Purpose: Dose verification of spot-scanning proton pencil beam is performed via planar dose measurements at several depths using an ionization-chamber array, requiring repeat irradiations of each field for each depth. Here we investigate film dosimetry which has two advantages: higher resolution and efficiency from one-shot irradiation for multiple depths. Methods: Film calibration was performed using an EBT3 film at 20-cm depth of Plastic Water (CIRS, Norfolk, VA) exposed by a 10-level step wedge on a Proteus Plus proton system (IBA, Belgium). The calibration doses ranged from 25–250 cGy(RBE) for proton energies of 170–200 MeV. A uniform 1000 cm3 dose cube and a clinical prostate combined with seminal-vesicle and pelvic-nodes plan were used for this study. All treatment plans were generated in the RayStation (RaySearch Lab, Sweden). The planar doses at different depths for both cases were measured with film using triple-channel dosimetry and the MatriXX PT (IBA Dosimetry, Germany). The Gamma passing rates, dose-difference maps, and profiles of 2D planar doses measured with EBT3 film and MatriXX, versus treatment planning system (TPS) calculations were analyzed and compared using the FilmQA Pro (Ashland Inc., Bridgewater, NJ). Results: The EBT3 film measurement results matched well with the TPS calculation data with an average passing rate >95% for 2%/2mm and are comparable with the MatriXX measurements (0.7%, 1.8%, 3.8% mean differences corresponding to 3%/3mm, 3%/2mm, 2%/2mm, respectively). Overall passing rates for EBT3 films appear higher than those with MatriXX detectors. Conclusion: The energy dependence of the film response could be minimized by calibration using proton beam with mixed energies. The greater efficiency of the dose verification using GafChromic EBT3 results in a potential cost trade-off between room capacity and film cost. EBT3 film may offer distinct advantages in highly intensity-modulated fields due to its higher resolution compared to 2D ionization-chamber array detectors. One of the authors has a research grant from Ashland Inc., the manufacturer of GafChromic film


Health behavior change is often viewed as the rate-limiting step in a lifestyle medicine program. Health behavior change strategies that are tailored to an individual patient's needs may help him/her become more successful at reaching his/her personal health goals. Based on the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, this article provides an example of using "Readiness to Participate in Lifestyle Behaviors" and "Confidence to Participate in Lifestyle Behaviors" questionnaires in a community pharmacy lifestyle medicine program to tailor health communications. The questionnaires are important to the program for setting individual patient goals and for assessing a patient's progress in the lifestyle medicine program.


Purpose. This paper focuses on the definition of "protection of intellectual property rights", "rights in social networks", "interest protected by law" and explaining the issue of the mechanism of protection and protection of intellectual property rights in social networks. The article substantiates the thesis about the concept of "protection" and "protection" of intellectual property rights, classification of interests according to various criteria is carried out. The article examines the legal nature of protection of intellectual property rights in social networks. Methodology. The methodology includes a comprehensive analysis and generalization of the available scientific and theoretical material and the formulation of appropriate conclusions and recommendations. During the research, the following methods of scientific knowledge were used: terminological, dialectical, logical-semantic, logical-normative, system-structural. Results. In the course of the study, the concept of "protection of intellectual property rights" was defined. It is proved that social networks have a fairly wide subject composition. The social network is a free opportunity for authors to publish their works among a significant number of users, which in turn creates the possibility of violating the rights of authors in social networks from unauthorized influence. Scientific novelty. In the course of the research it was established that when it comes to ensuring the balance of public and private interests of the parties in copyright, it means, among other things, the introduction of special norms of free use of works in international and national law. The problem of using social networks as a means of publishing works requires further thorough detailed research on determining the mechanism of ways to protect these interests. Practical significance. The results of the study can be used in law-making activities for the purpose of legal regulation of public relations in the sphere of legal protection of the brand.


Disorders of water balance, an excess or deficit of total body water relative to body electrolyte content, are common and ascertained by plasma hypoor hypernatremia, respectively. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association studymetaanalysis on plasma sodium concentration in 45,889 individuals of European descent (stage 1 discovery) and 17,637 additional individuals of European descent (stage 2 replication), and a transethnic meta-analysis of replicated single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 79,506 individuals (63,526 individuals of European descent, 8765 individuals of Asian Indian descent, and 7215 individuals of African descent). In stage 1, we identified eight loci associated with plasma sodium concentration at P,5.0 3 10. Of these, rs9980 at NFAT5 replicated in stage 2 meta-analysis (P=3.1 3 10), with combined stages 1 and 2 genomewide significance of P=5.6 3 10. Transethnic meta-analysis further supported the association at rs9980 (P=5.9 3 10). Additionally, rs16846053 at SLC4A10 showed nominally, but not genome-wide, significant association in combined stages 1 and 2 meta-analysis (P=6.7 3 10). NFAT5 encodes a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor that coordinates the intracellular response to hypertonic stress but was not previously implicated in the regulation of systemic water balance. SLC4A10 encodes a sodium bicarbonate transporter with a brain-restricted expression pattern, and variant rs16846053 affects a putative intronic NFAT5 DNA bindingmotif. The lead variants forNFAT5 and SLC4A10 are cis expression quantitative trait loci in tissues of the central nervous system and relevant to transcriptional regulation. Thus, genetic variation inNFAT5 and SLC4A10 expression and function in the central nervous system may affect the regulation of systemic water balance. J Am Soc Nephrol 28: 2311–2321, 2017. doi: https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2016080892 Received August 19, 2016. Accepted February 2, 2017. C.A.B. and M. Gorski contributed equally to this work. A. Parsa and D.M.C. jointly oversaw this work. Published online ahead of print. Publication date available at www.jasn.org. Correspondence: Dr. David M. Cohen, Oregon Health and Science University, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mailcode SJH6, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. Portland, OR 97239. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Nephrology J Am Soc Nephrol 28: 2311–2321, 2017 ISSN : 1046-6673/2808-2311 2311 B A SI C R E SE A R C H Abnormal water balance is an excess or deficit of total body water relative to electrolyte content, and it is determined by measuring the plasma sodium concentration.1 Hyponatremia (relative water excess) is the most common electrolyte abnormality among hospitalized patients2; it is highly prevalent among the acutely ill,3 patients undergoing surgery,4 and the elderly.5,6 Severe acute hyponatremia causes brain edema, seizures, and death.7 Reversible defects in cognition, coordination, and mood occur with even subtle chronic hyponatremia.8,9 Water balance is regulated by thirst and aquaporin-2– dependent water reclamation in the kidney collecting duct. Both phenomena are influenced by arginine vasopressin, the secretion of which is governed by brain regions that continually monitor the osmolality of the extracellular fluid compartment. Activation of arginine vasopressin receptor-2 (encoded by AVPR2) by circulating arginine vasopressinmediates the insertion of preformed aquaporin-2 into the luminal membrane of principal cells of the kidney collecting duct and is permissive for water reabsorption. The degree of water reabsorption, in turn, affects the concentration of plasma sodium, the principal extracellular cation and determinant of plasma osmolality or tonicity. Changes in systemic osmolality or tonicity are almost immediately transmitted to the intracellular milieu via water movement. Within cells, osmoregulation and thus, water balance are governed by the tonicity-responsive transcription factor tonicity-enhancer binding protein10, also known as the osmotic response element binding protein11 and NF of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5).12,13 Identification of molecular pathways influencing systemic water balance has implications for both understanding the pathogenesis of primary disorders of water imbalance (such as the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis7) and the development of novel therapies. Exceedingly rare point mutations inAQP2 (encoding aquaporin-2) andAVPR2 causeMendelian disturbances in water balance14–19; however, little is known about the genes influencing the interindividual variability of plasma sodium concentration (i.e., water balance) in the general population.We previously showed heritability of plasma sodium concentration at the population level.20 Genome-wide association study (GWAS)–based approaches have proven to be instrumental in identifying genetic loci associating with a wide variety of diseases andphysiologic traits21 and thus, novel biologicmechanisms22,23; however, the only previous GWAS of plasma sodium had limited power and did not detect any significant associations.24 Other efforts to determine the genetic architecture of water balance have been limited to candidate gene–based studies.25 We, therefore, performed a GWAS and replication on the phenotype of plasma sodium concentration in 45,889 and 17,637 individuals of European descent, respectively, with follow-up in 8765 and 7215 individuals of Asian Indian and African descent, respectively, and transethnic meta-analysis of replicated singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all 79,506 individuals. RESULTS Study Participants After excluding individuals with high glucose or impaired kidney function (Concise Methods, Supplemental Table 1), 63,526 individuals of European descent from 25 cohorts were included in this analysis: 45,889 individuals from21 cohorts in stage 1 meta-analysis and 17,637 individuals from four cohorts in stage 2 meta-analysis (Table 1). Furthermore, a total of 7215 individuals from five cohorts of African descent and 8765 individuals from four Asian Indian cohorts were included in the transethnic analyses (Supplemental Table 2). Details of each cohort's study design, genotyping methods, and quality control criteria are shown in Concise Methods and Supplemental Tables 3 and 4. Plasma sodium and glucose concentrations were within expected ranges in all cohorts (Table 1). Stage 1 Meta-Analysis of European Descent Studies In stage 1meta-analysis, therewas little evidence of population stratification as evidenced by the quantile-quantile plot (Supplemental Figure 1) and the low genomic inflation factor l=1.02with study-specific inflation factors ranging from 0.9 to 1.04. Eight SNPs met the prespecified criteria for follow-up in stage 2 meta-analysis (P,5 3 10), with minimum P=1.9 3 10. These SNPs, detailed in Table 2, showed no relevant heterogeneity (I#30%) and good imputation quality, except for rs6565990 at the GALR1 locus (Supplemental Table 5). Figure 1 shows the2log10 P value (Manhattan) plot, and Supplemental Tables 6 and 7 list all SNPs associated with plasma sodium concentration with P,1 3 10. Stage 2 Meta-Analysis of European Descent Studies In stage 2 meta-analysis, the minor G allele (frequency =0.15) of rs9980 in the NFAT5 locus on chromosome 16 showed a direction-consistent significant association with higher plasma sodium concentration of similar magnitude as in stage 1 meta-analysis (b=0.06, one-sided P=3.1 3 10; significance threshold by Bonferroni method: P,0.01). In the combined meta-analysis of stages 1 and 2 cohorts, the association of the rs9980 minor G allele (frequency =0.14) with higher plasma sodium concentration values was genome-wide significant (b=0.06 for each copyof theminorG allele,P=5.6310) (Supplemental Figure 2A, Table 2). The minor allele G (frequency =0.10) of rs16846053 in the SLC4A10 locus on chromosome 2 (Supplemental Figure 2B) was nominally associated with plasma sodium, and the direction of effect was consistent with stage 1 results (one-sided P=0.04). The combined stages 1 and 2 P value was lower than stage 1 results but did not reach strict genome-wide significance (P=6.7 3 10) (Table 2). Nonetheless, some have advocated for a more lenient genome-wide significance threshold, especially among more recently founded populations.26 The remaining SNPs selected for replication in stage 2 did not replicate (Table 2). However, although the SNP rs656599


