Search

Supplementary Data; Supplementary Tables S1-S2.

Purpose: Brivanib, a selective dual inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor and VEGF signaling, has demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity in preclinical and phase I studies. We performed a phase II open-label study of brivanib as first-line therapy in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.Experimental Design: Brivanib was administered orally at a dose of 800 mg once daily. The primary objective was 6-month progression-free survival, progression-free survival rate; secondary objectives were tumor response rate, time to response, duration of response, median progression-free survival, median overall survival, disease control rate (complete response, partial response, or stable disease ≥ 42 days), and safety and tolerability.Results: Between March 2007 and May 2009, 55 patients were treated and were evaluable for response. Patients were assessed using modified World Health Organization (mWHO) criteria. According to mWHO criteria and as assessed by Independent Response Review Committee, the six-month progression-free survival rate (95% CI) was 18.2% (9.1%–30.9%). Median progression-free survival (95% CI) was 2.7 months (1.4–3.0). One patient achieved a complete response and three achieved a partial response. Twenty-two had stable disease. Median overall survival (95% CI) was 10 (6.8–15.2) months. Brivanib was generally well tolerated; the most common adverse events included fatigue, hypertension, and diarrhea.Conclusion: Brivanib as first-line therapy demonstrates promising antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced, unresectable HCC. Clin Cancer Res; 17(7); 1973–83. ©2011 AACR.

To investigate the factor structure of the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in posttraumatic amnesia (PTA).Inpatient TBI rehabilitation ward in Victoria, Australia.A total of 364 patients aged 16 to 92 years meeting diagnostic criteria for TBI and PTA admitted between September 2013 and October 2020.Retrospective cohort study utilizing electronic medical record data.The ABS and the Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale (WPTAS).Exploratory factor analysis uncovered 2 moderately correlated underlying factors (0.52), labeled Restlessness and Aggression/Lability. Two items failed to demonstrate sufficiently large loadings on either factor. Both factors demonstrated adequate reliability (Cronbach α = 0.87 and 0.81 for Restlessness and Aggression/Lability, respectively). Linear regression indicated that higher WPTAS scores were associated with lower levels of Restlessness (β = -.14, P.001), supporting construct validity. Conversely, WPTAS scores were not significantly associated with Aggression/Lability (β = -.12, P = .08). Subgroup analysis indicated that a history of mood disorder was associated with greater severity of Aggression/Lability (P = .02). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated superior fit of the identified 2-factor solution when compared with previously explored 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-factor structures.This study suggests that the latent structure of the ABS is best explained by a single construct of agitation with 2 discrete facets reflecting Restlessness and Aggression/Lability. These subscales may be used in clinical practice to evaluate the severity of different aspects of agitated behavior, inform treatment decisions, and judge the efficacy of interventions over time. Further research is required to explain low factor loadings demonstrated by 2 items.

Agitation is common during post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is associated with risk of harm to patients and caregivers. Antipsychotics are frequently used to manage agitation in early TBI recovery despite limited evidence to support their efficacy, safety, and impact upon patient outcomes. The sedating and cognitive side effects of these agents are theorized to exacerbate confusion during PTA, leading to prolonged PTA duration and increased agitation. This study, conducted in a subacute inpatient rehabilitation setting, describes the results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the efficacy of olanzapine for agitation management during PTA, analyzed as an n-of-1 series. Group comparisons were additionally conducted, examining level of agitation; number of agitated days; agitation at discharge, duration, and depth of PTA; length of hospitalization; cognitive outcome; adverse events; and rescue medication use. Eleven agitated participants in PTA (mean [M] age = 39.82 years, standard deviation [SD] = 20.06; mean time post-injury = 46.09 days, SD = 32.75) received oral olanzapine (

This study develops an understanding on human dimension approach of adaptation with special context to Indian agriculture. The study conducts a micro-level assessment of farmer’s perception and adaptation responses based on survey data analysis of 200 farm household from two districts, i.e., Jalaun and Jhansi of Bundelkhand region. The study finds perceive and adapt cognitive condition to the main adaptation condition. The study recognizes the importance of social relations for developing an understanding of climate change. Government sources are found to be less impactful in delivering climate information along with other hypothesized sources. The study results provide a useful guide for identifying region-specific adaptation strategies options like, adoption of disease resistant seed varieties and use of new plant protection chemicals to deal with climate change. The role of government needs to be escalated in providing appropriate and adequate climate information to the farmers. Policy action is needed in creating awareness, increasing faith on reliability and accuracy of climate information services by the government.

