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Collapsing foot deformity (CFD) and its resulting sequelae caused by recurring talotarsal joint dislocation (RTTJD) affects pediatric and adult patients. An extraosseous talotarsal stabilization (EOTTS) procedure, a subset of subtalar arthroereisis (SA) procedures, is recommended as a minimally invasive, first in-line surgical treatment option for CFD. The aim of this multicenter, retrospective study was to evaluate patient-reported outcomes measures in patients who were treated for RTTJD with Type II EOTTS implants. Sixty-seven cases having a median age of 38 years (range: 10-74) with more than 5 years of follow-up were included in this study. The mean postoperative visual analog scale and Maryland Foot Score was 1.0 ± 1.9 and 92.3 ± 11.3, respectively, indicating excellent clinical outcomes. Subjectively, 88% cases reported as being satisfied with the outcome, 94% cases said they would recommend EOTTS, and 93% said that, if necessary, they would repeat it on their contralateral foot. A subgroup analysis revealed that while not statistically significant, clinical outcomes were slightly better in pediatric patients compared to adults. Implant removal rate was 4.5% (3 cases), and these were in the adult group only. Rate of minor issues such as pain, stiffness, discomfort, etc. was 15%; however, no serious adverse effects or complications were observed in any patient. This study suggests that EOTTS is an effective surgical treatment option wherein successful long-term clinical outcomes with low failure rates can be achieved in a select patient population., (Copyright © 2023 the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We employ first-principles molecular dynamics simulations to provide equation-of-state data, pair distribution functions (PDFs), diffusion coefficients, and band gaps of a mixture of hydrogen and methane under planetary interior conditions as relevant for Uranus, Neptune, and similar icy exoplanets. We test the linear mixing approximation, which is fulfilled within a few percent for the chosen P–T conditions. Evaluation of the PDFs reveals that methane molecules dissociate into carbon clusters and free hydrogen atoms at temperatures greater than 3000 K. At high temperatures, the clusters are found to be short-lived. Furthermore, we calculate the electrical conductivity from which we derive the non-metal-to-metal transition region of the mixture. We also calculate the electrical conductivity along the P–T profile of Uranus [N. Nettelmann et al., Planet. Space Sci., 2013, 77, 143–151] and observe the transition of the mixture from a molecular to an atomic fluid as a function of the radius of the planet. The density and temperature ranges chosen in our study can be achieved using dynamic shock compression experiments and seek to aid such future experiments. Our work also provides a relevant data set for a better understanding of the interior, evolution, luminosity, and magnetic field of the ice giants in our solar system and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repair materials for concrete infrastructure applications are designed to minimize closure time and subsequent effect on traffic. Available material choices are typically limited to expensive prepackaged materials or high-early-strength (HES) concrete mixtures. HES concrete mixtures are often designed with high paste content and limited inclusion of supplementary cementitious materials so to promote higher early-age strengths. The traditional approval for HES concrete mixtures has relied on testing the strength of concrete cylinders cured at room temperature. This practice has often resulted in the overdesign of these HES mixtures, primarily because it fails to consider the higher temperatures that typically develop during the in situ curing. Moreover, as highlighted in several reports by state agencies, the high cement content and the near absence of proper curing practices have likely contributed to the premature failure of some of these mixtures. In this study, isothermal calorimetry was explored as a potential tool to quickly evaluate HES concrete formulations in terms of early-age mechanical performance. It was found that this test method, when combined with maturity, can provide reasonable estimations of the concrete strength development for isothermal and nonisothermal curing conditions up to 8 h after the initial mix. The proposed test method can be used as a first step in the optimization of HES concrete mixtures and can help predicting the time to reopening for in situ conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the main achievements of the Siberian Federal University in the field of environmental pollution biomonitoring. Methods for increasing the reproducibility of bioassay results by using a specialized instrumental set, maintaining controlled standard conditions, and automating processes are shown. Some approaches to solving the problems of insufficient sensitivity of test objects to pollutants and the long duration and high labor intensity of bioassays are presented. The described methods make it possible to study toxicity of various media (water, soil, waste), as well as to evaluate the impact of pollutants on organisms of different trophic levels. The issues of developing and implementing rapid methods for detecting toxicity of the