ABSTRACT This study presents a framework that captures the patterns amongst the four different dimensions of customers' brand experiences with robotics by connecting tourism and hospitality research with the humanities literature on micro-stories. By analyzing narratives on an emerging social platform, the study shows that behavioral and cognitive experiences could elicit affective experiences that act as an interface before sensory experiences. The framework presented in this study provides implications into how the different dimensions of brand experiences could influence the marketing strategies of hotels with robotics.


The incylinder air bulk flow is a mainly tumble motion for fourvalve gasoline engine. However, this tumble affection and valid engine power output can be decreased when the engine is operated at light load and low speed because of the slow intake flow and unfavourable evaporation and atmosphere. Closing one of the two valves during the engine is operated at light load and lower speed is also an effective method to deal with the variation of engine speed operation. In this paper,air flow in the cylinder was measured by laser doppler anemometry(LDA) on a motored 4valve Fox350 spark ignition engine.The experimental results show that the incylinder air bulk motion produces an oblique swirl near the bottom of cylinder head in a 4valve Fox350 spark ignition engine when one of the two valves of the dualinlet configuration is closed. The incylinder air bulk motion is the combined motion of tumble and swirl.


The present work looks to investigate the place that take ups the account of the history in the configuration of the identities, for this case, the newspaper 'La Nacion'. An idetitie that we call 'liberal conservative'. For this we studied what the same newspaper wrote about the celebration of the May 25th of 1810 and about the revolution during the years 2001-2002 and 20082010. The selection's criteria of the periods, it was based on the different historical contexts and, in wich contexts, to deepen in the relation between the history's speech and and the speech of what way of action, Argentina should take in the situation.


Review question / Objective: Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors alone or in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with pretreated advanced, persistent, or recurrent metastatic endometrial cancer. Condition being studied: Advanced, persistent, or recurrent metastatic endometrial cancer. Study designs to be included: Non-randomized studies of monotherapy in populations selected for relevant biomarkers such as MMR, microsatellite stability, and PD-L1 expression status and randomized trials of ICI combinations in unselected patients.


This paper presented the extraction solution for the coupling coefficient at the magnetically coupled wireless power transmission(WPT) system through the analysis of its equivalent circuit considering the loss. The conventional extraction solution using coupled mode theory is generalized employing the extracted solution considering the load resistance. Consequently, the measuring process of extracting coupling coefficient becomes convenient since the even/odd mode analysis is not necessary. Furthermore, the coupling coefficient obtained from the induced extraction method was in excellent agreement with the coupling coefficient obtained using the ratio of magnetic flux passing through the two loops. The extraction of the accurate coupling coefficient at the magnetically coupled WPT is an essential work to analyze and optimize the WPT system.


The urban waterlogging has become a big problem.Take Zhengzhou City as example,the present situation of drainage and waterlogging damage were analyzed.The reasons why rainstorm can cause urban waterlogging were discussed.The strategies of urban drainage system when faced with rainstorm waterlogging were put forward.


Study design, materials and methods We reviewed a prospectively maintained database of 360 consecutive women who underwent SSR between 2005 and 2015. We excluded patients who had neurogenic bladder, non-synthetic or multiple slings, prior mesh for prolapse, concomitant surgery at the time of sling excision, urethral erosion or urethrovaginal fistula, post-operative retention, or less than 6 months follow-up. Demographics, type of sling, indications for removal, time to removal, and patient-reported outcomes were recorded. All SSR were performed transvaginally under general anesthesia with removal of as much sling as possible. [1] Post-operative outcomes were stratified by type of incontinence (stress-predominant (SUI), urge-predominant (UUI), and mixed (MUI)). Subsequent management (observation/medications, minimally-invasive intervention (urethral bulking agent, sacral neuromodulation, onabotulinumtoxinA injection), or more invasive surgery (sling, bladder suspension)) was evaluated. Success or "dry" was defined by response of 0 (none) or 1 (rarely) on UDI-6 questions 2 and 3 and self-reported satisfaction with continence at last visit, and no further anti-incontinence intervention.


The validity of quality assessment system of higher education is essentially a matter of policy evaluation.From the macro level,this system mainly refers to the external quality assessment which includes government evaluation,quality accreditation and university rankings.Depending on the degree of government intervention,external quality assurance system can be divided into recognized assessment and accreditation-based assessment.From the perspective of the accountability,the implementation of China's first round evaluation of undergraduate education system is essentially a government arrangement of accountability system on higher education institutes,which belongs to the administrative accountability.The validity of the first round evaluation of undergraduate education is considered "general",basically be recognized,but its space for improvement is huge.To improve the validity of the quality evaluation system of higher education in China,a social accountability system must be established.


Time‐resolved small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments have been performed on the self‐assembling process of a binary mixture of deuterated polybutadiene and protonated polybutadiene at the critical composition. This mixture has an upper critical solution temperature type of phase diagram with the spinodal temperature at 99.2 °C. Specimens held in the single‐phase state at an initial temperature (Ti) were quenched to a point inside the spinodal phase boundary at a final temperature (Tf) to induce phase separation via spinodal decomposition (SD). In order to examine the effect that thermal concentration fluctuations have on SD, three different initial temperatures, Ti=102.3 °C, 123.9 °C, and 171.6 °C, were chosen while Tf was fixed at −7.5 °C. The time‐dependent SANS structure factor, S(q,t;Tf), showed clear scattering peaks corresponding to the early and intermediate stages of SD. The time changes in the wave number qm(t;Tf) and the intensity Sm(t;Tf) at the peak of S(q,t;Tf) followed different p...


When Patients Request the Knife – Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request
Cesarean delivery on maternal request is defined as a prelabor cesarean delivery on maternal request in the absence of any maternal or fetal indications. There are many reasons underlying why women may desire this type of delivery versus planned vaginal delivery: anxiety over the birthing process, concern for perineal trauma during vaginal delivery, potential for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse, or the desire of selecting the date of delivery..


Author(s): Meyer, Anthony Joshua | Advisor(s): Nair, Stella E | Abstract: The Middle Cauca region in the northwest Andes has traditionally been portrayed as a provincial, stagnant, and culturally passive area. Its minimally adorned ceramic sculpture has been overlooked in favor of elaborate golden figurines and relegated as unsolvable and mysterious, since the vast majority of these objects come from looted contexts. However, in this thesis, I will challenge these assumptions.First I present evidence that this "Intermediate Area" was in fact a vibrant center of artistic production and cultural exchange. In light of this, we cannot consider the cultures and the objects that they produced as belonging to provincial societies that simply absorbed ideas from a larger center. Second, by using early sixteenth-century chronicles, archaeological reports, ethnographies, and a close visual and material analysis of surviving objects, I demonstrate that much can be gleaned from Middle Cauca retablo sculptures, specifically their artistic significance and the rich history of the cultures that produced them. I show how these sculptural forms, which date from A.D. 1000 to 1400, reveal evidence of vast trade networks stretching across the northern Andes. In addition, this evidence highlights the Middle Cauca's innovative engagement with concepts of gender, the body, and the afterlife. As we shall see, Middle Cauca artists sculpted the body to situate it within a larger cosmological structure and provide the deceased with enduring stability and guidance.


Objective To assess the efficacy of two cleaning methods for dental handpieces contaminated with known organisms.Methods Dental handpieces were contaminated with suspension of Bacillus subtilis var.niger spores ATCC 9372 and Escherichia coli 8099 respectively.The amount of bacterial culture was measured after manual cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning respectively.Results Manual cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning reduced 86.66%-88.82% and 90.68%-93.56% of the micro-organisms,respectively.There was significant difference in the cleaning rate between the manual and ultrasonic methods.Conclusion Ultrasonic cleaning was an effective method and prior to manual cleaning for the dental handpieces.


The methods to convert molten salt wastes (chloride) generated by pyrochemical reprocessing into oxides and to vitrify the oxides were investigated. The following results were obtained. (1) Alkaline metal chlorides such as LICl were converted to the corresponding oxides by reaction with H 3 BO 3 (the mole ratio of H 3 BO 3 /LiCl=1) and the residual Cl - content in the resulting products was found to be less than 1 %. (2) It was possible to depress the vaporization of volatile elements such as cesium by adding large excess of H 3 BO 3 (H 3 BO 3 /CsCl=10 (mole ratio)). (3) The resulting oxide compounds were easily vitrified using the conventional vitrification conditions. (4) An optimum glass composition for vitrification of converted oxides of molten salt wastes was selected. With this composition, the amount of vitrified waste from the pyro-process was found to be about the same as that from the purex-process. (5) The vitrified waste is expected to have the same degree of leaching resistance as the conventional ones.