Agitation is common in the early recovery period following traumatic brain injury (TBI), known as post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). Non-pharmacological interventions are frequently used to manage agitation, yet their efficacy is largely unknown. This systematic review aims to synthesize current evidence on the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for agitation during PTA in adults with TBI. Key databases searched included MEDLINE Ovid SP interface, PubMed, CINAHL, Excerpta Medica Database, PsycINFO and CENTRAL, with additional online reviewing of key journals and clinical trial registries to identify published or unpublished studies up to May 2020. Eligible studies included participants aged 16 years and older, showing agitated behaviours during PTA. Any non-pharmacological interventions for reducing agitation were considered, with any comparator accepted. Eligible studies were critically appraised for methodological quality using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Instruments and findings were reported in narrative form. Twelve studies were included in the review: two randomized cross-over trials, three quasi-experimental studies, four cases series and three case reports. Non-pharmacological interventions were music therapy, behavioural strategies and environmental modifications, physical restraints and electroconvulsive therapy. Key methodological concerns included absence of a control group, a lack of formalised agitation measurement and inconsistent concomitant use of pharmacology. Interventions involving music therapy had the highest level of evidence, although study quality was generally low to moderate. Further research is needed to evaluate non-pharmacological interventions for reducing agitation during PTA after TBI.Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO (CRD42020186802), registered May 2020.

BackgroundAgitation is common in the early stages of recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI), when patients are in post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). Agitation is associated with risk of harm to patients and caregivers. Recent guidelines recommend that agitation during PTA is managed using environmental modifications. Agitation is also frequently treated pharmacologically, with the use of atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine among the most common. This is despite a lack of well-designed studies to support the use of antipsychotics within this context. This study will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial. We will examine the efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness and outcomes associated with the use of olanzapine for reducing agitation in patients in PTA following TBI over and above recommended environmental management.MethodsFifty-eight TBI rehabilitation inpatients who are in PTA and are agitated will receive olanzapine or placebo for the duration of PTA. All participants will additionally receive optimal environmental management for agitation. Measures of agitation, PTA and health will be undertaken at baseline. Treatment administration will begin at a dose of 5 mg daily and may be escalated to a maximum dose of 20 mg per day. Throughout the treatment period, agitation and PTA will be measured daily, and adverse events monitored weekly. Efficacy will be assessed by treatment group comparison of average Agitated Behaviour Scale scores during PTA. Participants will cease treatment upon emergence from PTA. Agitation levels will continue to be monitored for a further 2 weeks, post-treatment measures of health will be undertaken and cognitive and functional status will be assessed. Level of agitation and functional health will be assessed at hospital discharge. At 3 months post-discharge, functional outcomes and health service utilisation will be measured.DiscussionThis trial will provide crucial evidence to inform the management of agitation in patients in PTA following TBI. It will provide guidance as to whether olanzapine reduces agitation over and above recommended environmental management or conversely whether it increases or prolongs agitation and PTA, increases length of inpatient hospitalisation and impacts longer term cognitive and functional outcomes. It will also speak to the safety and cost-effectiveness of olanzapine use in this population.Trial registrationANZCTRACTRN12619000284167. Registered on 25 February 2019

Additional file 1: Appendix. Biological Specimens.

EMG is the recording of electrical activity of the muscles that can be used in diagnosing muscular diseases like myopathy and neuropathy and in generating control signals for operating artificial prosthetic arms and limbs. Various forms of artifacts get introduced into the EMG during the acquisition process that limits its proper analysis and characterization. This paper proposes a novel noise suppression method for EMG signals employing orthogonal Wave Atom Transform (WAT) followed by statistical modelling of wavelet coefficients by using a Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model with maximum a-posteriori (MAP) estimator for signal recovery from noisy EMG signals. The proposed algorithm was evaluated on signals taken from the standard Physionet ATM database that was manually corrupted by different levels of Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) noise. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is studied using the standard metrics namely, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in dB, and Percent Root Mean Square Deviation (PRD). Results indicate that the hybrid denoising scheme was able to reduce noise from EMG signals more effectively quantified by average SNR of 22.98 dB and PRD of 0.00029, across different datasets, in comparison with the currently employed noise reduction algorithms.

