Normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism is an uncommon condition usually found among patients with urinary stones. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a patient with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism presenting with bilateral femoral neck fracture. A 45-year-old man had pain both hip joints and limping in for several months. Vertical fractures of bilateral femoral necks were found by radiographs. Laboratory findings showed a normal value of total serum calcium but elevated serum ionized calcium. Serum parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase levels were elevated. The patient was treated with subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy fixed with a dynamic hip screw and total parathyroidectomy. Histopathologic examination showed hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. At 1-year follow-up, the patient was doing well clinically.


The discovery of new subtypes of glioblastoma (Gb), grade IV glioma,
based on high throughput molecular data, such as gene-expression and methylation
microarrays, have become a challenging research eld for the scienti c community dedicated to neuro-oncology. The current diagnostic tools are not accurate enough and
molecular signatures from high throughput data holds great promise to improve the patient's outcome. The detection of such sigatures requires a detailed statistical analysis of data to ensure their robustness. This study has compared the ablity to detect reliable signatures by separately using three different types of high throughput data (gene-expression, methylation and microRNA) and by integrating all the data types mentioned. A resampling approach was carried out based on multiple factor analysis and consensus clustering.. The objective of this study is to find signatures using different types of omics data in order to identify the most likely subtypes of glioblastomas (Gb). This study will be performed using data downloaded from the TCGA database, mainly consisting on 3 datasets: Gene expression, Methylation and miRNA microarrays. The application of appropriate methos will allow to achieve an improvement of the results respect to the results obtained using only gene expression microarray data


A new enterprise management mode oriented by Management by Projects (MBP) has been gradually applied into modern enterprises. In the meantime, it is intriguing to notice some similarities in certain aspects between the ecosystem and project management processes which are implemented to better allocating resources within the context of the Enterprise Organizational System oriented by MBP(MBP-EOS). Based upon recognizing the fundamental principles of MBP, this paper analyzes the ecological phenomena and features of the MBP-EOS and further discusses the similarities between the ecosystem and the MBP-EOS in the ecological point of view. Furthermore, the final discussion provides insights and directions into future research.


In this thesis, we study dispersive equations with several moving,potentials, a.k.a. charge transfer Hamiltonians. We mainly focus on,two models: the Sch\"odinger equation and the wave equation. We prove,linear estimates and analyze nonlinear models based on them.,In Chapter 1, we briefly survey the historical backgrounds and motivation,for the main results in this thesis. ,Then, in Chapter 2, we prove Strichartz estimates for scattering states,of the scalar charge transfer models in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$. More precisely,,we study the time-dependent charge transfer Hamiltonian ,\begin{equation},H(t)=-\frac{1}{2}\Delta+\sum_{j=1}^{m}V_{j}(x-\vec{v}_{j}t),\end{equation},with rapidly decaying smooth potentials $V_{j}(x)$, say, exponentially,decaying and a set of mutually non-parallel constant velocities $\vec{v}_{j}$.,We prove Strichartz estimates for the evolution ,\begin{equation},\frac{1}{i}\partial_{t}\psi+H(t)\psi=0.,\end{equation},Based on the idea of the proof of Strichartz estimates which follows,\cite{CM,RSS}, we also show the energy of the whole evolution is,bounded independent of time without using the phase space method,,for example, in \cite{Graf}. One can easily generalize our argument,to $\mathbb{R}^{n}$ for $n\geq3$. We also discuss the extension,of above results to matrix charge transfer models in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$. ,Next, in Chapter 3, we prove Strichartz estimates (both regular and,reversed) for a scattering state to the wave equation with a charge,transfer Hamiltonian in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$: ,\begin{equation},\partial_{tt}u-\Delta u+\sum_{j=1}^{m}V_{j}\left(x-\vec{v}_{j}t\right)u=0,\end{equation},where $V_{j}(x)$'s are rapidly decaying smooth potentials and $\left\{ \vec{v}_{j}\right\} $,is a set of distinct constant velocities such that ,\begin{equation},\left|\vec{v}_{i}\right|<1,\,1\leq i\leq m.,\end{equation},The energy estimate and the local energy decay of a scattering state,are also established. In order to study nonlinear multisoltion systems,,we will present the inhomogeneous generalizations of Strichartz estimates.,As an application of our results, we show that scattering states indeed,scatter to solutions to the free wave equation. ,In Chapter 4, we study the endpoint reversed Strichartz estimates,along general time-like trajectories for wave equations in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$.,We also discuss some applications of the reversed Strichartz estimates,and the structure formula of wave operators to the wave equation with one,potential. These techniques are useful to analyze the stability problem,of traveling solitons.,In Chapter 5, lastly, we construct multisoliton solutions to the defocusing energy critical,wave equation with potentials in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$,\begin{equation},\partial_{tt}u-\Delta u+\sum_{j=1}^{m}V_{j}\left(x-\vec{v}_{j}t\right)u+u^{5}=0,\end{equation},based on regular,and reversed Strichartz estimates developed in Chapter 3 for wave,equations with charge transfer Hamiltonians. We also show the,asymptotic stability of multisoliton solutions. The multisoliton structures with both stable and unstable solitons are covered. Since each soliton,decays slowly with rate $\frac{1}{\left\langle x\right\rangle }$, the interactions among the solitons are strong. Some reversed Strichartz estimates and local decay estimates for the charge transfer model are established to handle strong interactions.


We propose a novel optical carrier-reuse scheme for the wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network. The scheme is based on a single delay interferometer (DI) at the remote node and reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (RSOAs) at optical network units as the colorless devices for upstream transmission. The downstream subcarrier signals are optically separated by the DI for baseband detection of the downstream data and the separated optical carriers are used for seeding the RSOAs. Eight-channel upstream and downstream transmission is demonstrated at 1.25 Gb/s using the proposed scheme. The impact of optical carrier-to-subcarrier ratio of downlink signal and seeding light power on performance is also investigated


Plant proteins are constantly gaining attention as potential substitutes for dairy proteins, due to their suitable functionality and nutritional value. This study was designed to compare the structural and functional responses of different plant protein isolates (soy, pea, lentil, and chickpea) with two commonly used dairy protein (whey protein isolates and sodium caseinate) under different pH treatments (pH 3.0, 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0). The results showed that pH had a different alteration on the structural, surface properties and functional properties of plant and dairy proteins. Plant protein generally possessed a darker color, lower solubility, emulsifying properties, and foaming capacity, whereas their foaming stability and water holding capacity were higher than those of dairy proteins. Soy protein isolates were characterized by its comparable proportion of β-turn and random coils, zeta-potential, emulsifying (30.37 m2/g), and water-holding capacity (9.03 g/g) at alkaline conditions and chickpea protein isolates showed good oil-holding capacity (3.33 g/g at pH 9) among plant proteins. Further analysis confirmed that pH had a greater influence on the structural and functional properties of proteins as compared to protein sources, particularly at acidic conditions. Overall, this study might help processors select the appropriate plant protein as dairy alternatives for their target application in plant-based food products.


Background: Iodopovidone is an alternative agent used to promote pleurodesis in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). However, safety is a concern, and many authors still reject its use. Objectives: Our main objective is to describe the occurrence of common and severe adverse events after pleurodesis with two different doses of iodopovidone in patients with MPE. Our secondary objective is to evaluate dose dependency, efficacy, quality of life, and systemic inflammation. Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized clinical trial including patients with recurrent MPE. Patients underwent chest tube insertion and were randomized into two groups according to the doses of iodopovidone: group 1 received 1% iodopovidone, and group 2 received 2% iodopovidone. During follow-up, adverse events, inflammatory markers, quality of life, and imaging exams were systematically evaluated and registered. Results: Sixty patients were analyzed (55 females, 5 males, median age 55.9 years). Overall, 227 adverse events possibly related to pleurodesis were registered, including 47 serious adverse events (in 34 patients). Pleuritic pain and hypertensive peaks were the most frequently observed serious adverse events (11 and 10 episodes, respectively). Grade 3/4 metabolic events such as hyponatremia and an increase in alkaline phosphatase, AST and ALT levels were also common. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels increased substantially and peaked 48 h after pleurodesis. No difference was observed between groups with regard to adverse events, CRP levels, efficacy, or quality of life. Conclusions: Adverse events after iodopovidone pleurodesis in patients with MPE are common and similar in the two doses studied.


Adult female rats which were neonatally made diabetic with streptozotocin showed evidence of a pronounced decrease of dry weight, ash weight, calcium, phosphorus and ascorbic acid content in the femur, as compared with control rats. However, such diabetic rats receiving large doses of ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg/day) for 85 days did not show any improvement of the above measures in spite of normalization of bone ascorbic acid content. Thus, additional ascorbic acid given to diabetic rats with osteopenia restored bone ascorbic acid content but did not improve the bone loss resulting from chronic diabetes mellitus. Additional ascorbic acid given to intact rats did not show any additional effect on the increase of bone mass and mineral content.


The latest increase in number of smart user mobile devices and user expectations for high-quality rich media services has determined a growing demand for network resources, putting pressure on the existing network infrastructure. Dense Heterogeneous Networks (DenseNets) are a promising solution to this problem, supported by various individual networks and different technologies deployed within the same area. In such networks, mobile users face an important choice of what individual network to connect to in order to balance energy saving and delivery performance. This paper proposes an Energy saving-focused Mobility-Aware Network Selection (EMANS) algorithm which provides a good trade-off between energy consumption and resulted quality when delivering video content. EMANS includes an adaptive method to adjust the delivered video stream bitrate based on the available network resources such as it maintains good user perceived quality levels. Furthermore, EMANS reduces the number of handovers in comparison with other state-of-the-art approaches.