We apply the methods of representation theory of nilpotent Lie groups to study the convergence of Fourier series of smooth global solutions to first order invariant partial differential equations Df = g in C? of a two-step compact nilmanifold. We show that, under algebraically well-defined conditions on D in the complexified Lie algebra, smooth infinite-dimensional irreducible solutions, when they exist, satisfy estimates strong enough to guarantee uniform convergence of the irreducible (or primary) Fourier series to a smooth global solution. Such strong estimates are not possible on multidimensional tori.


Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the commonest infectious diseases in the developing countries like Bangladesh. Tubercular Meningitis (TBM) is a common sequel of TB involving the Central Nervous System (CNS) and is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. Syringomyelia following TBM as late or early complication of TB is very rare. Case Description: We report a case of syrigomyelia in a 32 years old lady as a sequel, following treatment for tubercular meningitis after 8 years of successful treatment of tubercular meningitis with a full course of Anti tubercular drugs. She developed gradual weakness of her both lower limbs along with tingling and numbness and bladder incontinence for 5 months before presentation. MRI of Brain and Spine revealed syringomyelia from upper cervical region down to lower dorsal region. Syringostomy at D7 level was done initially but with not much significant improvement. Rather over a period of time she deteriorated and became bed ridden. We put a syringoperitoneal shunt. One month after surgery her lower limb power improved to MRC Grade 4 which enabled her to walk with support. She also had significant improvement of bladder function with full control. Conclusion: High index of suspicion with new neurological signs in patients of TBM, despite proper treatment, is worthwhile considering syringomyelia as a possible cause. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment thereby can reduce the morbidity with better neurological outcome.
JCMCTA 2017 ; 28 (2) : 116-121


ues of blood pressure among persons with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was not addressed. All were followed up for 24 months in a multicentered, prospective, randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blind study of Captopril 50 mg p.o. b.i.d. The annual rate of change in albumin excretion rate (AER) fell by 17.9% with Captopril treatment compared with a rise ofAER by 11.8% with placebo. Treatment provided a 67.8% risk reduction for progression to persistent proteinuria (>200 pg/min) but did not prevent the development of persistent proteinuria (4 of 67; after 17-23 months of treatment) or the development of hypertension (2 of 70). Over the 2-year period, for every eight persons treated,


The on-site inspection of high-power DC chargers results in new DC high-current measurement and DC energy traceability system requirements. This paper studies the traceability technology of electric energy value for automotive high-power DC chargers, including: (1) the traceability method of the built-in DC energy meter and shunt of the charger; (2) precision DC high current and small precision DC voltage output and measurement technology. This paper designs a 0.1 mA ∼ 600 A DC high current measurement system and proposes a 0.005 level DC power measurement traceability system. The uncertainty evaluation experiment of the DC power measurement calibration system and the high-power DC charger's on-site calibration experiment results verify the method's effectiveness and feasibility in this paper. The experimental results show that the combined standard uncertainty of the DC power metering verification system can be 0.0451%.


Traditional risk factors are responsible for about 70% of the population attributable risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).1 Common environmental exposures are known to be responsible for some portion of the remaining 30%. Therefore, it is important to study chemicals like the class known as Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals (PFCs) or Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PSASs). Two of the most highly studied PFCs are Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA or C8) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS or C8S). PFCs are persistent in the environment and associations have been shown with a whole host of negative health outcomes in laboratory animals, including endocrine-disrupting properties as well as developmental effects.2 To make matters worse, PFCs have been detected in the blood of >98% of the US population3 and epidemiological studies have demonstrated associations between PFOA and PFOS, and many negative health outcomes such as cancer,4 CVD,5 osteoarthritis,6 hyperuricemia,7 pregnancy-induced hypertension,8 endocrine disruption,9 dyslipidemia,10,11 and reproductive effects,12,13 often times even at baseline levels typical of the general population's exposure level.


ABSTRACT Analysis of previously published data showed that volume production of Pinus patula on a 16-year rotation reaches a maximum with initial espacements of 2 430 ± 620 stems/ha. Expected volume yields and diameters for a range of espacements are provided.


In view of the characteristics of the electrohydraulic servo system, a man-simulated intelligent controller is designed so as to improve the system static precision and dynamic characteristic by application of intelligent control theory in this paper. The results of the emulation and experiment indicate that this controller has good control.


International Affairs 94: 5 (2018) 1121–1138; doi: 10.1093/ia/iiy116 © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Institute of International Affairs. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: email@example.com The African Union (AU) and its responses to regional crises are increasingly at the forefront of many of the most pressing international issues. Africa is the site of many of world's most frequent and deadly armed conflicts and crises. The list of such conflicts is long: the Somali and Eritrean migrants feeding the crisis in Europe; the so-called 'Third World War' in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the failed and weak states of Mali, the Central African Republic and Somalia; and growing concerns over terrorism rising in ungoverned spaces. Increasingly the AU and its wider African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) are at the forefront of response to these crises. Since its foundation in 2001, the AU has established an ambitious interest in preventive diplomacy and conflict management, and has a significant effect on security outcomes across the African continent. Only fairly recently, however, has International Relations (IR) scholarship focused attention on the cultural and organizational norms that shape AU responses to regional conflict.1 Central to this growing literature are works exploring the security culture of the AU, which have tended to do so through reference to the codified norms and principles of the AU itself.2 Foremost among others, Williams highlights norms of sovereignty, non-intervention, antiimperialism as reflected in the phrase 'African solutions to African problems', uti possidetis, peaceful settlement of disputes, rejection of unconstitutional political change, and the AU's right to intervention under particular circumstances.3


an overall survival [Hb] level (cid:155) 10 g/dL; neutrophil count (cid:155) 1 1 10 g/dL; platelet count superior to 10 years with any of these treatments. Given these consid-(cid:155) 100 1 10 g/dL), 2-CdA was administered at a dose of 0.15 mg/ erable results, it is extremely important to reduce in these patients kg once a week for 6 courses. any risk of toxic deaths usually related to severe infectious complica-Twenty-five HCL patients, 22 males and 3 females with a median tions more frequently observed after treatment with 2-CdA. In fact, age of 56 years (range 37 to 71), entered this protocol. Twelve of it is well known that this agent, either administered as a continuous 25 patients were enrolled at the time of diagnosis while the remaining infusion (c.i.) for 7 days or as a 2-hour infusion for 5 days, frequently induces severe neutropenia and CD4 lymphocytopenia, both leading 13 were previously treated. Patients characteristics and results are


This is the final report for DOE DE-FG02-89ER45384. An overview of the operational history and status of beamline X-11A at the end of the contract period, and a brief review of the core science program at NCSU and the scientific results of X-11A since the last progress report is also presented.


The Universal modeling method, developed at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and successfully used in design practice, operates by gas-dynamic design parameters: the flow rate coefficient, the loading factor and compressibility criteria. The main design constraint for the impeller is the hub ratio. The previously used algorithm for the initial design of impellers is based on the limited design experience and design experiments. In some cases, a significant correction of the dimensions and shape of the impeller is required at the next stage of design. To approximate the initial design to the final design the authors performed the optimal design of 124 radial and axial-radial impellers with flow rate coefficients of 0.015 to 0.15, loading factors of 0.40 to 0.70, hub ratios of 0.25 to 0.40. Geometric parameters are approximated by algebraic formulae and supplemented with recommendations to apply classic formulae of impeller inlet dimensions, which together form the proposed method of the initial design.


In this paper,we discuss the existence of weak solutions to the initial and boundary value problem of a class of nonlinear degenerate parabolic equations in non-divergence form.Applying the method of parabolic regularization,we prove the existence of weak solutions to the problem.By carefully analyzing the approximate solutions to the problem,we make a series of estimates to the solutions and prove the weak convergence of the approximation solution sequence.Finally we testify the existence of weak solutions to the problem.


Introduction: The classification of multiple, simultaneous, ipsilateral breast cancer after localization in arbitrarily delimited quadrants, according to BI-RADS criteria, is in disagreement with pathological and cytogenetic investigations and with the evolution of the disease. This classification is related to the non-anatomical examination in two standard mammographic projections, including tomosynthesis, and to the non-anatomical orthogonal scanning in the classical ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging of the breasts.
Case Report: We illustrate a case of a 69-year-old woman with multicentric breast cancer detected and characterized by a non-invasive technique of diagnosis, based on the triad: anatomical ductal radial and antiradial breast ultrasound, Doppler study and strain sonoelastography, briefly named the full breast ultrasonography.
Conclusion: The complete technique of ultrasonography has the advantages of high availability, low costs, standardization of scanning and reporting, and especially a detailed imaging illustration of the breast anatomical normal and abnormal structures correlated with the pathological findings.


Objective:
To evaluate the early impact of Nd:YAG laser peripheral iridectomy (LPI) on visual quality.

Methods:
This was a prospective self-controlled study in which patients with primary angle closure underwent LPI during March to June 2016 at Department of Ophthalmology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled. An optical quality analysis system was used before and one week after LPI to assess the visual quality. The objective scatter index (OSI), Strehl ratio (SR), modulation transfer function (MTF) cut off, mean OSI , visual acuity (VA)100%, VA 20%, and VA 9%, and accommodation values were measured. Differences in the measurements before and one week after LPI were compared by paired t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests.