To be an effective interprofessional clinician, one must consistently practice essential character traits of courtesy, curiosity, and courage. This assertion is derived from many years of observation and practice by the authors within a variety of healthcare settings. The background for this analysis includes references to trends in interprofessional education and practice, workplace incivility, and group function. The traits are defined and analyzed within a framework of virtue or character ethics. How each trait provides necessary checks and balances to the others is discussed.

Objective This study aims to measure the costs of treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with an adenotonsillectomy using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) and explore how this differs from cost estimates using traditional forms of hospital accounting. Study design Prospective observational study. Methods A total of 53 pediatric patients with symptoms of OSA or sleep-related breathing disorder were followed from their initial appointment through surgery to their postoperative visit at an academic medical center. Personnel timing and overhead costs were calculated for TDABC analysis. Results Treating OSA with an adenotonsillectomy in a pediatric patient costs $1,192.61. On average, outpatient adenotonsillectomy costs $957.74 (80.31%); $412.18 of this cost ($4.89 per minute) was attributed to the overhead cost of the operating room. Traditional hospital accounting estimates outpatient adenotonsillectomy costs $2,987, with overhead attributing $11.27 per minute or $949.23 per case. 57% ($6.38 per minute) of the hospital's estimate for overhead was actually for equipment and implants used by different hospital services and not for equipment used in adenotonsillectomies. Conclusion Through TDABC, we were able to highlight how traditional RVU-based hospital accounting systems apportion all overhead costs, including items such as orthopedic implants, evenly across specialties, thus increasing the perceived cost of equipment-light procedures such as adenotonsillectomies. We suspect that providers who perform a TDABC analysis at their home institution or practice will find their own unique insights, which will help them understand and control the different components of healthcare costs. Level of evidence 2 Laryngoscope, 129:1347-1353, 2019.

This chapter describes a service-learning partnership between two refugee resettlement agencies and a school of nursing. The partnership has successfully completed its goals of both service and learning over many semesters to the present. This community-based learning opportunity has entailed a variety of health interventions with refugee families while the learning has involved essential competencies of cross-cultural nursing, insights into social determinants of health, and developing confidence in being able to problem solve in a complex mix of health, social systems, poverty, language, and cultural barriers. In addition, assignments connected with this community engagement have encouraged students to develop an awareness of global health issues while intervening locally with their assigned refugee family, thus thinking and acting globally. The authors will discuss lessons learned from this long-term relationship and suggested directions for future work.

The aim of this study is to understand the effect of varying laser repetition rate on thermal energy accumulation and dissipation as well as femtosecond Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (fsLIBS) signals, which may help create the framework for clinical translation of femtosecond lasers for surgical procedures. We study the effect of repetition rates on ablation widths, sample temperature, and LIBS signal of bone. SEM images were acquired to quantify the morphology of the ablated volume and fsLIBS was performed to characterize changes in signal intensity and background. We also report for the first time experimentally measured temperature distributions of bone irradiated with femtosecond lasers at repetition rates below and above carbonization conditions. While high repetition rates would allow for faster cutting, heat accumulation exceeds heat dissipation and results in carbonization of the sample. At repetition rates where carbonization occurs, the sample temperature increases to a level that is well above the threshold for irreversible cellular damage. These results highlight the importance of the need for careful selection of the repetition rate for a femtosecond laser surgery procedure to minimize the extent of thermal damage to surrounding tissues and prevent misclassification of tissue by fsLIBS analysis.