The KS reservoir is a naturally fractured, deep, tight gas sandstone reservoir under high tectonic stress. Because the reservoir matrix is very tight, the natural fracture system is the main pathway for gas production. Meanwhile, stimulation is still required for most production wells to provide production rates that sufficiently compensate for the high cost of drilling and completing wells to access this deep reservoir. Large depletion (and related stress change) was expected during the course of the production of the field. The dynamic response of the reservoir and related risks, such as reduction of fracture conductivity, fault reactivation, casing failure etc., would compromise the long-term productivity of the reservoir.
 To quantify the dynamic response of the reservoir and related risks, a 4D reservoir geomechanics simulation was conducted for KS reservoir by following an integrated workflow. The work started from systematical laboratory fracture conductivity tests performed with fractured cores to measure conductivity versus confining stress for both natural fractures and hydraulic fractures (with proppant placed in the fractures of the core samples). Natural fracture modeling was conducted to generate a discrete fracture network to delineate spacious distribution of the natural fracture system. In addition, hydraulic fracture modeling was conducted to delineate the geometry of hydraulic fracture system for the stimulated wells. Then, a 3D geomechanical model was constructed through integrating geological, petrophysical and geomechanical data, and both the discrete fracture network (DFN) and hydraulic fracture system were incorporated into the 3D geomechanical model. A 4D reservoir geomechanics simulation was conducted through coupling with a reservoir simulator to predict variation of stress and strain of rock matrix as well as natural fractures and hydraulic fractures during the field production. At each study well location, a near- wellbore model was extracted from the full-field model and casing and cement were installed to evaluate well integrity during production.
 The 4D reservoir geomechanics simulation revealed that there would be large reduction of conductivity for both natural fractures and hydraulic fractures, and some fractures with certain dip/dip azimuth will be reactivated during the course of the field production. The induced stress change will also compromise wellintegrity for those poorly cemented wellbores. The field development plan must consider all these risks to ensure sustainable long-term production.
 The paper presents a 4D coupled geomechanics simulation study applied to an HP/HT naturally fractured reservoir, which has rarely been published previously. The study adapted several new techniques to quantify the mechanical response of both natural fractures and hydraulic fractures, such as to use laboratory tests to measure stress sensitivity of natural fractures, integrating DFN and hydraulic fracture system into 4D geomechanics simulation, and evaluating well integrity on both the reservoir scale and the near-wellbore scale.


Parés-Casanova, P. M. (2020). Lateral asymmetry of the equine mandible. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 26 (2), 467–470 Deviations from expected perfect symmetry on biological forms can occur, and organisms develop several kinds of asymmetries. Among others there are fluctuating asymmetry and directional asymmetry (DA). DA happens whenever one side on the plane of symmetry develops more than the other side. To study the presence of DA in the horse, we obtained 11 paired linear measurements on 19 mandibles belonging to "Cavall Pirinenc Català" horse breed, a local breed from Catalonia, NE Spain. The results confirm the existence of asymmetry for certain traits, demonstrating the existence of DA. This is suspected to be caused by a masticatory preference to the left side, as it has been described for other animals. Although further investigation is needed to clarify the clinical relevance of such findings in the horse, it follows that examination and recording of chewing side preference for domestic mammals merits more consideration. The measurements presented here can also be used as a reference for researchers designing experimental studies, especially on mandibular catch-up growth, and as an aid for zooarchaeologists comparing results from dead animals with those from living equine populations.


Rainfall, fire and competition are emphasized as determinants of the density and basal area of woody vegetation in savanna. The semi-arid savannas of Australia have substantial multi-year rainfall deficits and insufficient grass fuel to carry annual fire in contrast to the mesic savannas in more northern regions. This study investigates the influence of rainfall deficit and excess, fire and woody competition on the population dynamics of a dominant tree in a semi-arid savanna. All individuals of Eucalyptus melanophloia were mapped and monitored in three, 1-ha plots over an 8.5 year period encompassing wet and dry periods. The plots were unburnt, burnt once and burnt twice. A competition index incorporating the size and distance of neighbours to target individuals was determined. Supplementary studies examined seedling recruitment and the transition of juvenile trees into the sapling layer. Mortality of burnt seedlings was related to lignotuber area but the majority of seedlings are fire resistant within 12 months of germination. Most of the juveniles (≤1 cm dbh) of E. melanophloia either died in the dry period or persisted as juveniles throughout 8.5 years of monitoring. Mortality of juveniles was positively related to woody competition and was higher in the dry period than the wet period. The transition of juveniles to a larger size class occurred at extremely low rates, and a subsidiary study along a clearing boundary suggests release from woody competition allows transition into the sapling layer. From three fires the highest proportion of saplings (1-10 cm dbh) reduced to juveniles was only 5.6% suggesting rates of 'top-kill' of E. melanophloia as a result of fire are relatively low. Girth growth was enhanced in wet years, particularly for larger trees (>10 cm dbh), but all trees regardless of size or woody competition levels are vulnerable to drought-induced mortality. Overall the results suggest that variations in rainfall, especially drought-induced mortality, have a much stronger influence on the tree demographics of E. melanophloia in a semi-arid savanna of north-eastern Australia than fire.


Protected areas play a major role in reducing climate changing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Fifteen percent of the world's terrestrial carbon stock - 312 gigatonnes - are stored in protected areas around the world. Protected areas also serve as natural buffers against climate impacts and other disasters, providing space for floodwaters to disperse, stabilizing soil against landslides and blocking storm surges. And protected areas can keep natural resources healthy and productive so they can withstand the impacts of climate change and continue to provide the food, clean water, shelter and income communities rely upon for survival.


Evolution, understood as the powerful interplay of reproduction, variation, and selection, represents an excellent tool for optimization in populations of simple and complex entities even under conditions where only limited information is available. The principle underlying this optimization heuristic was discovered and formulated already by Charles Darwin. In the nineteen-sixties evolutionary optimization became an intensively investigated topic. Experimental studies on evolution in the test-tube [1], mathematical analysis based on chemical reaction kinetics [2] as well as development of computer models and extensive simulations [3] provided detailed insight into the process on the molecular level: A repertoire of variants, called the molecular quasi-species, is created through error-prone reproduction and selection chooses among these variants those which have the highest reproductive success. A striking feature of the Darwinian optimization heuristic is its universal applicability. It is operative in ensembles of very simple systems like nucleic acid molecules and it is similarly successful in populations of highly complex entities, for example animal or human societies. The explanation of the success is straightforward: Selection at the population level is based exclusively on the mean numbers of fertile descendants in forthcoming generations, and therefore all mechanistic details of reproduction and variation are irrelevant for the survival of variants.


Extensins (EXTs) are hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) that are structural components of the plant primary cell wall. They are basic proteins and are highly glycosylated with carbohydrate accounting for >50% of their dry weight. Carbohydrate occurs as monoga-lactosyl serine and arabinosyl hydroxyproline, with arabinosides ranging in size from ~1 to 4 or 5 residues. Proposed functions of EXT arabinosylation include stabilizing the polyproline II helix structure and facilitating EXT cross-linking. Here, the involvement of arabinosylation in EXT cross-linking was investigated by assaying the initial cross-linking rate and degree of cross-linking of partially or fully dearabinosylated EXTs using an in vitro cross-linking assay followed by gel permeation chromatography. Our results indicate that EXT arabinosylation is required for EXT cross-linking in vitro and the fourth arabinosyl residue in the tetraarabinoside chain, which is uniquely α-linked, may determine the initial cross-linking rate. Our results also confirm the conserved structure of the oligoarabinosides across species, indicating an evolutionary significance for EXT arabinosylation.


Fossil turbidites have been recognized and described from many areas all over the world. A turbidite model, comprised of a fixed succession of sedimentary structures, was established a decade ago and seems to be usable, although some changes have been suggested. Turbidites are generally assumed to be deposited by turbidity currents, but the presence of these currents in the marine realm has not been definitely established. Submarine canyons presumably are the major, if not only, important transport route for moving "shallow" water material to "deeper" basins. Questions arise about the origin of turbidity currents when studying canyons in which gradual filling followed by sudden emptying has occurred. The material in the canyon head moves downward slowly, comparable to glaciers. Besides this slow sliding, traction currents and debris flow have been suggested. Where turbidity currents start, and if they absorb the slow moving canyon fill, are questions that cannot be answered yet. Other problems are the relation between fluxoturbidites, or grav ties, and turbidites, and the use of the terms "proximal" and "distal" turbidites. In comparing recent turbidites with ancient ones, many discrepancies appear, most of which can be eliminated by considering the influence of primary consolidation on sedimentary structures. Studies indicate that the use of electrical logging and seismic records do not allow detailed interpretation of deposits such as turbidites. The resolution of the records is not fine enough, although their application for basin analyses and overall trends is necessary. Recently a new genetic term, "contourites," was introduced for sediments redeposited by contour currents. Recent and ancient contourites are compared with turbidites and only minor differences exist. A combination of parameters may allow a distinction between the two types and it is possible that both can be found in the same area. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1896------------


Large amounts of hydrocarbon reserves are trapped in naturally fractured reservoirs which arechallenging in terms of accurate recovery prediction because of their joint fabric complexity andlithological heterogeneity. Canada, for example, has over 400 billion barrels of crude oil in fracturedcarbonates in Alberta, most of this being bitumen of viscosity greater than 106 cP in the GrosmontFormation, which has an average porosity of about 13-15%. Thermal methods are the most commonexploitation approaches in such viscous oil reservoirs which, in the case of steam injection, are associatedwith up to 275-300°C temperature changes, leading to considerable thermoelastic expansion. Thistemperature change, combined with pore pressure changes from injection and production processes, leadsto massive effective stress variations in the reservoir and surrounding rocks. The thermally-induced(thermoelastic) stress changes can easily be an order of magnitude greater than the pore pressure effectsbecause of the high intrinsic stiffness of the low porosity limestone and bounding strata. Study of thesestress-pressure-temperature effects requires a thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling approach whichconsiders the simultaneous variation of effective stress, pore pressure, and temperature and theirinteractions. For example, thermal expansion can lead to significant joint dilation, increasing themacroscopic, joint-dominated transmissivity by an order of magnitude in front of and normal to thethermal front, while reducing it in the direction tangential to the heating front. This leads to stronginduced anisotropy of transport processes, which in turn affects the spatial distribution of the heatingarising from advective heat transfer.