analyzed media are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace elements in aquatic ecosystems are considered as major pollutants due to their environmental persistence, toxicity and ability to be incorporated into food webs. Contaminated sediments represent a threat to benthic macroinvertebrates which in turn expose high trophic organisms to hazardous trace elements, therefore metals accumulated in benthic organisms can also be bio concentrated in food webs. Direct toxic effects of metals include changes in diversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates while, indirect effects include modifications of species interactions and reductions in food quality. In this work, we study the potentially toxic metal concentrations in both sediments and benthic macroinvertebrates in the Maipo River basin (central Chile) evaluating the risk assessment of sediment, toxicity to the biota and bioaccumulation in the organisms. Sediments and benthic organisms were sampled in spring (October-December) 2016 from four sites of the Maipo River basin. Twelve trace elements (As, Al, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined by AAE. The Geo accumulation index showed that Zn was moderate to strong pollute in all sites and the enrichment factor showed that there were no important anthropic impacts in the river. High level of contamination was found for Cu in PEL and the pollution index showed that PEL was extremely polluted. Three (Cu, Mn and Zn) out of the five metals analyzed were the elements which presented the largest toxicity to organisms in these aquatic systems based on the Threshold Effect Concentration (TEC) and Probable Effect Concentration (PEC) analysis. Most of the metals analyzed did not show bioaccumulation; however, Ni and Pb were the metals with the highest bioaccumulation factor in all the studied sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel full waveguide matching method (FWMM) is proposed to improve design efficiency and verify the feasibility of full waveguide matching for terahertz frequency doubler. In the proposed method, the frequency doubler is divided into three parts: packaging diode, input matching waveguide, and output matching waveguide, each of which realizes different functions. The most important diode embedding impedance matching part is transferred from the microstrip to the input and output matching waveguide. The impedance matching of the waveguide is realized by the structure called quasi-coupled resonator. These quasi-coupled resonators are implemented by inserting irises at the broadside of the waveguide and function as a capacitive load for the circuit. Using this method, a compact and efficient frequency doubler was designed and characterized. Measured results show that the peak efficiency of the doubler is 25.8% at 215 GHz with 50 mW input power. The good output performance of the 220 GHz doubler verifies the effectiveness of the proposed full waveguide matching method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most U.S. colleges and universities expect students to improve their writing ability by taking first-year composition (FYC) courses. In such courses, non-native English (L2) writers with diverse language backgrounds study alongside their native English (L1) speaking peers. However, it is not clear how different these populations are in terms of their language development over time, leaving questions unanswered about whether L2 writers develop more or less than L1 writers in an FYC curriculum. To investigate, we compared 75 L1 and L2 students' written accuracy, fluency, and lexical and syntactic complexity over the semester of an FYC course. Data showed that L2 students had significantly higher rates of language error and less fluent and lexically complex writing compared to L1 writers. Moreover, L2 student writing became less grammatically accurate over 14 weeks despite showing greater fluency and syntactic complexity. These results suggest a need for plurilingual pedagogies in FYC that embrace diversity and inclusion while also providing L2 writers with instruction on socially powerful and dominant linguistic forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the effects of customized ratings on individuals' enjoyment of television shows. The study utilizes an experimental methodology that attempts to mimic that of popular media distribution websites, such as Netflix. The results show that individuals report differing levels of enjoyment depending on the ratings they receive prior to viewing shows in three genres despite the fact that the ratings are randomly assigned. The results and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automobile crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Driver automation systems and active safety systems have the potential to improve the safety and mobility of all road users and may particularly benefit older adults who have been slow to accept and adopt such systems. Age-related sensory-cognitive changes contribute to higher crash rates and increased physical frailty makes severe injury or death more likely when a crash occurs. Vehicle automation can decrease the sensory-cognitive load of the driving task and many advanced automated safety features can decrease crash severity. Acceptance and adoption of driver automation systems is necessary for their benefit to be