The fern family Blechnaceae is cosmopolitan; however, the vast majority of species are placed in Blechnum, which occurs predominantly in the Southern Hemisphere. There are two areas that are particularly species–rich: the south–west Pacific (including Australasia), and Central and South America. Using chloroplast DNA sequences, we report the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Blechnaceae, including all genera widely recognised in recent treatments, and over half of the species. There is strong support for several major clades, which we characterise morphologically and geographically, and some of their interrelationships. Blechnum is confirmed as polyphyletic. Blechnum indicum and B. serrulatum are more closely related to Salpichlaena and Stenochlaena, and are segregated as a new genus, Telmatoblechnum. Alternative generic circumscriptions are discussed for the remainder of Blechnum. In the absence of morphological characters to diagnose the clades within core Blechnum, and for the sake of taxonomic stability, we advocate a broad circumscription for Blechnum. Brainea and Sadleria are retained as their relationships are not well resolved, but Doodia and Pteridoblechnum are clearly nested within the core of Blechnum and we provide four new names in Blechnum. Additionally, given the focus of our sampling, we discuss the biogeography of the south–west Pacific, where immigration has been more important in community assembly than what might be superficially inferred from patterns of endemism (with ca. 60% of species endemic to individual land areas).

The purpose of this column is to describe the experience of teaching nursing theory in Uganda, Africa. The author is a nurse educator from the United States, who with support of a Fulbright grant was a visiting lecturer at Uganda Christian University in Mukono, Uganda. The students were two cohorts of Ugandan graduate nursing students. The account is presented as a case study in exploring the nature, justification, and utility of theory for nurses internationally. Teaching and discussion strategies are described as well as the philosophical and theoretical frameworks for analyzing and defending the building and use of theory in nursing. A convergence of evidence leads to a recognition of implicit theory as constituting the nurse’s clinical gaze.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the capability of femtosecond Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (fsLIBS) to discriminate between normal and cancerous bone, with implications to femtosecond laser surgery procedures. The main advantage of using femtosecond lasers for surgery is that the same laser that is being used to ablate can also be used for a feedback system to prevent ablation of certain tissues. For bone tumor removal, this technique has the potential to reduce the number of repeat surgeries that currently must be performed due to incomplete removal of the tumor mass. In this paper, we performed fsLIBS on primary bone tumor, secondary tumor in bone, and normal bone. These tissues were excised from consenting patients and processed through the UC Davis Cancer Center Biorepository. For comparison, each tumor sample had a matched normal bone sample. fsLIBS was performed to characterize the spectral signatures of each tissue type. A minimum of 20 spectra were acquired for each sample. We did not detect significant differences between the fsLIBS spectra of secondary bone tumors and their matched normal bone samples, likely due to the heterogeneous nature of secondary bone tumors, with normal and cancerous tissue intermingling. However, we did observe an increase in the fsLIBS magnesium peak intensity relative to the calcium peak intensity for the primary bone tumor samples compared to the normal bone samples. These results show the potential of using femtosecond lasers for both ablation and a real-time feedback control system for treatment of primary bone tumors.

Sex and Unisex: Fashion, Feminism, and the Sexual Revolution Jo B. Paoletti. Indiana University Press, 2015.In Sex and Unisex: Fashion, Feminism, and the Sexual Revolution, author Jo B. Paoletti brings together several strands of scholarship in her examination of how American cultural shifts impact gender roles and fashion, centering on the very brief late sixties fad of truly unisex fashion. Focusing on the 1960s and 1970s, Paoletti incorporates research from dress studies, social science, gender studies, history, media studies, and law -among others-to contextualize her examination of the many ways the three issues in her subtitle intertwine. "Yes, fashion is fun," she asserts in her introduction, "but clothing is also bound up with the most serious business we do as humans: expressing ourselves as we understand ourselves" (13).Though this complex and compelling book begins with a brief note acknowledging the author's own generational placement in the center of the cultural and trends described, Paoletti's text is not structured as a linear history. Rather, she discusses the demographic changes that impacted both consumerism and the sexual revolution as a way to set the stage for her multifaceted approach to the topic, and this is but one of the frameworks she establishes to allow a reader into her discussion. Drawing on the evolutionary concept of punctuated equilibrium as a model to help explain how fashion trends and ideas about gender roles change very gradually over long periods and then sometimes exhibit very rapid changes-which require adjustment and adaptation in the aftermath-she examines the multiple and sometimes recursive strands of cultural connections in thematic, clearly connected ways.Critical analysis of the impact three very different best sellers-Helen Gurley Brown's Sex and the Single Girl (1962), Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963), and Helen B. Andelin's Fascinating Womanhood (1963)-had on modern ideas about femininity informs the book's overall argument, as does her examination of so many aspects of fashion and culture: costume designs in film, trends covered in the fashion press, photo spreads in mail-order clothing catalogues, patterns published for at-home sewing, recommendations in tomes on appropriate attire for the workplace, and an analysis of how male hairstyle trends were reflected in men's sports and the popular press. Additionally, descriptions of gendered expectations (that men show deference to authority and that women display modesty) mix with intricacies of Title IX, class critiques of formality in dress, articulations of liberty in civil rights movements, and the economic impact of empty barbershops to take their place among the many disparate strands Paoletti weaves together into a cohesive analysis of her central question-which is of much more cultural significance than a reader might first assume. …

