Nitrogen-microalloying and partial substitution of Cr for Mn have been employed to enhance the shape memory effect and corrosion resistance of Fe–Mn–Si based alloys. Typically, the tested alloys with nominal composition Fe–25Mn–6Si–5Cr–(0.12–0.14)N in mass% exhibit perfect shape recovery for a 3% pre-strain after only one cycle of thermomechanical training. The related mechanism has been discussed, taking account of the effect of nitrogen on the stacking fault energy (SFE) or the stacking fault probability ( Psf) of the alloy and the strengthening of the austenite matrix. Thermodynamic calculation and Psf measurement showed that the SFE increases with increasing N-content in the concentration range investigated, e.g. less than 0.3 mass%. Thus, the critical stress for the formation of stress-induced martensite increases with N-content. It is believed that the interstitial strengthening of the matrix by nitrogen predominantly contributes to the improvement of shape memory effect. Besides, nitrogen-microalloying remarkably improves the corrosion resistance of the alloys in aqueous solutions containing NaOH and NaCl, but not in HCl solution as indicated by the long-term immersion tests.


Abstract : The authors have successfully combined photometric observations of about 30 sun-like stars from Mount Wilson, Lowell, and Fairborn Observatories to extend their joint time series from 12 to 17 years. The stability of the statistical relationships between chromospheric and brightness variability, derived previously, suggests that the full range of variation on the decadal time-scale has probably now been observed for most of their program stars. Young, active stars become fainter as their chromospheric Ca II HK emission increases, while older, less active stars, such as the Sun, become brighter as their HK emission increases. The Sun's photometric variation still appears to be somewhat small in amplitude at present, compared to other stars in this sample with similar mean chromospheric activity.


The hydrolysis of 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde in ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methyl-imidazolium [Amim]Cl was studied.The effect of reaction conditions was investigated.When the reaction temperature is 100℃,the reaction time is 2 h,the quantity of catalyst is 6.4 g per mole reactant,the volume of [Amim]Cl is 1.2 L per mole reactant and the amount of NaOH is 2 mol per mole reactant,the yield of the hydrolysis reaction can reach 83.6% and the purity of product can reach 99.4%.The ionic liquid [Amim]Cl can be recycled facilely and reused.


A palladium-catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization of silacyclobutanes with alkynes has been developed to give silicon-stereogenic 1-sila-2-cyclohexenes with high enantioselectivity. The products thus obtained undergo further derivatizations with complete stereoselectivity, and a new catalytic cycle involving alkyne coordination (oxidative cyclization)-transmetalation (σ-bond metathesis)-reductive elimination has also been proposed.


One of the areas in West Nusa Tenggara Province where cases of drug abuse are rampant is Bima City & Bima Regency. Data on drug abuse by the age of 15-25 years in Bima City and Bima Regency even reached 63% compare to its total case. So that researchers are interested in choosing a theme related to the level of scientific literacy of drug abusers in the Bima City & Bima Regency. This study is a quantitative study to determine the level of scientific literacy of drug abusers in Bima City and Bima Regency with a sample of 25 people and using scientific literacy instruments to collect related data. The results of the study then showed that the scientific literacy level had an average achievement of 18.93 which was in the low category. Where for the existing scientific literacy aspect, both the knowledge aspect (K) is in the low category with an average achievement percentage of 21.6% while the competency aspect (C) is in the low category with an average of 24.39%.


The present invention relates to a motor vehicle collision avoidance system, the scanning mechanism comprising an obstacle, the prediction signal transmitting and processing circuitry, supporting the use of the calculation method and the collision automatic braking means, characterized in that the laser scanner with double rotary scanner transmitter and receiver. The dual rotary laser emitting means is rotated in either signal cars also have vertical plane and rotation of the fan. While emitting laser beam in the vertical plane and the sector scan, regardless of the road surface or obstacle in the car over a certain azimuth can be scanned. The present invention dual rotary laser scanning signal, a comprehensive cleverly designed to predict collisions Analysis calculated, not only has good directivity, orientation accuracy, but also a large angular range of a full-vehicle obstacle scanning, reflection back signal via the system parameters can be treated to give an accurate obstacle position, distance, and can automatically predict a collision and avoidance braking control embodiment.


Worldwide, governments have introduced novel information and communication technologies (ICTs) for policy formulation and service delivery, radically changing the working environment of government employees. Following the debate on work stress and particularly on technostress, we argue that the use of ICTs triggers "digital overload" that decreases government employees' job satisfaction via inhibiting their job autonomy. Contrary to prior research, we consider job autonomy as a consequence rather than a determinant of digital overload, because ICT-use accelerates work routines and interruptions and eventually diminishes employees' freedom to decide how to work. Based on novel survey data from government employees in Germany, Italy, and Norway, our structural equation modeling (SEM) confirms a significant negative effect of digital overload on job autonomy. More importantly, job autonomy partially mediates the negative relationship between digital overload and job satisfaction, pointing to the importance of studying the micro-foundations of ICT-use in the public sector.


The effects of the process variables on the alcohol and olefin contents of the liquid products and on the molecular weight of the total product obtained by synthesis with cobalt catalysts have been investigated.

Within the range of reaction conditions hitherto employed, the generally accepted variations in product composition are confirmed, but, over the whole range of conditions within which cobalt catalysts are active for the synthesis, the effects of changes in conditions are more complicated and some new effects have been observed.

The results suggest that the composition of the product is determined partly by the direct influence of the catalyst, the temperature, pressure, mean ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide, and space velocity of fresh gas, and partly by an indirect effect of these variables exerted through the extent of conversion of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. There is evidence that suggests that the olefin content varies inversely with the average molecular weight of the product.