realized yet little is known about drivers' preferred sources of information and knowledge about such systems. In a sample of 404 active drivers, we examined the impact of age and gender on understanding and acceptance of vehicle automation, acceptance of new technologies more generally, and preferred sources of information to learn about vehicle automation. Results revealed that older respondents and females felt less technically sophisticated than their younger and male counterparts. Males subjectively reported greater understanding of vehicle automation. However, assessment of objective knowledge of automation operation showed males had no greater knowledge than females. Males also reported a greater willingness to accept higher levels of vehicle automation than females across all age groups. When asked how they would prefer to learn about new vehicle automation, older adults reported wanting information from more objective sources than their younger counterparts and were significantly less likely to rely on friends and family, or social media. The present results provide support for the idea that people are not willing to accept technology that they do not feel they understand well and conversely, if people feel that they understand vehicle automation they will be more likely to adopt it. The results provide insights into assisting drivers to gain more accurate knowledge and hence acceptance of vehicle automation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arkhaia Anatolika: The Journal of Anatolian Archaeological Studies is the property of Arkhaia Anatolika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Metal contamination of the aquatic environment is a serious concern, insofar as public health and environmental protection are considered. Owing to their persistent and toxic characteristics, spatial analyses of metal concentrations in sediment with comparisons with natural backgrounds are essential. This study aimed to determine the metal concentrations of Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn and to appraise their probable ecological risk in sediments from the Shalateen coastal area. A total of 18 sediment samples were taken from different locations from the Shalateen coastal area. All sediment samples were kept in plastic bags at −20°C until analysis. The samples were digested using a wet oxidation method. The digested samples were determined for Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Physicochemical characteristics (calcium carbonate content, grain size, organic matter, and pH) were conducted using standard procedures. Diverse procedures, guidelines, and indices have been employed and manipulated to assess risk. The results revealed that the mean value of metal contents in the study area followed the order Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd. Most of the studied metals in the sediment did not exceed limits that are regarded harmful for aquatic life. Both pollution load and potential ecological risk index methods displayed that the integrated ecological risk of the investigated metals was quite low. A clear correlation linking the concentrations of metals and anthropogenic sources was not observed. This work designates that even with continuing development of the Shalateen coastal area, the metal contamination status remains relatively low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—This is the second part of a review; it is devoted to the methods of studying ultraweak photon emissions, presents a methodology of biological detection. During the first 25 years of research (1923–1948), almost all experiments in this area were based on biological detection and only the component belonging to the middle ultraviolet region of the spectrum (also called mitogenetic radiation at that time) was studied, because it was observed due to the influence of ultraweak ultraviolet radiation on the mitotic regime of the biological detector. These experiments remain open to debate till present due to the insufficient validation of methods. Many of the results obtained from these investigations were very impressive for that time period and are now verified, the research questions the other results relate to are of considerable interest (for instance, fundamental results concerning cell division and carcinogenesis, early cancer diagnostics). Thus, the analysis of the methodology employed is an emerging issue for the subsequent experimental verification. The details of the methods with the most common biological detectors (onion roots, yeast and bacterial cultures) are analyzed and the onion detection method is compared to the closest analogue (the Allium test). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review is devoted to the methods for studying the ultraweak luminescence of biological objects; in addition to modern methods aimed at studies in the visible, near-infrared, and near-ultraviolet ranges, considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the methodology for studying the component belonging to the middle ultraviolet range (called mitogenetic radiation in early works). Studies of mitogenetic radiation were carried out in 1923–1948 and remain partially controversial. Many of the results, which were revolutionary for that time, have already been confirmed and the scientific problems of the rest are of significant interest (for example, fundamental results concerning cell division and carcinogenesis and early cancer diagnostics); therefore, the analysis of their methodology is relevant for further experimental verification of these studies. The first part of the review covers the common questions like the history of research and development of methodology, types and properties of ultra-weak photon emission, basic terms, fundamental and application significance of research (the second and the third parts will review biological and physical methods). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though essay writing is an essential part of postsecondary education, it can be challenging for second language learners, who are required to organize ideas coherently in a language which they have not fully mastered. The present study examined perceptions of draft-writing by students who speak Arabic as their first language and Hebrew as their second language (SL) compared with students who are native Hebrew speakers (FL), in an online formative feedback setting. We also investigated the relation between students' perceptions towards draft-writing and their academic procrastination. Results pinpoint three major findings: (1) FL students were more likely than SL students to perceive draft-writing as a reasonable way of learning; (2) SL students displayed less positive perceptions of draft-writing than FL students in their first year in college but more positive perceptions in the second year onward; (3) SL students' procrastination as self-regulated failure was higher during their first year of study than that of FL students. It is suggested that first-year SL students might face a language barrier and difficulties in adapting to academic requirements which prevent them from taking advantage of online assistive devices to improve their grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enrichment of sediments with nutrients and organic matter (eutrophication) is a key anthropogenic stressor of estuaries worldwide, impacting their sediment condition, ecology and ecosystem service provision. A key challenge for estuary managers and scientists is how to effectively quantify and monitor these changes in ecological condition in a timely and cost-effective manner. We developed a Rapid Assessment Protocol (RAP) for characterizing sediment condition based on the qualitative characteristics of sediment colour, odour and texture. We evaluated its utility for assessing sediment condition, and particularly the degree and effects of sediment enrichment (as quantified by complementary measurements of total C, organic C and total N) across 97 sites throughout a eutrophic microtidal estuary. RAP results were strongly and significantly correlated with the degree of sediment enrichment, with RAP scores correctly identifying the assigned enrichment class (low, medium, high) of 83.5% of sites. More enriched sediments exhibited poorer condition, manifested as significantly lower RAP scores for sediment colour, texture and odour, particularly (but not only) where enrichment coincided with elevated mud content. The RAP was particularly successful (<12% misclassification) at identifying sites with low levels of enrichment, indicating its promise as a first-pass survey approach for identifying potential reference or control sites to support impact assessments. RAP approaches based on qualitative sediment characteristics can provide a useful proxy for the degree and impacts of inorganic and organic enrichment, with potentially broad applicability for supporting timely, cost-effective assessment and monitoring of sediment condition in estuaries worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is used successfully for management of early to advanced glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OHT). Primary open-angle glaucoma (OAG), pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXFG), pigmentary glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma, primary angle-closure glaucoma, steroid-induced glaucoma, silicone oil-induced glaucoma, and high intraocular pressure after canaloplasty and trabeculectomy are the main indications. Areas covered: A review of the literature was performed to highlight recent advances in terms of suggested mechanisms, indications, efficacy, prognostic factors, surgical technique, postoperative care, complications, repeatability, cost-effectiveness, and quality of life (QoL) implications of SLT in glaucoma patients. Expert commentary: SLT is a safe, cost-effective, and repeatable procedure. It increases QoL, but it has not received wide application it deserves in glaucoma management. SLT may be a first-line treatment option in mild-to-moderate glaucoma. It may also be an adjuvant treatment in OHT and in all subtypes of glaucoma. SLT use may gain popularity in all types of OAGs, closed-angle glaucomas and OHT in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to study, whether the voting behaviour of the electorate in the US can be heavily influenced by the use of social media during the political campaign. It also focuses on the celebrity endorsement, which is becoming one of the most important parts of the campaigning process in the United States. The article analyses the presidential primary campaigns of four most popular politicians who took part in the 2016 elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al-Jazeera–Qatari nexus is debatable and hard to examine because Qatari affairs are rarely in the news. Recently, Qatar made global headlines in connection with an alleged bribe to win the 2022 World Cup bid, which creates a rare opportunity to examine Al-Jazeera’s coverage of this as well as other Qatari affairs. We compared coverage by Al-Jazeera Arabic, Al-Jazeera English and Al-Jazeera America with coverage of international networks (Sky News, CNN International and ITV). The analysis reveals that while Al-Jazeera English and America maintained high journalistic norms when reporting on the 2022 World Cup controversy, Al-Jazeera Arabic almost never criticizes its Qatari sponsor. The study highlights the dramatic differences between Al-Jazeera’s English and Arabic versions, looking at journalistic values in general and Qatari affairs coverage in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the strategic communication field, native advertising has been hailed as the next big trend. However, this type of marketing technique may negatively affect the perceptions of brands as well as media outlets that provide such content due to its obscurity of persuasive intent and ambiguity of the content source. The current study examined these issues by conducting a 2 (priming: presence vs. absence) × 2 (media credibility: high vs. low) × 2 (corporate credibility: high vs. low) factorial between-subjects experiment. A total of 500 participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk completed the online experiment. Findings suggested that priming of native advertising information would significantly improve users’ ad recognition and change their content perception. In addition, a series of three-way interaction effects suggested that the interaction between the two types of source credibility (media and corporate) tend to work as a function of priming of native advertising information, which could completely change individuals’ perception of the ad content and evaluation of the media source in the future, but not their future corporate evaluation. Important theoretical as well as practical implications have also been discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the effects of elevated temperature and pCO on the polychaete Nereis diversicolor from the Río San Pedro estuary in Spain, multifactorial stressor experiments were performed in various combinations: at two temperatures (ambient temperature and temperature estimated for the year 2100) and at three pH levels (estimated level in cases of CO leakage, at the level used in the high and moderate CO treatment, and present-day ambient pH levels). Experimental temperature treatments were designed within the context of a high-emission CO, 'business as usual' scenario, with an approximate median increase in temperature of 3.7-4.8°C by the year 2100. In this study, it was investigated whether oxidative stress occurs in cellular responses to elevated temperatures and CO levels in N. diversicolor. It was measured the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers, of hemoglobin, and of the carbonate system. The effects of ocean acidification on these organisms are almost unknown. This study has shown that when subject to pH and temperature stress, the Nereidid polychaete N. diversicolor exhibits reduced survival rates. Also the biomarker (Lipid Peroxidation-LPO) was also found to be sensitive to the pH versus temperature relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of field and laboratory investigations was conducted in order to gain an understanding of aluminium dynamics in coastal seawater environments. Filterable (<0.025 and <0.45 mm) aluminium concentrations in waters collected from an industrialised coastal location at Gladstone, Central Queensland, Australia ranged from 0.8 to 39.4 μg L-1. Size-based separation measurements made on field and laboratory-spiked coastal waters showed colloidal (>0.025 to <0.45mm) aluminiumspecieswere generallyminimal, apart fromone field sample collected close to a rivermouth where aluminium was associated with iron-containing colloids. In seawater (pH 8.15, 22 ×C) spiked with small increments of aluminium so as not to attain supersaturation, the solubility limit was ~500 μg L-1. However, at higher total aluminium concentrations the solution chemistry became highly dynamic. In the presence of aluminiumprecipitate it was not possible to measure a solubility limit over the 28-day duration of the experiment because the dissolved aluminium concentration varied with both reaction time and precipitate concentration. For instance,when seawater solutions were spiked with 10 000 μg L-1 of total aluminium, a pulse of dissolved aluminium up to 1250 μg L-1 was sustained for several days before decreasing to below 100 μg L-1 after 28 days. The initial precipitate appeared to be solely aluminium hydroxide and transformed over time to contain increasing magnesium, consistent with the formation of hydrotalcite (Mg6Al2CO3(OH)16 . 