Cerenkov radiation is a phenomenon where optical photons are emitted when a charged particle moves faster than the speed of light for the medium in which it travels. Recently, we and others have discovered that measurable visible light due to the Cerenkov effect is produced in vivo following the administration of β-emitting radionuclides to small animals. Furthermore, the amounts of injected activity required to produce a detectable signal are consistent with small-animal molecular imaging applications. This surprising observation has led to the development of a new hybrid molecular imaging modality known as Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI), which allows the spatial distribution of biomolecules labelled with β-emitting radionuclides to be imaged in vivo using sensitive charge-coupled device cameras. We review the physics of Cerenkov radiation as it relates to molecular imaging, present simulation results for light intensity and spatial distribution, and show an example of CLI in a mouse cancer model. CLI allows many common radiotracers to be imaged in widely available in vivo optical imaging systems, and, more importantly, provides a pathway for directly imaging β − -emitting radionuclides that are being developed for therapeutic applications in cancer and that are not readily imaged by existing methods.

Purpose: Brivanib, a selective dual inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor and VEGF signaling, has demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity in preclinical and phase I studies. We performed a phase II open-label study of brivanib as first-line therapy in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Experimental Design: Brivanib was administered orally at a dose of 800 mg once daily. The primary objective was 6-month progression-free survival, progression-free survival rate; secondary objectives were tumor response rate, time to response, duration of response, median progression-free survival, median overall survival, disease control rate (complete response, partial response, or stable disease ≥ 42 days), and safety and tolerability. Results: Between March 2007 and May 2009, 55 patients were treated and were evaluable for response. Patients were assessed using modified World Health Organization (mWHO) criteria. According to mWHO criteria and as assessed by Independent Response Review Committee, the six-month progression-free survival rate (95% CI) was 18.2% (9.1%–30.9%). Median progression-free survival (95% CI) was 2.7 months (1.4–3.0). One patient achieved a complete response and three achieved a partial response. Twenty-two had stable disease. Median overall survival (95% CI) was 10 (6.8–15.2) months. Brivanib was generally well tolerated; the most common adverse events included fatigue, hypertension, and diarrhea. Conclusion: Brivanib as first-line therapy demonstrates promising antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced, unresectable HCC. Clin Cancer Res; 17(7); 1973–83. ©2011 AACR.

This article describes the formation of a campus-community partnership that focused its efforts on a single vulnerable community within an urban setting. Challenges that were faced and how those challenges were engaged to maintain a viable serving and learning presence within the community are discussed. Previous insights from similar articles are reinforced, and new insights for future work are highlighted. This article and similar articles are creating a body of knowledge about the practical aspects of creating and maintaining partnerships, which can provide guidance for those who wish to duplicate partnerships in other situations and also contribute to data sets of experiences from which theories on this kind of human relating can be formed, challenged, or validated.

This article will examine the experiences of Ethiopian-Jewish grandmothers through an analysis of oral narratives of three grandmothers now living in Israel. It will explore the ways in which these women view their roles as grandmothers within Israeli society in contrast or comparison to their relationships with their own grandmothers while they were growing up in Ethiopia. It will offer a longitudinal study of three Ethiopian-Jewish women's experiences in Israel. The grandmothers' narratives offer a broader vision of the process of immigration and the role of stories in construction of identity and adaptation to life in Israel.