Results:
Forty-two patients (52 consecutive eyes, mean age: 63.5±8.4, age range 41 to 80 years) received LPI. There were no statistically significant differences in best corrected visual acuity or intraocular pressure before and one week after LPI. VA100%, VA 20%, and VA 9% before LPI were 0.73±0.37, 0.49±0.25, and 0.29±0.13 respectively. At one week after LPI, they were 0.77±0.30, 0.54±0.26, 0.32±0.15 respectively, with no significant differences from the pre-LPI values. None of the differences in OSI, MTF cut off, SR, mean OSI, and accommodation values before and one week after LPI were all not statistically significant.

Conclusions:
Nd:YAG did not have any impact on visual quality or accommodation. LPI was a safe and effective preventive therapeutic procedure for primary angle closure.

Key words:
optical quality analysis system; visual quality; YAG laser; iridectomy


A reactor core design with shroudless fuel assemblies (FAs) has been adopted in the BREST-OD-300 reactor's basic design. The choice of shroudless FAs is dictated by the fact that with this reactor core design, there are no separate isolated fuel rod cooling channels shaped by FA shrouds. Therefore, emergencies involving partial blocking of the core flow cross section at the core inlet that are considered for the newly designed lead-cooled reactor, will have less severe consequences for the fuel rods than they may be in the case of using shrouded FAs. Thus, with the shrouded FA's flow cross section being fully blocked, the heat produced by the fuel rods can only be removed from them to the coolant flowing in the gap between the shrouds (both due to natural convection of coolant inside the FA and due to thermal conductivity throughout the fuel rod bundle in the affected FA, predominantly in the radial direction). Obviously, if the core power is not reduced to a significant extent, overheating of fuel rods and loss of their cladding tightness will be unavoidable. A hypothetical situation involving partial blocking of the BREST-OD-300 reactor plant's core flow cross section was investigated by carrying out 3D calculations using a porous body model. The case of the FA flow cross section being fully blocked at the level corresponding to the first spacer grid from the bottom is considered. A conclusion can be drawn from the obtained study results that the growth of fuel rod cladding temperature that will take place when the flow cross section of even seven central FAs is blocked will not cause them to fail immediately (the cladding temperature will in this case make 790 °C), but in all likelihood, it will only result in their service life to become shorter. To obtain better accuracy of the reactor core analysis performed according to the porous body model, a more detailed reactor core model representing individual FAs and gaps between them should be used. Nonetheless, the results obtained from the performed numerical analysis show that the reactor core with shroudless fuel assemblies has a significant advantage over the design with shrouded fuel assemblies.


Objectives/Scope: Energy Efficiency is one of the major pillars that need to be considered seriously today more than ever to overcome potential environmental impact and mitigate climate change. Therefore, Saudi Aramco strives to improve the energy efficiency at its industrial and nonindustrial premises. These efforts are in line with the vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as several initiatives were launched to achieve net zero through decarbonization. Despite all the exerted efforts, strict policies, challenging targets and investments to achieve a continual improvement in energy efficiency, it would be hard to avoid a performance plateau without breakthrough solutions. This paper will shed light on some of best practices used in the southern area of Ghawar field to improve the energy performance of multiple gas and oil separation plants.


Pulmonary laceration is an uncommon complication of tube thoracostomy technique that is expected vigorous clinically and may be fatal. In this study, we report a case of pulmonary laceration owing to a tube thoracostomy, with no clinical signs, and detected incidentally on thorax computed tomography.


Since the global financial crisis of 2008, the effective lower bound on central-bank policy rates has come to constrain monetary policy choices with increasing frequency, both in the United States and elsewhere. This raises a question about how chronically the problem of a binding lower bound may be expected to arise from now on. And given such worries, many central banks are asking to what extent this makes it appropriate to adopt a substantially different monetary policy strategy than might be possible in a higher interest-rate environment.


: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) generated profound concerns in public. However, few validated scales measure COVID-related stress. We developed and psychometrically assessed a unique COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS) in an Iranian non-clinical population. The CSS was developed to evaluate the existing stress measures, specialists' reviews, and interviews with healthy individuals. Experts provided feedback on content validity. The correlation of CSS with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) was evaluated to assess convergent validity. Moreover, construct validity and reliability were assessed. Seven items were found acceptable after experts' review. The online method was used to collect information due to the dangerous conditions of COVID-19 and traffic restrictions in Iran. The scale link was shared as an invitation on the virtual social network pages for people to respond. The statistical population of this study included all Iranian people aged 18 - 60. All 755 people, including 511 females and 244 males who completed the questionnaire online, were selected as a sample. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed a one-factor structure. Correlations between items were acceptable, with item-total correlations being 0.49 - 0.58. The CFA resulted in acceptable factor loadings and fit statistics. Internal consistency reliability was found as α = 0.74. Regarding convergent validity, CSS had moderate to strong correlations with the depression (r = 0.53), anxiety (r = 0.59), and stress (r = 0.64) subscales of DASS-21 (P < 0.05). The seven-item CSS demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and can be a useful measure of research and evaluation. There is a need to test the scale's validity in a random sample and other nationalities.


The utilization of procedures involving aerodynamic braking and/or aerodynamic maneuvering on return from higher altitude orbits to low-earth orbit makes it possible to realize significant performance benefits. The present study is concerned with a number of mission scenarios for Aeroassisted Orbital Transfer Vehicles (AOTV) and the impact of potential technology advances in the performance enhancement of the class of AOTV's having a hypersonic lift to drag ratio (L/D) of 0.75 to 1.5. It is found that the synergistic combination of a hypersonic L/D of 1.2, an advanced cryopropelled engine, and an LH2 drop tank (1-1/2 stage) leads to a single 65,000 pound shuttle, two-man geosynchronous mission with 2100 pounds of useful paylod. Additional payload enhancement is possible with AOTV dry weight reductions due to technology advances in the areas of vehicle structures and thermal protection systems and other subsystems.


Abstract In 1998, Michael Bowen summarized an ICSU Press workshop on electronic publishing [1]. It is reprinted below (in this issue of Chemistry International) and I have been invited to give a 2023 perspective on its conclusions. In 1998, Wendy Warr was chair of the IUPAC Committee on Printed and Electronic Publications (CPEP was the predecessor of the current CPCDS) and Mike Bowen was Secretary. It was an advisory function of the committee to keep-up with how the landscape of electronic publishing was evolving. Before I address those conclusions more specifically, it is worth mentioning some electronic publishing advances of the 1990s. Carnegie Mellon University advertised an opening for an "electronic librarian" as early as 1991. Some electronic products predate the World Wide Web (e.g., arXiv preprints which were first emailed using TeX in 1991). The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) was launched in October 1997. SpringerLink, Elsevier's ScienceDirect, and PubMed were all available in 1998. The American Chemical Society (ACS) and Chemical Abstracts Service launched ChemPort in December 1997, in collaboration with seven other publishers. ACS had reinvented its journals for the Web with Articles as Soon as Possible (ASAP), search tools to find specific articles easily, and links to databases, and to cited articles through ChemPort. The scene was clearly set for electronic publishing, and so let's move to the eight 1998 predictions from the ICSU Press workshop.


The semantics of the coordinator but does not fit neatly into the traditional distinction between entailments and conversational implicatures. In its counterexpectational use, but can convey an implication relating its two conjuncts, which Grice (1975) classifies as a conventional implicature because its behavior diverges from both entailments and conversational implicatures. I propose that this meaning component arises from but 's interaction with the discourse context – specifically, how it makes conventional reference to the question under discussion (QUD) in the sense of Roberts (1996/2012, 2004). This derives the variable interpretation of the implication in the counterexpectational use, as well as its absence in the corrective and semantic opposition uses of but . This account provides a new perspective on the relationship between the different uses of but as a type of modal polysemy (Kratzer 1981, 1991), and it suggests that other expressions that have been argued to have conventional implicatures might also make conventional reference to the QUD.

http://dx.doi.org/10.3765/sp.7.4

 BibTeX info


The contribution is intended to present some of the porosity and residual stress measurements of the plasma-sprayed sheets of free-standing ceramics (Al2O3 + 4%TiO2 + 1%Fe2O3). The following relationships have been studied: porosity vs. sheet thickness, porosity vs. spray distance, residual stresses vs. porosity and residual stresses vs. sheet thickness. The correlation between the residual stresses on the free surface of the sheets and on the surface that was in contact with the steel substrate has been investigated.


Provided is a production method of biobutanol, which includes the steps of: producing biobutanol by fermenting biomass using a first microorganism having an ability of producing butanol; separating and refining the butanol from the fermented product with 60% or more of butanol selectivity; collecting wastewater produced in the previous step of separating and refining; preparing a culture medium including the wastewater; and culturing a second microorganism in the culture medium.


W e read with great interest Dr. Hartenbaum's detailed account of ''the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'' in the 25-year regulatory journey of proposed rulemaking regarding evaluation of safety-sensitive transportation personnel for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The journey has been circuitous indeed. We concur that the August 2017 decision by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to withdraw their March 2016 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Obstructive Sleep Apnea among Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers and Rail Workers has led to ''confusion for examiners and employers.'' Because of the withdrawal, examiners and employers do not have specific rules on which to rely when evaluating commercial vehicle operators, yielding an evaluation process vulnerable to inconsistency. We also agree that this withdrawal in no way invalidates the potentially catastrophic public safety risks and costs of untreated OSA among commercial operators. The agencies openly acknowledged these risk in the notice of withdrawal. As a timely reminder of these risks, the National Transportation Safety Board


In this article, I introduce the basics of Ruby, showing how it is similar to other high-level languages and where it adds its own, special twist. By the end of this article, I hope you'll know enough about Ruby to try it out for some small applications. If you're like me, you'll quickly discover that Ruby is surprisingly compact and elegant, making it possible to write maintainable code quickly and easily.


