We have recently introduced liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for 25-hydroxyvitamin D 2 (25OHD 2 ) and 25OHD 3 testing. During subsequent clinical use, we identified significantly elevated results in some infants. We hypothesized this might represent assay interference caused by C-3 epimers of 25OHD 2 or 25OHD 3 .

Previous studies have found that children have difficulty solving proportional reasoning problems involving discrete units until 10-to 12-years of age, but can solve parallel problems involving continuous quantities by 6-years of age. The present studies examine where children go wrong in processing proportions that involve discrete quantities. A computerized proportional equivalence choice task was administered to kindergartners through fourth-graders in Study 1, and to first-and third-graders in Study 2. Both studies involved four between-subjects conditions that were formed by pairing continuous and discrete target proportions with continuous and discrete choice alternatives. In Study 1, target and choice alternatives were presented simultaneously and in Study 2 target and choice alternatives were presented sequentially. In both studies, children performed significantly worse when both the target and choice alternatives were represented with discrete quantities than when either or both of the proportions involved continuous quantities. Taken together, these findings indicate that children go astray on proportional reasoning problems involving discrete units only when a numerical match is possible, suggesting that their difficulty is due to an overextension of numerical equivalence concepts to proportional equivalence problems.

The hands of apes and humans differ considerably with regard to proportions between several bones. Of critical significance is the long thumb relative to other fingers, which is the basis for human-like pad-to-pad precision grip capability, and has been considered by some as evidence of tool-making. The nature and timing of the evolutionary transition from ape-like to human-like manual proportions, however, have remained unclear as a result of the lack of appropriate fossil material. In this article, the manual proportions of Australopithecus afarensis from locality AL 333/333w (Hadar, Ethiopia) are investigated by means of bivariate and multivariate morphometric analyses, in order to test the hypothesis that human-like proportions, including an enhanced thumb/hand relationship, originally evolved as an adaptation to stone tool-making. Although some evidence for human-like manual proportions had been previously proposed for this taxon, conclusive evidence was lacking. Our results indicate that A. afarensis possessed overall manual proportions, including an increased thumb/hand relationship that, contrary to previous reports, is fully human and would have permitted pad-to-pad human-like precision grip capability. We show that these human-like proportions in A. afarensis mainly result from hand shortening, as in modern humans, and that these conclusions are robust enough as to be non-dependent on whether the bones belong to a single individual or not. Since A. afarensis predates the appearance of stone tools in the archeological record, the above-mentioned conclusions permit a confident refutation of the null hypothesis that human-like manual proportions are an adaptation to stone tool-making, and thus alternative explanations must be therefore sought. One hypothesis would consider manipulative behaviors (including tool-use and/or non-lithic tool-making) in early hominines exceeding those reported among extant non-human primates. Alternatively, on the basis of the many adaptations to committed bipedalism in A. afarensis, we propose the hypothesis that once arboreal behaviors became adaptively insignificant and forelimb-dominated locomotor selection pressures were relaxed with the adoption of terrestrial bipedalism, human-like manual proportions could have merely evolved as a result of the complex manipulation selection pressures already present in extant non-human primates. Both hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, and even other factors such as pleiotropy cannot be currently discarded.

Understanding the epidemiology of foot and ankle trauma could be useful in health services research and for policy makers. It can also define practice patterns. Using the National Trauma Data Bank data set from 2007 to 2011, we analyzed the frequency and proportion of each fracture in the foot and ankle in major trauma hospitals in the United States. A total of 280,933 foot and/or ankle fractures or dislocations were identified. Although oversampling of more severe trauma in younger patients might have occurred owing to the nature of the data set, we found that the most common fractures in the foot and ankle were ankle fractures. Midfoot fractures were the least common among all the foot and ankle fractures when categorized by anatomic location. Approximately 20% of all foot and ankle fractures were open.

In randomized controlled trials, no single definition of response is ideal for all purposes. We propose a method to present in a simple fashion the likelihood of response over a full range of response levels, which will facilitate a better understanding of clinical trial data. We present the technique called the cumulative proportion of responders analysis (CPRA) and its application to four pain clinical trial data sets as examples. The CPRA can be used to present the proportion of responders over the entire range of possible cut-off points as a graph. This allows the reader to compare treatment groups at any responder level that is valid for their patient population. Whether as a primary or secondary approach to a clinical trial of pain therapy, the display of data in a CPRA format may be useful in the understanding of results and applicability to patient care.

In South America, a high proportion of the population is of Hispanic origin with an important representation in Colombia. Since nothing is known about the contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations to hereditary breast/ovarian cancer in the Hispanic population from Colombia, we conducted the first study of 53 breast/ovarian cancer families from this country. Comprehensive BRCA mutation screening was performed using a range of techniques, including DHPLC, SSCP, and PTT, followed by DNA sequencing analysis. Thirteen deleterious germline mutations (24.5%) were identified in 53 families, comprising eight in BRCA1 and five in BRCA2. The two recurrent BRCA1 mutations, 3450 delCAAG and A1708E, accounted for 100% of all BRCA1 mutations identified in this cohort and the recurrent 3034 delACAA BRCA2 mutation for 40% of all BRCA2 mutations. Haplotype analyses suggested that each of these mutations has arisen from a common ancestor. The prevalence of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations was 50% in multiple case breast cancer families, and was 33% for the breast-ovarian cancer families. Our findings show that BRCA mutations account for a substantial proportion of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer in Colombia. The spectrum of mutations differed completely to that previously reported in Hispanic families of predominantly Mexican origin from Southern California [1] suggesting that specific genetic risk assessment strategies for the different Hispanic populations in South America and in the United States need to be developed.