4H2O), reaching 21% of the precipitate mass after 28 days. Adsorption studies showed that at anticipated suspended particulate concentrations for coastal waters, natural particulate material has a fairly low affinity for dissolved aluminium. The results of the current study highlight the complex chemistry of aluminium in marine waters and the role of precipitation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated concentration profiles of trace, rare earth and platinum group metals in fluvial sediments from the Pangani river basin (43,650 km2), one of the largest river basins in Tanzania, to assess its environmental quality. Sediment samples were collected in two distinct seasons from 12 representative sites of diverse land-use practices and characterised by ICP-MS after optimised microwave digestion. Ecological risks were assessed by evaluation of pollution index and comparison with legislated sediment quality guidelines (SQG). The results revealed contamination by some trace metals (e.g. Pb, V, Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd, As, Co, Mn and Zn) in concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 2940 mg kg−1, and four rare earth elements (Y, Ce, Nd, Yb) in concentrations ranging from 0.9 (Yb) to 500 mg kg−1dry weight (Ce), which significantly exceeded the estimated background values at some stations. Palladium was the only platinum group element that was detected in quantifiable concentrations (0.3–3.5 mg kg−1). Concentrations of some trace metals exceeded the SQGs at some localised areas. Principal component analysis and multivariate correlations indicated geochemical characteristics of the area as the major control of metal concentrations and spatial variability. Organic matter and clay contents also played a significant role in metal distributions. Assessment of land-use practices upstream of the sampling locations was used to trace potential anthropogenic sources of metal enrichments, where highest levels were found in areas close to urban centres and agricultural activities. The study provides baseline data for future monitoring programs, and highlights the need for more comprehensive analysis involving a wider spatio-temporal scale and ecotoxicological risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the importance of spirituality amidst the culture that surrounds high performance athletes who have acquired impairments. In so doing, it highlights the way in which spirituality and religion may be used as a vehicle for dealing with issues of re-embodiment and how this might impact long-term athlete well-being. Featuring ethnographic data collected over the course of a number of Paralympic Games, the essay explores the act of re-embodiment and how being "re-born" in line with various religious frameworks is something to which elite athletes with a disability may turn in order to make sense of their place in the world. Drawing on literature from the field of religious studies as well as a critical theorization of disability, the essay sheds light on the relationship between sport and religion using the "imperfect" bodies of Paralympians as a catalyst to explore the importance and meaning of spirituality in the everyday existence of sportspeople with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oligochaete Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri at Foundry Cove (FC), New York evolved genetic resistance to cadmium (Cd) and lost resistance after contaminated sediments were removed by dredging. Selection (on survival time in dissolved Cd) was used to generate tolerance to evaluate fitness cost, the commonplace expectation for evolutionary reversal. The hypothesis that gene flow from neighboring populations could “swamp” resistance was addressed by 16S rDNA sequences. In disagreement with the cost hypothesis, selected-Cd tolerant worms and controls showed no difference in total fecundity or growth rate in environments. Highly-Cd-tolerant worms of the FC-selected population grew rapidly at different temperatures and showed no growth impairment in the presence of Cd, indicating metabolically efficient resistance. Genetic structure at FC was consistent with invasion of genotypes from an adjacent population in the time since dredging. Applying selection to lines from FC and a reference site, demonstrated a more rapid increase in Cd tolerance in FC-origin lines, indicating standing allelic variation for resistance at FC (despite phenotypic erosion). The selection experiment supports the view that resistance is simply controlled—probably by one allele of large effect. Whether such rapid “readaptation” could occur naturally is an important question for understanding broad effects of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new device to collect quantitative samples of sediment and benthic organisms. The device is specially designed for sampling with the advantages of box-corer or Eckman dredges in submerged areas that are accessible on foot. The pedal corer is a simple, lightweight, user-friendly device that does not disturb the sediment structure and provides easy access to the sample contained inside the core. With this device, sampling in shallow water zones that are constantly submerged is made easy and sampling time is extended in intertidal zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental method for determination of critical conditions of condensation of metal propellants of electric jet engines (EJEs) on the surfaces of materials of spacecraft thermoregulating covers is presented. When the critical conditions are reached, the irreversible process of condensation and formation of thin metal films begins on spacecraft surfaces. A rather high accuracy and universality of the method for metal