a more profound biochemical and pharmacological basis and perhaps also new indications or preventive possibilities of the known treatment of vascular spasms by nitroderivatives; moreover, there is the possibility to seek new ways in the anti-tumourous and antimicrobial treatment and elsewhere.


There are many cases of historical crimes between countries that continue to hurt inter-state relations. Apologies for historical crimes is one such post-conflict phenomenon that has received a lot of attention by scholars from various fields. However, studies investigating the conditions under which states apologize for historical crimes have not moved beyond a few country-specific cases i.e. German and Japanese apologies for World War II. My thesis aims to address this gap using a new dataset on which states apologized for war-crimes committed in the 20th century, and when these apologies were offered. In particular, I focus on economic incentives, leader ideology and culpability to explain inter-state apologies. I find that states which commit the most severe violations are more likely to apologize, among other factors. However, factors, such as the prospect of bilateral trade and shared religious preferences between two states are not related to apologies. Overall, the goal of my thesis is to clarify the circumstances under which states are able to move beyond historical crimes that harm their bilateral relations.


We study an energy given by the sum of the perimeter of a set, a Coulomb repulsion term of the set with itself and an attraction term of the set to a point charge. We prove that there exists an optimal radius r0 such that if r < r0 the ball Br is a local minimizer with respect to any other set with same measure. The global minimality of balls is also addressed.


Thanks to the work on the second
MEGA, we have now a clearer idea of what Marx actually did between 1867 and his death
in 1883. He studied and wrote a lot, not only notes and extracts but also n a series of new
manuscripts for what should become volume II and III of Capital. These manuscripts show
us Marx becoming aware of the still unsettled problems of his critique of political economy
– like the problems involved in his theory of money and in his theory of agricultural rent.
They also show us the very modern combination of a sophisticated theoretical mind and an
empirical and historical researcher that Marx actually was.


Patients with end-stage pulmonary emphysema are usually proposed for either heart-lung or double-lung transplantation. The single-lung transplantation is reversed for patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Patients with emphysema are thought to be unsuitable for single-lung transplantation because of the ventilation-perfusion imbalance that is supposed to occur, the ventilation being preferentially distributed to the native lung when the perfusion is distributed to the transplanted lung. We now report a preliminary success with single-lung transplantation in two consecutive patients with end-stage pulmonary emphysema. Despite the persistence after transplantation of an obstructive syndrome, the clinical status was good, the blood gases were markedly improved, and ventilation-perfusion imbalance did not occur on lung scans. After discharge from the hospital, the patients could return to an almost normal life. Thus, our data support the feasibility of single-lung transplantation in patients with end-stage pulmonary emphysema, and we consider that single-lung transplantation could be the optimal form of lung transplantation in these patients.


A photonic crystal fiber polarization rotator (PR) is proposed based on the topological Zeeman effect. The proposed PR is achieved by permanently twisting a segment of sixfold symmetric photonic crystal fiber with a matched length, and under the optimized parameters, the PR can offer an almost 100% polarization conversion ratio in the wavelength of 1.55-μm band (∼200  nm bandwidth) and a compact length of about 157 μm based on the numerical simulation result of the full-vector finite-element method. The proposed in-line PCF PR can be easily fabricated based on state-of-art PCF manufacturing, and it is a potential inexpensive candidate in the application of modern communication systems.


I summarize the prospects for discovering Higgs bosons at future pp and e + e − colliders both in the Standard Model and its Minimal Supersymmetric extension.


The V-22 Osprey, an aircraft that has been in development for about 25 years and has a very controversial past and uncertain future. It was designed for future irregular warfare environment covering full scale of missions, especially in third-world conflicts with lack of infrastructure. But its operational problems and deployment experience raise serious questions whether the aircraft can accomplish the full range of missions of the helicopter it was intended to replace, or the range of missions provided by other modern helicopters.


An in vitro system was used for measurement of frequency and amplitude of ultrasonic signals scattered from a moving column of blood analog under physiologic flow conditions. Flow rate and probe orientations (angle, vertical and lateral displacement) were varied in dependently. With the probe centered above the blood vessel model the frequency shift (F) of the scattered signal were fit to the equation: F=Cx +C���� +Cv +C0 (10°<�� <40°), where �� is the angle (in degrees) to the normal to the flow, V is average velocity of flow (measured indirectly) and Cx, C��, Cv and C0 are constants. Using stepwise regression the constant Cv was found to be insignificant; including the other constants produced a standard error of 31 Hz, about 5-l0% of observed values of F. It was not possible to obtain the diameter of physiologic sized blood vessels using the CW technique because of the low resolution of the system (about 0.5cm). I t was found practical to locate the proper probe position and estimate angle using only variation in observed amplitude to guide positioning. This opens the possibility of accurate transcutaneous blood velocity measurements in animals and humans Keywords: Blood velocity, ultrasound, flow rate.


Kunzea ambigua (Sm.) Druce (Myrtaceae), commonly known as 'Tick Bush' is a woody shrub, indigenous to Australia and New Zealand. It thrives in the granite soils of the north-east coast and Bass Strait islands of Tasmania. The therapeutic and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil have been documented [1,2]. The nature of the small, leathery leaves necessitates a long distillation time to achieve maximum oil yield. Oils were collected at set distillation times of 1, 3, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 240 mins. Yields and chemical compositions were determined by GC FID and identification of components was confirmed by Kovats Indices and mass spectra. Although the distillation of monoterpenes contributed to the most rapid phase of oil accumulation, which occurred at around 30 minutes, the narrow, lanceolate leaves of K. ambigua required in excess of 4 hours for complete extraction of the heavier components. The concentration of oxygenated monoterpenes, such as terpinen-4-ol and a-terpineol, had peak oil recovery at between 30 and 60 minutes. Recovery of 1,8-cineole maximized at 30 minutes, following a similar pattern to the monoterpenes. The cyclic ether component of this oxygenated monoterpene may well contribute to the different behavior under the conditions of steam distillation. In contrast, increasing amounts of the oxygenated sesquiterpenes, globulol and viridiflorol accumulated with time and it may be assumed that the complete extraction of essential oils from the vegetative material was not achieved. Both components are regarded as integral to the aroma, contributing a floral/citrus element to the bouquet of the typical Kunzea oil [3]. Oils containing higher ratios of these heavy components may be achieved by combining fractions collected onwards from one and a half hours into the steam distillation process. This enhanced the percentage of globulol from 17±3 in the unfractionated, total oil yield to 27±4 in the 46% of the oil collected in the later stages of the distillation. Likewise, the percentage of viridiflorol can be increased from 10±2 to 17±2%. Research is continuing into shortened distillation times using super-heated steam and into the antibacterial and antifungal properties of the oil of K. ambigua .


In Al0.28Ga0.72As, the energy of the vibrational mode and the electron-phonon interaction were investigated using the experimental result of the main photoluminescence (bound exciton transition) half-width by Toyoda and co-workers (1986) and analysed by Williams and co-workers (1968, 1972). The activation energy for the thermal quenching process is estimated. The value of the vibrational mode in the bound exciton transition is close to that of the longitudinal optical phonon in GaAs. The value of the activation energy in Al0.28Ga0.72As is much smaller than that in GaAs.