This paper estimates the demand for health by using a health capital model for different population groups (native Dutch, Surinamese/Antillean, Moroccan, and Turkish) in the Netherlands. Also the effect of overweight on health utility is investigated. We found a decrease in the demand for health for age, overweight, and smoking, we found an increase in the demand for health for level of education and marital status. The analyses show a strong effect of gender. Being female in all groups is negatively related to health utility. Turkish and Moroccan ethnicity is negatively related to health status.


A large amount of handwritten historical documents are located in libraries around the world. The desire to access, search, and explore these documents paves the way for a new age of knowledge sharing and promotes collaboration and understanding between human societies. Currently, the indexes for these documents are generated manually, which is very tedious and time consuming. Results produced by state of the art techniques, for converting complete images of handwritten documents into textual representations, are not yet sufficient. Therefore, word-spotting methods have been developed to archive and index images of handwritten documents in order to enable efficient searching within documents. In this paper, we present a new matching algorithm to be used in word-spotting tasks for historical Arabic documents. We present a novel algorithm based on the Chamfer Distance to compute the similarity between shapes of word-parts. Matching results are used to cluster images of Arabic word-parts into different classes using the Nearest Neighbor rule. To compute the distance between two word-part images, the algorithm subdivides each image into equal-sized slices (windows). A modified version of the Chamfer Distance, incorporating geometric gradient features and distance transform data, is used as a similarity distance between the different slices. Finally, the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm is used to measure the distance between two images of word-parts. By using the DTW we enabled our system to cluster similar word-parts, even though they are transformed non-linearly due to the nature of handwriting. We tested our implementation of the presented methods using various documents in different writing styles, taken from Juma'a Al Majid Center - Dubai, and obtained encouraging results.


Many pump users know the total cost of the product when used with the opportunity to pre-investment analysis. However, in addition to the initial investment costs, maintenance and replaced parts' sexpenses, taxes, such as energy use should also be taken into consideration. Entries are taken into account for energy costs in the electricity required to run the pump and mechanical or pneumatic controlled driver. As a result of the selection made carefully, life cycle of industrial pumps may be up to 50 years or higher value. In order to increase the life cycle, the decision to be taken by the user to prevent any problems in the next period should be sufficient accuracy. Besides, in determining the preferred life cycle of the pump and in making decisions, total operating costs must be analysed. Keywords: Life cycle cost, Efficiency, Total operating cost, Purchase cost, Energy and maintenance cost, Pump selection.


In many testing applications within the field of structural dynamics, such as noise and vibration harshness, rattle and squeak, or durability testing in the automotive and truck industries, large hydraulic or electromagnetic actuators are used to excite the tested structure. Such actuators are mounted in the laboratory in a fixed configuration referred to here as a test rig. A frequent method for calculating the input to such test rigs is to replicate a certain reference signal, for instance dynamic responses from driving tests, to ensure that the test case is physically motivated. Versions of the Time Waveform Replication (TWR) method are often used to this end, iteratively calculating an input sequence used to excite a system such that its response replicates a desired reference. The TWR algorithm essentially estimates the unknown input by pseudo-inversion of the frequency domain transfer function. In most situations, TWR will ensure a test output which is close to the reference signal; however, if there are eigenmodes of the test specimen in the desired frequency range of the test which are uncontrollable, it can be shown that the required input force and/or the error between test output and desired reference will be large. Such problems remain even when reference-contributing modes are but marginally controllable. In a test rig such as described above, this controllability shortcoming may be impossible to prevent in the usual manner, \emph{i.e.} through changing the input configuration. This can cause poor reference replication whereby the validity of the test may be put into question. For such specific cases, where the possibilities of changing the input configuration is slim and controllability is lacking, a different approach is required. This thesis presents such an approach. It introduces the concept of passive control to the problem of response reconstruction: By attaching a modifying component to the tested structure, designed specifically to improve response reconstruction, the controllability of the system can improve. Two methods for designing such passive components are described. The first uses a high-quality finite element model of the tested structure and parameterized passive component, performing synthetic TWR experiments to evaluate its rig control properties. The second uses instead an experimentally derived model of the tested structure, which is coupled to the analytical model of the passive component through an experimental/analytical substructuring technique.


The focus of our work is Tony Blair in the context of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. We seek to investigate Tony Blair's cognitive attitude towards the Middle East peace process within two institutional contexts: first, as British Prime Minister (1997-2007) and, subsequently, as the Middle East Quartet's Envoy (from 2007 until today). In general terms, we intend to undertake insight into Tony Blair's conceptual understanding of the causes of the conflict, his perception about the intentions and capabilities of the parties, as well his strategic beliefs about the most optimal approaches to the peaceful settlement. Therefore, the analytic goal of the given study is to trace how Tony Blair's strategic conception of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process evolving with the change of his institutional context.


This paper deals with the deposition and characterization of SnO 2 thin films, grown by the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique in the temperature range of 320 - 470°C, using tetraethyltin (SnEt 4 ) as precursor and oxygen as oxidant reagent. A kinetic study of the growth process has been carried out as a function of the deposition parameters and a simulation model of the growth rate was used to obtain rapidly thickness uniformity in a horizontal hot-wall CVD reactor. After deposition, the thin layers have been analyzed by various techniques to establish correlations between layers characteristics and growth conditions. The crystallographic structure and grain size were determinated by X-Ray Diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The electrical resistivity as a function of deposition temperature and precursor mole fraction is reported and discussed in correlation with the microstructure Finally, optimal operating conditions have been determinated in order to obtain layers with high specific area.


Dimensionality reduction is an effective method for learning high-dimensional data, which can provide better understanding of decision boundaries in human-readable low-dimensional subspace. Linear methods, such as principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis, make it possible to capture the correlation between many variables; however, there is no guarantee that the correlations that are important in predicting data can be captured. Moreover, if the decision boundary has strong nonlinearity, the guarantee becomes increasingly difficult. This problem is exacerbated when the data are matrices or tensors that represent relationships between variables. We propose a learning method that searches for a subspace that maximizes the prediction accuracy while retaining as much of the original data information as possible, even if the prediction model in the subspace has strong nonlinearity. This makes it easier to interpret the mechanism of the group of variables behind the prediction problem that the user wants to know. We show the effectiveness of our method by applying it to various types of data including matrices and tensors.


Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a gammaherpesvirus that causes a number of clinical syndromes, including acute mononucleosis.Acute infection with EBV can vary widely with regard to the severity and presentation of illness, ranging from an asymptomatic infection to a serious, life-threatening version of mononucleosis with associated liver damage and splenomegaly. Additionally, other acute viral syndromes, including those caused by hepatitis viruses and cytomegalovirus (CMV), can lead to similar clinical syndromes. The variety of symptoms and the overlap with other viral infections underscore the importance of laboratory testing in the diagnosis of acute EBV-related disease.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of an agglutination test for the detection of heterophile antibodies (Monotest) and two EBV-specific rapid immunochromatographic tests (VCA-IgM and VCA-IgG/EBNA-IgG). Heterophile antibody determination is resulted to have not a real diagnostic utility for the low sensibility and specificity of the test. In our experience the only use of VCA-IgG/EBNA-IgG test is sufficient to discriminate between an acute mononucleosis and a past infection.


In the present work, the biogenic amines tryptamine (TRP), putrescine (PUT), histamine (HIS), tyramine (TYR) and spermidine (SPD) were determined in 32 various types of tofu that were obtained from different states in Malaysia. Three main types of tofu; soft tofu, firm tofu and processed tofu, were analysed in the present work. The biogenic amine contents in the respective types of tofu were analysed by a reversed-phase HPLC with a DAD detector after the aqueous extraction and derivatisation with dansyl chloride. The LOD values ranged from 0.019 mg/L for PUT to 0.028 mg/L for TYR. While, the LOQ values ranged from 0.063 mg/L (PUT) to 0.096 mg/L (TYR). The recovery values for all the five amines ranged from 80.3% to 120.5% with RSD ≤ 3.1%. The total levels of biogenic amines found varied, ranging from 1.5 mg/kg to 687.9 mg/kg, with mean values (p < 0.05) in descending order of 44.6, 12.6, 9.1, 4.8 and 4.7 mg/kg for PUT, TYR, SPD, HIS and TRP, respectively. PUT and TRP were the most prevailing biogenic amines and they were found respectively in 90.62% of the tofu analysed. Significant positive correlations (r = 0.266 to 0.874, p < 0.05) were found between some individual biogenic amines and protein content in all the three types of tofu. However, negative correlations (r = -0.246 to -0.832, p < 0.05) were observed between biogenic amines and moisture content, and between biogenic amines and water activity in all the three types of tofu. Significant and strong correlations (r = 0.525 to 0.999, p < 0.05) were found between most of the individual biogenic amines and the total biogenic amines. Those tofu exceeding the legal limits may affect the health of sensitive individuals.


A previously normally developing two and a half years old boy with bronchial hyperresponsiveness gradually developed apathy, flattened affect, and disinterest in communication. Neurological examination was unremarkable. Symptoms appeared after dosage of montelukast was increased. Concurrent administration of inhaled salmeterol and fluticasone was noted, but without any dosage change over past months. Acquired hearing problem and psychosocial adversities were ruled out. Illness course also did not correspond with anaclitic depression. Patient was diagnosed with drug-induced apathy, which is rarely reported in pediatric population. His conditions precluded drug discontinuation trial. He improved dramatically with 12.5 mg per day of sertraline. Dosage was titrated per symptoms to 25 mg per day. Symptoms remitted by six months, and sertraline was discontinued by nine months. No symptoms recurred three months later. Clinicians should be aware of apathy as a side effect of montelukast. Further study on safety, efficacy, and mechanism of action of sertraline in drug-induced apathy is needed. Literature reviews on apathy are provided.

Keywords: Apathy; Montelukast; Pediatric; Sertraline


A court in exile: the Stuarts in France, 1689–1718. By Edward Corp. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Pp. xvi+386. ISBN 0-521-58462-0. £55.00. Vienna and Versailles: the courts of Europe's dynastic rivals, 1550–1780. By Jeroen Duindam. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Pp. xi+349. ISBN 0-521-82262-9. £60.00. Intrigue and treason: the Tudor court, 1547–1558. By David Loades. Harlow: Pearson, 2004. Pp. x+326. ISBN 0-582-77226-5. £19.99. Queenship in Europe, 1660–1815: the role of the consort. Edited by Clarissa Campbell Orr. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Pp. xvii+419. ISBN 0-521-81422-7. £60.00. Court culture in Dresden: from Renaissance to Baroque. By Helen Watanabe-O'Kelly. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002. Pp. xv+310. ISBN 0-333-98448-X. £47.50. Over the last three decades, the royal or princely court has become an established feature of the historiographical landscape of early modern Europe. The subject of a forest of monographs and theses, the theme of a plethora of university undergraduate courses, it has even gained an Anglo-American academic society (and accompanying journal) dedicated to 'court studies'. While the first wave of Anglophone court historians, writing in the 1970s and 1980s, considered it necessary to state explicitly, as David Starkey did in his introduction to the seminal The English court, that the study of the early modern court was a legitimate historical activity, such a stance is no longer necessary. Indeed, few political historians would now omit the court from their narratives, even if their principal focus was directed elsewhere. In The English court, Starkey presented his enterprise, and that of his co-contributors, as part of a broader process of historical revisionism. But, by the late 1990s, court studies had itself become subject to its own internal forces of revisionism. The books reviewed here not only illustrate the diversity of projects undertaken by scholars of the court; they also critique the interpretations and approaches of an earlier generation of court historians.


Since 1994, the Regulations on the Administration of Municipal Engineering Technological Data of Construction was issued by the National Construction Department, it has been 8 years. This article briefly discusses the positive achievement of the administration of the municipal engineering construction technological data after the Regulations was issued and suggests the ways of modifying it.


Emotional intelligence (EI), the ability to understand and manage emotions in oneself and others, is a valuable asset for health care professionals. This article discusses the emergence of EI, different notions about what constitutes EI, what EI looks like on the job, and simple ways to boost EI. Results of research studies examining EI in health care students and professionals also are reported.


Recently, the Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) has become vital for the defense system as the military defense system is vital for national security. Placing Integrated Air Defense System batteries among locations to protect locations assets is a crucial problem because optimal solutions are needed for interceptor missiles to intercept attacker missiles for maximizing protection of assets across locations or places. In this research, the procedures of using network algorithms along with developing several network algorithms are going to be demonstrated to develop a model for sequential development of seven network securing strategies of placing Surface to Air Missile (SAM) batteries to maximize the protection of assets across locations (based on given asset values) by generating optimal solutions through computation to destroy maximum attacker missiles by using minimum interceptor missiles with given intercept probability. This network securing strategies can be implemented not only for Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) planning but also Counter Air (CA) planning as Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) is conducted with defensive counter air supported by attack operations in offensive counter air.


Soybean seed ferritin is essential for human iron supplementation and iron deficiency anemia prevention because it contains abundant bioavailable iron and is frequently consumed in the human diet. However, it is poorly understood in regards its several properties, such as iron mineralization, subunit assembly, and protein folding. To address these issues, we decided to prepare the soybean seed ferritin complex via a recombinant DNA approach. In this paper, we report a rapid and simple Escherichia coli expression system to produce the soybean seed ferritin complex. In this system, two subunits of soybean seed ferritin, H-2 and H-1, were encoded in a single plasmid, and optimal expression was achieved by additionally coexpressing a team of molecular chaperones, trigger factor and GroEL-GroES. The His-tagged ferritin complex was purified by Ni2+ affinity chromatography, and an intact ferritin complex was obtained following His-tagged enterokinase (His-EK) digestion. The purified ferritin complex synthesized in E. coli demonstrated some reported features of its native counterpart from soybean seed, including an apparent molecular weight, multimeric assembly, and iron uptake activity. We believe that the strategy described in this paper may be of general utility in producing other recombinant plant ferritins built up from two types of subunits.


Women have experienced decades of economic and political repression across Latin America, where many nations are built upon patriarchal systems of power. However, a recent confluence of political, economic, and historical factors has allowed for the emergence of civil society organizations (CSOs) that afford women a voice throughout the region. Leadership from the Margins describes and analyzes the unique leadership styles and challenges facing the women leaders of CSOs in Argentina, Chile, and El Salvador. Based on ethnographic research, Serena Cosgrove's analysis offers a nuanced account of the distinct struggles facing women, and how differences of class, political ideology, and ethnicity have informed their outlook and organizing strategies. Using a gendered lens, she reveals the power and potential of women's leadership to impact the direction of local, regional, and global development agendas.


In the paper the results of numerical and experimental studies of ultra-wideband dipole radiator and optimized CPW-to-CPS transformer (balun) are presented. Such dipole is used in GPR scanning system based on the Agilent E5071B VNA, and is located in direct proximity to object surface. Different theoretical models were developed to optimize and analyze the 50 to 100 Ohms balun with passband 1-7 GHz. The special attention was paid to matching antennas open with properties of the media under test. All numerical results were performed using CST Microwave Studio software.


The methods of synthesis of S-alkyl(aryl) derivatives of methylphosphonothioic acid and methods for the investigation of their anticholine-esterase activity have been briefly described. Data confirming the anticholine-esterase activity of the compounds synthesised are presented. It has been shown that, in the inhibition of choline-esterases by organophosphorus compounds, the hydrophobic sorption of these substances on the active surface of the enzymes plays an important and sometimes a decisive role. It is suggested that the presence of hydrophobic regions on the active surface of choline-esterases tends to increase the probability of the sorption of acetylcholine (a choline esterase substrate) on this surface. The bibliography includes 68 references.


For every new allergy patient, we test the most important food additives as well as basic foods. In recent years, we have noticed that, in addition to the well-known basic stresses such as milk, wheat and Candida, more and more people are reacting to the "Salicylic acid" ampoule. Treatment using this information, possibly in combination with other substances, has substantially alleviated the symptoms experienced by many of our patients.


The effects of hyper- and hypotonic solutions on vascular smooth muscle were studied using helical strips from human umbilical arteries. Hypertonic solutions evoked a biphasic contraction that consisted of early and late contractions. Verapamil or Ca(2+)-free conditions inhibited early contraction induced by tonicity of 340-539 mosm/kg. Under these conditions, late contraction induced by 340-407 mosm/kg was inhibited, whereas contraction induced by 539 mosm/kg was not. Hypotonic solutions evoked a monophasic contraction. Verapamil or Ca(2+)-free conditions inhibited contraction induced by tonicity of 249-266 mosm/kg but not by tonicity of 213 mosm/kg. Hyper- or hypotonicity-induced contractions were not affected by the presence or absence of endothelium. These results suggest that a small increase or decrease in tonicity within the pathophysiological range of osmotic pressure (260-340 mosm/kg) evokes contraction in human umbilical arteries by stimulating calcium influx through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels.


A first aim of this paper is to examine the demographic machinery of the first and second demographic transition and to try to evaluate when and how long a "demographic window" - recognized trough the "dependency ratio" - is opened in a population. A second aim is an attempt to evaluate the possible impact of spatial differences in timing and length of demographic windows on relations, both economic and migratory ones, among countries. In brief, we want to give "a domestic and an international view on population from a demographic window". In order to evaluate the whole process and possible costs and benefits of the first and second demographic transition, we preferred to make reference to actual populations rather than to theoretical ones, in particular to four countries placed along the road from the beginning of the first demographic transition to the heart of the second one: Nigeria, Egypt, China, and Italy.


Oxidation of carcinogenic 2-nitroanisole by rat cytochromes P450 - similarity between human and rat enzymes 2-Nitroanisole (2-NA) is an important industrial pollutant and a potent carcinogen for rodents. Understanding which cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are involved in its metabolism are important to assess an individual's susceptibility to this environmental carcinogen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of rat hepatic CYPs to oxidize 2-NA, to examine the metabolites formed during such an oxidation, and to compare such efficiencies of rat CYPs with those of human. 2-NA is oxidized by rat hepatic microsomes to 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) as the major metabolite, and to 2,6-dihydroxynitrobenzene (2,6-DNB) and 2,5-dihydroxynitrobenzene (2,5-DNB) as the minor products. All these metabolites are suggested as detoxication products. Using hepatic microsomes of rats pre-treated with specific CYP inducers and microsomes from Baculovirus transfected insect cells expressing recombinant rat and human CYP enzymes we found that rat recombinant CYP2E1, 2D2, 2B2, 2C6 and 1A1, as well as orthologous human CYP enzymes are the most efficient enzymes metabolizing 2-NA. However, human CYP1A1 oxidize 2-NA with a higher efficiency than the enzyme of rats. The results show the participation of orthologous CYPs in 2-NA oxidation by both species and underline the suitability of rat species as a model to evaluate human susceptibility to 2-NA.


This article explores the history of practitioner-based enquiry in education and the degree to which in bridges the gap between leadership research and leadership practice. In doing so it draws on the findings from an evaluation of NCSL's Research Associate Programme. Several key drivers are identified behind the increased interest in practitioner-based enquiry, these being school based curriculum reform, the reconceptualization of the notion of professionalism, increased commitment to continued professional development and greater interest in action research. The article then explores the potential benefits of practitioner enquiry at the individual, school and system levels. It also reviews the potential challenges facing practitioner researchers and the strategies adopted by NCSL in response to these. The article concludes by highlighting the value of practitioner enquiry in encouraging reflection and school leadership is an evidence based profession.


Abstract Numerous studies have sought to examine the relationship between hypogonadal symptoms and total serum testosterone levels in men in order to identify a threshold at which symptoms occur and at which treatment is beneficial. However, the search for a discrete threshold may be futile given emerging evidence. Recent studies suggest that testosterone threshold varies by symptoms and among individuals. In addition, thresholds may vary between young and old men. Therefore, initiation of treatment should rely more on symptoms and less on a discrete numerical threshold.


In the context of legal damage evaluations, evaluees may exaggerate or simulate symptoms in an attempt to obtain greater economic compensation. To date, practitioners and researchers have focused on detecting malingering behavior as an exclusively unitary construct. However, we argue that there are two types of inconsistent behavior that speak to possible malingering—accentuating (i.e., exaggerating symptoms that are actually experienced) and simulating (i.e., fabricating symptoms entirely)—each with its own unique attributes; thus, it is necessary to distinguish between them. The aim of the present study was to identify objective indicators to differentiate symptom accentuators from symptom producers and consistent participants. We analyzed the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology scales and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form validity scales of 132 individuals with a diagnosed adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood who had undergone assessment for psychiatric/psychological damage. The results indicated that the SIMS Total Score, Neurologic Impairment and Low Intelligence scales and the MMPI-2-RF Infrequent Responses (F-r) and Response Bias (RBS) scales successfully discriminated among symptom accentuators, symptom producers, and consistent participants. Machine learning analysis was used to identify the most efficient parameter for classifying these three groups, recognizing the SIMS Total Score as the best indicator.


Periovulatory ultrasonography (POUS) was performed on 59 anovulatory women over 523 treatment cycles. Follicular development was stimulated with either clomiphene citrate (CC) or human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG). Thirty-one pregnancies were induced; 23 went to term. Three factors were considered in evaluating the incidence of conception: the patient's age, drug use and the presence or absence of POUS. There was no evidence that the pregnancy rate after POUS differed from that without it (estimated conception rate ratio = 1.2:1, P = .76). Similarly, conceptus viability was not demonstrably different whether POUS was used or not (P = 1.00). However, the data show a strong advantage of hMG over CC in achieving conception (estimated conception rate ratio = 5.85, P less than .0001) and no disadvantage in conceptus viability (P = 1.00). The data also suggest that in women less than 30 years of age with polycystic ovaries, ovulation induction is easier to achieve and the conception rate higher than in older women. There was no evidence that POUS decreased the conception rate or increased fetal wastage.


In this study, we use the merger process of clusters/voids in the role of variable dark energy fluid to alleviate the Hubble tension, which can lead to a balance in the cosmological expansion rate. To reach this target, we will introduce a modified form of energy density for cosmic fluid with the quadratic equation of state, and then we obtain Hubble, deceleration parameters, and luminosity distance for this fluid. To obtain the merger factor and other parameters of our model, we utilize the NONLINEARMODELFIT function within MATHEMATICA. By consideration of the local and global measurements of $\rm H_0$, and the equation of state parameter $w$ as the priory values and fitting our model with Observational Hubble Data (OHD) measurements, we will show that the merger of clusters/voids plays the role of balancing the cosmic expansion rate. Also, it will be shown that the model is more compatible than $w$CDM with the standard model to describe the accelerating universe.


Ecological and anthropogenic corridors are becoming more common worldwide, but little is known about how corridor size (width) affects species' movements, and thus their effects. Here we investigated whether 4- and 8-m wide anthropogenic corridors (seismic lines) cleared for petroleum (oil sands) exploration in boreal forests in Alberta, Canada, act on altering the behaviour of a habitat generalist butterfly, the Arctic fritillary (Boloria chariclea). Specifically, we captured 539 Arctic fritillaries and released them in seismic line corridor or control sites with no structural directionality (i.e. forests and clearings), and recorded both their initial direction (along the seismic line or not) and persistence in directional movements. Arctic fritillaries moved inside these lines twice as often as they left them, and maintained their initial direction more often, regardless of line size and independently of forest structure or sex of individuals. Thus, anthropogenic corridors as narrow as 4 m can affect insect movements. Given the vast area of boreal forests disturbed from seismic assessments, investigating if the effects of these dense, localized lines affect population dynamics and species interactions would provide important insights to managing this ecosystem and identifying restoration actions.


Unlike radiofrequency and ionizing radiation which can penetrate deeply into biological tissues, optical radiation is generally absorbed very superficially. Except for the relatively narrow band of visible and near-infrared (IR-A) radiation from approximately 400 - 1400 nm, skin and other biological tissues are nearly opaque to optical radiation. For this reason, the volumetric or mass-based concepts of absorbed dose (i.e., J/cm3 or J/gm) used in other areas of radiation biology are of little value. Additionally, the absorbed radiant energy is conducted out of the absorbing site and for this reason thermal effects depend largely upon the size and location of the absorbing site as well as exposure and exposure rate. Concepts of surface exposure dose are therefore most useful and practical. The concepts of fluence and fluence rate are shown to be useful for volume scattering in the visible spectral region where photochemical reactions are to be described.


Many multimedia applications can benefit from techniques for adapting existing classifiers to data with different distributions. One example is cross-domain video concept detection which aims to adapt concept classifiers across various video domains. In this paper, we explore two key problems for classifier adaptation: (1) how to transform existing classifier(s) into an effective classifier for a new dataset that only has a limited number of labeled examples, and (2) how to select the best existing classifier(s) for adaptation. For the first problem, we propose Adaptive Support Vector Machines (A-SVMs) as a general method to adapt one or more existing classifiers of any type to the new dataset. It aims to learn the "delta function" between the original and adapted classifier using an objective function similar to SVMs. For the second problem, we estimate the performance of each existing classifier on the sparsely-labeled new dataset by analyzing its score distribution and other meta features, and select the classifiers with the best estimated performance. The proposed method outperforms several baseline and competing methods in terms of classification accuracy and efficiency in cross-domain concept detection in the TRECVID corpus.


Lean Six Sigma methodologies and Ergonomics principles are the main pillars of this work given their importance in the implementation of continuous improvement in assembly workstations design. When looking at the introduction of the Ergonomics that has been affected by the integration of the Lean and Six Sigma for improvements, it is necessary to understand why these methodologies belong to each other and how they can be handled in the industrial field. The aim of the work seeks towards the impact of analyzing the integration of the basics tools of Lean and Six Sigma that enhanced Ergonomics highlighted the importance of using the priority matrix in the selection of the priority criteria. Two models of a system based on building a knowledge base were used to collect and record measurement data from information and facts. The first is the "Process-flow vs. Time Efficiency" relates to "value added and non-value added" activities. The second is the "Work-Condition vs. Ergonomics Effects", which focuses on postural movements of the worker. These integrative models are represented by the application of a system called "LSS + ERGO System". The appropriate state that can deal with this situation is the use of Smart Priority Matrices that will prove to be a useful tool. This method (tool) is possible to understand what actions are potential and important to be implemented, according to the track that the research will be taken. The results show that the improvement suggestions existing in the Improve stage focused on the opportunities that weigh larger than the average (10%)  obtain the acceptable procedures for optimization proposals can be identified as the research plan is presented for implementation. The case study has been implemented in the General Company for Hydraulic Industries/ Damper Assembly Factory.


Thin films of a new composite of an electroactive fullerene-based (C60-Pd) polymer and HiPCO single-wall carbon nanotubes, which were noncovalently modified by 1-pyrenebutiric acid (pyr-SWCNTs), were electrochemically prepared under multiscan cyclic voltammetry conditions. With respect to blank polymer, superior conductive, capacitive, and viscoelasitic properties of the composite were demonstrated. Composition of pyr-SWCNTs was determined by thermogravimetric analyses, which showed one molecule of 1-pyrenebutiric acid per approximately 20 carbon atoms of SWCNT. Atomic force microscopy imaging revealed that pyr-SWCNTs form tangles of pyr-SWCNTs bundles surrounded by globular clusters of the C60-Pd polymer. Peaks characteristic of both pyr-SWCNTs (radial breathing modes at approximately 200 to 300 cm(-1)) and C60-Pd polymer in the Raman spectra recorded for the composite confirmed the presence of pyr-SWCNTs in the composite film. The mass of the deposited film was in situ measured by piezoelectric microgravimetry with the use of an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). Then, curves of the current, resonant frequency change, and dynamic resistance change versus the potential in different potential ranges were simultaneously recorded in a blank acetonitrile solution of tetrabutylammonium perchlorate. Specific capacitance, determined at -1.20 V for the composite as 90 F g(-1), was twice as high as that for the polymer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to determine impedance parameters of both the C60-Pd polymer and C60-Pd/pyr-SWCNTs composite film. This data analysis indicated increased capacitance and decreased resistance for the new composite film.


A general method is proposed for analyzing the transmission line characteristics of strip lines with rectangular outer conductor and multidielectric layers within a TEM wave approximation. This method uses Green's function for formulating the problem and a variational principle for obtaining practical solutions. The case of the microstrip line is first discussed, and numerical results are found to be consistent with other theories and experiments. The case of strip lines with a rectangular outer conductor and three dielectric layers is examined for various combinations of dielectric materials. Other applications of Green's function and the theoretical limitation of this method are also described.


combination. It can also be used when otitis externa complicates otitis media, when not only does the otitis externa clear but the otitis media is improved. In both these conditions the dressings should be renewed more frequently than in the chronic otitis mediaevery second or third day, gradually lengthening the intervals until the ear is dry. Apart from the small percentage of cases of otitis externa with true superadded infection, the wide variety of organisms cultured from a swab of the discharge, bacterial or fungal, are always harmless saprdphytes. Specific treatment with antibiotics systemically against these is useless. However, associated skin disorders, eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis, etc., must be treated when active.-I am, etc.,


The role of f-electron charge fluctuations in heavy-fermion systems is discussed, and the tunnelling current as a probe of charge spectral density near the Fermi level is calculated within perturbation theory using the transfer Hamiltonian approach. It is shown that in the case of integer valence systems only c electrons from a wide conduction band contribute to the tunnelling current. One finds only a weak reflection of the strong mass enhancement in the I(U) curves, but the tunnelling conductance (and its derivative) can still be used for the study of spin excitations in the liquid formed by f spins. An examination is then made of the mixed-valence-type heavy-fermion compounds. In this case f electrons dominate in the current, and in some regimes the exact results for the arbitrary Coulomb interaction between the c and f electrons are derived. It is shown that because of the 'shaking up' of the polaron cloud around the f electron during the tunnelling process the current acquires a non-analytic dependence on electric potential and temperature. Both narrow f-band and c-f hybridization peaks are studied in detail.


Catheterisation can be a source of embarrassment and discomfort for women, while nurses are often unaware of the choice of catheters available. By keeping themselves fully informed, nurses can ensure patients are provided with a choice of catheter which meets their needs.


In this chapter a method for assigning unmanned aerial vehicle agents to targets through the use of preplanned vehicle tours is presented. Assignments are based on multi-target tours that consider the spread of the targets and the sensor capabilities of the vehicles. In this way, the individual agents and the team as a whole make better use of team resources and improve team cooperation. Planning and assignments are accomplished in reasonable computational time through the use of heuristics to reduce the problem size.


We show that oscillating flow of a simple fluid in both the Newtonian and the non-Newtonian regime can be described by a universal function of a single dimensionless scaling parameter omega tau, where omega is the oscillation (angular) frequency and tau is the fluid relaxation time; geometry and linear dimension bear no effect on the flow. Energy dissipation of mechanical resonators in a rarefied gas follows this universality closely in a broad linear dimension (10(-6) m < L < 10(-2) m) and frequency (10(5) Hz < omega/2pi < 10(8) Hz) range. Our results suggest a deep connection between flows of simple and complex fluids.


Abstract Namibia is an extremely arid country with very low and erratic rainfall. It has a population of 1·7 million people; most Namibians are subsistence farmers living in communal areas that are underdeveloped and poorly managed. Most farmers raise livestock under harsh climatic conditions. The Sustainable Animal and Range Development Programme (SARDEP) helps communal subsistence farmers improve livestock production and range management. Work done by SARDEP concluded that communal farmers are poorly organized, unaware of participatory development and unfamiliar with the concept of self-help. SARDEP also suggests that sustainable livestock and range development in communal areas cannot be based on the conventional development approach. This top-down and input-oriented approach rarely meets farmer needs. In fact, the non-involvement of farmers in the development process leaves a wide gap of untouched development opportunities. To achieve sustainable development SARDEP decided to support a process that closes this gap between farmers and service institutions. SARDEP developed the 'negotiation approach,' which supports the empowerment of grassroots-level organisations, considered the prime movers for development. At the same time SARDEP helps service institutions interact closely with target groups and reorient their services toward well-formulated farmer needs and demands. To allow such development to grow, SARDEP also contributes at the national level toward formulating a conductive policy framework for sustainable natural resource management.


This paper is about one clinic case, based on the borromeanean knot configurations and on the braid configurations, as proposed by Fabian Schejtman. The paciente is presently a little over sixty years old and he has been diagnosed as mentally retarded since he was a child. We understand, however, that his is a case of ordinary psychosis generally without elementary phenomena. It is also supplemented by feeble-mindedness. In the text we refer to the way feeble-mindedness supplements the symbolic lapse, considering its association to the real, and based on the knot configurations as well as on the braid configurations. These configurations are studied here both before Edimundo`s treatment and during his present applied psychoanalysis.


This paper proposes a business model for providing services based on the Internet of Things through a platform that intermediates between human users and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The platform seeks to maximize its profit through posting both the price charged to each user and the price paid to each WSN. A complete analysis of the profit maximization problem is performed in this paper. We show that the service provider maximizes its profit by incentivizing all users and all Wireless Sensor Infrastructure Providers (WSIPs) to join the platform. This is true not only when the number of users is high, but also when it is moderate, provided that the costs that the users bear do not trespass a cost ceiling. This cost ceiling depends on the number of WSIPs, on the value of the intrinsic value of the service and on the externality that the WSIP has on the user utility.


Debates about financial reform have led to the recognition that a healthy financial system does not depend solely on how it is structured—organizational culture matters as well. Based on extensive research in a Wall Street derivatives-trading room, this book considers how the culture of financial organizations might change in order for them to remain healthy, even in times of crises. In particular, the book explores how the extensive use of financial models and trading technologies over the recent decades has exerted a far-ranging and troubling influence on Wall Street. How have models reshaped financial markets? How have models altered moral behavior in organizations? The book takes readers behind the scenes in a bank unit that, within its firm, is widely perceived to be "a class act," and it considers how this trading room unit might serve as a blueprint solution for the ills of Wall Street's unsustainable culture. It demonstrates that the integration of traders across desks reduces the danger of blind spots created by models. Warning against the risk of moral disengagement posed by the use of models, the book also contends that such disengagement could be avoided by instituting moral norms and social relations. The book profiles what an effective, responsible trading room can and should look like.


The Diploma in Immediate Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is increasingly recognised as a gold standard for immediate care practitioners, including doctors with a significant involvement in prehospital care, paramedics who wish to enhance their knowledge base or obtain the Diploma as an entry requirement for a post registration degree, and for nurses who have a recognised and developing role in the evolving emergency medical services. This paper provides information about the Diploma examination including eligibility, the syllabus and the components of the examination, and comments on the reason for failure and provides suggestions for training and education to enhance the candidate's opportunity of passing the examination.


The actin cytoskeleton plays essential roles in countless cell processes, from cell division to migration to signaling. In cancer cells, cytoskeletal dynamics, cytoskeletal filament organization, and overall cell morphology are known to be altered substantially. We hypothesize that actin fiber organization and cell shape may carry specific signatures of genetic or signaling perturbations. We used convolutional neural networks (CNNs) on a small fluorescence microscopy image dataset of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells for identifying morphological signatures in cancer cells. Using a transfer learning approach, CNNs could be trained to accurately distinguish between normal and oncogenically transformed RPE cells with an accuracy of about 95% or better at the single cell level. Furthermore, CNNs could distinguish transformed cell lines differing by an oncogenic mutation from each other and could also detect knockdown of cofilin in TNBC cells, indicating that each single oncogenic mutation or cytoskeletal perturbation produces a unique signature in actin morphology. Application of the Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME) method for visually interpreting the CNN results revealed features of the global actin structure relevant for some cells and classification tasks. Interestingly, many of these features were supported by previous biological observation. Actin fiber organization is thus a sensitive marker for cell identity, and identification of its perturbations could be very useful for assaying cell phenotypes, including disease states.


Time series forecasting using historical data is significantly important nowadays. Many fields such as finance, industries, healthcare, and meteorology use it. Profit analysis using financial data is crucial for any online or offline businesses and companies. It helps understand the sales and the profits and losses made and predict values for the future. For this effective analysis, the statistical methods- Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Seasonal ARIMA models (SARIMA), and deep learning method- Long Short- Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Network model in time series forecasting have been chosen. It has been converted into a stationary dataset for ARIMA, not for SARIMA and LSTM. The fitted models have been built and used to predict profit on test data. After obtaining good accuracies of 93.84% (ARIMA), 94.378% (SARIMA) and 97.01% (LSTM) approximately, forecasts for the next 5 years have been done. Results show that LSTM surpasses both the statistical models in constructing the best model.


Purpose. To report outcomes of graft refractive surgery (GRS) along with clear-cornea phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) eyes. Methods. Fourteen eyes of 13 patients who had received PKP underwent simultaneous GRS (relaxing incisions with or without counter-quadrant compression sutures) and clear-cornea phacoemulsification with IOL implantation. To calculate IOL power, preoperative keratometry readings and the SRK-T formula were used. Results. Mean patient age and follow-up period were 50.5 ± 14.4 years and 14.6 ± 7.1 months, respectively. A significant increase was observed in best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (from 0.55 ± 0.18 logMAR to 0.33 ± 0.18 logMAR, P = 0.001). There was a significant decrease in vector keratometric astigmatism by 6.22 D (P = 0.03). Spherical equivalent refraction was reduced from −3.31 ± 3.96 D to −1.69 ± 2.38 D (P = 0.02) which did not significantly differ from the target refraction (−0.76 ± 0.14 D, P = 0.20). No complications developed and all the grafts remained clear at the final examination. Conclusion. Simultaneous phacoemulsification and GRS is a safe and effective method to address post-PKP astigmatism and lens opacity. IOL power can be calculated from preoperative keratometry readings with an acceptable accuracy. However, patients should be informed about the possibility of high refractive errors postoperatively.


Recently reported experimental and theoretical studies of nanofluidic nonlinear devices, such as bipolar and unipolar ionic diodes, have yet to answer the question about the possibility of their further miniaturization. In this Article, we theoretically investigate the effects of size reduction, applied bias, and solution ionic strength in such devices. We compare the numerical solutions of the Poisson, Nernst-Planck (PNP), and Navier-Stokes (NS) equations with their one-dimensional, analytical approximations. We demonstrate that the contribution of electroosmosis is insignificant and find analytical approximations to PNP for bipolar and unipolar diodes that are in good agreement with numerical 3D solutions. We identify the minimal dimensions for such diodes that demonstrate ion current rectification behavior and demonstrate the importance of the edge effect in very short diodes.


This paper presents Xetal-Pro SIMD processor, which is based on Xetal-II, one of the most computational-efficient (in terms of GOPS/Watt) processors available today. Xetal-Pro supports ultra wide VDD scaling from nominal supply to the sub-threshold region. Although aggressive VDD scaling causes severe throughput degradation, this can be compensated by the nature of massive parallelism in the Xetal family. The predecessor of Xetal-Pro, Xetal-II, includes a large on-chip frame memory (FM), which cannot operate reliably at ultra low voltage. Therefore we investigate both different FM realizations and memory organization alternatives. We propose a hybrid memory architecture which reduces the non-local memory traffic and enables further VDD scaling. Compared to Xetal-II operating at nominal voltage, we could gain more than 10× energy reduction while still delivering a sufficiently high throughput of 0.69 GOPS (counting multiply and add operations only). This work gives a new insight to the design of ultra-low energy SIMD processors, which are suitable for portable streaming applications.


AIMS: To describe the methods used at the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL, Ministry for Primary Industries) to identify Paranannizziopsis australasiensis. METHODS: Skin biopsy samples from two adult male tuatara were submitted to the AHL in March 2014. Approximately half of each sample was processed for fungal culture and incubated on mycobiotic agar containing cycloheximide at 30°C. Following morphological examination of the culture products, DNA was extracted from suspect colonies. PCR was used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungal rRNA using primers ITS1 and ITS4. Positive amplicons were subjected to DNA sequencing and the results were compared to published sequences. In addition, DNA was extracted from the remaining skin samples and the same PCR was carried out to compare the results. RESULTS: After 7 days of incubation, colonies morphologically resembling P. australasiensis were observed. DNA extracted from these isolates tested positive for P. australasiensis by PCR and DNA sequencing. Samples of DNA extracted directly from the infected skin samples tested negative for P. australasiensis using the generic fungal PCR. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Isolation and identification of P. australasiensis was carried out using a combination of fungal culture and molecular testing available at AHL. Results were available in significantly less time than in the past, when isolates had to be sent overseas. PCR and sequencing of fungal isolates is a valuable tool for identification of species that have few, if any, unique macroscopic or microscopic features to aid identification. Further sampling from captive and wild New Zealand reptiles will provide important information on the epidemiology of P. australasiensis, and the conservation and management implications for tuatara and other native reptile species.


Methods have been devised to measure the binding of [14C]amiloride to isolated cells from bladders of toads, Bufo marinus. This agent blocks transepithelial sodium transport across bladders by preventing sodium entry to the transporting mechanism. A saturable binding component has been found with an affinity of 5.6 x 107m-1 in the presence of 1.1 mM Na+, which corresponds to the affinity of amiloride when used as a transport inhibitor at the same sodium concentration. In freshly isolated cells the capacity of the binding sites is 3.6 x 105 sites/cell, but this value falls to about one third in aged suspensions. When cells are treated with vasopressin (100 mU/ml) somewhat less specific binding is measured at an amiloride concentration giving 50 % occupancy. The results are consistent with the view that vasopressin moves the binding curve to the right along the concentration axis, reducing the affinity of amiloride by a factor of approximately two, while leaving the total capacity unaffected. The affinity of amiloride when used as an inhibitor of transport is also found to be reduced by a factor of two by vasopressin, and complete inhibition of transport can still be achieved. d-Aldosterone in vitro increases the number of amiloride binding sites in isolated cells by approximately 115%, and results from transport studies indicate that there is no significant change in the affinity of amiloride after d-aldosterone treatment. Inhibitors of transcription and translation (actinomycin D and cycloheximide) prevent the increase in amiloride binding caused by d-aldosterone. In vivo the effects of d-aldosterone are more complex, but it is shown that the steroid increases the transport capacity of the tissue, when this is expressed as the number of amiloride binding sites per unit mass of tissue. The results are discussed in terms of the ways in which the two hormones may alter the entry of sodium into the epithelial cells, and so in turn affect transepithelial sodium transport.


Background The job environment has changed a lot during the period of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the association between work-related stress and aggravation of pre-existing disease in workers during the first state of COVID-19 emergency in Japan. Methods Data were obtained from a large internet survey conducted between August 25 and September 30, 2020 in Japan. Participants who reported that they had a job as well as current history of disease(s) (ie, pre-existing conditions) were included (n = 3,090). Aggravation of pre-existing disease during the state of emergency was self-reported. Work-related stress from April 2020 (since the state of COVID-19 emergency) was assessed according to a job demand–control model. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze the association. Results Aggravation of pre-existing diseases was reported by 334 participants (11%). The numbers of participants with high demand and low control were 112 (18%) and 100 (14%), respectively. Compared to medium demand, high demand was significantly associated with aggravation of pre-existing diseases (odds ratio 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–2.42). Low control compared to medium control was also significantly associated with aggravation of pre-existing diseases (odds ratio 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.92). Conclusion Work-related stress during the first state of COVID-19 emergency was associated with aggravation of pre-existing disease during that period.


The world economy has yet to regain momentum: after the already weak final quarter of 2015, the pace of expansion slowed down again in the first quarter of 2016. In the emerging countries' economies, the pace of expansion is expected to remain subdued, especially in China, where the gradual slowdown continues as overcapacities are reduced. Russia and Brazil are likely to remain in recession: apart from the still-low commodity prices, domestic issues are aggravating the situation. Growth is just barely stable in the industrialized countries, which means they cannot compensate for the emerging countries' weaknesses. In the industrialized countries, the primary growth driver is still domestic demand. Strong consumption growth is expected in the US as well as in the euro area, primarily as a result of the improving labor market situation. All in all, the global economic growth rate is expected to be 3.2 percent in 2016, which is lower than previously forecasted. The uncertainty about China's future economic development and the potential impact of a Brexit are the primary risks that are curbing optimism.


Short- and long-term prognosis were analysed in 59 patients admitted in the coronary care unit with an acute myocardial infarction, complicated with acute intraventricular (IV) conduction defects. In-hospital mortality of patients with IV conduction disturbances was more than twice (30%) the mortality of patients without IV conduction defects (13%; P less than 0.001). Mortality rate was very high among patients with all forms of incomplete trifascicular block or complete right bundle-branch block. Among survivors of the group with conduction defects, late death rate was significantly higher than in survivors of the group without IV blocks (25 vs 8%; P less than 0.01). Short-term prognosis of conduction defects in myocardial infarction depends on the extent of the necrosis. The conflicting results in long-term prognosis could be ascribed to variations in patient material and to different criteria used to define the acute nature of a block. Lastly the variable prognosis could correspond to differences in the site of the lesions within the conduction pathway.


A procedure of bosonization of Fermions in an arbitrary dimension is suggested. It is shown that a quadratic expression in the fermionic fields after rescaling time $t\to t/\lambda^2$ and performing the limit $\lambda\to0$ (stochastic limit), gives rise to a bosonic operator satisfying the boson canonical commutation relations. This stochastic bosonization of Fermions is considered first for free fields and then for a model with three--linear couplings. The limiting dynamics of the bosonic theory turns out to be described by means of a quantum stochastic differential equations.


Though gender inequality is often cited as a barrier to improving maternal health in developing countries, little attention has been given in understanding how a woman's position within her household may affect the receipt of health care. Women's ability to participate in household decisions and utilization of maternal health services are influenced by husband or families in their households. More over there is little change in reproductive health-care-seeking behavior, as observed in various demographic and health surveys. Although it seems reasonable to assume that greater equality within the household leads to higher use of maternal health care services, this factor has not been well explored in Ethiopia. This book, therefore, provides you women's position in their household, its relation with maternal health care utilization and the determinant factors for it. Findings from this study will have implications on designing and implementing health policies and programs in Ethiopia.


To the Editor: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacteriaceae strains have emerged as a major public health problem throughout the world, particularly in India and Pakistan. The widespread use of carbapenems, the only agents reliably active against these bacteria, resulted in the emergence of a new resistance mechanism. New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1) was first detected in a Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate in 2008 from a Swedish patient of Indian origin; it has since been reported in increasing numbers of infections in patients from India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom (1–3).

NDM-1 shares very little identity with other metallo-β-lactamase enzymes; Enterobacteriaceae isolates with NDM-1 show high resistance to nearly all commonly used antibacterial agents (4). Most NDM-1 patients in Europe and the United States had received medical care in India or Pakistan before isolation of the strain. However, the emergence of NDM-1 poses the risk of plasmid-mediated transfer of the carbapenemase enzyme blaNDM-1 between different bacterial strains, which could lead to serious public health issues (3,5). We report the emergence of NDM-1–positive K. pneumoniae in Austria in 2009–2010.

Primers for PCR detection of NDM-1 were designed according to GenBank (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) database entry {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AB571289.1","term_id":"300422615","term_text":"AB571289.1"}}AB571289.1 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/300422615). The forward primer NDM-1gf 5′-ACC GCC TGG ACC GAT GAC CA-3′ (positions 80–99), and reverse primer NDM-1gr 5′-GCC AAA GTT GGG CGC GGT TG-3′ (positions 343–324) were used.

PCR conditions were the following: initial denaturation at 94°C for 5 min; 35 cycles at 95°C for 30 s, 58°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 30 s; and final incubation for 10 min at 72°C. Taq DNA polymerase and dNTPs from QIAGEN (Hilden, Germany) were used. The 264-bp fragment was sequenced and compared with the GenBank entry for NDM-1.

Carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae has been detected in 26 isolates obtained during September 2007 through August 2010 from 6 patients at the University Hospital, Graz, Austria. Eight isolates from 2 patients were found to carry the plasmid NDM-1. The first case involving NDM-1 occurred in November 2009, and the second occurred in August 2010. Automated repetitive element PCR, conducted with the DiversiLab system (bioMerieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France) (6) showed a genetic relatedness of isolates from the 2 patients of ≤81.1% (5 band differences), which indicated independent clones. Isolated NDM-1 strains exhibited resistance to nearly all antibacterial agents, including aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin, and were susceptible to only colistin, tigecycline, and amikacin (Table).

Patient 1, a 30-year-old Austrian man, was admitted to University Hospital (Graz, Austria) in November 2009. His medical history showed he had experienced multiple open fractures of his upper and lower left leg as well as rectal laceration because of a motorcycle accident in Pakistan. His treatment had taken place primarily in surgery departments in Pakistan and India. During his hospitalization in Austria, multiple resistant gram-negative bacteria were isolated, including highly resistant NDM-1–producing K. pneumoniae. The NDM-1 strain was isolated twice, from a sacral decubitus ulcer and from stool. After 5 months of recurrent hospitalizations with various infectious complications, multiple anti-infective regimens, and surgical interventions required to treat fractures resulting from the patient's motorcycle accident, the patient was released without further medical problems.

In August 2010, patient 2, a 14-year-old boy from Kosovo, was transferred from a hospital in that country to the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital (Graz, Austria) with multiple intra-abdominal abscesses and peritonitis. He had undergone an appendectomy in Pristina, Kosovo, in April 2010, after which abdominal sepsis developed. His travel history was completely unremarkable. On the day of admission, multiple-drug resistant K. pneumoniae was isolated from 5 sites (2 swab samples from the abdominal wound, 1 sample from the throat, 1 sample of secretion from an abdominal fistula, and 1 sample from stool). As of November 2010, the patient still required medical care and remained hospitalized.

Most plasmids with the carbapenemase enzyme blaNDM-1 were shown to be readily transferable and prone to rearrangement, which indicates a potential to spread among bacterial populations (3). So far, NDM-1 carbapenemase has been detected in K. pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, and Morganella morganii and has shown resistance to nearly all classes of antibacterial agents, except polymyxins and tigecycline (2,3). Kumarasamy et al. recently reported the identification of 37 isolates with NDM-1 in the United Kingdom. The isolates came from 29 patients, of whom at least 17 had traveled to India or Pakistan in the year preceding identification of NDM-1; 14 patients had been admitted to a hospital in those countries (2).

NDM-1 has also been isolated from 3 patients in the United States, all of whom had recently received medical care in India (7). In contrast, 1 of the 2 patients with K. pneumoniae–carrying NDM-1 reported here was transferred to our hospital from Kosovo in southeastern Europe and had an unremarkable travel history. Immediate action is needed to control the spread of NDM-1 and avoid a worldwide public health problem.

Table

Antimicrobial drug susceptibilities of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase strains isolated from 2 patients, Graz, Austria, 2010*


Quantities of insecticides used per acre by cotton producers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas are among the nation's highest. This is due to the presence of many different insect pests and especially to their increasing tolerance to insecticides. As insects become resistant to insecticides, farmers tend to increase the number of insecticide applications, further compounding the problem. Even using large amounts of insecticides, control of damaging insects has been unsatisfactory. Typically, a long-season cotton variety, requiring a 160 to 180 day season, is grown. Because the probability of rainfall is much greater in August than in July [4], most harvesting can be expected in August.


BACKGROUND
Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1beta (HNF-1beta) is a critical transcription factor in pancreatic and renal development. Our previous report identified HNF-1beta mutations in 23/160 patients with unexplained renal disease. The most common phenotype is renal cysts, which is frequently associated with early-onset diabetes in the renal cysts and diabetes (RCAD) syndrome. HNF-1beta gene deletions have recently been shown to cause renal malformations and early-onset diabetes.

METHODS
We developed a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay for HNF-1beta gene dosage analysis and tested patients with unexplained renal disease in whom mutations had not been found by sequencing.

RESULTS
Whole HNF-1beta gene deletions were detected in 15/133 probands. Renal cysts were present in 13/15, including three with glomerulocystic kidney disease and one with cystic renal dysplasia. Renal function ranged from normal to transplantation aged 3 years. Ten probands had diabetes (nine having RCAD). In addition, four had abnormal liver function tests, two showed pancreatic atrophy and 3/10 female probands had uterine malformations. Whole HNF-1beta gene deletions are a common cause of developmental renal disease, particularly renal cystic disease with or without diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS
The phenotype associated with deletions or coding region/splicing mutations is very similar suggesting that haploinsufficiency is the underlying mechanism. Patients with features suggestive of the HNF-1beta clinical phenotype should be tested for mutations both by sequence and dosage analysis.


In patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD), mineral metabolism abnormalities such as hyperphosphatemia, decreased 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and elevated parathyroid hormone develop as kidney function declines, which lead to vascular calcification and a variety of skeletal abnormalities, collectively termed renal osteodystrophy. Because CKD patients have increased risk of bone fractures, it is important to assess fracture risk by measuring bone mineral density and bone metabolism markers. In addition to management of secondary hyperparathyroidism, medications for osteoporosis could be a reasonable option for preventing fracture.


Quantify steatosis, fibrosis, and focuses of extramedullary erythropoiesis (ER) in the liver and report it to the causes of death in the perinatal. Morphologic analysis of steatosis', percentage of fibrosis, and ER of 467 perinatal autopsies. Cases with hypoxia/perinatal anoxia and ascending infection showed higher percentage of fibrosis. The number of ER was significantly higher among premature infants and in cases with infection. Our results contribute to a better quality of perinatal care through clinical demonstration of which injuries are associated with them, what may help in early diagnosis of these alterations in children who survive.


A method for electrophilic sulfenylation by organophosphorus-catalyzed deoxygenative O-atom transfer from sulfonyl chlorides is reported. This C-S bond-forming reaction is catalyzed by a readily available small-ring phosphine (phosphetane) in conjunction with a hydrosilane terminal reductant to afford a general entry to sulfenyl electrophiles, including valuable trifluoromethyl, perfluoroalkyl, and heteroaryl derivatives that are otherwise difficult to access. Mechanistic investigations indicate that the twofold deoxygenation of the sulfonyl substrate proceeds by the intervention of an off-cycle resting state thiophosphonium ion. The catalytic method represents an operationally simple protocol using a stable phosphine oxide as a precatalyst and exhibits broad functional-group tolerance.


Abstract The first-cohort advantage hypothesis (FCAH) was formulated to explain patterns of biased sex ratios in litters of Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). Females of this species typically produce 2 litters each season, and litters born early in a season are male-biased and those born later in the season are female-biased. Males born earlier are older and heavier in the next breeding season and likely to secure more mates. The hypothesis predicts fitness benefits to mothers that have more males in their 1st litter (the 1st cohort) each season. The feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), in Victoria, Australia, is another species that produces 2 litters per year and not all males mature before the start of the breeding season after their birth. Hence, feathertail gliders also might be expected to show a pattern of sex bias in litters consistent with the FCAH. They do not. This paper uses data from 2 field studies of feathertail gliders in Victoria over the past 18 years. Sex ratios were recorded for 53 first- and 42 second-cohort litters. There was a trend toward male-biased litters in the 1st cohort, but also in the 2nd, and neither group differed significantly from a binomial distribution of sex ratios. This provides no support for the FCAH in this species. This may be due to the much less sharply defined breeding seasons in feathertail gliders compared to those of Virginia opossums, and to their greater longevity.


Introduction DIVERTICULA of the midthoracic esophagus are infrequent and rarely symptomatic. They are usually regarded as incidental findings on barium swallow radiographic studies. However, as Palmer 1 has pointed out, "it is the tendency toward complication which renders this lesion important." The following case report is that of a large midesophageal diverticulum with hemorrhage as the only symptom and complication. Report of Case This 55-year-old white female (56-49-22) was in good health until March 1963, when she had an episode of cramping abdominal pain and vomiting, and passed a single large black stool; she was treated for "gastroenteritis" by her local physician and recovered promptly. An upper gastrointestinal series, not including esophagram, was not remarkable. In September 1963, the patient stated that she felt well until shortly after a light noon meal when she suddenly became nauseated and vomited large quantities of dark red blood and required a transfusion of