Cerenkov luminescence imaging is an emerging biomedical imaging modality that takes advantage of the optical Cerenkov photons emitted following the decay of radionuclides in dielectric media such as tissue. Cerenkov radiation potentially allows many biomedically-relevant radionuclides, including all positron-emitting radionuclides, to be imaged in vivo using sensitive CCD cameras. Cerenkov luminescence may also provide a means to deliver light deep inside tissue over a sustained period of time using targeted radiotracers. This light could be used for photoactivation, including photorelease of therapeutics, photodynamic therapy and photochemical internalization. Essential to assessing the feasibility of these concepts, and the design of instrumentation designed for detecting Cerenkov radiation, is an understanding of the light yield of different radionuclides in tissue. This is complicated by the dependence of the light yield on refractive index and the volume of the sample being interrogated. Using Monte Carlo simulations, in conjunction with step-wise use of the Frank?Tamm equation, we studied forty-seven different radionuclides and show that Cerenkov light yields in tissue can be as high as a few tens of photons per nuclear decay for a wavelength range of 400?800?nm. The dependency on refractive index and source volume is explored, and an expression for the scaling factor necessary to compute the Cerenkov yield in any arbitrary spectral band is given. This data will be of broad utility in guiding the application of Cerenkov radiation emitted from biomedical radionuclides.

We characterize the femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (fsLIBS) signal for biological tissues as a function of different excitation parameters with femtosecond laser systems. These parameters include laser energy, depth of focus, and number of pulses per focal volume. We used femtosecond laser pulses of 800 nm and energy between 25 and 123 μJ to generate LIBS signals in biological tissues. As expected, we observed a linear increase in the fsLIBS intensity as a function of the laser energy. In addition, we show that moving the beam out of focus and the presence of overlapping pulses on the same focal area leads to a decrease in fsLIBS intensity due to changes in focal spot size. We also demonstrate that fsLIBS can distinguish between different biological tissue samples.

Aim of the present work is to evaluate the Anti-hyperglycemic activity of Elytraria acaulis Lind. on streptozotocininduced diabetic rats. Elytraria acaulis Lind. belongs to family Acanthaceae which is a small shrub, that grows in shady dry places. The whole plant is used for medicinal purposes. Diabetes was induced in rats by administering streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) intraperitonially. Animals were divided into five groups (n=6) receiving different treatments: Group I: vehicle (Control), Group II: diabetic (control), Groups III and IV: Elytraria acaulis Lind. extract treated (200 and 400 mg/kg, orally respectively) and Group V: standard anti diabetic drug glibenclamide (500 mcg/kg, orally). Blood serum was analyzed for the following biochemical parameters like blood glucose level, oral glucose tolerate test, body weight and liver glycogen & glycated hemoglobin levels. Histopathological study of pancreas, liver and kidney was examined. The Elytraria acaulis Lind. extracts were effective in decreasing blood glucose level, increases oral glucose tolerance test, moderately alteration in body weight and there was a marked reduction in the liver glycogen levels and reduction in glycated hemoglobin levels. Histopathological study, showing improvement with nearly normal islets of langerhans, showing marked improvement with normal architecture with mild hepatocytes degeneration and showing acid significantly inhibited glomerular hypertrophy, glomerulosclerosis. It is concluded that, the anti-hyperglycemic effect of methanolic extracts of Elytraria acaulis Lind. may be due to both reductions in glucose level and improvement in Histopathological studies. The methanolic extract of Elytraria acaulis Lind. at the dose level of 400 mg/kg produced more significant reduction in glucose level when compare with low dose 200 mg/kg. Hence, it is proved that Elytraria acaulis Lind. is having anti diabetic activity in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

In a recent paper (Spinelli et al 2010 Phys. Med. Biol. 55 483-95) the authors report on their measurements and observations regarding the use of optical imaging of Cerenkov radiation to observe the distribution of radiotracer in a mouse. The paper, while broadly correct, develops a detailed model of the Cerenkov radiation spectrum that does not appropriately consider the particle energy and the distance travelled while velocity exceeds the Cerenkov threshold. Also, we note the authors' two different methods for determining the depth of the source appear in fact to be the same method if the first method properly accounts for the spectrum of the emitted radiation.