In the past two decades, re-entrant production systems have received a great deal of attention. One of the most important characteristics of re-entrant production systems is that the work units are manufactured layer-by-layer, so that some defects are more difficult to inspect after they are covered by the next layer. In this research, a mathematical model considering layered fabrication is developed to find the optimal solution for allocating inspections in re-entrant production systems. Workstations of variables data and inspections of quality characteristics measurement are modelled. In addition, this study considers three possibilities for the treatment of detected non-conforming units, namely repair, rework and scrap. Moreover, a heuristic algorithm is proposed in order to improve the optimization method based on complete enumeration, which suffers from a large amount of computation time, especially as the number of workstations increases. The model is highly extensible and applicable, so it can serve as a production-planning tool to solve the inspection allocation problem in re-entrant production systems.


New insights into epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) reaction with several amine hardeners for partial replacement of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) in coatings formulations are discussed. Thermosets formed by ELO and a variety of hardeners have been examined using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. In addition, the mechanical properties, wettability, and swelling of the resulting films have been evaluated. Good properties of ELO cured with diamines, as hexamethylene diamine and p-phenylenediamine, were obtained. Both thermosets offer good impermeability to water, which is higher than that of the commercial epoxy resin, fabricated using DGEBA and polyaminoamide, and an excellent thermal stability. The mechanical behavior is also better than the brittle and rigid films obtained from DGEBA-based resins, films exhibiting the elastic-like behavior of rubber materials. This chapter offers new and promising perspectives in the use of vegetable oils for coatings formulations.


This article discusses the current and potential application of experimental methods to the study of entrepreneurship phenomena. Drawing on a review of experimental studies in entrepreneurship research, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of experimental research designs for entrepreneurship research as a primer for those interested but not overly familiar with these methods. To advance research agendas and theory in the field, we introduce a typology of experimental manipulations that highlight alternative design choices based on the nature of their participant impact and realism of context. Finally, we provide an overview of areas of opportunity within the entrepreneurship literature for application of methods best suited to provide greater insight into the causal mechanisms at play.


Copyright: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Winkler-Reid S. Friendship, bitching, and the making of ethical selves: what it means to be a good friend among girls in a London school. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 2016, 22(1), 166–182.], which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.12339. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.


The paper presents the software and data transfer method between ProCAST and Deform-3D, which allow to take into account the geometry, temperature, residual stresses and microstructure of semi-finished product in the "casting – forming" processes.


Purpose In GBM, EnFIAUC60>0 has been shown to correlates with DCE-MRI derived K [1]. K has previously identified as a prognosticator in GBM [2]. EnFIAUC60>0 requires a dynamic acquisition and calculation of initial area under the contrast agent concentration curve (IAUC). This adds to the scan time and requires complex post processing analysis with conversion of signal intensity changes into contrast agent concentration levels. If a similar measurement of EnF could be obtained from routine clinical imaging which would not require an additional dynamic sequence and complex post processing analysis this would be highly desirable in translating the measurement of EnF into clinical pratice. The aims were to evaluate the feasibility of measuring EnF (EnFSI) from routine pre and post-contrast T1-weighted imaging and assess its relationship with K. Materials and Methods 30 GBM were imaged preoperatively. Imaging included pre and post-contrast T1weighted images (TR 10 ms, TE 500 ms, slice thickness 4.0mm, 256x256) and a T1-DCE-MRI protocol (3 pre-contrast spoiled fast field echo sequences with different flip angles (2, 10, 16) for calculation of baseline T1 maps (TR 3.5ms, TE 1.1ms, slice thickness 4.2mm, 128x128) and a dynamic, contrast enhanced acquisition series with identical acquisition parameters as the variable flip angle baseline T1 measurement, consisting of 100 volumes with temporal spacing of approximately 3.4 seconds, with gadolinium-based contrast agent injected as a bolus of 3ml, at 15 mls, at a dose of 0.1mmolkg of body weight after acquisition of the fifth image volume). Parametric maps of IAUC and K were generated. Volumes of interest were drawn for whole tumour (VOItumour) and contralateral normal appearing white matter (VOInawm). EnFIAUC60>0 was calculated by dividing number of voxels with IAUC>0mMol.s, by total number of voxels in VOItumour. The mean change in signal intensity + 2 standard deviations for VOInawm (meanΔSInawm+2SD) was calculated. EnFSI was calculated by dividing number of voxels with signal intensity change greater than meanΔSInawm+2SD by total number of voxels in VOItumour. Agreement between measures was assessed with Bland/Altman plots. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationships with K. Results There was good correlation between the two measures (Figure 1). However, Bland Altman plots showed the measures were not directly interchangeable (Figure 2). The mean difference between EnFIAUC60>0 and EnFSI was 0.0378 (range -0.112 to 0.264, std. dev 0.07573). Low values of EnF ( 0: ρ=0.462, p 0 and EnFSI are not directly interchangeable measures but both correlate with K. Further work is required to assess the prognostic utility of these measures. Grant Support: This research was funded by a Cancer Research UK Clinicians Training Fellowship ref: C21247/A7473 (S Mills). G Buonaccorsi is funded on a Cancer Research UK Program Grant ref: C237/A6295. G Thompson is funded by a Cancer Research UK Clinicians Training Fellowship ref: C30033/A9809 References 1. Mills S, Soh C, O'Connor JP, et al. Enhancing Fraction in Glioma and its relationship to the tumoural vascular microenvironment: A Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2009 2. Mills SJ, Patankar TA, Haroon HA, Baleriaux D, Swindell R, Jackson A. Do cerebral blood volume and contrast transfer coefficient predict prognosis in human glioma? AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2006;27:853-858 Figure 1 Scatterplot of EnFIAUC60>0 versus EnFSI for all patients. There is a significant correlation between the two parameters (ρ=0.870, p<0.0005 and R=0.818)


In this paper, we synthesized nineteen new compounds having 2,4-diaryl-5-oxohexahydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazine structure by the reaction of 1,3-cyclohexanedione, aromatic aldehyde and ammonium acetate. In addition, we evaluated calcium antagonistic activity of these compounds versus nicardipine.


The technical passport for the X-ray room in accordance with the current sanitary legislation is a mandatory document certifying the technical condition of X-ray diagnostic equipment, devices for developing, fixing and drying X-ray films, additional equipment and accessories for performing special types of X-ray diagnostics, means of protection against ionizing radiation of workplaces of the office staff and adjacent to the office of the premises and confirming the compliance of their characteristics with the normative and technical documentation and domestic standards. The purpose of this work was to assess the relevance and necessity of issuing a technical passport for the X-ray room and to coordinate the project of the X-ray room with the X-ray department in the light of the current sanitary legislation. Registration of a technical passport by organizations that have special permits for these types of work, and not only by the X-ray and radiological department, would increase the legal value of the technical passport. The information contained in the technical passport is duplicated in the rest of the documentation for the X-ray room, the requirements for which are enshrined in the sanitary legislation, which generally casts doubt on the need for a technical passport as a mandatory document.


The COVID-19 pandemic response affected maternal and neonatal health services worldwide. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on pregnancy outcomes, such as monthly stillbirth rates, percentage of monthly lower segment cesarean sections (LSCS), percentage of monthly preterm births, and percentage of monthly neonatal unit admissions at a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. The study was conducted as a retrospective medical record-based study and included a total of 28,292 deliveries from January 2018 to November 2021 at the same tertiary care center. These deliveries were divided into pre-pandemic and during-pandemic deliveries for analysis. The period before the first case of COVID-19 was reported in March 2020 was considered pre-pandemic, while the period after was considered during-pandemic. Statistical analysis was then performed on the above parameters to compare pre-pandemic rates to during-pandemic rates. Increased maternal stress during the pandemic, lockdown measures and movement restrictions, reluctance to obtain hospital treatment when required due to fear of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 infection of mothers were expected to affect pregnancy outcomes during the pandemic period. The pre-pandemic monthly average stillbirth rate was 9.58 per thousand live births versus the post-pandemic rate of 9.67 per thousand live births. The monthly average LSCS percentage was 49.5% during both periods. The monthly average preterm birth rate decreased from 13.6% to 12.92% during the pandemic, while the monthly average neonatal unit admission rate decreased from 13.3% to 11.37% during the pandemic. The Pearson correlation test confirmed that the monthly LSCS rate is moderately correlated with the monthly preterm rate and monthly stillbirth rate, indicating a positive correlation. The Welch's t test was used to determine the statistical significance of these mean differences between pre-pandemic and during-pandemic, and none of the mean differences in the monthly stillbirth rate, LSCS percentage, preterm birth percentage, or neonatal unit admission percentage were statistically significant (p > 0.05). The F test indicates that there is not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis that the variances of the two batches of the pre-pandemic and during-pandemic periods are equal at the 3% significance level.


The Induction of apoptosis by the Fas/APO-1 receptor is important for T.ceil-mediated CytOtOXIcIty and down-regulation of Immune responses. Binding of Fas ligand to the Fas/APO-1 receptor transduces an apoptotic signal that requires activationof InterleUkin1@3-converting enzyme(ICE) and CPP32IJ, members of a family of cysteine pretenses that are evolu tionarily conserved determinants of cell death. We report here that Fas/ APO-1-triggered apoptosis involves ICE-mediated activation of p34@ kinase. Ligation of the Fas receptor resulted in the rapid stimulation of ICE proteolytic activity and activation Ofp34@ Manse. Specific tetrapep tide inhibitors of ICE (Acetyl-Tyr-Val-AIa-Asp-chloromethylketone) or CPP32@ (Acetyl.Asp-Glu.VaI.Asp-aldehyde) prevented the anti-Fas anti. body-mediated activation of p34@ and inhibited apoptosis. Inhibition of p34cdc2 activity by transient overexpression of a dominant-negative cdc2 coftstnlct or human WEE! kinase inhibited Faa-mediated apoptosis. These results suggest that activation of p34@ kinase is a critical deter minant of cell death mediated by Fas and ICE family proteases.