The project "Organic Trace Substances Relevant for Drinking Water – Assessing their Elimination through Bank Filtration (TRACE)" aims at giving an up-to-date overview of the potential risk resulting from the occurrence of chelating agents, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and selected pesticides in surface waters and to show if there is a potential for the substances to persist during bank filtration and artificial recharge. During the first phase of the project which is subject of this paper, a literature study was conducted addressing their occurrence (in the Berlin region and elsewhere), amounts produced as well as data on their persistence in the subsurface. This was the basis for a decision on the substance applied in the field scale experiments at the UBAs experimental field during the following project phase. Using freely available databases (e.g. ULIDAT, DIMDI, Tiborder) 1148 references were screened for their relevance to these topics, and 450 of these were classified as relevant. Of these, so far the 223 most important references have been compiled in an ACCESS database which comprises data on the data origin as well as on specific values (e.g. measured concentrations, amounts produced, use, main metabolites, sources, pathways in the environment). The database links this information so that output forms ("fact sheets") can be created that summarize all data for one specific substance. The regarded substances were subsequently classified according to the criteria: usage / production, occurrence in surface water (if possible also in groundwater and bank filtrate), degradation potential, biological degradability, production of relevant metabolites and toxicity. For the chelating agents three substance groups were examined closely: aminocarboxylates, hydrocarboxylates and phosphonates (all other substance groups were found to be irrelevant due to total biodegradability). The aminocarboxylates are produced in highest numbers and occur most frequently (especially EDTA, PDTA, NTA and DTPA). There are, however, already extensive investigations on this field so that few knowledge gaps were identified. Hydrocarboxylates are produced in lesser amounts and for some ready biological degradability has been shown. For these reasons further investigations were not seen as a priority. Phosphonates produce relevant metabolites (phosphates that enhance eutrophication) and are produced in high amounts (> 1000 t/a). This substance group was therefore recommended for further investigations. Currently a variety of research projects cover the field of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) that occur in aquatic environments world wide and whose toxicity and persistence is not yet clearly determined. Most investigations aim at the main substances of this group: PFOA and PFOS. These are, however, currently being replaced by shorter chained PFCs on which investigations are lacking. This substance group is therefore also of interest for further investigations. For the pesticides glyphosate and isoproturone high production rates and frequent occurrence in surface and groundwater world wide were determined. Due to this fact and to the presence of relevant metabolites (e.g. AMPA) as well as to limited knowledge on their fate during underground passage these substances were classified as highly interesting for further investigations.


To constitute awareness of climate change, hearing the solutions of students in their words and seeing visual products by creating experiences in schools is vital. This case study was limited to sequential implementations of climate change in the natural sciences teaching process in 5th grade. After an education process on using Pixton, 12 students transformed their learning into digital comics. This research aimed to reveal the problems created by students through digital stories about climate change, solutions they suggested for climate problems, and aesthetic subtleties they applied to express themselves. Digital comics created by students, researcher notes, observations, and students' view forms were used as data collection tools. Finally, vital solutions to problems such as global climate change, pollution, destruction of the natural environment, and extinction of living creatures were created by students during this case. Important solutions consisting of preventing global warming, making peace with nature, vital measures and efforts to protect the soil were suggested. Besides, interesting aesthetic subtleties such as storification, positioning of the characters, place preferences, expression of emotions, and time depiction were applied. Teachers can use comics to see students' tendencies, raise awareness, encourage them, and help them develop solutions for current socio-scientific problems.
Keywords: case study, digital comics, digital story, digital storytelling, secondary school students


The slope stability analysis is routinely performed by engineers to evaluate the stability of embankment dams, road embankments, river training works, excavations and retaining walls. To ensure the geotechnical safety of the dam, the slope of embankment must be correctly designed and constructed. In this work, by applying the modified method of Bishop, an attempt was made to construct sets of nomgrams for the calculation of the safety factor of homogeneous earth dams under long term stability, which allow the user to get the optimal safety factor of the dam, immediately, according the material classification and the parameters of design, height and slope. Key words: Nomograms, safety factor, homogeneous earth dams.


A simulated respiratory system was developed for the in vitro evaluation of two differently designed oral inhalation delivery systems. The deposition properties of a newly designed delivery system used for triamcinolone acetonide were compared to the more conventional, commercially available adapter utilized for an aerosol containing beclomethasone dipropionate. The simulated respiratory system was constructed so that the delivered dose of active ingredient could be classified into two fractions: the fraction that would be deposited in the oral cavity and throat and the fraction that would reach the desired site of activity in the respiratory tract. Based on this method, the newly designed system delivered more than 95% of the labeled dose to the desired site. The beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol system, which was observed to discharge the active ingredient with a greater intensity, delivered approximately 40% of the labeled dose. The particle-size distribution of the dose dispensed from the newly designed delivery system attached to the triamcinolone acetonide aerosol was determined using an impactor technique. No effort was made to correlate these results with an in vivo response.


Using daily diary data from 28 later life couples where one spouse had diabetes and osteoarthritis, we examined crossover effects of target spouses' daily activity limitations and their partners' daily mood. On days when target spouses' daily activity limitations were higher than average, partners' positive mood decreased and negative mood increased; when target wives' limitations were higher than average, husbands' positive mood was higher. Marital happiness and frequency of telephone conversations of target spouses buffered some relations. Results advance our understanding of daily health processes within later life marriages by identifying crossover effects of activity limitations of an ill spouse with the mood of their partner and underscore the role of marital happiness and social contacts in buffering these associations.


Translations of summary In this paper, I propose a psychoanalytic reading of some of the writings of Amelia Rosselli, a trilingual poet who, at the age of seven, lost her father Carlo, who was persecuted and murdered by Mussolini's regime. History and her history conflate into personal and collective trauma which defies human possibilities to work through and mourn. Rosselli's work testifies to such predicament of the human subject of the 20th century, his/her dislocation, alienation and internal irreconcilable divisions. In particular I examine Diary in three tongues, which is the most autobiographical of her works and a self‐analytic piece, written after the conclusion of her second analysis. In the Diary, Rosselli employs textual strategies which convey the fragmentation and destructuring of language, where her traumatic experience resides as a wound inflicted to the symbolic order. I propose that her writings contain her unconscious memories in an estranged and melancholic language which becomes the crucible to express her impossible mourning, in a complex mixture of Eros and Thanatos which allowed her to survive psychically and to create a very personal experimental poetic discourse which made her a literary figure of international acclaim. My primary engagement will be with Freud's theory of mourning and melancholia and its successive elaboration by Kristeva, who maintains that the melancholic discourse finds its expression in the pre‐verbal and infra‐verbal aspects of language, which she calls 'semiotics', in dialectic articulation with its symbolic components. Drawing on literary texts, significant inferences can be made on the psychoanalytic listening to the prosodic aspects of language as the carrier of inchoate forms of representation of that which exceeds language: trauma, raw affects, mnemic traces, that is, the unrepresented and/or unrepresentable.


This paper is a Central European contribution to the current knowledge of
Erasmus students' motivations. It takes as its starting point the fact that one
of the reasons for studying in a foreign country is learning about different
cultures. 30 Erasmus students from 8 European countries, enrolled in Museum
Education course in two academic years at the Faculty of Education, University
of Ljubljana, participated in the research. The analysis of qualitative data, collected
by individual interviews, a focus group and written personal reflections,
revealed that, when making specific country and study decisions, students
are driven by three motivational factors: discovery, change and curiosity. The
research, done from the perspective of cultural heritage, additionally indicated
how geography shapes the cultural experience of Erasmus students and what
role museum and heritage site visiting play in it.


Software development market is currently witnessing an increasing demand for software applications conformance with the international regime of GRC for Governance, Risk and Compliance. In this paper, we propose a compliance requirement analysis method for early stages of software development based on a semantically-rich model, where a mapping can be established from legal and regulatory requirements relevant to system context to software system business goals and contexts. The proposed semantic model consists of a number of ontologies each corresponding to a knowledge component within the developed framework of our approach. Each ontology is a thesaurus of concepts in the compliance and risk assessment domain related to system development along with relationships and rules between concepts that compromise the domain knowledge. The main contribution of the work presented in this paper is a case study that demonstrates how description-logic reasoning techniques can be used to simulate legal reasoning requirements employed by legal professions against the description of each ontology.


