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Byline: Tibor Köröcz and Francisco Bordenave MySQL is the world's most widely used open source database, and ranks a close second in popularity among databases overall. It's an effective relational [...]

Child maltreatment has detrimental social and health effects for individuals, families and communities. The ERICA project is a pan-European training programme that equips non-specialist threshold practitioners with knowledge and skills to prevent and detect child maltreatment. This paper describes and presents the findings of a rapid review of good practice examples across seven participating countries including local services, programmes and risk assessment tools used in the detection and prevention of child maltreatment in the family. Learning was applied to the development of the generic training project. A template for mapping the good practice examples was collaboratively developed by the seven participating partner countries. A descriptive data analysis was undertaken organised by an a priori analysis framework. Examples were organised into three areas: programmes tackling child abuse and neglect, local practices in assessment and referral, risk assessment tools. Key findings were identified using a thematic approach. Seventy-two good practice examples were identified and categorised according to area, subcategory and number. A typology was developed as follows: legislative frameworks, child health promotion programmes, national guidance on child maltreatment, local practice guidance, risk assessment tools, local support services, early intervention programmes, telephone or internet-based support services, COVID-19 related good practices. Improved integration of guidance into practice and professional training in child development were highlighted as overarching needs. The impact of COVID-19 on safeguarding issues was apparent. The ERICA training programme formally responded to the learning identified in this international good practice review.

This article presents an analytical model of the performance of multi-skilled employees hired to perform variably repetitive tasks based on the assumption of aging competencies. The aim is to develop an analytical tool that considers the need to refresh the competencies of the team's multi-skilled members and shape the structure of staff's competencies to maximize their mutual substitutability in processes typical for multi-item lot-size production. Suppose incorporating competency-based modeling for employees' assignments and their scheduling results in a more accurate estimate of the actual and future performance of the workforce. The declarative model implementing this approach boils down to seeking an answer to the question of whether a given team of employees with known competencies and their renewal periods can undertake the execution of a given order without reducing their potential while guaranteeing resistance to selected types of employee absenteeism. The proposed approach enables better human resources management, reducing employee absenteeism's impact on the timely completion of orders and constantly maintaining the team's competencies. The presented case study from the automotive industry illustrates the scale of problems that can be solved in reasonable run times.

The NICS aromaticity indices of the rings in flexible phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr), and histidine (His) chiral molecules were analyzed. These molecules have several dozens of conformers, and their rings are slightly non-planar. Therefore, the population-averaged NICSpavindex was defined, and the NICS scans had to be performed with respect to planes found by the least-squares routine. A rule differentiating an obverse and a reverse ring face in aromatic amino acids was formulated. The NICS scan minima corresponding to the obverse and reverse face were unequal, which prompted us to use the term ring face aromaticity/ring face tropicity. It appeared that for Phe, Trp, Tyr, and His, the reverse face has always had higher ring face aromaticity/ring face tropicity than the obverse one. Despite the NICS modifications, uncertainty about the amino acid aromaticity order remained. This motivated us to use the integral INICS index newly proposed by Stanger as well. Then, the following sequence was obtained: Trp(phenyl) > Phe > Trp(pyrrole) > His > Tyr. The juxtaposition of the INICS indices of amino acids with that of some model rings revealed a fair transferability of the values. Finally, analysis of the substituent effect on INICS demonstrated that the aromaticity of Tyr is the lowest due to the strength of the OH group π-electron-donating effect able to perturb enough the ring charge distribution and its magnetic aromaticity. The NICS calculations were executed using the ARONICS program written within the project.

Abstract: Electrodeposition of cobalt on monolayer graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition produces Co–CoO/graphene composite structures, which is accompanied by increases in the electrical resistance and magnetoresistance. We show that the observed magnetoresistance effect is caused by two competing contributions: negative (NMR) and positive (PMR) magnetoresistance. In weak magnetic fields, the NMR is described by quantum localization correction to the Drude model of conductivity in graphene. The enhancement of PMR observed in strong magnetic fields is related to the Lorentz mechanism in Co–CoO particles.