Within the course of the theory of cultural consumption (CCT), this research aims to enlighten on the relationship between the consumer to hir or her system of consumption. The first part, qualitative, attempts to describe the nature of the relationship between the consumer and his or her system (the wardrobe in our case) through an anthropological study and a semiotic study. The data was collected by way of observation (video and audio taped) during usage experiences. The second part, quantitative, measures separately the sedimentation of value linked to usage and shopping experiences. Applied to the clothing market, results show the value of the organisational and systemic concerns (which merges with the utilitarian aspects of value). Three tools are adapted and applied in order to construct a segmentation of consumers. The data allows us to confirm the reliability of our measurement scales and to suggest typologies based on usage and shopping, experiences which underlines the real link between the two consumption experiences as long as we take into account the system of consumption.


Background: Plastoquinone biosynthesis in cyanobacteria differs from that in plants. Results: Chorismate pyruvate-lyase and 4-hydroxy-3-solanesylbenzoate decarboxylase single-gene knock-out mutants are severely affected in plastoquinone synthesis, cell size/structure, and growth. Conclusion: The plastoquinone biosynthetic pathway likely evolved from a pre-existing ubiquinone pathway in cyanobacterial ancestors. Significance: Cyanobacterial mutants deficient in plastoquinone biosynthesis allow deeper understanding of processes related to energy transformation. Plastoquinone is a redox active lipid that serves as electron transporter in the bifunctional photosynthetic-respiratory transport chain of cyanobacteria. To examine the role of genes potentially involved in cyanobacterial plastoquinone biosynthesis, we have focused on three Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 genes likely encoding a chorismate pyruvate-lyase (sll1797) and two 4-hydroxy-3-solanesylbenzoate decarboxylases (slr1099 and sll0936). The functions of the encoded proteins were investigated by complementation experiments with Escherichia coli mutants, by the in vitro enzyme assays with the recombinant proteins, and by the development of Synechocystis sp. single-gene knock-out mutants. Our results demonstrate that sll1797 encodes a chorismate pyruvate-lyase. In the respective knock-out mutant, plastoquinone was hardly detectable, and the mutant required 4-hydroxybenzoate for growth underlining the importance of chorismate pyruvate-lyase to initiate plastoquinone biosynthesis in cyanobacteria. The recombinant Slr1099 protein displayed decarboxylase activity and catalyzed in vitro the decarboxylation of 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate with different prenyl side chain lengths. In contrast to Slr1099, the recombinant Sll0936 protein did not show decarboxylase activity regardless of the conditions used. Inactivation of the sll0936 gene in Synechocystis sp., however, caused a drastic reduction in the plastoquinone content to levels very similar to those determined in the slr1099 knock-out mutant. This proves that not only slr1099 but also sll0936 is required for plastoquinone synthesis in the cyanobacterium. In summary, our data demonstrate that cyanobacteria produce plastoquinone exclusively via a pathway that is in the first reaction steps almost identical to ubiquinone biosynthesis in E. coli with conversion of chorismate to 4-hydroxybenzoate, which is then prenylated and decarboxylated.


Aerobic exercise prescription is often set at specific heart rate (HR) values. Previous studies demonstrated that during exercise carried out at a HR slightly above that corresponding to the gas exchange threshold (GET), work rate (WR) has to decrease in order to maintain HR constant. We hypothesized a greater WR decrease at a fixed HR following simulated microgravity/inactivity (bed rest, BR). Ten male volunteers (23±5 yr) were tested before (PRE) and after (POST) a 10-day horizontal BR, and performed on a cycle ergometer: a) incremental exercise; b) 15-min HRCLAMPED exercise, in which WR was continuously adjusted to maintain a constant HR, corresponding to that at 120% of GET determined in PRE; c) two moderate-intensity constant WR (MOD) exercises. Breath-by-breath VO2, HR and other variables were determined. After BR, VO2peak and GET significantly decreased, by about 10%. During HRCLAMPED (145±11 b∙min-1), the decrease in WR needed to maintain a constant HR was greater in POST vs. PRE (-39±10 vs. -29±14%, p<0.01). In 6 subjects the decreased WR switched from the heavy- to the moderate-intensity domain. The decrease in WR during HRCLAMPED, in PRE vs. POST, was significantly correlated with the VO2peak decrease (R2=0.52; p=0.02). A greater amplitude of the slow component of the HR kinetics was observed during MOD following BR. Exercise at a fixed HR is not associated with a specific WR or WR domain; the problem, affecting exercise evaluation and prescription, is greater following BR. The WR decrease during HRCLAMPED is a biomarker of exercise intolerance following BR.


A review of differences among religious groups in the United States is presented. The data are from the General Social Surveys conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Consideration is given to differences in moral views family values attitudes and class structure as well as to differences in religious practices. (ANNOTATION)


The second meeting of the Co-ordinated Research Project on"Reference Database for Neutron Activation Analysis" was held at the IAEA, Vienna from 7-9 May, 2007. A summary of the presentations made by participants is given, along with reports on specifically assigned tasks and subsequent discussions. In order to meet the overall objectives of this CRP, the outputs have been reiterated and new task assignments made.


Aims: This study aimed to characterize new isolates of human bifidobacteria, evaluate some of their probiotic potential and to screen these isolates for their effectiveness at inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes in vitro.


A recently proposed conceptual framework seeks to rearrange the effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) and regurgitant volume (RegVol) cut-offs according to left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in functional mitral regurgitation introducing "disproportionate FMR" to describe clinically meaningful FMR. The conceptual framework, however, remains hypothetical.

 To test the significance of disproportionate FMR.

 Data of 291 heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) under guideline directed therapy were embedded into this conceptual framework (Figure 1A). The black line represents the relationship when the degree of FMR is proportionate to LVEDV with a regurgitant fraction of (RegFrac) of 50%. The dashed lines represent the degree of uncertainty determined by the imprecision inherent to the measurement of RegFrac defined as 2SD for inter- and intraobserver variability by Bland-Altmann analysis (equals ±6.6%). Cox-regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were applied to assess the association between FMR proportionality and mortality.

 Median age was 68 years (IQR 61–75), 77% were male. Median LVEF was 25% (IQR 18–33) and LVEDV was 214ml (IQR 165–267). Disproportionate FMR was present in 71 patients (24%) (red dots Figure 1A) with a median EROA of 0.26cm2 (IQR 0.18–0.34) and a median RegVol of 42ml (IQR 28–52), proportionate FMR (yellow dots Figure 1 A) in 81 patients (28%) with a median EROA of 0.12cm2 (IQR 0.09–0.17) and a median RegVol of 18ml (IQR 14–27). During 7-years follow-up, 166 patients died. Disproportionate FMR was associated with excess mortality compared to patients with non-severe FMR (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.04–0.71, P<0.001), whereas proportionate FMR was not associated with increased long-term mortality (HR 1.04, 95% CI −1.53–0.71, P=0.83, Figure 1B).
 Figure 1. Panel A and B

 Every fifth patient suffers from disproportionate FMR which conveys a two-fold increased risk of mortality. Disproprtionate FMR corresponds to an EROA of roughly 0.3cm2 and a RegVol of 45ml – the unifying intersection between ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines to define severe FMR. The RegFrac provides a measure proportionated to left ventricular size and function supporting its use to define clinically relevant FMR. However, RegFrac is subject to compound error due to imputation of multiple measurements limiting its use as the leading contender for FMR grading. Regardless of the term used to describe clinically significant FMR, the conceptual framework emphasizes the unmet clinical need for recalibrated cut-offs for FMR severity condensed to an algorithm that combines the strengths of several measurements of FMR severity in an integrated manner.


This project seeks to develop a small free flyer that can be used to safely and effectively prospect on an Asteroid while being controlled by the crew. This will enable the characterization of the Asteroid for the In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Lava tubes can be explored remotely from the outside Asteroids can contain vast amounts of resources such as water for propellants and metals for feed stocks. Lava Tubes on Mars and the Moon may contain frozen volatile resources. Before the resources can be used, they must be found with a prospecting method. The NASA Agency Asteroid Grand Challenge seeks new ideas for Asteroid retrieval mission technologies for exploration and utilization of asteroids in a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO). This project will develop a small free flying platform that can be used to safely and effectively prospect on an Asteroid with limited autonomy while being controlled by the crew. This will enable the characterization of the Asteroid for ISRU. Lava tubes can be explored remotely from the outside as well using this same technology.


Summary It is well known that a rocket-propell ed booster vehicle may exhibit instability due to the sloshing of the liquid fuel in any of its tanks. In the usual methods of control analysis, the liquid mass is replaced by a rigid mass and a harmonic oscillator so that the equivalent rigid mass and oscillator provide a mechanical analog of the dynamic properties of the sloshing liquid. The oscillator may take the form of a pendulum or a spring-mass sys tem, the choice being purely one of convenience. In what fol lows the term "pendulum" will be understood to mean in general a "harmonic oscillator." The stability analysis of a vehicle of this type, controlled by a conventional autopilot, is complicated by the excessive cross coupling that exists between the sloshing (pendulum) modes and the rigid-body modes. In fact, even for two-tank configurations, computer studies (both analog and digital) are made where theoretical insight into the basic proper ties of the system is obscured. This paper develops a method whereby the sloshing stability of a booster vehicle, with an arbitrary number of tanks, may be determined virtually by inspection. In addition, a means of eliminating slosh instability by em ploying accelerometer feedback is investigated. This scheme has the advantage of materially reducing the weight penalty in curred by the use of baffles to damp the sloshing motion. The analysis given in this paper permits a rational, straightforward determination of the pertinent parameters which previously were obtained by empirical means via computer simulation.