With growing demand for effective management of abnormal situations in process industry, disturbance detection and classification has drawn considerable interest from researchers in both industry and academia. In this paper, a disturbance detection and classification method is developed using Bayesian statistics. The theoretical derivation of the proposed method as well as its practical implementation are provided. With the introduction of preand post-change windows, detection and classification are achieved simultaneously in the proposed method through matching the posterior probability pattern to predefined patterns. An overlapping window mechanism is incorporated into the proposed method to minimize detection and classification delay. A simulation example is given to illustrate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed disturbance detection method. One application of the proposed Bayesian disturbance detection and classification algorithm is a Bayesian enhanced exponentially weighted moving average (B-EWMA) state estimator which improves state estimation in the run-to-run control of semiconductor manufacturing processes. The superior performance of B-EWMA compared to the conventional EWMA is demonstrated using an industrial example


BACKGROUND
Memory disorders and Alzheimer's disease (AD) share the same risk factors with cardiovascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE
We tested whether elevated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels would predict any incident dementia or AD.

METHODS
The association between NT-proBNP and the risk of dementia was evaluated in a total of 7,158 subjects without previous memory disorders in a prospective study with a median follow-up of 13.8 years.

RESULTS
A total of 220 new dementia cases occurred, of which 149 were AD. Baseline logNT-proBNP levels were associated significantly with the risk of dementia in the entire study population (HR 1.32, 95%CI 1.17-1.56, p = 0.001) per 1SD difference, adjusted for multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and continuous net-reclassification improvement (continuous NRI) were improved in the study population over 40 years of age: continuous NRI was 17.5% (95%CI 4.4-30.6%, p = 0.009) and IDI was 0.005 (95%CI 0.001-0.010, p = 0.021). Regarding AD, the HR for 1SD logNT-proBNP change was 1.23 (95%CI 1.01-1.49, p = 0.040) in the entire study population, but no IDI or continuous NRI improvement was seen.

CONCLUSION
NT-proBNP is also an independent risk marker for dementia, and patient discrimination regarding dementia risk could be improved by using it.


Modelling of heat transfer losses to the engine wall of diesel engine involves the employment of heat transfer correlations in quasi one-dimensional thermodynamic simulation. In this study, four common existing heat transfer correlations - Woshni, Sitkei & Ramaniah, Hohenberg and Assanis - are utilised in a quasi one-dimensional thermodynamic simulation. Results are compared with experimental data from existing literature. The results indicate that Woshni's correlation shows the best results as it includes a parameter that characterize the bore size of combustion chamber, while others exclude it. Attempt has been made to improve Woschni's correlation by altering value of constants and power values in the velocity and temperature variables, in order to reduce the error from the experimental results. This finding reveals the current heat transfer correlations have inadequate representation of gas flow characteristics in the correlation especially in the near wall region, where velocity and thermal boundary layer occurs.


The study was aimed at determining the prevalence of  cryptosporidium oocysts in faecal samples among primary school children in Wamakko local government of Sokoto State, Nigeria. A total of forty (40) samples were obtained from pupils attending different primary schools within Wamakko Local Government. The primary schools include; Kwalkwalawa Primary School, Kaurar Kimba Primary School, Fanari Primary School and Asari Primary School. A total of ten faecal samples were collected from each primary school. Faecal samples were analysed using formal diethylacetate to detect the presence of cryptosporidium oocysts. The highest percentage prevalence of occurrence (80%) of cryptosporidiosis infection was recorded among the pupils of Kaurar Kimba primary School followed by Kwalkwalawa and Fanari Primary Schools with 60% prevalence each, while the least prevalence was recorded in Asari Primary School with 50% prevalence. There was no significant variation between the 4 schools (P>0.05). Cryptosporidiosis was high in female children (65%) compared to males (60%), however there was no significant variation between the two sexes (P>0.05). Children within the age group 6-8 years old had the highest prevalence (70%) followed by age group 9-10 years 60%. The least  percentage prevalence was recorded among the age group 11-12 years old (50%) (5/10). There was no significant difference between the different age groups (P > 0.05). It is interesting to note the high rate of asymptomatic cryptosporidium infection in the study area. Keywords : Prevalence, Cryptosporidiuum Oocysts, Primary School, Children, Sokoto


Owing to its high surface area and excellent conductivity, graphene is considered an efficient electrode material for supercapacitors. However, its restacking in electrolytes hampers its broader utilization in this field. Covalent graphene functionalization is a promising strategy for providing more efficient electrode materials. The chemistry of fluorographene is particularly attractive as it allows scalable chemical production of useful graphene derivatives. Nevertheless, the influence of chemical composition on the capacitance of graphene derivatives is a largely unexplored field in nanomaterials science, limiting further development of efficient graphene-based electrode materials. In the present study, we obtained well-defined graphene derivatives differing in chemical composition but with similar morphologies by controlling the reaction time of 5-aminoisophthalic acid with fluorographene. The gravimetric specific capacitance ranged from 271 to 391 F g–1 (in 1 M Na2SO4), with the maximum value achieved by a delicate balance between the amount of covalently grafted functional groups and density of the sp2 carbon network governing the conductivity of the material. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that covalent grafting of functional groups with charged and ionophilic/hydrophilic character significantly enhanced the ionic concentration and hydration due to favorable electrostatic interactions among the charged centers and ions/water molecules. Therefore, conductive and hydrophilic graphitic surfaces are important features of graphene-based supercapacitor electrode materials. These findings provide important insights into the role of chemical composition on capacitance and pave the way toward designing more efficient graphene-based supercapacitor electrode materials.


The mechanisms for the explosive loss of plasma confinement that occurs in solar flares, magnetospheric sub-storms, tokamak disruptions and edge localized modes remain largely unexplained. Modelling the rapid onset of such events provides a considerable challenge to theory. A possible explanation for these events, nonlinear explosive ballooning, is discussed. In this mechanism a narrow finger of plasma erupts from inside the plasma growing explosively and pushing aside other field lines—the instability spreads from a small region until it disturbs lines across a large section of plasma. The model predicts the observed features of some high β tokamak disruptions.


1. Gas chromatographic/mass spectroscopic analysis of a mixture of 14C-nonylphenols produced by alkylation of 14C-RUL-phenol with n-1-nonene indicated that the radio-synthesis produced three major isomers, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nonane, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nonane and 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nonane. 2. Bile from rainbow trout exposed to a mixture of these isomers of 14C-nonylphenol was found to contain the glucuronic acid conjugates of three radiolabelled metabolites, which were more polar than their parent compounds. 3. Incubation of trout hepatic microsomes with NADPH and the 14C-nonylphenol isomers resulted in the production of three radiolabelled metabolites whose mobility on silica thin layer chromatography were similar to the deglucuronidated metabolites recovered from trout bile. 4. Metabolism of the 14C-nonylphenol isomers by trout hepatic microsomes was inhibited by omission of NADPH from the incubations as well as by addition of a P450 inhibitor, piperonyl butoxide to the incubations. 5. Analysis of the metabolites extracted from the microsomal incubations by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy indicated that the parent isomers had been hydroxylated in the C-8 position on the nonane chain to give 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-hydroxynonane, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-hydroxynonane and 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-hydroxynonane.


BACKGROUND
The way people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and families address stigma has a significant role in their vulnerability to this distressing phenomenon. However, there is little knowledge about this issue in Middle Eastern countries.

PURPOSE
Exploring the process of addressing stigma in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and families.

DESIGN AND METHODS
In our grounded theory study, we interviewed seven patients and nine family members and used a constant comparative analysis approach for data analysis.

FINDINGS
The participants expressed being socially rejected and oppressed by others. In addressing stigma, the patients and families surrendered passively and reluctantly. This main strategy sometimes led to deprivation and isolation and sometimes resulted in lessening their tension.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Mental health nurses can empower patients and families with the skills necessary to counter stigma and, in this way, modify the sense of disability as an obstacle to stigma resistance. Also, mental health nurses can modify the contextual factors of stigma by initiating campaigns, educating society members, and involving them in fighting stigma.


Introduction Intramuscular benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injections are a cornerstone of secondary prophylaxis to prevent acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Uncertainties regarding inter-ethnic and preparation variability, and target exposure profiles of BPG injection are key knowledge gaps for RHD control. Methods To evaluate BPG pharmacokinetics (PK) in patients receiving 4-weekly doses in Ethiopia, we conducted a prospective cohort study of ARF/RHD patients attending cardiology outpatient clinics. Serum samples were collected weekly for one month after injection and assayed with a liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy assay. Concentration-time datasets for BPG were analyzed by nonlinear mixed effects modelling using NONMEM. Results A total of 190 penicillin concentration samples from 74 patients were included in the final PK model. The median age, weight, BMI was 21 years, 47 kg and 18 kg/m2, respectively. When compared with estimates derived from Indigenous Australian patients, the estimate for median (95% confidence interval) volume of distribution (V/F) was lower (54.8 [43.9–66.3] l.70kg-1) whilst the absorption half-life (t1/2-abs2) was longer (12.0 [8.75–17.7] days). The median (IQR) percentage of time where the concentrations remained above 20 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL within the 28-day treatment cycle was 42.5% (27.5–60) and 73% (58.5–99), respectively. Conclusions The majority of Ethiopian patients receiving BPG as secondary prophylaxis to prevent RHD do not attain target concentrations for more than two weeks during each 4-weekly injection cycle, highlighting the limitations of current BPG strategies. Between-population variation, together with PK differences between different preparations may be important considerations for ARF/RHD control programs.


Background Acute coronary syndromes are characterised by a prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory state. Known biomarkers of thrombosis, such as platelet reactivity, and of inflammation, such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), can be used to quantify this state and predict cardiovascular outcomes. The relationship between these biomarkers and their combined use for risk stratification following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), however, is not known. We aimed to assess the predictive value of these biomarkers, both alone and in combination, for short- and long-term clinical outcomes following STEMI. Methods We prospectively collected blood samples from patients presenting with STEMI (n=541) upon arrival, before undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Blood was tested for NLR, hs-CRP and platelet reactivity. The Global Thrombosis Test, a point-of-care assay situated in the cath lab, was used to assess platelet reactivity. The time taken to create an in vitro occlusive thrombus under high shear, reported as occlusion time (OT, sec), reflects platelet reactivity. Shorter occlusion time denotes higher platelet reactivity. Patients were followed up for 12 months for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, defined as composite of cardiovascular death [CVD], myocardial infarction [MI] or stroke [CVA]) at 30 days and 12 months. Results Significant but weak correlation was observed between hs-CRP and NLR (r=0.25, p<0.001), and hs-CRP and platelet reactivity (r=0.14, p=0.003). There was no correlation between platelet reactivity and NLR. A total of 42 patients experienced a MACE within the first 30 days, and 50 within 12 months. Optimal cut-points based on highest specificity and sensitivity from receiver operating characteristic analysis were: NLR 5.6, hs-CRP 8 mg/L and OT 302 sec. Platelet reactivity and hs-CRP were each only very weakly predictive of MACE at 30 days (platelet reactivity: hazard ratio [HR] 1.004 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002–1.006], p<0.001; hs-CRP: HR 1.005 [95% CI 1.0009–1.009], p=0.016) and 12 months (platelet reactivity: HR 1.004 [95% CI 1.002–1.006], p<0.001; hs-CRP: HR 1.005 [95% CI 1.001–1.01], p=0.014). NLR, alone, was not predictive of MACE at either 30 days or 12 months (p=NS). Of the two-biomarker combinations, enhanced platelet reactivity and raised hs-CRP together was the strongest predictor of MACE at 30 days (HR 2.32 [95% CI 1.71–3.13], p<0.001) and 12 months (HR 2.31 [95% CI 1.71–3.11], p<0.001). The combination of all three biomarkers, however, was the strongest overall predictor of MACE at 30 days (HR 2.58 [95% CI 1.78–3.75], p<0.001) and 12 months (HR 2.61 [95% CI 1.80–3.80], p<0.001) (Figure 1). Abstract 155 Figure 1 Conclusion In patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI, although individually, each biomarker was poorly predictive, in combination provide significant additive predictive value for the occurrence of MACE at 30 days and 12 months. Conflict of Interest None


The impact of abiotic stress on plant growth and development has been and still is a major research topic. An important pathway that has been linked to abiotic stress tolerance is the trehalose biosynthetic pathway. Recent findings showed that trehalose metabolism is also important for normal plant growth and development. The intermediate compound – trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) – is now confirmed to act as a sensor for available sucrose, hereby directly influencing the type of response to the changing environmental conditions. This is possible because T6P and/or trehalose or their biosynthetic enzymes are part of complex interaction networks with other crucial hormone and sugar-induced signaling pathways, which may function at different developmental stages. Because of its effect on plant growth and development, modification of trehalose biosynthesis, either at the level of T6P synthesis, T6P hydrolysis, or trehalose hydrolysis, has been utilized to try to improve crop yield and biomass. It was shown that alteration of the amounts of either T6P and/or trehalose did result in increased stress tolerance, but also resulted in many unexpected phenotypic alterations. A main challenge is to characterize the part of the signaling pathway resulting in improved stress tolerance, without affecting the pathways resulting in the unwanted phenotypes. One such specific pathway where modification of trehalose metabolism improved stress tolerance, without any side effects, was recently obtained by overexpression of trehalase, which results in a more sensitive reaction of the stomatal guard cells and closing of the stomata under drought stress conditions. We have used the data that have been obtained from different studies to generate the optimal plant that can be constructed based on modifications of trehalose metabolism.


The local socioeconomic context of protected areas (PAs) is not well documented, especially in Western Africa, despite the existence of priority conservation sites, along with the steady state of poverty in the region. This article presents research that measures the perceived costs and benefits of a conservation project on rural household welfare. The study uses the market price method along with contingent valuation methodology. The analyses provide empirical evidence that although PAs reduce local welfare, there exist locally valued benefits associated with conservation. Those benefits are, however, inadequate to offset the costs incurred by local people. While the results confirm that protected areas reduce local economic welfare in developing areas, our findings qualify the paradigm that states that "protected areas are bad for local people."


The problem presented in this paper is an integral part of a transdisciplinary research project that analyzes the concerns of communities with criminality. The municipality of Sao Leopoldo is used as a reference in the analysis of the culture of fear related to young offenders. The municipal data reveals that the city has the highest rate of imprisonment of adolescents and the lowest proportion of non custodial measures in the region. These factors, in combination with a lack of information about these methods, place these youngsters in permanent risk of incarceration. In this light, the paper discusses the concepts of vulnerability and social inclusion. It proposes that one of the challenges to non custodial measures is that of social image, in which the poor offending adolescent is defined as a specific type of marginal figure, as a result of the difficulty in distinguishing between belonging and inclusion, between those within and those on the outside, between the exception and the norm.


Background: Laparoscopic appendectomy has gradually become widespread especially in the last decade. Although laparoscopic techniques are similar, different instruments, such as endoscopic stapler, endoscopic clip, monopolar hook cautery, harmonic scalpel, and vessel sealing instrument, can be used in appendiceal mesentery dissection 1, 2. BVS is an effective and safe system to be used at the dissection of appendiceal mesentery and haemostasis and is definitely effective in decreasing the operation period. Objectives: The main objective of the present study was to studyretrospectively, the effects of using monopolar cautery and vessel sealing system on the operation period in the appendix mesentery dissection.
Methods: Hundred patients, operated laparoscopically for acute appendicitis in between June 2010 and June 2011, are evaluated retrospectively. Monopolar cautery was used in 50 patients and bipolar vessel sealer was used in 50 patients. No intraoperative or postoperative complication was seen in any of the patients. None of the patients required conversion to open surgery due to dissection problems of the appendiceal mesentery.
Results and Interpretation: The mean duration of operation was 51.08 min in the monopolar cautery group whereas 36.68 minutes in the bipolar vessel sealing system group. Conclusion: Bipolar vessel sealeris safer and time saving as compared toMonopolar cauteryin laparoscopic appendectomy. [Bhadreshwara K NJIRM 2014; 5(6):53-55]


Non-destructive classification of fruits based on the maturity stage is beneficial to the consumer and fruit industry. Improper ripening can lead to low eating quality and economic loss for the producers. In this research, a hyperspectral image (HSI) of durian pulp was obtained using a reflectance-based system. The mean raw spectra of the durian pulp were extracted and pre-treated using standard normal variate (SNV). An assessment of maturity stage classification (unripe, ripe, and overripe) on the full wavelength (900-1600 nm) was performed. The comparison among the machine learning (ML) algorithms (random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and k Nearest Neighbours (kNN)) was carried out, where the hyperparameters were tuned using Bayesian optimization and the 3-fold cross-validation method. The samples were split into training (70%) and test (30%) set using stratified random sampling. In terms of overall classification accuracy and kappa coefficient, SVM (88.5%, 0.83) performed better than RF (84.6%, 0.77) and kNN (73.1%, 0.59). The results show that the classifiers (SVM and RF) can fairly differentiate the ripening stage of durian pulp using HSI.


A prime and target vaccine for liver-stage malaria results in sterile protection in mouse disease models and appears safe for human use. A malaria vaccine to harness hepatic immunity Plasmodium, the parasitic agent of malaria, has a fairly complicated life cycle in different organs of the host. Malaria vaccines can be designed to disrupt a particular parasitic stage. Gola et al. are interested in developing a malaria vaccine that protects against liver-stage malaria. To do so, they used nanoparticles or viral vectors. The vaccines induced tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cells in mice, which conferred sterilizing protection against sporozoite challenge. One of the viral vector vaccine candidates was tested in healthy human volunteers and was found to be safe. The investigators are hopeful that this vaccine can induce protective liver-resident T cells in humans. Despite recent advances in treatment and vector control, malaria is still a leading cause of death, emphasizing the need for an effective vaccine. The malaria life cycle can be subdivided into three stages: the invasion and growth within liver hepatocytes (pre-erythrocytic stage), the blood stage (erythrocytic stage), and, finally, the sexual stage (occurring within the mosquito vector). Antigen (Ag)-specific CD8+ T cells are effectively induced by heterologous prime-boost viral vector immunization and known to correlate with liver-stage protection. However, liver-stage malaria vaccines have struggled to generate and maintain the high numbers of Plasmodium-specific circulating T cells necessary to confer sterile protection. We describe an alternative "prime and target" vaccination strategy aimed specifically at inducing high numbers of tissue-resident memory T cells present in the liver at the time of hepatic infection. This approach bypasses the need for very high numbers of circulating T cells and markedly increases the efficacy of subunit immunization against liver-stage malaria with clinically relevant Ags and clinically tested viral vectors in murine challenge models. Translation to clinical use has begun, with encouraging results from a pilot safety and feasibility trial of intravenous chimpanzee adenovirus vaccination in humans. This work highlights the value of a prime-target approach for immunization against malaria and suggests that this strategy may represent a more general approach for prophylaxis or immunotherapy of other liver infections and diseases.


NASA scientists will be able to speak freely about their work to the media and the public, under a newly revised policy announced 30 March by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. Earlier in the year, the agency had been widely criticized after allegations were published that scientists had been prevented from speaking about controversial topics, such as climate change (see Eos 97(9) 2006).

The policy is intended to establish a 'culture of openness,' in which scientists may communicate the results and conclusions of their scientific research to the public without hindrance. However, NASA scientists will be required to distinguish personal views from those of the agency. The revised policy also outlines the responsibilities of the public affairs staff, who will be prohibited from altering or editing scientific information.


Stratospheric final warming (SFW) in the Southern Hemisphere is examined in terms of their interannual variability and climatology using reanalysis data from January 1979 to March 2014. First, it is shown from a two‐dimensional transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) analysis that a time‐integrated vertical component of Eliassen‐Palm flux during the spring is significantly related with SFW date. To clarify the role of residual mean flow in the interannual variability of the SFW date, SFWs are categorized into early and late groups according to the SFW date and their differences are examined. Significant difference in potential temperature tendency is observed in the middle and lower stratosphere in early October. Their structure in the meridional cross section accords well with that of vertical potential temperature advection by the residual mean flow. Difference in heating rate by shortwave radiation is minor. These results suggest that the adiabatic heating associated with the residual mean flow largely affects polar stratospheric temperature during austral spring and SFW date. The analysis is extended to investigate the longitudinal structure by using a three‐dimensional (3‐D) TEM theory. The significant difference in potential temperature tendency is mainly observed around the Weddell Sea at 10 hPa. Next, climatological 3‐D structure of a vertical component of the residual mean flow in association with SFW is examined in terms of the effect on the troposphere. The results suggest that a downward residual mean flow from the stratosphere penetrates into underlying troposphere over East Antarctica and partly influences tropospheric temperature there.


Background: Liver cirrhosis is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although liver biopsy is the gold standard for the assessment of liver fibrosis in cirrhosis, it has its own limitations. Therefore, noninvasive methods to detect liver fibrosis are widely preferred. However, they also have their own limitations. Thus, there is always a need to extend the battery of serum-based assays. Kallistatin is a protein synthesized primarily in the liver. As it is a negative acute-phase protein, its blood level decreases with a decline in liver function. In our study, we explored the relationship between serum kallistatin and radiological evidence of liver fibrosis by transient elastography to determine if kallistatin levels can be used as a diagnostic marker of liver fibrosis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1-year duration was conducted at a leading tertiary care hospital in northern India. Patients between 15 and 75 years of age having evidence of chronic liver disease were enrolled. All enrolled patients were evaluated by detailed history, physical examination, and relevant investigations. Serum kallistatin levels were quantified using the ELISA method. Grading of liver fibrosis was done using transient elastography. A FibroScan scoring card was used to convert FibroScan results measured in kPa into the Metavir scale F1–F4. Results: A total of 128 subjects, including 64 patients with cirrhosis and 64 healthy controls, were enrolled. Our study suggested that FibroScan values were significantly higher in cases as compared to controls. The kallistatin level of cases was significantly lower than that of controls. An inverse correlation was found between FibroScan value and kallistatin level among cases. Conclusion: We conclude that serum kallistatin levels are low in patients with liver fibrosis and can be used as a potential marker of liver fibrosis.


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This article uses qualitative material gathered at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to construct a model of the rhetorical activity that occurs at the boundaries between diverse communities of practice working on complex sociotechnical systems. The authors reinterpret the notion of the boundary object current in science studies as a rhetorical construct that can foster cooperation and communication among the diverse members of heterogeneous working groups. The knowledge maps constructed by team members at LANL in their work on technical systems are boundary objects that can replace the demarcation exigence that so often leads to agonistic rhetorical boundary work with an integrative exigence. The integrative exigence realized by the boundary object of the knowledge map can help create a temporary trading zone characterized by rhetorical relations of symmetry and mutual understanding. In such cases, boundary work can become an effort involving integration and understanding rather than contest, controversy, and demarcation.


Spectra of the galliumlike ions Rb VII, Sr VIII, Y IX, Zr X, Nb XI, and Mo XII emitted from sparks and laser-produced plasmas have been recorded in the region 235-665 A. All levels of 4s24p, 4s24d, 4s4p2, 4p3 and, in Rb VII, Sr VIII and Y IX, 4s24f have been established. The level structure has been studied by means of ab initio and parametric calculations.