HistoryA 28-year-old man presented with lifelong anejaculation, which had become an issue because of family planning. The patient had a history of normal erections and experienced the sensation of orgasm without ever ejaculating. On physical examination, both testes were present in the scrotum, with normal dimensions and a normal epididymis bilaterally. The patient had a slightly tender left testicle, and digital rectal examination findings were normal.The patient underwent further investigation for the possibility of retrograde ejaculation with urine cytology, the results of which were negative. Genetic testing was performed to exclude Y chromosome microdeletions. Serum-luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were normal, with a borderline low level of testosterone (7.6 nmol/L; normal range, 8.0–29.0 nmol/L). All other pertinent laboratory results were noncontributory.Pelvic MRI was requested to exclude an anatomic cause of anejaculation. MRI was performed in accordance with the standard clinical prostate protocol, with a dynamic contrast material—enhanced study (Figs 1–3). CT of the upper abdomen was also performed (Fig 4). The patient subsequently underwent cystoscopy, which revealed an intravesicular fluid-filled mass near the left ureteric orifice (Fig 5).Figure 1a:(a)Coronal and (b, c)axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted MR images of the pelvis, with bbeing superior to c.Figure 1b:(a)Coronal and (b, c)axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted MR images of the pelvis, with bbeing superior to c.Figure 1c:(a)Coronal and (b, c)axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted MR images of the pelvis, with bbeing superior to c.Figure 2a:(a)Coronal T2-weighted (repetition time msec/echo time msec, 4574/86.5) MR image of the pelvis. (b)Axial T2-weighted (3000/85.4) MR image of the pelvis.Figure 2b:(a)Coronal T2-weighted (repetition time msec/echo time msec, 4574/86.5) MR image of the pelvis. (b)Axial T2-weighted (3000/85.4) MR image of the pelvis.Figure 3:Unenhanced axial fat-saturated T1-weighted (6.2/3.1) MR images.Figure 4:Coronal CT urogram.Figure 5:Image obtained at cystoscopy.

Two enantiomers of 2-methyl-N-(1-thien-2-ylethyl)propane-2-sulfonamide (TSA) were synthesized, and their VCD, ROA, IR, and Raman spectra were registered. The solved (S)-TSA X-ray structure shows a disorder connected to the presence of two TSA conformers differing by a slight rotation of the thiophene ring. Two molecules in the unit cell of the monoclinic P21crystal form a net of NH···OS and C*H···OS hydrogen bonds. Out of a series of computational levels tested to interpret the spectra, the B3LYP functional combined with the def2TZVP basis set satisfactorily reproduces the experimental VCD and ROA spectra. To simulate the VCD spectra of TSA enantiomers in KBr pellets, dimers and tetramers, with two different positions of the thiophene ring, were considered. The VCD spectra measured in CDCl3are completely different from those taken in KBr due to the conformational freedom of TSA in chloroform. Seven TSA conformers fall into two groups of opposite configurations at the pyramidal N atom forming the additional stereogenic center. However, the barriers between conformers in each group are lower than the energy of thermal motions at 300 K. Thus, all conformers, but the most stable in each group, are likely to be metastable states. The calculated IR, VCD, Raman, and ROA spectra of the conformers depend not only on the type of stereogenic N atom but also on the thiophene ring rotation. Yet, they are likely to coexist because of low barriers between them. Three approaches were tested to reproduce the chiroptical spectra in solution using PCM and hybrid solvation models. As a consequence, it was found that a model in which all conformers contribute to the spectra with equal population factors seems to best reproduce the experimental data. Such a result suggests that in a dissolved state in 300 K TSA occurs in a very shallow potential well and all of its conformers coexist.

Utilization of Kola phosphogypsum after rare earth recovery Phosphogypsum (PG), an abundant by-product from the manufacture of phosphoric acid by the wet-process route, can cause serious environmental problems when dumped [...]

Internationally, chest radiography is the standard investigation for identifying rib fractures in suspected physical abuse in infants. Several small observation studies in children have found that chest CT can provide greater accuracy than radiography for fracture detection, potentially aiding medicolegal proceedings in abuse cases; however, to our knowledge, this greater accuracy has not been comprehensively evaluated. We aimed to determine differences in rib fracture detection rates between post-mortem chest radiographs and chest CT images, using forensic autopsy as the reference standard.

There is a need to increase access to surgical treatments in African countries, but perioperative complications represent a major global health-care burden. There are few studies describing surgical outcomes in Africa.

Rare earth elements from Kola apatite phosphogypsum The rare earth elements considered in this paper are the lanthanides lanthanum, La - lutetium, Lu (elements 57-71) and yttrium, Y (element 39). [...]

Losing the decisive virus-specific functions of both CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the first weeks after immunodeficiency virus infection ultimately leads to AIDS. The SIV/rhesus monkey model for AIDS was used to demonstrate that a 4-week chemotherapeutic reduction of viral load during acute SIV infection of macaques allowed the development of a competent immune response able to control virus replication after discontinuation of treatment in two of five monkeys. Increasing SIV-specific CD4+ T-helper-cell proliferation was found in all macaques several weeks after treatment, independent of their viral load. However, only macaques with low viral loads showed persistent T-cell reactivity of lymph node cells. In contrast to animals with higher viral loads, T-helper-cell counts and memory T-helper cells did not decline in the two macaques controlling viral replication. Lymphocyte apoptosis was consistently low in all treated macaques. In contrast, high CD8+ lymphocyte death but only slightly increased CD4+ lymphocyte apoptosis were observed during the first weeks after infection in untreated control animals, indicating that early apoptotic death of virus-specific CTL could be an important factor for disease development. Antiretroviral treatment early after infection obviously retained virus-specific and competent T lymphocytes, whereby a virus-specific immune response could develop in two animals able to control the viral replication after cessation of treatment.