In the early 1800s, the prevalent theoretical construct in the U.S. was genetic determinism, that is, who you were and what you could become were determined by what you had inherited. With the socialist movements in government came the theoretical construct of social determinism, that is, who you are and what you can become are determined by systems and social access. Social determinism also became the underlying theoretical construct for many social justice and multicultural studies. In the late 1980s, state assessments and school accountability began to surface, leading to the federal No Child Left Behind Act in January 2002. In essence, what NCLB said was this: We don't care whether you believe in genetic determinism or social determinism. Every child will learn and will learn to a level of proficiency against a standard knowledge and skills set. Period. The underlying theoretical construct became cognitive determinism (my terminology)--that is, everyone has a mind, and we will develop every mind. This development was being driven by the knowledge-based economy focusing on the development of intellectual capital (Stewart 1997), the new form of economic currency. Many educators grieved at the onset of rigorous state assessments and accountability. A number of the educators I worked with were either leaving teaching or becoming depressed. They said things like "There's nothing I can do. It's hopeless." In the mid-1990s, I wrote A Framework for Understanding Poverty to help educators better address the issues in poverty. The underlying theoretical construct for the book is situated learning, a concept advanced by Lave and Wenger of Columbia University (1991). In essence, this theoretical approach says that virtually all initial learning occurs in "situated learning" environments that have context, language, relationships, and tasks where you reason with stories and act on situations. When a person goes from a situated-learning environment to formalized schooling, learning becomes decontextualized; the relationships and context are largely taken away. In formalized schooling, students reason with laws and act on symbols (numbers, letters, drawings, etc.). The purpose of Framework was to explain the situated-learning environment of generational (not situational) poverty and the bridges and strategies needed for students to make successful transitions to the decontextualized environment of school. To survive poverty, one must be an incredible problem solver. The decontextualized environment of school requires students to use an abstract representational system of knowledge that is learned and usually not available in the situated-learning environment of generational poverty. CRITICISM OF THE BOOK Then the criticism of the book started. Virtually all of the criticism comes from nontenured professors of higher education and a few practitioners who are firmly wedded to social determinism. "Social determinism has gained much ideological purchase, especially among liberal academics. Indeed, it has largely become a political doctrine that has given up any pretense of being scientific" (Levite 1996). "Deficit model" is one of the phrases used by critics. It is a theoretical model that doesn't have a statistical research base. In other words, you can say the glass is half full of water or half empty. Regardless of which terminology you use, the level of water doesn't change. "Deficit model" tends to be assigned to any model developed by a person of the dominant culture (I am white) that looks at what a student cannot do. To prepare students for state assessment, a teacher must know what they can and cannot do. The 2005 edition of Framework includes an "additive model." The very first point states that the model "honors internal assets of people from all economic classes," including poverty. …

Rabbit placentas were extracted with 0.7 N HCl-acetone (3:5, vol/vol) containing protease inhibitors. Gel filtration (Sephadex G-50) followed by ion exchange chromatography (carboxymethyl cellulose) separated a bioactive relaxin-like fraction with a specific activity of 8.5 U/mg protein as determined by the in vitro mouse uterus bioassay. Column chromatography using Sepharose CL-4B in 6 M guanidine HCl was employed to purify the bioactive sample. The yield of the purified relaxin-like protein was 12 micrograms/g placenta and the specific activity was 23 U/mg protein. The bioactive sample was also immunoreactive after being electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose paper and stained using rabbit antiporcine relaxin serum and peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunochemistry. Isoelectrofocusing of the purified relaxin-like protein revealed one band with an isoelectric point of approximately 6.5. The apparent molecular weight of the rabbit relaxin was approximately 7200 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-urea slab gel electrophoresis. Upon reduction with 5.0% mercaptoethanol and electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-urea polyacrylamide gels, both the 7200 dalton rabbit immunoreactive relaxin-like polypeptide and porcine relaxin migrated as a lower molecular weight protein. These results suggest that rabbit relaxin, like pig, rat, shark, and human relaxin, consists of two chains linked by disulfide bonds. At the light microscopy level, immunohistochemical staining with guinea pig antiporcine relaxin serum indicated that relaxin was located in the syncytiotrophoblast cells of the placental labyrinth of day-23 and day-30 pregnant rabbits. The syncytiotrophoblast cells from day 16 of pregnancy did not stain for relaxin.