working media and for various surface materials are based on measurements of the intensity of a light beam generated by a stabilized source and reflected from the surface. The working capacity of the method is demonstrated for measurements carried out for four different materials of the surfaces of thermoregulating covers and cesium vapors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to investigate the initial time at which pain occurs after insertion of two initial wires of different sizes, the duration of the pain, the areas affected within the mouth, the level of self-medication, the effect of this pain on daily life, and whether gender is important in the perception of pain. The study group consisted of 109 patients (52 boys, 57 girls) with a mean chronological age of 13.6 years for boys and 14.7 years for girls. Insertion of either a 0.014 or 0.016 inch wire was by random selection. Following insertion of the archwires, a questionnaire comprising a total of 49 questions was given to the patients. They described the time of initial pain in the first question, answered the next 24 questions as 'yes' or 'no', and used a visual analogue scale for the final 24 questions, No significant differences were found in terms of gender, in the perception period of initial pain as regards the areas affected within the mouth or the effect of pain on daily living when the 0.014 and 0.016 inch wire groups were compared at 6 hours, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 days. At 24 hours, which was found to be statistically significant, more pain relief was used in the 0.014 inch archwire group. The results show that in both groups, initial pain was perceived at 2 hours, peaked at 24 hours and had decreased by day 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a critical review of important issues in the implementation and interpretation of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) used to evaluate non-biomedical therapeutic interventions for pain. The analysis of methodological issues focuses on the validity, relevance and clinical importance of outcome measures; sampling and randomization bias; blinding procedures used to control for the placebo response and therapist influences, and treatment standardisation. A key issue is that pain management is inextricably linked to the establishment of a therapeutic relationship. In such circumstances, it is argued that the 'gold standard' double-blind RCT is impracticable. Those relying on RCTs as sources of evidence need to be aware that an 'unblinded' RCT can enhance placebo responses to the intervention and introduce important sources of bias. The challenge faced by healthcare researchers is to identify alternative research designs able to provide valid and reliable evidence that the proposed therapeutic intervention is capable of achieving cost-effective, clinically important and personally relevant outcomes in naturalistic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Survivin has recently been identified as a novel inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP). Unlike other members of the IAP family, survivin is characterized by a unique structure that contains a single baculovirus IAP repeat and no really interesting new gene (RING) finger motifs, and it is expressed in many common human cancers, but not in normal tissues. Survivin regulates the G2/M phase of the cell cycle by associating with mitotic spindle microtubules, and it directly inhibits caspase-3 and caspase-7 activity. During tumorigenesis, survivin expression is inversely correlated with apoptosis inhibition and positively correlated with proliferation and angiogenesis. Inhibition of apoptosis by survivin predicts poor prognosis and shorter survival in human cancers. The molecular detection of occult cancer by the targeting of survivin as a novel molecular marker is useful, and micrometastasis detected by immunohistochemical staining for survivin reveals inhibition of apoptosis and the acceleration of cell proliferation. In in-vitro and in-vivo studies, survivin targeting with antisense and survivin mutants induces apoptosis, reduces tumor growth potential, and sensitizes cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and X-irradiation. These results suggest that survivin may have the potential to function as a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of gender in the sociology of religion as seen through the eyes of Stephanie Howland, a female Methodist minister in rural Missouri. She does not identifies herself as a feminist. She does not believe that her gender affects how her congregation views her. For pioneer clergy women, gender and work combined in an altogether new fashion with particular, sometimes less than positive, consequences. She concludes that life for most beginning clergywomen is now different. She believes that the element of faith is missing everywhere. Faith, according to her plays a central role in the world. Her faith is not a simple brand of spiritual reductionism whereupon community and congregational problems can be explained by God. Stephanie backgrounds the issue of gender. Not to deny Stephanie's expression of God in her life, but a social science backed question might ask what her calling might have been had she not grown up with clergywomen and benefited from the experiences of the pioneer generation.