Transport of carnitine was studied with immortalized rat brain endothelial cells (RBE4), an in vitro model of the blood–brain barrier. The experiments on uptake and efflux through the luminal membrane excluded any involvement of choline and amino acids transporters, as well as that of glycoprotein P. Acetyl-, octanoylcarnitine, and betaine were without any effect; the only compound decreasing both processes was butyrobetaine. An exposure of the abluminal membrane resulted in a 40% inhibition of carnitine uptake by the substrates of neutral amino acid transporter L, while its efflux through the basolateral membrane, occurring in a form of free carnitine, was sensitive to SH group reagent, mersalyl, and was diminished by butyrobetaine. These features of carnitine transport did not fully correspond to the known characteristics of the proteins transporting carnitine in other tissues (OCTN2 and CT1); however, they did not exclude an involvement of a transporter belonging to the same superfamily. Moreover, such a protein in brain endothelium would fulfill a regulatory role in the transport of carnitine through the blood–brain barrier.

The article shows that the definition of the HOMA index of geometrical aromaticity satisfies the axioms of a similarity function between the examined and benzene ring. Consequently, for purely mathematical reasons, the index works exceptionally well as an index of aromaticity: it expresses a geometric similarity to the archetypal aromatic benzene. Thus, if the molecule is geometrically similar to benzene, then it is also chemically similar, and therefore, it is aromatic. However, the similarity property legitimizes using the HOMA-like indices to express similarity to molecules other than benzene, whether cyclic or linear and existing or hypothetical. The paper demonstrates an example of HOMA-similarity to cyclohexane, which expresses a (relaxed)-saturicity property not accompanied by strong structural strains or steric hindrances. Further, it is also shown that the HOMA index can evaluate the properties of whole molecules, such as 25 unbranched catacondensed isomers of hexacene. The index exhibits a significant quadratic correlation with the total energy differences of planar isomers from which the nonplanar ones deviate. Moreover, the HOMA index of hexacene isomers significantly correlates with the Kekulé count connected to the resonance energy in the Hückel approximation. As a result, the study shows that the HOMA index can be used not only for aromaticity analyses but also as a general chemical descriptor applicable to rings, chains, composed molecular moieties, or even whole molecules.

The education of systems thinking needs prepared teachers, descriptive examples and case studies easy to understand by the students. Why could not this latter be collected and "explored" by the students? These small case studies might make the learning resources more interesting and more personal, and so studying might become more effective. Our paper deals with the questions of seeking a pedagogical paradigm related to the ‘Systems and control are all around us’ approach. During our endeavours made to develop Open Education Resources (OER) within the frames of our experiment implemented in 2015, we found that student participation offered great potentials in relation to the content and the methodology, as well. Traditional teaching relying upon school books can considerably be modernized by the IT solutions applied during the experimental development of learning materials for vocational education and training (Systems in VET). By introducing the experiences of the experimental phase, this article summarizes the steps made towards establishing a new form of system teaching based on case studies and applicable in VET in a wider range.

The polyethylene/poly(methacrylic acid-co-divinylbenzene), PE/poly(MA-co-DVB), interpolymer type carboxylic membranes were studied using small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXS) in order to deduce the effect of DVB content on their morphology. SAXS curves exhibit a maximum which indicates that the interpolymers have morphology of domain type. Using the standard theory for a two-phase system mean distance between domains and their sizes were calculated from the SAXS data. Analysis of the SAXS curves suggests a fractal behaviour of the internal surface, associated with this two-phase system. Results obtained from SAXS studies are consistent with the general model of these interpolymers revealed by microscopic investigations.