A semi-automatic apparatus requiring minimum operator attention has been assembled for measuring the thermal transmission of fabrics while subject to moving air at constant tem perature. The apparatus employs the principle of measuring the difference in the amount of energy required to maintain constant temperature in a body when bare and when covered with the test specimen. Conditions have been set up with an air velocity of 12 to 13 m.p.h. so that per formance under fairly severe conditions of use can be approximated. Results are expressed as "thermal efficiency." Formulas are given for converting to other units as desired. The ap paratus has been tested with a variety of fabrics ranging from thin, plain-weave, nylon cloth to heavy woolen blankets, and has been found to differentiate among them in a manner that ap parently takes into account the various fabric properties.

Extracts of human placental and pregnant bovine luteal tissues contained immunoreactive oxytocin (“contractin factor”) which inhibited the in vitro mouse uterus responsiveness to the relaxation normally observed upon addition of relaxin (RXN). This “contractin factor” (CF) eluted post-6,000 mol wt RXN on a Sephadex G-50 column and was further purified on Sephadex G-25. Immunoreactive oxytocin was detected by RIA in both the placental (3 ng/mg by weight) and luteal (11.0 ng/mg by weight) G-25 CF fractions. A good correlation was observed between the bioassayable and immunoreactive oxytocin (CF). One milliunit of either oxytocin standard (1.68 ng) or 0.9 mU CF was required to reinitiate uterine contractions which were first inhibited by 1.2 U of RXN. The further addition of 100 U RXN would not reinitiate contractions. The uterine stimulating activity of oxytocin and CF could be partially inhibited by a monoclonal antibody to oxytocin, and the human and bovine G-25 CF eluted on a HPLC column at a fraction co...

This work traces the development of ragalaksana as prescribed and described in the Natyasastra (Jati-laksana), Bohaddesi Sangltaratnakara, Svaramelakala-nidhi Ragavibodh, Caturdiprakasika, Sangita-parijata, Sangitasaramrta, and Samgrahacudamani. The structural and functional aspects of thirteen ragalaksana are analyzed, namely, graha, amsa and nyasa; tara and mandra; bahutva and alpatva; apanyasa, samnyasa and vinyasa; antaramarga; sadava and audava. The analysis traces the growth and decline of the theory of these laksana between 500 A.D. and the 19th century. As comparisons of nominally and/or modally related ragas are made in terms of their laksana, a new criterion for the proper identification of ragas emerges. In the process an attempt is made to solve the unsettled question of the identification of the BD basic ragas and the SR ragangas.

The term "allergy" means a condition of unusual or exaggerated specific hypersensitivity to a substance which, under like conditions and in similar amounts, is harmless for the large majority of members of the same species. Allergic diseases are divided by Coca 1 into these four classifications: "(1) atopy (hay fever, asthma, eczema group), (2) contact dermatitis, (3) serum allergy, and (4) drug allergy." More than one type may be present in the same individual as well as among members of his family. Bray 2 has diagramed the integral factors producing the allergic state and listed the methods of entry of the specific antigens, allergens or causative agents by the following routes: "(1) inhalation, (2) ingestion, (3) injection, (4) infection and (5) contact." Catalyzing nonspecific factors, he stated further, are "(1) dietary, (2) environmental, (3) nasal, (4) toxic, (5) psychic, (6) endocrine, (7) physical, (8) chemical and (9) mechanical." Hereditary predisposition

Autoproduzione degli immigrati ghanesi di fotografie e video per documentare riti e spettacoli teatrali. Rappresentazioni, immaginario e identità diasporiche veicolate dai nuovi media.