The topic of this paper is in line with the efforts to reduce the spread of the pandemic effects; the objective is to design a quadcopter meant to perform urban aerial surveillance, focused on monitoring the urban traffic of cars and monitoring the traffic of groups of people, who should not gather in groups larger than three persons. The specificity of the work is given by the requirements of the European Project Semester EPS, where international teams of students actively experience a multidisciplinary and multicultural project for one semester in another university. This opportunity has allowed them to develop research and industrial partnerships. To this purpose, the approach provided by the I.N.C.A.S. as Research Partner is oriented towards Problem Based Learning and Project Organized Learning. The University as Organizer provides Project Related Courses and complementary Project Organized Learning. The research was oriented towards the customized design of a drone able to efficiently achieve the objective. The benefits of the research project are related mainly to the potential applications of the drone, with a good effect to cost ratio and to allowing the students to subsequently acquire valuable professional knowledge and experience from this research project


A cry1Ac22 gene was amplified by PCR from Bacillus thuringiensis strain W015-1 isolated from diapausing larvae of silkworm ( Bombyx mori ). The full-length gene was ligated into the prokaryotic expression vector pQE30 to construct the recombinant plasmid pQE30-Cry1Ac22 . The pQE30-Cry1Ac22 was transformed into competent cell of E.coli host strain M15 and then induced by IPTG to express His-tag-Cry1Ac22 fusion protein. The results showed that the His-tag-Cry1Ac22 was highly heterologous expressed in the presence of inclusion bodies in E.coli cell. Inducing experiments with different IPTG concentrations and temperatures revealed that the optimum condition for the expression of the fusion protein was 1 mmol/L IPTG and 28℃. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the host with pQE30-Cry1Ac22 generated a 133 kD His-tag-Cry1Ac22 fusion protein. The His-tag-Cry1Ac22 fusion protein was purified with affinity chromatography on a Ni 2 + -NTA resin column. Larvacidal assays were performed and showed that the engineered bacterial lysate and purified protein exhibited high insecticidal activity against second instar larvae of Plutella xylostella . This study might provide a basis for the preparation of antibody and for the determination of insecticidal activity using heterologous Cry1Ac22 protein.


The present study was undertaken in Kharif 2011 and 2012 at Research Farm of Regional Research station of SKUAST-K at Wadura. The divergence of beans collection comprising 300 genotypes including 297 test germplasm accessions and three checks namely Shalimar Rajmash-1, Contender and Selection-3 was studied using factor analysis. We considered eight quantitative traits related to seed yield namely days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of pods/plant, pod length, seeds/pod, 100-seed weight and seed yield/plant. Analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences between checks and accessions, between accessions and between checks for all the traits. It indicated presence of substantial amount of variation among the test entries. The factor analysis was based on Pearson correlation matrix and Euclidean distances. Total variance explained with the four PC's was more than 70%. Latent roots (Eigen values) are between 2.318 for the first and 0.112 for the eight. The first component explained 28.976 % of total variation, the second component explained 16.989 %, while as the third and fourth component explained 14.751 and 12.972 % respectively. Days to flowering and days to maturity were the important traits in the first two principal components. 100-seed weight was the important trait in third principal component while the pod length and seeds per pod were important traits in fourth principal component. Combined use of the three seven PC (principal components) could yield a successful selection of genotypes suitable for donors of one or more important traits in breeding.


Colleges and universities are responsible for providing a safe environment for members of the campus community. This article describes problems that can arise in dealing with nonstudents who potentially create safety problems an campus.


Some commonly consumed vegetables, fruits and spices were screened by thin layer chromatography for  potentially anticarcinogenic flavonoids namely quercetin (I), kaempferol (II), myricetin (III), luteolin (IV) and  apigenin (V). The anticarcinogenic flavonoid contents were also measured spectrophotometrically in vegetables, fruits and spices commonly available in Nepal.


In this model of relativistic electron-positron-ion plasma, only compressive solitons are found to exist. The amplitude becomes higher for smaller values of p e T T / = σ (= electron to positron temperature ratio). The investigation further revealed that higher values of c v / 0 ( 0 v is the initial ion streaming and c is the normalized velocity of light) gives higher amplitudes of compressive solitons.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Sleep problems are a common consequence of multiple sclerosis (MS); however, there is limited evidence regarding the agreement between device-measured and self-reported sleep parameters in adults with MS. The present study examined the agreement between self-reported and device-measured parameters of sleep quality in a sample of adults with MS.

METHODS
Participants (N=49) completed a seven-day sleep diary and wore a wrist-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ for seven consecutive nights to quantify self-reported and device-measured sleep parameters, respectively.

RESULTS
There was a significant discrepancy between self-reported and device-measured parameters of total time in bed (mean difference=19.8(51.3) min), sleep onset latency (mean difference=22.2(19.5) min), and frequency of awakenings during the night (mean difference=12.8(6.8)). Intraclass correlation (ICC) estimates indicated poor agreement between methods on most parameters, except for total time in bed (ICC=0.80). Bland-Altman plots suggested that total time in bed and total sleep time had acceptable levels of agreement and linear regression analyses indicated that sleep onset latency (F=113.91, B=-1.34, p<0.001), number of awakenings (F=543.34, B=1.85, p<0.001), and sleep efficiency (F=18.39, B=-0.77, p<0.001) had significant proportional bias.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results draw attention to the discrepancies between sleep parameter measurements and highlight the importance of including both self-report and device-measured outcomes for a complete and accurate representation of sleep in adults with MS.


The purpose of this study was to examine how the role of an agent of change to social change Mlatiharjo village communities, social change anything that happened, challenges and barriers and benefits to society Mlatiharjo village. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach, which generate data deskripstif, the form of words are written or spoken of the interviewed persons. Data sources are selected purposively and snow ball sampling. Data collected through observation studies, interviews, documentation and triangulation. The main instrument is the researcher himself. Validate data using triangulation of sources and techniques. The results showed that the innovations that have been made by an agent of change had a positive impact, ie a change in the mindset of the community in utilizing the potential that


It has been customary in economic discussion to direct attention toward the nation. Where generalizations of a broad character have been undertaken, the nation has commonly been their subject. Such an approach assumes that the nation forms the basis of a homogeneous market in which the forces of supply and demand interact in such a way as to produce a single price for each particular commodity or service. There is reason to believe, however, that the bounds of the nation are not always coterminous with the limits of the broadest single market within a country. To be sure, there are certain genuine national markets within a country, such as the market for wheat, or other staple commodities; but this condition does not hold good for all commodities or services. Consider the market for short term funds. Can it be said that a broad national market for such funds exists? Probably not. The banking system of the United States, as the principal factor in the market for short term loans, displays a considerable degree of differentiation. With its twelve Federal Reserve districts, the banking system of America presents no simple picture. By the same token, the groups of interest rates within the banking system form a complex pattern. It is the purpose of the present paper to analyze the regional pattern of interest rates, and to investigate the relationships inherent in the pattern. Such an investigation involves two elements: first, a descriptive analysis of the regional pattern of interest rates; second, an analysis of the factors causing the several interest rates to assume the observed configuration.' Accordingly, our investigation will first be directed toward the exposure of the actual regional structure of interest rates in the United States. To build up a proper picture of the situation it is necessary to know three things: (1) the relative position of the several sections in the scale of rates, and the change in such relationships through time; (2) the general trend of differentials in these regional rates through time; (3) the nature of cyclical variations in differentials.


Significance This work identifies a role for microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS, in the local control of the retinal vasculature and identifies deficits early in diabetes. Microglia contact neurons and vasculature and express several vasoactive agents. Activation of microglial fractalkine-Cx3cr1 signaling leads to capillary constriction and blocking the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with candesartan abolishes microglial-mediated vasoconstriction in the retina. In early diabetes, reduced retinal blood flow is coincident with capillary constriction, increased microglial–vessel association, loss of microglial–capillary regulation, and altered microglial expression of the RAS pathway. While candesartan restores retinal capillary diameter early in diabetes, targeting of microglial–vascular regulation is required to prevent coincident dilation of large retinal vessels and reduced retinal blood flow. Local blood flow control within the central nervous system (CNS) is critical to proper function and is dependent on coordination between neurons, glia, and blood vessels. Macroglia, such as astrocytes and Müller cells, contribute to this neurovascular unit within the brain and retina, respectively. This study explored the role of microglia, the innate immune cell of the CNS, in retinal vasoregulation, and highlights changes during early diabetes. Structurally, microglia were found to contact retinal capillaries and neuronal synapses. In the brain and retinal explants, the addition of fractalkine, the sole ligand for monocyte receptor Cx3cr1, resulted in capillary constriction at regions of microglial contact. This vascular regulation was dependent on microglial Cx3cr1 involvement, since genetic and pharmacological inhibition of Cx3cr1 abolished fractalkine-induced constriction. Analysis of the microglial transcriptome identified several vasoactive genes, including angiotensinogen, a constituent of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Subsequent functional analysis showed that RAS blockade via candesartan abolished microglial-induced capillary constriction. Microglial regulation was explored in a rat streptozotocin (STZ) model of diabetic retinopathy. Retinal blood flow was reduced after 4 wk due to reduced capillary diameter and this was coincident with increased microglial association. Functional assessment showed loss of microglial–capillary response in STZ-treated animals and transcriptome analysis showed evidence of RAS pathway dysregulation in microglia. While candesartan treatment reversed capillary constriction in STZ-treated animals, blood flow remained decreased likely due to dilation of larger vessels. This work shows microglia actively participate in the neurovascular unit, with aberrant microglial–vascular function possibly contributing to the early vascular compromise during diabetic retinopathy.