A partially automated method of DNA isolation (a Freedom Evo workstation coupled with a paramagnetic bead-based DNA isolation kit from Machery-Nagel) was evaluated in terms of DNA quantity, purity, and quality in comparison with a conventional manual method (the membrane-based Qiagen Plant DNeasy kit). In addition, the efficiency in terms of time and cost was evaluated. The partially automated method enabled the isolation from each sample of DNA of good A260/A280 ratio and sufficient quantity to serve as a template for dozens of PCR amplifications suitable for conventional marker-assisted selection applications. However, lower PCR efficiencies, presumably due to lower DNAquality, were obtained with DNA extracted by the partially automated method as compared with the Qiagen method. The partially automated method presented here was shown to be superior to the conventional Qiagen method in that the costs and time required were reduced by ca. 50%. The Freedom Evo workstation coupled with Machery-Nagel DNA isolation kit appeared advantageous for high-throughput applications required for plant molecular breeding.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate whether interleukin 10 (IL10) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) gene polymorphisms were associated with persistent IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy in 50 Brazilian children. The diagnostic criteria were anaphylaxis triggered by cow's milk or a positive double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. Tolerance was defined as the absence of a clinical response to a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge or cow's milk exposure.

The thermopower coefficients of bio-SiC and SiC/Si ecoceramics prepared from sapele tree wood have been measured in the temperature interval 5–300 K. The measurements have been performed both along and perpendicular to empty (bio-SiC), as well as empty and partially silicon-filled (SiC/Si) channels in the samples. In bio-SiC, a contribution to thermopower associated with electron drag by phonons has been shown to exist within the temperature interval 5–200 (250) K. No such effect is realized in SiC/Si. This is assumed to derive from the presence in this material of heavily doped silicon embedded in SiC channels and the dominant part it plays in the behavior of the thermopower of this ceramics. The results obtained for the thermopower are compared with the available data for bio-SiC prepared from white eucalyptus tree wood and heavily doped bismuth.

This paper demonstrates the special potential of Raman spectroscopy for the study of selected plant metabolites. Carotenoids, which are beneficial components in fruits and vegetables, have been shown to be a significant factor in lowering the risk of various types of cancer and ischemic heart diseases. On the other hand, alkaloids may have various effects on human health, e.g. caffeine is a mild stimulant of the central nervous system and as a result it can influence human behaviour. Polyacetylenes are highly cytotoxic against numerous cancer cell lines and demonstrate antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet-aggregatory properties. In most cases, vibrational measurements can be performed directly on plant tissues as well as on fractions isolated from the plant material by hydro-distillation or solvent extraction. Raman spectroscopy techniques allow obtaining spectra which present some characteristic key bands of individual components. Based on such markers related to individual plant substances, spectroscopic analyses in principle allow the discrimination of different species, and even chemotypes among the same species. Moreover, Raman microspectroscopy provides 2- and 3-dimensional images of the investigated plant samples. These maps can be directly compared to the corresponding visual images obtained from a light microscope and offer additional detailed information regarding the local distribution of specific compounds in the surface layers of the analyzed plant tissue.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the roles of angiogenesis, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) in invasive and noninvasive prolactinoma. METHODS: TSP-1 and TGF-β1protein were examined using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting in 81 prolactinomas. Angiogenesis was assessed by measuring microvessel density via CD34 immunostaining. RESULTS: Microvessel density was significantly higher in invasive prolactinomas than in noninvasive prolactinomas. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that significantly fewer invasive prolactinomas were positive for TSP-1 compared with noninvasive prolactinomas (17.9% versus 50.0%, respectively), and significantly higher numbers of invasive prolactinomas were positive for TGF-β1compared with noninvasive prolactinomas (82.1% versus 42.9%, respectively). Microvessel density was significantly lower in TSP-1-positive prolactinomas than in TSP-1-negative prolactinomas, and significantly higher in TGF-β1-positive prolactinomas than in TGF-β1-negative prolactinomas. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a close relationship between angiogenesis and tumour invasiveness in prolactinoma. TSP-1 and TGF-β1may play important roles in the progression of prolactinoma, by affecting angiogenesis.

Stabilization energies of the electron donor–acceptor sulfinimine···BF3complexes calculated at either the B3LYP/aug‐cc‐pVTZ or the MP2/aug‐cc‐pVTZ level do not allow to judge, whether the N‐ or O‐atom in sulfinimine is stronger electron‐donor to BF3. The problem seems to be solvable because chirality transfer phenomenon between chiral sulfinimine and achiral BF3is expected to be vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) active. Moreover, the bands associated with the achiral BF3molecule are predicted to be the most intense in the entire spectrum. However, the VCD band robustness analyses show that most of the chirality transfer modes of BF3are unreliable. Conversely, variation of VCD intensity with change of intermolecular distance, angle, and selected dihedrals between the complex partners shows that to establish the robustness of chirality transfer mode. It is also necessary to determine the influence of the potential energy surface (PES) shape on the VCD intensity. At the moment, there is still no universal criterion for the chirality transfer mode robustness and the conclusions formulated based on one system cannot be directly transferred even to a quite similar one. However, it is certain that more attention should be focused on relation of PES shape and the VCD mode robustness problem. Chirality. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.