This study reports on developmental patterning in the intralimb indices of Late/Final Jomon period (4000-2300 BP) people. Jomon foragers represent the descendants of migrants from Northeast Asia, who arrived in the Japanese Islands around 20,000 BP. Among adults, Jomon brachial indices are elevated and similar to warm adapted, low latitude people, while crural indices are intermediate and similar to people from moderate latitudes. Two hypotheses regarding the development of intralimb indices among Jomon period foragers are tested: (1) intralimb indices of Jomon people maintain predicted ecogeographic relationships over ontogeny; (2) greater evolvability will be observed in the brachial index, while greater developmental constraint will be observed in the crural index. Changes in intralimb proportions in a Jomon skeletal growth series are compared to those in two contrasting samples: Inuit in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).

Design research is a broad, practice-based approach to investigating problems of education. This approach can catalyze the development of learning theory by fostering opportunities for transformational change in scholars’ interpretation of instructional interactions. Surveying a succession of design-research projects, I explain how challenges in understanding students’ behaviors promoted my own recapitulation of a historical evolution in educators’ conceptualizations of learning – Romantic, Progressivist, and Synthetic (Schön 1981) – and beyond to a proposed Systemic view. In reflection, I consider methodological adaptations to design-research practice that may enhance its contributions in accord with its objectives.

A B S T R A C T Excavations on the Zhokhov Island yielded a small but meaningful collection of Early Holocene canine faunal remains (MNI = 13). To clarify the morphological characteristics of the Zhokhov dogs' skulls, they were compared to the modern skulls of the Eastern Siberian wolves. This analysis shows, that around 9000 years ago a fully formed, as a species, domesticated dog was present at the Zhokhov site and used by the inhabitants of the area while hunting and as a draft animal. Presence of a developed form of dog sledding has been securely established for this culture. The Zhokhov site osteological dog remains analysis showed that the comparison of two proportional ratios (the ratio of skull height in the cranial region to total skull length and the ratio of snout height at Рm1 – Рm2 to total skull length) is a universal and reliable criterion for distinguishing wolf skulls from wolf-like dog skulls. This method prevents the influence of any single measurement on the identification of any individual as a dog or a wolf. We propose to name them indices DD1 and DD2, accordingly (for Dog Domestication). We also show that a sled dog and hunting dog standard existed, which significantly changes the current ideas about the timing of specialized dog breed formation via directed selection. Full completion of this process marks the third stage of domestication. Two earlier stages precede it in time and space (natural selection via the feeding behavior within specific ecological niche, formed by the human activity, followed by artificial selection based on the animal's ability to be tamed). We suggest that sled dogs could have been used in Siberia around 15,000 years ago.

Purpose: Most BRCA1/2 mutations are of unknown clinical relevance. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that there can be deleterious effects through the disruption of the splicing process. We have investigated the effect of aberrant splicing of BRCA1/2 on hereditary breast/ovarian cancer (HBOC).

The aim of the study was to determine whether phenolic compounds in some varieties of buckwheat, winter and spring barley and peas can be used as factors which distinguish selected cultivars and varieties of plant material. It was observed that the content of total phenolics might be useful as a cultivar-distinguishing factor for all the plant materials analyzed, but it was a distinguishing factor for only some varieties. Individual cultivars and varieties were best distinguished by the content of syringic acid. The levels of syringic and vanillic acids were in reverse proportion to the total amount of phenolics soluble in methanol and a positive correlation between syringic and ferulic acid was observed. Moreover, the protein content of plant material was analyzed and a significant (p ≤ 0.05) correlation between this component and ferulic and vanillic acids was noted.

This prospective, observational multicenter (n=24) study investigated relationships between antimicrobial choices and rates of empiric appropriate or adequate therapy, and subsequent adaptation of therapy in 171 ICU patients with severe nosocomial 36 infections. Appropriate antibiotic therapy was defined as in-vitro susceptibility of the 37 causative pathogen and clinical response to the agent administered. In non-38 microbiologically documented infections, therapy was considered adequate in case of 39 favorable clinical response <5 days. Patients had pneumonia (n=127; 66 ventilator-40 associated), intra-abdominal infection (n=23), and bloodstream infection (n=21). 41 Predominant pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=29) Escherichia coli (n=26), 42 Staphylococcus aureus (n=22), and Enterobacter aerogenes (n=21). In 49.6% of infections 43 multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria were involved, mostly extended-spectrum Beta-44 lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae and MDR non-fermenting Gram-negative 45 bacteria. Prior antibiotic exposure and hospitalization in a general ward prior to ICU 46 admission were risk factors for MDR. Empiric therapy was appropriate/adequate in 47 63.7% of cases. Empiric schemes were classified according to coverage of (i) ESBL-48 Enterobacteriaceae + non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria (meropenem-based), (ii) 49 non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria (schemes with antipseudomonal agent), and 50 (iii) first-line agents not covering ESBL-Enterobacteriaceae nor non-fermenting Gram-51 negative bacteria. Meropenem-based schemes allowed for significantly higher rates 52 of appropriate/adequate therapy (p<0.001). This benefit remained when only 53 patients without risk factors for MDR were considered (p=0.021). In 106 patients 54 (61%) empiric therapy was adapted: in 60 cases following initial 55 peer-00567278, version 1 -A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 3 inappropriate/inadequate therapy, in 46 patients in order to fine-tune empiric 56 therapy. In this study reflecting real-life practice first-line use of meropenem 57 provided significantly higher rates of appropriate/adequate therapy, irrespective of 58 presence of risk factors for MDR. 59 60 A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 65 on the presence of particular iatrogenic risk factors such as the use of indwelling 66 devices and extensive surgery, as well as the severity of underlying disease and 67 critical illness. Despite several large scaled efforts to improve prevention of 68 healthcare-associated infection [2-7], in general about 20% to 50% of patients 69 hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) experience infection, either hospital or 70 ICU-acquired [8, 9]. 71 Severe nosocomial infection carries a substantial economic burden due to extensive 72 antimicrobial consumption and, even more importantly, increased length of 73 hospitalization [10-13]. In addition, severe infection seriously compromises the odds 74 of survival. Attributable mortality rates vary from as low as zero percent to a 75 dramatic 50% dependent of the type of infection, the causative pathogen, patient age, 76 associated co-morbidities, and overall quality of the anti-infective approach [13-21]. 77 Among all the modalities that are to be fulfilled in the aim to optimize clinical patient 78 outcomes, early initiation of the proper antimicrobial agent is a cornerstone [1]. 79 Failure to timely administer appropriate antimicrobial therapy results in a dramatic 80 increase in fatality rates [22-25]. Selecting an empiric regimen which covers the 81 causative pathogen, however, is hampered by the presence of multidrug resistant 82 (MDR) micro-organisms which is the utmost important cause of empiric 83 inappropriate therapy. Since antimicrobial consumption in itself is a major trigger for 84 peer-00567278, version 1 -A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 5 MDR development, physicians are frequently urged to thoughtfully use 'last-line 85 antibiotics'. In fact, the challenge is to achieve high rates of empiric appropriate 86 therapy in order to optimize patient survival, while avoiding unnecessary use of 87 antibiotics with the intention to minimize microbial selection pressure, and hence, 88 MDR development [1, 26]. 89 In order to accomplish this goal, in the past decade two main strategies have been 90 proposed. In the surveillance-assisted strategy, the empiric regimen is selected 91 mainly based on the presence or absence of MDR pathogens in routine surveillance 92 cultures. The strength of this approach is the high negative predictive value of 93 surveillance cultures to predict MDR involvement in subsequent infection. On the 94 condition that cultures are taken at least twice weekly, this strategy is capable to 95 combine high rates of empiric appropriate therapy with reduced consumption of 96 antibiotics in pneumonia and bacteremia [27-33]. The cost-effectiveness of this 97 approach, however, remains questionable. Another approach is the so-called 'de-98 escalation strategy' which, on the condition of risk factors for MDR involvement, 99 recommends empiric start with a regimen which covers most potential MDR 100 pathogens such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing (ESBL) 101 Enterobacteriaceae, non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, and methicillin-resistant 102 Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) [34-36]. Once culture results are available, and if 103 feasible, narrowing the antimicrobial spectrum is advised. This concept, often 104 referred to as 'de-escalation', is widely used and advocated [37-40]. This strategy has 105 been demonstrated to be successful and safe, and may also reduce antibiotic use and 106 hence limiting the emergence of MDR [36, 41]. The objective of the present study was to prospectively investigate patterns of 108 antimicrobial therapy in critically ill patients with nosocomial infection. More 109 precisely we formulated the following research questions: (i) What is the rate of 110 empiric appropriate or adequate therapy achieved? (ii) Which antibiotic selections 111 allow for the highest rates of empiric appropriate or adequate therapy, either in the 112 presence or absence of risk factors for MDR pathogens? (iii) What is the rate by 113 which empiric therapy (either appropriate/adequate or not) is adapted? 114 115 116 study was approved by the local ethics committee and informed consent was 120 requested. In all centers antimicrobial prescribing was done or supervised by the 121 attending senior intensivist. 122 Inclusion criteria. Eligible patients were those who provided informed consent, were 123 at least 18 year of age, were hospitalized in the ICU, and experienced severe hospital-124 acquired infection, either pneumonia, intra-abdominal infection, primary 125 bloodstream infection, or secondary bloodstream infection originating from another 126 source than pneumonia or intra-abdominal infection (e.g. bacteremia secondary to 127 urinary tract infection or sinusitis).

Developed as an alternative to traditional deception detection methods, the concealed information test (CIT) assesses recognition of critical (e.g., crime-relevant) &quot;probes.&quot; Most often, recognition has been measured as enhanced skin conductance responses (SCRs) to probes compared to irrelevant foils (CIT effect). More recently, also differentially enlarged reaction times (RTs) and increased neural activity in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, the right middle frontal gyrus, and the right temporo-parietal junction have been observed. The aims of the current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study were to (1) investigate the boundary conditions of the CIT effects in all three measures and thereby (2) gain more insight into the relative contribution of two mechanisms underlying enhanced responding to concealed information (i.e., orienting versus response inhibition). Therefore, we manipulated the proportion of probe versus irrelevant items, and whether suspect...

Immunosuppressive CD41CD25 hi FoxP31 T cells (T reg cells) have been found at increased densities within the tumor microenvironment in many malignancies and interfere with protective antitumor immune responses. Osseous Ewing sarcomas (ESs) are thought to derive from a bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal cell of origin, and microscopic marrow involvement defines a subpopulation of patients at a high risk of relapse. We hypothesized that BM-resident T cells may contribute to a permissive milieu for immune escape of ESs. Using 6-color-flow cytometry, we investigated the pattern of immune cell subset distribution including NK cells, cd T cells, central and effector memory CD81 and CD41 T cells as well as T cells with regulatory phenotype (T reg cells) in BM obtained at diagnosis from 45 primary or relapsed ES patients treated within standardized protocols. Although patients at relapse had an inverted CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, neither CD81 effector/memory T-cell subsets nor T reg cells significantly differed from patients at diagnosis. No significant associations of innate and effector/memory T-cell subpopulations with known risk factors were found, including age, gender, tumor site, primary metastases and histological tumor response. By contrast, T reg cells were found at significantly higher frequencies in patients with primary metastatic disease compared with localized ESs (5.0 vs. 3.3%, p 5 0.01). Thus, increased BM T reg cells in patients with metastasized ES may reflect an immune escape mechanism that contributes to the development of metastatic disease. Immunotherapeutic strategies will have to adequately consider the regulatory milieu within areas of Ewing tumor-immune interactions. ' 2009 UICC

Locomotion is a behaviour resulting from the interaction of the nervous and muculo-skeletal systems and the environment. However the musculo skeletal systems of some terrestrial mammals present an intrinsic ability to realize a dynamic stable locomotion. Actual anthropomorphic passive walkers demonstrate that a pure mechanical system with leg and arms is able to walk down an inclined plane. Numerical simulations confirm that self-stabilization of the mechanics is acting in running too. The necessity to ensure the dynamic stability of a cyclic locomotion set physical constraints to the musculo-skeletal system. A description of the locomotor apparatus with neuromechanical variables like the stiffness-accessible to the experimentation-enables for maintaining the number of degrees of freedom of biomechanical models as low as possible. The maximization of the robustness of the mechanical self-stabilization of the models with regard to the body proportions represents for future simulations an optimization criterion which should bring a new light to the comprehension of the body proportions. Keyword s: stability locomotion body proportion running quadruped mammals. Résumé La locomotion résulte de l'interaction du système nerveux, du système osteomusculaire et de l'environnement. Cependant le système musculo-squelettique de certains mammifères terrestres apparaît avoir acquis une capacité intrinsèque à se mouvoir d'une façon dynamiquement stable. Les robot-marcheurs passifs actuels nous montrent qu'une structure mécanique avec des jambes et des bras est capable de descendre le long d'un plan incliné sans source de contrôle supplémentaire. Les simulations numériques semblent de plus montrer que des phénomènes d'autostabilisation de la mécanique sont à l'oeuvre pendant la course également. La nécessité d'assurer une locomotion cyclique dynamiquement stable est porteuse, elle aussi, de contraintes physiques à définir, à découvrir. L'étude des relations entre stabilité dynamique et morphologie suppose une modélisation du système étudié et l'utilisation de l'outil simulation numérique. Une description du système avec des variables neuromécaniques telle la raideur, accessible à l'expérimentation, permet de contenir le nombre de degrés de liberté du modèle. La maximisation de la robustesse de l'autostabilisation mécanique, c'est-à-dire la maximisation de l'intensité de la perturbation que le système en mouvement est capable de supporter sans tomber, fournit pour les futures simulations un critère d'optimisation capable d'éclairer d'une façon nouvelle notre compréhension des proportions du squelette.

Relative proportions of peripheral blood (PB) B lymphocytes (B220%) as well as CD4 (CD4%) and CD8 (CD8%) T lymphocytes differ significantly among inbred mouse strains: B220% is high in C57BL/6J (B6) and C57BR/cdJ, intermediate in BALB/cByJ (BALB) and DBA/2J (D2), and low in NOD/LtJ (NOD) and SJL/J (SJL) mice, whereas CD4% and CD8% are high in NOD and SJL mice and low in the other 4 strains. By following segregating genetic markers linked to these traits in (B6 × D2) recombinant inbred (BXD RI) mice, the study defined 2 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the B220% phenotype:Pbbcp1 (peripheral blood B cell percentage 1, logarithm of odds [LOD] 4.1, P 

Background: Results of a pilot study suggested that cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) improved LDL phenotype in moderately overweight subjects with LDL phenotype B. Objective: Initiated by the results of this pilot study, we have specifically designed a study to test the hypothesis that cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid improves LDL phenotype in moderately overweight subjects with LDL phenotype B. Effects on the serum lipid profile, on plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, and on clinical parameters were also examined. Design: Volunteers with LDL phenotype B were divided into three groups consuming daily a drinkable dairy product not enriched with CLA (placebo, n = 34), the same dairy product enriched with 3 g c9, t11 CLA (n = 34), or the dairy product enriched with 3 g t10, c12 CLA (n = 19) for 13 weeks. Results: Median changes in the proportions of plasma small dense LDL were −2.0% in the control group and −0.1% in the c9, t11 CLA and t10, c12 CLA groups (p = 0.981 for the differences between the groups). c9, t11 CLA or t10, c12 CLA did also not affect serum concentrations of LDL and HDL cholesterol, and of triacylglycerol, and plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin. Conclusions: In humans with LDL phenotype B, c9, t11 CLA and t10, c12 CLA do not beneficially change risk factors for cardiovascular disease or diabetes. (R.P. Mensink).

Fractions are well known to be difficult to learn. Various hypotheses have been proposed in order to explain those difficulties: fractions can denote different concepts; their understanding requires a conceptual reorganization with regard to natural numbers; and using fractions involves the articulation of conceptual knowledge with complex manipulation of procedures. In order to encompass the major aspects of knowledge about fractions, we propose to distinguish between conceptual and procedural knowledge. We designed a test aimed at assessing the main components of fraction knowledge. The test was carried out by fourth-, fifth-and sixth-graders from the French Community of Belgium. The results showed large differences between categories. Pupils seemed to master the part-whole concept, whereas numbers and operations posed problems. Moreover, pupils seemed to apply procedures they do not fully understand. Our results offer further directions to explain why fractions are amongst the most difficult mathematical topics in primary education. This study offers a number of recommendations on how to teach fractions.

While peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects a considerable proportion of patients in the primary care setting, there is a high level of use of complementary treatment options. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of any type of complementary therapy for peripheral arterial disease. A systematic review was performed. Literature searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, Amed, and the Cochrane Library until December 2004. Hand-searches of medical journals and bibliographies were conducted. There were no restrictions regarding the language of publication. The screening of studies, selection, data extraction, the assessment of methodologic quality and validation were performed independently by the two reviewers. Data from randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which based their findings on the results of randomized controlled trials were included. Seven systematic reviews and meta-analyses and three additional randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The evidence relates to acupuncture, biofeedback, chelation therapy, CO 2-applications and the dietary supplements Allium sativum (garlic), Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo), omega-3 fatty acids, padma 28 and Vitamin E. Most studies included only patients with peripheral arterial disease in Fontaine stage II (intermittent claudication). The reviewed RCTs, systematic reviews and meta-analyses which based their findings on the results of RCTs suggest that G. biloba is effective compared with placebo for patients with intermittent claudication. Evidence also suggests that padma 28 is effective for intermittent claudication, although more data are required to confirm these findings. For all other complementary treatment options there is no evidence beyond reasonable doubt to suggest effectiveness for patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Reproductive breast cancer risk factors are hypothesized to act by increasing exposure of the breast to endogenous estrogens, but few studies have quantitatively examined the association of these risk factors with breast tissue composition. This study is part of a case-control study of breast histological characteristics and breast cancer risk, nested within the Nurses' Health Study, a prospective study of 121,700 registered nurses. We studied 300 women who had not been diagnosed with breast cancer, but for whom we obtained slides from a prior benign breast biopsy. We used a computer-assisted image analysis technique to assess the proportion of epithelial and fibrous stromal tissue on benign breast biopsy slides, excluding obvious mass lesions. Mean epithelial proportion was 5.3% (0.1-23%), and mean stromal proportion was 58.7% (3-93%). Women with proliferative breast disease without atypia had higher epithelial and stromal proportions than women with nonproliferative breast disease (P < 0.001). Postmenopausal women had a lower epithelial proportion (P ‫؍‬ 0.01), and increasing age at biopsy was associated with decreasing stromal proportion among postmenopausal parous women (P ‫؍‬ 0.004). Among premenopausal women, increasing years since last birth was associated with lower epithelial proportion (P < 0.001). Other reproductive risk factors were not independently associated with epithelial or stromal proportion. Epithelial and stromal breast tissue were associated with different factors with the exception of proliferative breast disease, which was associated with an increase in both epithelial and stromal proportion. The quantitative measurement of epithelial and stromal proportion may be useful for measuring changes in breast composition.

The nature of the semantic memory deficit in dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) was investigated in a semantic priming task which was designed to assess both automatic and attention-induced priming effects. Ten DAT patients and 10 age-matched control subjects completed a word naming semantic priming task in which both relatedness proportion (RP) and stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) were varied. A clear dissociation between automatic and attentional priming effects in both groups was demonstrated; however, the DAT subjects' pattern of priming deviated significantly from that of the normal controls. The DAT patients failed to produce any priming under conditions which encouraged automatic semantic processing and produced facilitation only when the RP was high. In addition, the DAT group produced hyperpriming, with significantly larger facilitation effects than the control group. These results suggest an impairment of automatic spreading activation in DAT and have implications for theories of semantic memory impairment in DAT as well as models of normal priming.

In this paper, an analysis of three Serbian medieval Raška churches highlights the significance of the interaction of regular geometric shapes in the composition of their underlying proportional scheme. The complex geometry recognised in the layouts and cross-sections of these monastery churches points to the potential use of a unique triangular proportioning system. This proportional system is derived from the initial geometry of Štambuk’s proportional canon, which employs two circles constrained by an equilateral triangle in a specific setting. As the essence of religious medieval structures is often related to their interior, in this paper 3D “empty space moulds” are created by the parametric modelling of each element of the structure. This research shows how the variation of the two critical points of the church interior, the centres of the dome and of the main apse, along with the key triangles incorporated in the proportional scheme, affect the final 3D structural model.

Full text available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00004-018-00426-z

Introduction: Platelets of diabetic patients have been reported to be less sensitive to aspirin. The aim of this study is to compare a medium (300 mg) and low (100 mg) dose of aspirin on platelet function in diabetic patients. Methods: We have included one hundred and two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Platelet function was measured as closure time (CT) with the Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100k before the administration of aspirin. Initially the patients were given 100 mg aspirin once daily for seven days, and then the measurements were repeated. If the CT exceeded the upper limit of 300 s, the study was terminated. If not, the patients continued the aspirin therapy with a dose of 300 mg daily for another seven days, and the CTs were measured again. Results: After taking 100 mg aspirin, the CT significantly increased from 126 F 29 s to 256 F 66 s ( p b 0.001). In 68 of 102 (67%) patients, the CT increased to 300 s. In the remaining 34 patients, the baseline CT was 113 F 29, and increased to 170 F 45 s after 100 mg aspirin ( p b 0.001). In these patients, there was a further increase in the CT from 170 F 45 to 229 F 75 s following 300 mg aspirin ( p b 0.001). On average, the CT was increased by 60% and 39% following ingestion of 100 and 300 mg aspirin, respectively. CT N 300 s were obtained in 15 (44%) of 34 patients after 300 mg aspirin. 0049-3848/$ -see front matter D

This paper presents the analysis of the design and construction of the traditional houses in northern Greece and the correlation with the use of the metric system of the architect’s cubit and the existence of architectural tracing and proportions. Of particular significance is the detection of certain metric models widely applied in the urban centres of northern Greece during the nineteenth century, and the general application of the Pythagorean theorem on the triangular tracing. The analysis was based on the application of the functional and constructional module on plans and façades of houses in order to investigate its influence on the standardisation of the design of the spaces and their elements, as well as of the construction. This makes it possible to reconstruct the design principles that characterise the traditional houses in the Ottoman Empire and the proportions of their parts, as well as to identify similarities and differences between the various urban centres of northern Greece. Another finding of the research involves the way in which the structural grid is applied to the design of the façades and to the placement of the structural elements and the openings of the timber-frame construction. As a result, conclusions are drawn concerning the role and the effect of the measuring system and the various metric models on the constructional rationale and on the development of the form of the traditional house.

Se describe en este artículo el proceso metodológico para reconstruir el diseño modular del palacio fortificado de Onda (Castellón) a partir de su planta arqueológica, aplicando los principios metrológicos desentrañados en las investigaciones previas del autor en este campo. Módulo, ejes, tamaños y esquema geométrico general quedan identificados sobre la planta base con precisión digital. Se clasifican los diferentes espesores de muros detectados. Se realizan comprobaciones mediante mediciones directas. En esta obra resalta la continua utilización de modulaciones dinámicas, tanto en la rotunda y caracterizadora geometría de su planta general, como en cada una de las partes. Destaca también la variedad de espesores de muro, los desplazamientos de ejes, y el correcto replanteo de la fortaleza. El conocimiento de un sistema común de proporciones en los usos del pasado puede representar un nuevo paradigma en el estudio y conservación de nuestro patrimonio histórico y cultural. /
Described in this paper, is the methodological process to reconstruct the modular design of the fortified palace of Onda (Castellon) Spain, through its anthropologic plan, and applying the Metrologic Principles unravelled in previous research of the author in this field. Module, axis, size and geometric scheme are identified on the base plan, with digital precision. Different thicknesses of the walls are detected and classified. Verifications are carried out via direct measurements. In this building, the continuous utilization of dynamic modulations are highlighted in the decisive and characteristic geometry of the general floor, as in each of the parts. The variety of the thickness of the walls, the displacements of the axis and the correct tracing of the fortress, also stand out. The knowledge of a common system of proportions used in the past could represent a new paradigm in the study and the conservation of our historical and cultural heritage.

Background: Conditions that may influence heart rate recovery at 1 min of recovery from exercise (HRR1: end-exercise heart rate minus heart rate 1 min after exercise) are not fully understood. We hypothesized that the ÔimportanceÕ (both local severity and regional diffusion) of peripheral skeletal muscle ischaemia is associated with low HRR1. Design and Methods: In 529 patients with suspected or confirmed peripheral vascular disease not receiving beta-blockers (61AE4 ± 11AE3 years old), we retrospectively studied the relationship of HRR1 to exercise-induced changes in transcutaneous oxygen DROP index (limb changes minus chest changes from rest). The sum of DROP indices observed on both calves and both buttocks (DROPtot) provides the unique opportunity to estimate both the severity and the diffusion of exerciseinduced ischaemia on the right and left side simultaneously. It was used during a constant-load treadmill test (3AE2 km h)1 ; 10% grade) to classify patients in quartiles, the fourth quartile representing the more ÔimportantÕ ischaemias. Results: There was an inverse relationship between quartiles of DROPtot and HRR1, even after adjustment for heart rate reserve (Delta HR: end-exercise minus resting heart rate), age (£ or >60 years), gender, body mass index, treadmill maximal walking distance and ankle brachial index: adjusted R = 0AE629; P<0AE0001. Conclusions: During constant-load treadmill testing, DROPtot, an index of the ÔimportanceÕ of exercise-induced lower-limb ischaemia, correlates with HRR1. Whether HRR1 is improved in proportion of DROPtot improvement in patients undergoing surgery or rehabilitation for peripheral artery disease is a fascinating issue for future studies.

In practice, the information regarding the population proportion possessing certain attribute is easily available see Jhajj et.al. (2006). For estimating the population mean Y of the study variable y, following Bahl and Tuteja (1991), a ratio-product type
exponential estimator has been proposed by using the known information of population proportion possessing an attribute (highly correlated with y) in simple random sampling.
The expressions for the bias and the mean-squared error (MSE) of the estimator and its minimum value have been obtained. The proposed estimator has an improvement over mean per unit estimator, ratio and product type exponential estimators as well as Naik and Gupta (1996) estimators. The results have also been extended to the case of two phase sampling. The results obtained have been illustrated numerically by taking some
empirical populations considered in the literature.

Objective: The use of statins has shown several anti-inflammatory actions, including modulatory effects on T cells in vitro. Since the effects on human T cells in vivo are less clarified, our aim was to investigate the effects of simvastatin on human T cells in vivo and ex vivo. Methods and results: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design was applied. Eighty volunteers with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia received either simvastatin 40 mg or placebo for 6 weeks. The serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly reduced by simvastatin. The proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets expressing early (CD25) or late (HLA-DR) activation markers, as assessed by flow cytometry, were not changed by simvastatin. However, simvastatin tended to increase the density of HLA-DR and L-selectin per CD8+ T cell. The T helper(h)1/Th2 response was evaluated by stimulatory assays followed by intra-cellular staining of interferon-␥ and interleukin-4. Simvastatin treatment did not affect the Th1 response but the results indicated a potential to suppress Th2. Conclusion: Simvastatin treatment resulted in a few discrete changes as regards peripheral T cells. However, the findings do not provide evidence that simvastatin-induced anti-inflammatory actions are related to any significant modulatory effects on human T cells in clinically healthy men with hypercholesterolemia.

Multiple regional trauma systems have been implemented over the past 3 decades to achieve the goal of regionalized care for injured patients. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) advocates that seriously injured patients should be treated in designated Level I trauma centers that meet criteria including admitting more than 1,200 injured patients annually. Reliable measures are needed to evaluate the implementation of regionalized care nationally. The goal of this study was to measure the proportion of seriously injured patients treated at high injury–volume hospitals.We performed a retrospective observational study of injured patients hospitalized in the US during the years 1995 to 2003, drawn from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Hospitals were ranked in order of annual volume of injured patient admissions. A patient’s severity of injury was calculated using ICD-9–based Injury Severity Score (ICISS). The principal measure was the proportion of seriously injured patients (ICISS ≤ 0.90) admitted to high-volume hospitals.Nine hundred fifteeen injured patients admitted per year is the empiric threshold for hospitals with a high injury volume. Only 7% of hospitals in the US meet this volume threshold. Sixty percent of seriously injured patients are treated in these high-volume hospitals; within the elder (age 65 years or older) subset, this percentage is lower.The proportion of seriously injured patients in high-volume hospitals is a functional metric that provides a practicable and comprehensive measure of regionalized trauma care in the US. Injured elder Americans have less access to experienced trauma hospitals.

This article presents a geometrical analysis of Bourges Cathedral, based on the application of computer-aided design (CAD) techniques to the results of a recent and highly precise laser survey. This analysis reveals that the cathedral's original designer developed a tightly interlocking and strikingly unified design, in which the five-fold subdivision of the chevet ground plan set proportions that would be vertically extruded into an elevation that can be inscribed both within a square and within a series of progessively smaller equilaterial triangles. These results contribute to an ongoing debate about the use of ‘ad quadratum’ and ‘ad triangulum’ geometries in Gothic architecture, and they provide new evidence for the geometrical coherence of Gothic cathedral design. In methodological terms, meanwhile, this discussion demonstrates the potential of CAD-based geometrical analysis for the study of precisely surveyed medieval buildings.

This paper constitutes an effort to investigate the application of specific design and constructional tracing in post-Byzantine churches situated in northwestern Greece, mainly in the wider area of the town of Florina and the Prespa Lakes, covering a period from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. Firstly, a review of the relevant previous studies concerning the investigation of proportions and constructional tracing in Byzantine churches is presented. Secondly, a brief analysis of the metric systems of the Byzantine and the Ottoman period is given in order to define the applied modules. Furthermore, the typology of post-Byzantine churches is analysed. The main part of the paper includes the investigation of the constructional grid and the proportions in several plan drawings, in combination with the use of triangular tracing (right triangles). The analysis is also extended to façades and sections, in order to demonstrate the standardisation of the construction. Apart from the above, the application of the golden section in some examples is also examined. Finally, conclusions are drawn concerning the design and application of models and tracing on the construction of post-Byzantine churches.

There is a need to develop a chemical method to determine the amount of decayed tomatoes used to produce tomato products. Tomato pulp samples produced from surface decayed tomatoes as sound, 30, 60 and 100% were tested for pH, brix, titrable acidity, Hunter L, a and b, Howard Mold Count (HMC) and ergosterol values. Tomato pomace for each decay portion was tested for HMC and ergosterol. Ergosterol analysis was carried out by highpressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Decay proportion was linearly correlated with HMC (r = 0.97) and ergosterol (r = 0.96) in pulp samples but not to pH and acidity. Only ergosterol measurement was applicable in tomato pomace and correlated well (r = 0.95) with the decay proportions. In general, the color values of the samples produced from 100% decayed tomatoes were high compared with the others. The measurement of ergosterol has the potential to be used for the quality assessment of tomato products made from Red Top tomatoes.

Objectives (1) To present a case with prenatally detected idic Yp. (2) To review literature to assess if there is a correlation between the proportion of amniocytes with idic Yp and phenotypic sex. Methods Seventeen cases were reviewed. Results Amniocentesis was done due to positive integrated prenatal screening result. Interphase FISH was normal for chromosomes 13, 18, and 21, but mosaic for cell lines with 1 X and 0 to 2 copies of DYZ3, SRY, or DYZ1(Yq12). Amniocytes had 45,X[28]/46,X,idic(Y)(q11.2)[2].ish idic(Y)(DYZ3++, SRY++). An apparently normal female was born at 37 weeks. The umbilical cord had 45,X[50], but cord blood had 45,X[17]/46,X,idic(Y)[31]/47,X,idic(Y)x2[2]. Review of 17 cases showed that 13 cases with 20 to 100% cells with idic Yp all had a male phenotype. Two cases with 3 and 7% of idic Yp cells had a female phenotype. Two cases with 45,X only at prenatal diagnosis but idic Yp detected postnatally were phenotypic male. Conclusion (1) We present the first report of prenatally detected idic Yp and Yq12 resulting in an apparently normal female at birth. (2) Finding of >20% of G-banded amniocytes with idic Yp in the absence of other indicators of foetal structural anomalies seems to correlate with phenotypically normal male in most cases.

Proportion and measure interacted in the evolution and construction of the Hindu temple from the 5th through the 15th century AD, but, throughout this history, proportion dominated as the tool to give the monument both validity and form. This reviewanalyzes the ritual force of proportion and its function in the planning of temples by architects. The diagrams that accompany the article are the result of field research and the analysis of built structures.

Hydatidiform mole is an important obstetric problem which can result in harmful and serious outcomes. In this study, an attempt was made to determine the proportion of hydatidiform mole in prenatal clinics of Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) to find the precise frequency of this disease. Between January 2012 and January 2013, all women who immediately after positive pregnancy test or after retarded menstruation came to prenatal clinics in health care centers of IUMS were included in the study. The women were followed until 8-10 weeks of pregnancy and at this time abdominal sonography was used for confirmation or exclusion of molar pregnancy. In this descriptive study between January 2012 and January 2013, 8614 pregnant women with mentioned criteria were included and 61 cases of hydatidiform mole were diagnosed (0.7% or 7 per 1000 pregnancy). Ten cases (16.4%) were patients with partial moles. There was no significant difference in blood types in molar and non-molar pregnan...

procedure, at a time when the percutaneous or direct access to the carotid bifurcation exists. This observation underlies the development of a wide variety of "protection devices" aimed at preventing embolization of platelet and atheromatous debris into the distal cerebral and retinal arterial bed during carotid artery stenting procedures. 2,4-6 Whereas several of the devices rely on placement of occluding balloons or filters in the distal internal carotid artery (ICA), others use a proximal balloon to arrest inflow through the common carotid artery (CCA). 7 Proximal common carotid occlusion relies on the absence of antegrade ICA flow to prevent distal embolization. However, the low resistance of the internal carotid outflow bed or inadequate collateralization at the circle of Willis may encourage persistent antegrade flow from the external carotid artery (ECA) and its branches. Whether animal models can be used to predict the flow dynamics Carotid artery procedures, whether percutaneous or open surgical, carry an obligatory risk of distal embolization to the intracranial cerebrovasculature. 1-3 Distal embolization after conclusion of the procedure is difficult to prevent; strategies have focused on the systemic inhibition of platelets with aspirin, clopidogrel, dextran, heparin, and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists. By contrast, the majority of embolic events appear to occur during the 577

Page 1. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Keeping Meaning in Proportion: The Multiplication Table as a Case of Pedagogical Bridging Tools A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Field of Education and Social Policy – Learning Sciences By Dor Abrahamson EVANSTON, ILLINOIS June, 2004 Page 2. 2 © Copyright by Dor Abrahamson 2004 All Rights Reserved ii Page 3.