Let $u:A\to B$ be a bounded linear operator between two $C^*$-algebras $A,B$. The following result was proved by the second author.
Theorem 0.1. There is a numerical constant $K_1$ such that for all finite sequences $x_1,\ldots, x_n$ in $A$ we have $$\leqalignno{&\max\left\{\left\|\left(\sum u(x_i)^* u(x_i)\right)^{1/2}\right\|_B, \left\|\left(\sum u(x_i) u(x_i)^*\right)^{1/2}\right\|_B\right\}&(0.1)_1\cr \le &K_1\|u\| \max\left\{\left\|\left(\sum x^*_ix_i\right)^{1/2}\right\|_A, \left\|\left(\sum x_ix^*_i\right)^{1/2}\right\|_A\right\}.}$$
A simpler proof was given in [H1]. More recently an other alternate proof appeared in [LPP]. In this paper we give a sequence of generalizations of this inequality.


This manuscript discusses about the Parameter estimation of Induction motor by utilizing the soft computing methodologies that is by using evolutionary algorithms such as Genetic algorithm, Particle swarm optimization, Artificial immune algorithm to overcome the difficulties in the conventional method where we calculating the per phase equivalent circuit parameters from the No load test and Blocked rotor test which compromises in result in terms of accuracy of the result and also evaluated the accuracy of the different algorithm in estimating the parameters of the induction motor.


Review(s) of: The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers, by Michael Leahy, HarperCollins, New York, 2016, pp. xx + 473, hb, US$26.99


A speaker or writer employs the article to characterize a word group in the genitive case as concrete. When a word group in the genitive case is modified by the article, the restricting activity of the word group is held out as the identifying feature of the class. The neuter plural article indicates that the referent is a class of things whose sole identifying characteristic is defined by its association with an individual or group. It is common to observe that the article with a prepositional group is functioning as the head term. Prepositions generally serve to indicate a relation in terms of "being situated in, moving toward or moving away from a location", in either a literal or metaphorical sense. When modified by the article, the relation grammaticalized by the prepositional phrase is employed as the defining characteristic of the class.Keywords: genitive case; neuter plural article; prepositional phrase; word group


Why do societies today distribute political power more equally than before? Most scholars believe that this transition is explained by the rise of capitalism but have long disagreed about why it mattered. The author argues that dominant models fail to capture why capitalist development helps key actors win what they seek. Drawing on comparative and historical work, the author introduces a model of the democratic transition that centers on the concept of disruptive capacity. He collects data on employment structures for much of the modern period to study democratization over the same period. In cross-national regressions, the author finds evidence that the disruptive capacity of nonelites drives democratic gains, and the finding that landlord capacity stymies it is reproduced. Counterfactual exercises show that slightly more than half of the democracy gap between the developing and developed world can be explained by the fact that late development bolstered landlords while handicapping nonelites.


A dust collection filter for collecting fumes is constituted of a fiber having an oil repelling coating layer formed on the surface thereof. The dust collection filter has oil repellency of grade 6 or greater according to AATCCT Test Method 118, and transmittance of 70% or greater according to JIS B 9927 (particle size of 0.3 µm for test particles).


Franco Basaglia's reforms failed to find favour in anglophone or North European psychiatry. The UK's rejection was the best documented and elicited a furious response from Italy. Two highly influential articles in the British Journal of Psychiatry, in 1985 and 1986, consolidated the UK position. The reasons for rejection were three-fold. First, that the Italian hospitals, albeit reformed and humanized, were not 'closed' in any practical sense, since they still housed large numbers of patients. Second, a belief that UK practice, and in particular rehabilitation services and deinstitutionalization, were somewhat more advanced. Lastly, there was a general suspicion of ideology. Despite continued exchanges and some individual pockets of interest, Basaglia disappeared from the UK discourse. Why this happened is explored in this chapter, as are its consequences. The losses include a poorer relationship of psychiatry with society and its self-image. The suggested gains are strong evidence-based practice and more highly developed rehabilitation and specialist services.


A recurring theme in physicians' criticism of medical knowledge-based systems, particularly where the determination of treatment is concerned, has been one of doubts on reliability. Acceptance criteria for reliability are related to risk and safety considerations. The development of two related safety critical knowledge-based systems for optimised diabetes therapy illustrates approaches to these problems. The project shows the importance of thorough testing and clinical trials in overcoming physicians' very reasonable fears concerning the use of safety critical medical computer systems. >


A NSWER: Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) are forms of biotherapy that are being used increasingly for diagnosis and targeted treatment of many diverse diseases. MoAbs are used in the diagnostic imaging of colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer. MoAbs also are being used as both standard treatment and in clinical trials for a number of hematologic and solid tumors, including the treatment of CD20-positive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, CD33positive relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), CD52-positive relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and metastatic breast cancer. These agents also are being used in a variety of other treatment settings, including refractory asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, organ transplant, cardiology, and in the prophylaxis of respiratory synctial virus in pediatric patients. See Table 1 for a list of MoAbs and their uses. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body's humoral immune system in response to harmful substances (i.e., antigens). After binding to a unique site on an antigen, antibodies induce cellular destruction by recruiting the body's immune system to destroy harmful or nonself substances. MoAbs are proteins produced in large quantities from a single clone. MoAbs have a specific affinity for one antigen (e.g., the CD33 antigen on the AML cell) and belong to a family of proteins known as immunoglobulins. Early MoAbs were of mouse origin or murine based. When injected into patients, the murine product may elicit a human antiglobulin response, producing a human antimouse antibody (HAMA) response. Recognition of the murine portion of the MoAb as foreign results in the development of immune complex, which may negate the antitumor effect of the MoAb and prevent future treatment with the product. With new molecular and genetic engineering techniques, the hybridoma process has been refined to produce chimeric (i.e., human and mouse origin) and humanized (i.e., human origin) MoAbs to prevent the HAMA response (Rieger, 2001). The mechanism of action of the MoAbs is different from traditional chemotherapy, which acts on all actively dividing cells (i.e., both normal and tumor cells). MoAbs affect only the cells that carry the MoAbs' targeted antigen on their cell surface. After binding to the target antigen, MoAbs trigger the host immune system to destroy the tumor cell by cell lysis. Monoclonal antibodies also can be conjugated (joined) to radioisotopes (radioimmunoconjugates or RIT), chemotherapy drugs (chemoimmunoconjugates), or toxins (immunotoxin) to enhance their effect. The specificity of the MoAb to target specific antigens allows the conjugated MoAb to provide targeted therapy. To date, no formal research has been completed to evaluate the safest way to handle biologic agents. The last Occupational Safety and Health Agency update regarding the handling and disposal of hazardous agents was in 1995 and did not address MoAbs. The majority of MoAbss do not directly affect DNA and, therefore, are not considered mutagenic. Clinicians should use common sense when handling MoAbs and take extra precautions to avoid unnecessary exposure, including avoiding contact with skin and generating aerosoles (Conrad & Horrell, 1995). MoAbs conjugated to chemotherapeutic drugs are handled and disposed of in the same manner as the chemotherapy used. This includes the use of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gowns, and goggles, as outlined in the Oncology Nursing Society publication, Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (Brown et al., 2001), whenever a risk exists of cytotoxic agents being released into the environment. When working with patients who are receiving MoAbs conjugated to RIT, radiation precautions are to be maintained. Knowing the properties of the radioisotope being used is important when determining the type and length of time radiation precautions are to TABLE 1. MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND THEIR USES


A novel approach to the control of a single joint-single flexible link robot is proposed and experimentally evaluated. The control is completely signal based, and relies on joint trajectory pre-planning plus collocated vibration control of the flexible link through piezoelectric actuation. Trajectory pre-planning is a well known strategy for avoiding link vibrations during maneuvers, however it has limited robustness to parameter uncertainty. Experimental work is reported where the link parameters are biased from their original values by adding a small mass at the tip. It is verified that when pre-planning is combined with collocated vibration control system performance is significantly improved.


LVx, including Laser Voltage Imaging(LVI) and Laser Voltage Probing(LVP), is an indispensable optical failure analysis tool set for design debug and yield ramp-up. Although LVI and LVP together provide a good coverage for failure analysis cases involving scan-chain functionality testing, their applicability remains limited when addressing pulsed signals from logic circuits with ever growing complexity. Laser Voltage Tracing(LVT), as a recent addition to the LVx suite, provides a global map, highlighting the active region with low duty-cycle voltage transition pattern. In this paper, we present a case study of the detection of timing abnormality for a waveform feature with <0.1% duty cycle by applying LVT. Complemented by LVP and Soft Defect Localization (SDL), the fault was localized down to two interconnected logic gates. Resistive interconnection was confirmed with Physical Failure Analysis(PFA).


The emergence of superbugs and antibiotic resistance bacteria nowadays make a limited choice of antibiotic available for treatment. This circumstance is an alarming to public health. Thus, public knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic usage play an important role in the success of treatment process. This study aimed to evaluate public knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic utilization and the association of knowledge with demographic variables. A self-administered cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 380 respondents by using a pre-validate questionnaire at public places in Shah Alam, Malaysia from January 2014 to April 2014.


Language education policies in the United States have affected the education of Latina/o students, especially those en la frontera, including those enrolled in dual language education. Pre-service and in-service teachers in the field of dual language education can benefit from viewing Latina/o students as nepantleras/os when examining language education policies. In addition, it is necessary for those educators to develop sociopolitical consciousness in order to advocate for their students and to contest restrictive language education policies affecting nepantlera/o students in the physical and/or psychological borderlands. Similarly, dual language teachers need to support their students' development of sociopolitical consciousness in order to empower them to contest oppressive language education policies impacting their educational lives. For this, there is a need to transform dual language education and include sociopolitical consciousness as one of its goals.


ON THE EFFECT OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES : A STUDY OF GERMAN AND TURKISH PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES