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Endometriosis is an estrogen dependent disease characterized by the growth of endometrial epithelium and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. Lack of a clinical test results in a diagnostic delay of between 6-12 years. Recent studies suggest that miRNAs may be useful diagnostic tools; however, results remain equivocal. Use of different reference miRNA and definitions of control groups are factors postulated to contribute to the inconsistent findings in the literature. Serum samples were collected from women (n=53) undergoing laparoscopic surgery. Reference RNAs and symptomatic vs asymptomatic control groups were studied. Comparisons were made between cases and controls, controls and treated vs non-treated cases, and controls, endometriosis and adenomyosis. Data were compared by Mann Whitney U tests and Kruskal Wallis tests. A p value  0.05 was considered statistically significant. Our major finding was that reference RNA selection and categorization of patients influenced results. When using the most appropriate reference and comparing to asymptomatic controls, miR-9 was upregulated and miR-451a was downregulated in women with endometriosis. When using the most appropriate reference and comparing to symptomatic controls, miR-9 and 141 were downregulated in women with endometriosis. miR-9 and 141 were also downregulated in women receiving treatment. When using the most appropriate reference and comparing to women with adenomyosis, miR-451a, 20a and 122 were downregulated in women with endometriosis. While miRNA is the newest and has most promise as a diagnostic biomarker, miRNA expression results are extremely sensitive to multiple experimental variables. Literature continues to approach miRNA research using different definitions of control populations and different reference RNA. To replicate results and advance the search for miRNA as a diagnostic biomarker for endometriosis, a common methodology between labs will be necessary. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Endometriosis affects 10% of women within their reproductive lifespan. Since the gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis is laparoscopy, a diagnostic biomarker for endometriosis is of utmost importance. Currently there is no universally acceptable biomarker and circulating levels of miRNA appear to be promising but results have yet to be replicated. Replication of results may be dependent on reference RNA and definitions of control groups.

In 1995 a survey was made at six public libraries in the county of Ostergotland in order to examine the reference service and the use of reference collections. In this paper the methods of the survey are described and the results from two libraries in Norrkoping and Linkoping are being analysed. In the survey several methods were used. During a fortnight observations were made of the use of reference books by the visitors in the reference section. The books were listed. The librarians work at the information desk were also observed at the same time and the librarians wrote all their transactions down as well as their use of reference tools. Two questionnaires were distributed, one to the visitors at the reference section, one to the visitors at the information desk. The results in short: The collections of reference books were extensive, old and not so well used. The visitors used these collections more than the librarians (6-7% versus 1-2%). The location of the reference books means much to the use. The users of reference books are mostly students. There are many questions asked by the visitors and often queus are formed at the information desk . Most questions are simple to solve and depending on diffculties of the visitors to find the books on the right shelves. Both libraries have small assets and shortages in the collections make requested books and subjects hard to find for the visitors. At the information desk there are a lot of other transactions than reference questions like selling, reservations, Pc-help and so on. The librarians used the library catalogue in nearly half of the questions but that was the only reference tool which was used more than marginal. The visitors at the reference desk were mostly students but there were no big differences between students frequency and the general public. Finally the survey shows that the quality of the reference service can and must be improved. There are needs for organisational changes as well as further education of the staff. The libraries in the survey need to focus on the customer's quality more to improve their reference service.

The development of information and communication technologies, and wide spread of the Internet and its associated technologies have brought about tremendous changes in the reference department of academic libraries, and in the attitudes and expectations of both information professionals and users. Many academic libraries across the globe have embraced Web technologies to fulfil users reference needs in a digital environment. This study aimed to investigate and analyse digital reference services (DRS) in university libraries in Pakistan. It focused on the nature and level of DRS, technologies used for the provision of the service, usage, staffing, marketing, funding, ICT infrastructure available for the service, and looked at the issues faced by academic libraries in implementing and managing the service. A mixed methods research approach combining both quantitative and qualitative methods was employed to achieve the aim and objectives of the study. The quantitative data for the study were collected through an online survey. A total of eighty five university libraries (both in public and private sectors) from all the four provinces, the federal capital and Azad Jammu & Kashmir participated in the survey. The quantitative data were supplemented by the qualitative data which were gathered through semi-structured interviews with the heads of fifteen leading university libraries. Findings suggest that DRS is at an early development stage in university libraries in Pakistan, with a small number of libraries offering the service. Most of the academic libraries which have implemented this cutting-edge service, are large libraries equipped with good human and technological resources. The libraries have mostly developed asynchronous digital reference systems by employing e-mail and web forms. The usage of the service is lower than that of in-person reference in academic libraries due to factors, such as libraries failure to effectively market the service, lack of ICT skills among users, lack of ICT facilities available for users. It was found that the libraries lack skilled and competent LIS professionals to staff the service. Factors contributing to the scarcity of skilled human resources in academic libraries include the lack of in-house training for DRS, shortage of continuing professional development courses in the country, and deficiencies in LIS curricula offered by the country s library schools. A number of issues which affect the implementation and management of DRS in academic libraries have been identified. They include: scarcity of competent human resources; access to appropriate digital resources; unavailability of suitable software for DRS; financial constraints; lack of ICT facilities; absence of a digital reference policy; lack of ICT application; paucity of resources; electricity supply; inadequate physical facilities; lack of local research and literature on DRS.

This study surveys pronominal reference marking in active and inverse languages. Active and inverse languages have in common that they distinguish two sets of reference marking, which are referred to as Actor and Undergoer. The choice of one series of marking over another is shown to be semantically and pragmatically determined.

Há 16 anos, com a promulgação da Constituição de 1988, o Governo Federal assumiu a responsabilidade de garantir saúde a todos os cidadãos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), de modo a ser universal, integral e equânime. Para efetivar tais premissas foram criadas Leis Orgânicas e Normas Operacionais Básicas. Uma delas é o sistema de referência e contra-referência, objeto deste estudo, com o qual se pretendeu reconhecer a funcionalidade deste sistema como determinante da integralidade da assistência através de sua rede de serviços, a partir dos objetivos: identificar os momentos restritivos no atendimento e agendamento de referências externas, através da construção de fluxogramas destes processos; reconhecer as características das referência externas emitidas quanto a tipo, fontes de registro, prazos de agendamento, perfil dos usuários e das equipes profissionais; discutir o princípio da integralidade sob a vertente da rede de serviços, correlacionando as condições de operacionalidade do acesso dos usuários às referências externas. Tratou-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo, realizado em uma UBS do Distrito de Saúde de Guaianases, na Zona Leste de São Paulo, que atua sob a estratégia da Saúde da Família e que contempla os critérios organizativos do SUS como: descentralização da gestão através dos Distritos de Saúde, territorialização e hierarquização da rede. A nível da UBS, determinação da área de abrangência e adscrição da clientela. Nos resultados, os fluxogramas construídos possibilitaram o reconhecimento de vários momentos restritivos de acesso dos usuários nos processos internos de trabalho que geram as referências, bem como, do seu fluxo de agendamento para outros níveis de atendimento. Os dados obtidos também permitem inferir que, embora sob os critérios organizativos do SUS e a existência do sistema de referência e contra-referência, o acesso não é garantido para a maioria dos usuários nem ao nível básico nem aos níveis de maior complexidade e, dentre aqueles acessados, há um longo tempo de espera para agendamento, principalmente para exames diagnósticos. Observou-se também enorme diferença entre a quantidade de referências emitidas e registradas entre as equipes de profissionais, concorrendo para a discrepância entre as fontes de registro (SIAB e Ficha de Notificação/Planilha Eletrônica). Tal fato dificulta o planejamento de oferta destas referências, de acordo com a demanda real. É possível concluir, com esses resultados, que a atual forma de atendimento na UBS do estudo não garante a integralidade da assistência a partir do nível básico, a qual, ainda, pautada eminentemente na prática clínica e diagnóstica e associada à adscrição territorial, dificulta a autonomia do usuário, protagonista de suas necessidades de saúde / Sixteen years ago, when the Constitution of 1988 was promulgated, the Federal Government took charge of guaranteeing health to all citizens by Sistema Único de Saúde (Single Health System) - (SUS), so that would be universal, integral and equanimous. To do this premises, Organic Laws and Basic Operational Norms. One of them is the reference and contra reference, object of this study, with which it´s supposed to recognize the functionality of this system as determinant of assistance integrality through its services network, based on these objectives: identify the restrictive moments in attendance and appointment of extern references, by fluxgrams construction of these processes; recognize the extern reference characteristics related to type, register source, appointment deadline, users profile and professionals staff; discuss the integrality principle under network services support, correlating the operational conditions of users access to extern references. It refers to an exploratory and descriptive study, done in a UBS of Health District of Guaianases, East Zone of São Paulo, that act under the strategy of Family Health and that contemplate the organizing criterions of SUS such as: decentralization of management through Health Districts, territorization and hierarchy of network. At UBS level, the determination of area involved and registration of clients. In these results, with the fluxgrams built was possible the recognition of several restrictive moments of access of users in intern work processes that originate the references, as well, its appointment fux for others attendance level. The gotten information also permit infer that, although under the organizing criterions of SUS and the existence of reference system and contra reference, the access is not guaranteed to the majority of users neither basic level nor the level with more complexity and, among those accessed , there is a long time to wait for the appointment, mainly for diagnostic exams. It was also observed a big difference between the quantity of emitted and registered references among the professional staff, competing with the discrepancy between the register sources (SIAB and Notification Card /Electronic Plan). This fact makes difficult the offering plan of these references, according to the real demand. It´s possible to conclude, with these results, that the current way of attendance at UBS of this study doesn´t guarantee the integrity of assistance from basic level, with, still moderated highly in clinic practice and diagnostic and related to territorial registration, makes difficult the autonomy of the users, protagonists of their necessities in health

<p>This thesis investigates the possibility of realizing bandgap reference crcuits for processes having sub-1V supply voltage. With the scaling of gate oxide thickness supply voltage is getting reduced. But the threshold voltage of transistors is not getting scaled at the same rate as that of the supply voltage. This makes it difficult to incorporate conventional designs of bandgap reference circuits to processeshaving near to 1V supply voltage. In the first part of the thesis a comprehensive study on existing low voltage bandgap reference circuits is done. Using these ideas a low-power, low-voltage bandgap reference circuit is designed in the second part of the thesis work. </p><p>The proposed bandgap reference circuit is capable of generating a reference voltage of 0.730V. The circuit is implemented in 0.18µm standard CMOS technology and operates with 0.9V supply voltage, consuming 5µA current. The circuit achieves 7 ppm/K of temperature coefficient with supply voltage range from 0.9 to 1.5V and temperature range from 0 to 60C.</p>

This thesis investigates the possibility of realizing bandgap reference crcuits for processes having sub-1V supply voltage. With the scaling of gate oxide thickness supply voltage is getting reduced. But the threshold voltage of transistors is not getting scaled at the same rate as that of the supply voltage. This makes it difficult to incorporate conventional designs of bandgap reference circuits to processeshaving near to 1V supply voltage. In the first part of the thesis a comprehensive study on existing low voltage bandgap reference circuits is done. Using these ideas a low-power, low-voltage bandgap reference circuit is designed in the second part of the thesis work. The proposed bandgap reference circuit is capable of generating a reference voltage of 0.730V. The circuit is implemented in 0.18µm standard CMOS technology and operates with 0.9V supply voltage, consuming 5µA current. The circuit achieves 7 ppm/K of temperature coefficient with supply voltage range from 0.9 to 1.5V and temperature range from 0 to 60C.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Communication, Information and Library Studies." Includes bibliographical references (p. 176-184).

Há 16 anos, com a promulgação da Constituição de 1988, o Governo Federal assumiu a responsabilidade de garantir saúde a todos os cidadãos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), de modo a ser universal, integral e equânime. Para efetivar tais premissas foram criadas Leis Orgânicas e Normas Operacionais Básicas. Uma delas é o sistema de referência e contra-referência, objeto deste estudo, com o qual se pretendeu reconhecer a funcionalidade deste sistema como determinante da integralidade da assistência através de sua rede de serviços, a partir dos objetivos: identificar os momentos restritivos no atendimento e agendamento de referências externas, através da construção de fluxogramas destes processos; reconhecer as características das referência externas emitidas quanto a tipo, fontes de registro, prazos de agendamento, perfil dos usuários e das equipes profissionais; discutir o princípio da integralidade sob a vertente da rede de serviços, correlacionando as condições de operacionalidade do acesso dos usuários às referências externas. Tratou-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo, realizado em uma UBS do Distrito de Saúde de Guaianases, na Zona Leste de São Paulo, que atua sob a estratégia da Saúde da Família e que contempla os critérios organizativos do SUS como: descentralização da gestão através dos Distritos de Saúde, territorialização e hierarquização da rede. A nível da UBS, determinação da área de abrangência e adscrição da clientela. Nos resultados, os fluxogramas construídos possibilitaram o reconhecimento de vários momentos restritivos de acesso dos usuários nos processos internos de trabalho que geram as referências, bem como, do seu fluxo de agendamento para outros níveis de atendimento. Os dados obtidos também permitem inferir que, embora sob os critérios organizativos do SUS e a existência do sistema de referência e contra-referência, o acesso não é garantido para a maioria dos usuários nem ao nível básico nem aos níveis de maior complexidade e, dentre aqueles acessados, há um longo tempo de espera para agendamento, principalmente para exames diagnósticos. Observou-se também enorme diferença entre a quantidade de referências emitidas e registradas entre as equipes de profissionais, concorrendo para a discrepância entre as fontes de registro (SIAB e Ficha de Notificação/Planilha Eletrônica). Tal fato dificulta o planejamento de oferta destas referências, de acordo com a demanda real. É possível concluir, com esses resultados, que a atual forma de atendimento na UBS do estudo não garante a integralidade da assistência a partir do nível básico, a qual, ainda, pautada eminentemente na prática clínica e diagnóstica e associada à adscrição territorial, dificulta a autonomia do usuário, protagonista de suas necessidades de saúde / Sixteen years ago, when the Constitution of 1988 was promulgated, the Federal Government took charge of guaranteeing health to all citizens by Sistema Único de Saúde (Single Health System) - (SUS), so that would be universal, integral and equanimous. To do this premises, Organic Laws and Basic Operational Norms. One of them is the reference and contra reference, object of this study, with which it´s supposed to recognize the functionality of this system as determinant of assistance integrality through its services network, based on these objectives: identify the restrictive moments in attendance and appointment of extern references, by fluxgrams construction of these processes; recognize the extern reference characteristics related to type, register source, appointment deadline, users profile and professionals staff; discuss the integrality principle under network services support, correlating the operational conditions of users access to extern references. It refers to an exploratory and descriptive study, done in a UBS of Health District of Guaianases, East Zone of São Paulo, that act under the strategy of Family Health and that contemplate the organizing criterions of SUS such as: decentralization of management through Health Districts, territorization and hierarchy of network. At UBS level, the determination of area involved and registration of clients. In these results, with the fluxgrams built was possible the recognition of several restrictive moments of access of users in intern work processes that originate the references, as well, its appointment fux for others attendance level. The gotten information also permit infer that, although under the organizing criterions of SUS and the existence of reference system and contra reference, the access is not guaranteed to the majority of users neither basic level nor the level with more complexity and, among those accessed , there is a long time to wait for the appointment, mainly for diagnostic exams. It was also observed a big difference between the quantity of emitted and registered references among the professional staff, competing with the discrepancy between the register sources (SIAB and Notification Card /Electronic Plan). This fact makes difficult the offering plan of these references, according to the real demand. It´s possible to conclude, with these results, that the current way of attendance at UBS of this study doesn´t guarantee the integrity of assistance from basic level, with, still moderated highly in clinic practice and diagnostic and related to territorial registration, makes difficult the autonomy of the users, protagonists of their necessities in health