Physicists are becoming more interested in solving the equations of quantum theory without using methods requiring expansion in powers of the interaction constant. The perturbation-theory method, which gave results that agree splendidly with experiment in quantum electrodynamics, turned to be inapplicable in strong-interaction theory. One of the methods in which a radical attempt is made to go beyond the framework of perturbation theory, is the method of functional integration in quantum theory, first proposed by Feynman. The present review, which is devoted to this method, introduces in lucid fashion the concepts of functional integrations and then explains some applications of this method in quantum field theory. Much attention is paid to the use of functional integrals in infrared and high-energy asymptotic relations in field theory. The review does not claim an exposition of the mathematical difficulties connected with the concept of functional integral, and focuses attention to certain successes in its use in quantum physics.


In a recent study of variational improvement of the Kirchhoff approximation for electromagnetic scattering by rough surfaces, a key ingredient in the variational principle was found to diverge for important configurations (e.g., backscatter) if the polarization had any vertical component. The cause and a cure of this divergence are discussed here. The divergence is demonstrated to occur for arbitrary perfectly conducting scatterers and its universal characteristics are determined, by means of a general divergence criterion that we derive. A variational cure for the divergence is prescribed, and it is tested successfully on a standard scattering model.


We use the 2015–16 waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Understanding Society) to look at subjective wellbeing around the time of the June 2016 EU membership Referendum in the UK (Brexit). We employ measures of both evaluative and affective wellbeing, namely life satisfaction and mental distress, respectively. We find that those reporting lower life satisfaction in 2015 were more likely to express a preference for leaving the EU in 2016, while mental distress was less predictive of pro‐Brexit attitudes. Post‐Referendum, those with Leave preferences enjoyed an increase in life satisfaction but there was no change in average life satisfaction in the overall sample. In contrast, the average level of mental distress increased in the sample post‐ Referendum, with no significant difference between those preferring to remain in or to leave the EU. We test the robustness of our results by considering a number of potential caveats, such as sample selection, unobserved individual fixed effects and the interval between interviews. Overall, our results suggest that levels of subjective wellbeing may be both a cause and a result of the 2016 Brexit vote.


Dental characters are importantly used for reconstructing the evolutionary history of mammals, because teeth represent the most abundant material available for the fossil species. However, the characteristics of dental renewal are presently poorly used, probably because dental formulae are frequently not properly established, whereas they could be of high interest for evolutionary and developmental issues. One of the oldest rodent families, the Ctenodactylidae, is intriguing in having longstanding disputed dental formulae. Here, we investigated 70 skulls among all extant ctenodactylid genera (Ctenodactylus, Felovia, Massoutiera and Pectinator) by using X-ray conventional and synchrotron microtomography in order to solve and discuss these dental issues. Our study clearly indicates that Massoutiera, Felovia and Ctenodactylus differ from Pectinator not only by a more derived dentition, but also by a more derived eruptive sequence. In addition to molars, their dentition only includes the fourth deciduous premolars, and no longer bears permanent premolars, conversely to Pectinator. Moreover, we found that these premolars are lost during adulthood, because of mesial drift of molars. Mesial drift is a striking mechanism involving migration of teeth allowed by both bone remodeling and dental resorption. This dental innovation is to date poorly known in rodents, since it is only the second report described. Interestingly, we noted that dental drift in rodents is always associated with high-crowned teeth favoring molar size enlargement. It can thus represent another adaptation to withstand high wear, inasmuch as these rodents inhabit desert environments where dust is abundant. A more accurate study of mesial drift in rodents would be very promising from evolutionary, biological and orthodontic points of view.


Background: In the FIELD trial, a 5-year randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of fenofibrate vs. placebo in 9,795 adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the only standard lipid parameter correlating with microvascular (renal) events was triglycerides. Given the high prevalence of diabetic microangiopathy, we explored associations between lipoprotein subfractions and nephropathy, retinopathy, microvascular amputations (MiAmp) and neuropathy. Methods: We performed ultracentrifugation using the vertical autoprofile (VAP, Atherotech) on plasma (baseline and after 6 weeks of fenofibrate). Analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression for new on-study events. Results were adjusted for gender and fenofibrate or placebo allocation. Results: HDL related analytes (HDL-C, HDL3-C, apo A1, apoA2) correlated with reduced risk for neuropathy, nephropathy, and MiAmp. Buoyant LDL (LDL1-C) and densest LDL (LDL4-C) correlated negatively with neuropathy and positively for MiAmp, respectively. Triglycerides and apo C3 increased neuropathy and nephropathy risk. VLDL species correlated with increased MiAmp and retinopathy risk. Conclusions: VAP identifies multiple lipoprotein subclasses and VAP subclass/apoprotein ratios associated with diabetic microangiopathy. Many were improved with fenofibrate. Disclosure P.P. Toth: Consultant; Self; Amarin Corporation, Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca, Kowa Pharmaceutical Europe Co. Ltd., Novo Nordisk Inc. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Amarin Corporation, Amgen Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi US. A.C. Keech: None. A.S. Januszewski: None. R.L. OConnell: None. L. Li: None. D. Sullivan: None. M. Taskinen: Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Consultant; Self; Akcea Therapeutics, Chiesi USA, Inc. Research Support; Self; Amgen Inc., Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Amgen Inc. P.L. Drury: None. G.F. Watts: None. J.D. Best: Consultant; Self; Abbott. J. Ansquer: Research Support; Self; Abbott, Mylan. S.R. Jones: None. A.J. Jenkins: Advisory Panel; Self; Abbott, Australian Diabetes Society, Medtronic. Research Support; Self; Abbott, GlySens Incorporated, Medtronic, Mylan. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk Inc.


The Kingdom of Morocco has been democratizing steadily since the reign of King Al-Hassan II which started in 1961, and its democracy appears to be advancing, flourishing, and stable. Morocco didn't encounter any extremist or progressive change in 2011 and it doesn't appear to be pursuing the direction of the Arabic Spring. Nor did it appear to be following the regular strides of the progress worldview (advancement, forward leap, and union) laid out by political researchers who handled democratization. Morocco isn't inflexible and has, in this way, to remain with the current the state of affairs; regardless of whether its majority rules system is very recognizable. One of the notable qualities of Moroccan majority rule government is that it contrasts from other vote based system in the Arab, African or underdeveloped nations. Accordingly, it very well may be viewed as a third method of democratization, frequently alluded to as the Moroccan superiority, which is formed by numerous elements that incorporate the part of the Monarch.


Over the past decades, the framework for financing has experienced a fundamental shift from traditional bank lending towards a broader market-based financing of financial assets. As a consequence, regulated banks increasingly focus on coping with regulatory requirements meaning that the resulting funding gap for the real economy is left to the unregulated part of the financial system, i.e. to shadow banks highly relying on securitization and repos. Unfortunately, economic history has shown that unregulated financial intermediation exposes the economy to destabilizing externalities in terms of excessive systemic risk. The arising question is now whether and how it is possible to internalize these externalities via financial regulation. We aim to shed light on this issue by using an agent-based computational macro-model as experimental lab. The model is augmented with a shadow banking sector representing an alternative investment opportunity for the real sector which shows animal spirit-like, i.e. highly pro-cyclical and myopic, behavior in its investment decision. We find that an unilateral inclusion of shadow banks into the regulatory framework, i.e. without access to central bank liquidity, has negative effects on monetary policy goals, significantly increases the volatility in growth rates and that its disrupting character materializes in increasing default rates and a higher volatility in the credit-to-GDP gap. However, experiments with a full inclusion, i.e. with access to a lender of last resort, lead to superior outcomes relative to the benchmark without shadow banking activity. Moreover, our results highlight the central role of the access to contagion-free, alternative sources of liquidity within the shadow banking sector.


A well-designed autostereoscopic display based on parallax barrier can produce high-quality stereo images without crosstalk in the stereo viewing zones. The concept of stereo image quality factor was defined to indicate the stereo viewing zone of the display. The stereo viewing zone was analyzed using geometry principle. Simulated program was developed to calculate the stereo viewing zone. The calculated results of an autostereoscopic display monitor were given and the stereo viewing zone was obtained by defining threshold value of stereo image quality factor.


Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (EU), the Brexit negotiations are entering the decisive next phase: In a transition period of now only 10 months, the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom with regard to economic, internal security, and foreign policy as well as an overall institutional framework must be negotiated. But the signs point to confrontation. The main aim of the domestically strengthened British government is absolute dissociation from the EU; the list with potential points of conflict with the Union's negotiation objectives is long. Together, the negotiators must find a new model of cooperation between partnership and competition.


The incredible increase in world population, which could reach nine billion by 2050, and the rapid progress of globalization in recent decades have put pressure on the food and energy sectors. The resources currently available for energy production are insufficient to meet future demand. These facts are pushing governments and scientific organizations all over the world to search for alternative renewable energy sources.
Microalgae present an ideal, resurgent resource for the production of biofuels, especially biodiesel and biogas, because their lipid productivity is greater than that of other terrestrial food crops. However, from a biotechnological point of view, the use of microalgae requires further investigation and development to be economically viable, particularly in regard to cost and biomass production.
The most important step in the use of microalgae for biofuel production is strain selection. The optimal strain must be able to withstand outdoor conditions and survive seasonality. Four related manuscripts were prepared during my Ph.D. project. Two of them have been published, one has been submitted for publication, and the fourth is ready for submission. Together, they focus on new strategies for strain selection, lipid production increase, lipid vesicles detection and imaging, total cost reduction strategies, biodiesel production from promising strains, and biogas production from the remaining microalgal residues.
From a practical perspective, only a few microalgal species have been investigated for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Throughout my Ph.D. project, I have identified microalgal strains able to grow at high temperature and under light stress, as a step toward the development of sustainable microalgal fuels. The four manuscripts that have resulted from my project are described below.
In the first manuscript, entitled "Isolation and characterization of thermo-tolerant Egyptian marine microalgae as proposed candidates for biodiesel prod


This study examined the effectiveness of a newly-developed emotion-focused counseling intervention designed to increase self-forgiveness for regretted actions committed against another person. Twenty-six participants who indicated they had unresolved emotions about a past offense enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to a delayed or immediate treatment condition. Twenty-one participants completed the study. Results demonstrated the intervention had positive effects on both offense-specific emotional responses and on general well-being. After controlling for screening scores, participants who received the treatment had significantly lower selfcondemnation and significantly greater state self-forgiveness and self-reported self-forgiveness than did participants who spent time on a waiting list. Again controlling for screening scores, treated participants also had significantly lower psychological distress and significantly greater self-compassion at the end of treatment than did participants who spent time on a waiting list. Satisfaction with life was only marginally impacted by the intervention relative to the waiting list. Results of this study demonstrate the utility of this new intervention for helping clients resolve the negative residual effects of unforgiveness toward the self.


There is no internationally accepted definition of thrombophilia. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology (1990) suggested that the term thrombophilia be used to describe `disorders of the haemostatic mechanisms which are likely to predispose to thrombosis'. This definition is widely used but has disadvantages. Firstly, as new thrombophilic conditions have been described, it has become evident that many individuals who carry these defects remain asymptomatic. Secondly, even though there is an increase in the number of abnormalities recognized as likely to enhance the risk of thrombosis, detailed laboratory investigations fail to detect any abnormality in at least 50% of patients who present with a history of thrombosis. In North America, the term thrombophilic is frequently used by clinicians to describe patients who have developed venous thrombosis either spontaneously or of a severity out of proportion to any recognized stimulus, patients who have recurrent venous thrombotic events and patients who develop venous thrombosis at an early age. This may be a more clinically useful concept. Individuals who have a thrombophilic defect identified on laboratory testing and who have a family history of proven venous thrombosis are at greater risk of thrombosis than individuals who have a thrombophilic defect but no personal or family history of venous thrombosis (Lensen et al, 1996). Inevitably, with the developing interest in the role of prothrombotic abnormalities in thrombosis risk, haematologists and other clinicians have come under pressure to initiate laboratory tests on an increasing number of patients. Performance of a comprehensive range of laboratory tests for thrombophilia has thus become commonplace in subjects presenting with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism. Detection of a heritable prothrombotic state may also lead to testing of family members in an attempt to identify asymptomatic relatives who may be at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). There are several important issues relevant to the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of this approach. Clinicians may tend to overestimate the risk of thrombosis associated with thrombophilias and to underestimate the risks associated with anticoagulation. Frequently, this has led to the belief that prophylactic anticoagulation is a safer option than clinical surveillance. As evidence about the risk of venous thrombosis associated with thrombophilias accumulates, it is becoming clear that for most patients this is not the case. Furthermore, there is often a lack of recognition that failure to identify a defect in an individual is not proof that no defect exists, only that the particular defects for which tests have been performed are probably not present. The patient with `negative' test results may well have as yet unidentifiable prothrombotic abnormalities, which increase his or her risk of thrombosis. Reassuring patients with normal test results may constitute false reassurance, which may present a real risk for the patient if negative laboratory results lead to ignoring or underestimating the clinical history.


In this paper, we consider the problem of robotic motion planning that satisfies some bounded time high level specifications. Although temporal logic can efficiently express high level specifications such as coverage, obstacle avoidance, temporal ordering of tasks etc., it fails to address problems with explicit timing constraints. The inherent limitations of Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) to address problems with explicit timing constraints have been overcome by translating the planning problem from the workspace of the robot to a higher dimensional space called spacetime where the existing LTL semantics and grammar are sufficient to mathematically formulate the bounded time high level specifications. A discrete path will be generated, that will meet the specifications with all timing constraints and, at the same time, it will optimize some cost function. A continuous trajectory satisfying the continuous dynamics of the robot will be generated from the discrete path using proper control laws.


ABSTRACT The Myostatin/Activin branch of the TGF-β superfamily acts as a negative regulator of vertebrate skeletal muscle size, in part, through downregulation of insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling. Surprisingly, recent studies in Drosophila indicate that motoneuron-derived Activin signaling acts as a positive regulator of muscle size. Here we demonstrate that Drosophila Activin signaling promotes the growth of muscle cells along all three axes: width, thickness and length. Activin signaling positively regulates the insulin receptor (InR)/TORC1 pathway and the level of Myosin heavy chain (Mhc), an essential sarcomeric protein, via increased Pdk1 and Akt1 expression. Enhancing InR/TORC1 signaling in the muscle of Activin pathway mutants restores Mhc levels close to those of the wild type, but only increases muscle width. In contrast, hyperactivation of the Activin pathway in muscles increases overall larval body and muscle fiber length, even when Mhc levels are lowered by suppression of TORC1. Together, these results indicate that the Drosophila Activin pathway regulates larval muscle geometry and body size via promoting InR/TORC1-dependent Mhc production and the differential assembly of sarcomeric components into either pre-existing or new sarcomeric units depending on the balance of InR/TORC1 and Activin signals. Summary: The Activin branch of the TGF-β superfamily regulates Drosophila larval body wall muscle size in all three spatial dimensions through differential control of sarcomeric building block production and assembly.


Yellow rust incited by Puccinia striiformisWestend, is one of the most important fungal disease of wheat in the north of Iraq including Kurdistan region. The study was conducted to determine effect of yellow rust disease on grain yield and yield component of seven wheat genotypes with diverse levels of resistance and susceptibility under natural epidemics of the disease during 2011 at Bakrajo Experimental Station, Sulaimani. Two treatments applied for each genotype, the first one protected from the disease using Bayfidan 250EC while the second one exposed to the disease. Results revealed that yellow rust disease significantly decrease grain yield of the tested genotypes by 3.5 to 35% under natural epidemic of the disease at Bakrajo. Yield losses were mainly attributed to significant effect of the disease in reduction of grain weight by 1.6-17.7% and number of grain per spike by2.3-13%. Positive correlation between the Areas under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) values and the amount of grain yield loss in wheat genotypes were detected. Furthermore, the disease significantly affects qualitative characters of wheat grains by decreasing Protein and gluten content of the genotypes.


Budget management plays an important role in universities financial management. To reach a well-performing budget management requires a practicable and correct evaluation system to evaluate the financial position of a university and to understand how university is influenced by relevant indicators. This paper case studied a comprehensive university in China; use analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to build a budget management evaluation indicator system, then analyzed the sample university's financial performance of budget management. The results indicated a well financial situation of the sample university. There were indicators that turned out to take lager weights such as the ratio of self-financing and total income, the ratio of self-raised infrastructural expenditure and infrastructural expenditure and so on. This indicator system that proposed in this paper could provide suggestions and guidance in university budget management.


Background: The rubella outbreak in Japan has not yet been eliminated. In particular, an outbreak of congenital rubella syndrome has recently become a public health problem in Japan. The World Health Organization has set an elimination target of 2015 for measles in Japan. However, an outbreak of measles occurred in Japan between 2007 and 2008. Starting in April 2006, the measles and rubella vaccines were administered twice, once when a child reached 1 year old and once when the child was 5 - 6 years old (just before starting elementary school). Between October of 1978 and 2006, children were vaccinated only once for measles and rubella. Design: During the study enrollment period (2011-2013), the serum antibody titers of measles and rubella were measured in pediatric patients (n = 163) in the Tokyo Takanawa Hospital. Results: The prevalence rates of the two diseases indicated that only one vaccination was insufficient to protect against infection. Conclusions: Our studies have determined that it was important to vaccinate children twice for measles and rubella during early infancy.


Background: The COVID-19 climate has seen a shift in the manner that patients seek care. Lockdown measures and COVID-19 regulations, and the fear of contracting the virus at a health care facility has also changed health seeing behaviour among patients. The COVID-19 climate has seen a significant increase in the utilisation of virtual platforms to consult with providers. Objectives: The objective of this chapter was to conduct the descriptive analysis of telephonic consultations by members of medical schemes who consulted general medical practitioners. Methods: The study entailed a descriptive analysis of medical scheme claims data for the 2020 review period. The inclusion criteria were all National Pharmaceutical Product Interface (NAPPI) codes associated with a telephonic consultation consulting general medical practitioners. The ICD-10 code primary diagnosis was used to describe the diagnosis. The study mainly focused on outpatient patients with service dates between March and December 2020. Results: The analysis covered claims data from a total of 12 medical schemes. The schemes analysed accounted for 1,6 million lives. The total number of telephonic consultations was 17 237. The mean (SD) claimed amount for telephone consultation for a general medical practice consult was R2821 (SD = 20). This was slightly lower than the scheme tariff of R2872 (SD = 19). The study found that most telephonic consults were for Acute bronchitis, unspecified; Acute upper respiratory; Emergency use of U07.1 (Confirmed diagnosis); Emergency use of U07.2 (Suspected Diagnosis); Follow-up examination; Special screening. Conclusion: The study found evidence of patients utilising telephonic consultations for general medical practitioner services. The effect of COVID-19 in this respect was seen in the three main primary diagnoses that were associated with the consult, Acute upper respiratory, Emergency use of U07.1 (confirmed diagnosis) and Emergency use of U07.2 (suspected diagnosis). Even though the average telephonic consult was claimed at just under R3003, few general medical practitioners claimed between R4004 and R5005 which were higher than the industry average. There is a need to develop telephone consult guidelines at industry level, these should also address reimbursement rate differentials.


BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVES: The close contact between the endothelial cell monolayer in blood vessels and blood plasma allows free diffusion of the hydrophobic unconjugated bilirubin (BR) into these cells. BR can exert both antiand pro-oxidative effects in various types of cells in a dose-dependent manner. High glucose levels downregulate the expression of the glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) and the rate of glucose uptake in vascular endothelial cell (VEC). Pro-oxidants, on the other hand, up-regulate this system in VEC. We aimed to investigate potential effects of BR on the glucose transport system in VEC. METHODS: Primary cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells were exposed to BR, and the rate of hexose transport, GLUT-1 expression and plasma membrane localization were determined. RESULTS: BR induced oxidative stress in VEC, and significantly augmented the rate of glucose transport and GLUT-1 expression and plasma membrane localization in these cells. BR also reversed the high glucose-induced downregulation of the glucose transport system in VEC. CONCLUSION: The pro-oxidative properties of BR are responsible for its effects on the regulation of glucose transport in vascular endothelium. Pathological concentrations of BR in the vascular compartment (jaundice) may influence the cellular handling of glucose in diabetes.


Wilson disease is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disorder of copper metabolism. It is characterized by excessive deposition of copper in the liver, brain, and other tissues due to mutation in the Wilson disease protein (ATP7B) gene which leads to impaired copper metabolism. We report a case of eighteen-year-old male patient, who presented at the Out-Patient Department of Medicine Unit 1, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. He presented with history of ataxia for 2 years along with abnormal spastic hand movements and difficulty in speech for the same time period. These symptoms remained static till 12 months but later progressed with multiple episodes of fall after which he was bedridden. On further investigation, eye examination on slit lamp showed Kayser-Fleischer ring, low total leukocyte count and ceruloplasmin level of 0.03 g/L. Ultrasound results showed hyperechoic hepatic parenchyma with no mass or abscess. This case is notable to emphasize the diagnostic value of ceruloplasmin for early diagnosis and to prevent chronic psychosis along with neurological symptoms. We aim to review the clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities and current treatment and also to highlight the treatment trials underway for Wilsons disease in adult patients.


Abstract: This study, in which the distribution of the attainments of Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada (Ontario) Social Studies Curricula was aimed to be analyzed according to the revised Bloom's taxonomy, was designed with qualitative research. Document analysis technique, that is one of the qualitative research data collection techniques, was used in the research. The data source of the research consisted of the social studies curricula of the mentioned countries and the frequency and percentage calculation was used to show the taxonomic distributions of attainments. According to the findings obtained in the study, it was determined that the majority of the attainments in all of the social studies curricula examined in the study were commonly at the conceptual knowledge dimension and understand cognitive process. It was also found out that the social studies curriculum of Canada and Singapore were the curricula with the highest level of objectives for the higher levels.

Keywords: Social Studies, Curriculum, Attainment, Revised Bloom Taxonomy;


FROM the viewpoint of utility, the scale length of an indicating instrument bears somewhat the same relationship to its dimensions as does the output of a motor to its frame size. The end product of an instrument is quantitative information. The longer and more legible the scale, the more definite the resulting scale readings, through reduction of observational errors both in the initial calibration and in subsequent use. Thus, instrument designers have endeavored to produce maximum scale lengths within a given space, examples of which are 5-inch scales of 6-inch rectangular switchboard instruments, and the 3 1/2-inch scales of 4-inch rectangular instruments. In general, however, the movements of such instruments have been restricted to an angular deflection of about 90 degrees, with consequent limitation in scale lengths as compared to the scale lengths of non-electrical instruments such as steam and pressure gauges. A study of these fundamentals leads the authors, who attacked the problem of designing a new line of switchboard instruments, to the conclusion that a definite contribution to measurement technique could best be made by designing such instruments for long-range indication, and the smallest practicable panel space.