It is considered that the results provide support for the hypothesis that the mechanism of the synthesis reaction involves step-wise growth of carbon chains, giving rise to alcohols, or alcohols and olefins, as the initial, desorbed products, the chemical identity of the molecules as they appear in the final product being determined by the extent to which secondary reactions occur. When cobalt catalysts are used at atmospheric pressure it seems probable that, under certain conditions, some hydrogenation cracking takes place.


ABSTRACT It is well known that racial and ethnic minorities (both male and female) have felt the effect of increased incarceration more than Whites, and a large amount of prior research has investigated the factors that influence higher levels of inmate misconduct, including the influence of race/ethnicity. This body of research has produced mixed results. Using recent data from one of the largest state prison systems, this study sought to determine the level of racial and ethnic disparity in the commission of inmate misconduct. Results indicate that Black inmates were significantly more likely than other inmates to commit general rule violations, serious rule violations, and assaultive rule violations. Correlates of inmate misconduct and policy implications stemming from the findings are discussed.


This paper proposes an e-testing construction support system (eTCSS) with the prediction tools for the constructed test. This paper performs some comparison experiments to find the best predictive performances models for the predictive response-time distribution and the predictive response-time distribution. Furthermore, the amount of test information based on the item response theory, which is important to improve the measurement efficiency of the constructed test, is applied to be the prediction tool of the eTCSS. Finally, this paper evaluates the system by using actual data. The results show the effectiveness of the system.


Context Inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), independently predict future coronary artery disease in patients without known disease at baseline. However, an elevated CRP level also predicts all-cause mortality; therefore, it may not be specific for cardiovascular disease. Contribution This prospective casecontrol study showed that CRP level predicted the development of acute cardiovascular events but not cancer among 28 345 women followed for a mean of 58 months. Clinical Implications parental history of coronary heart disease. In women, CRP level appears specifically predictive of car-diovascular disease but not cancer. This study adds further evidence that CRP levels may be useful in the clinical prediction of cardiovascular risk, at least in populations. The Editors Recent evidence suggests that atherosclerosis is in part a chronic low-grade inflammatory condition (1), and prospective epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that plasma markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), are strong independent predictors of future coronary events in apparently healthy persons (2-6). However, as an acute-phase reactant, CRP increases dramatically in various pathologic conditions. Moreover, CRP has been shown to predict all-cause mortality (7, 8), an observation that raises the possibility that CRP may not be specific for vascular disease. To evaluate this hypothesis, we directly compared the predictive value of CRP for incident cancer and cardiovascular disease, the two most important determinants of all-cause mortality in the western world. Methods We performed a prospective, nested casecontrol analysis within the Women's Health Study, an ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of aspirin and vitamin E for primary prevention of heart disease and cancer, which involves 39 876 U.S. women 45 years of age and older. Of these study participants, 28 345 (71%) provided baseline blood samples, which were stored at 70 C until the time of laboratory analysis. In the Women's Health Study, all participants are followed prospectively for incident health events, including cancer and cardiovascular events. The methods used for cohort follow-up, end-point ascertainment, and adjudication for both cancer and cardiovascular events are described in detail elsewhere (5, 9). For this study, we defined case-patients as apparently healthy women who provided an adequate baseline plasma sample and who subsequently developed cancer (n = 513) or an acute cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death) (n = 130) over a mean follow-up period of 58 months. For each woman who had confirmed cancer or cardiovascular event during follow-up, one control of the same age (1 year) and smoking habit (former smoker, current smoker, or nonsmoker) was selected from among participants who provided baseline plasma samples and remained free of reported disease during the same follow-up period. Using these criteria, we evaluated 643 case-patients and an equal number of controls in two separate matched pairs, one for cancer (n = 513) and another for cardiovascular events (n = 130). The Institutional Review Board of the Brigham and Women's Hospital approved this study. For each case-patient and control, plasma stored since the baseline examination was thawed and assayed for CRP levels by using a high-sensitivity assay (Dade Behring, Newark, Delaware) (10). Blood specimens were analyzed in blinded pairs with the position of the patient's specimen varied at random to reduce the possibility of systematic bias and to decrease interassay variability. The day-to-day precision values, at CRP concentrations of 0.15 mg/L and 0.49 mg/L, were 4.9% and 6.4%, respectively. Because CRP values are skewed rightward, median plasma concentrations were computed, and the significance of any difference in the distributions between the case-patients and controls was assessed by performing the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. We then used conditional logistic regression models to determine the risk for developing cancer or cardiovascular end points after dividing the study sample into quartiles on the basis of the distribution of the control group. Adjusted estimates of risk were obtained by use of similar models that accounted for the matching variables and that controlled for randomized treatment assignment (for vitamin E, aspirin, or both), body mass index, diabetes mellitus, history of hyperlipidemia, history of hypertension, and parental history of coronary heart disease. All analyses were performed by using SAS software, release 8.2 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina). All P values were two tailed, and CIs were computed at the 95% level. The funding sources played no role in the design, conduct, or reporting of the study. Results Table 1 shows the baseline characteristics of the study participants. We noted no significant differences at baseline between women who subsequently developed cancer and those who did not. As expected, women who subsequently developed cardiovascular events had an increased baseline prevalence of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity compared with controls who did not develop vascular events during follow-up. Table 1. Baseline Clinical Characteristics of the Study Participants Overall, median levels of CRP at baseline among women who subsequently developed cancer (2.6 mg/L [interquartile range, 1.1 to 5.9 mg/L]) were not significantly different from those of the control group (2.5 mg/L [interquartile range, 0.9 to 5.5 mg/L]) (P > 0.2). Furthermore, we observed no evidence of an association between baseline CRP level and the development of cancer in site-specific analyses evaluating carcinoma of the breast (n = 223), ovary or uterus (n = 75), colon (n = 44), lung (n = 32), hematopoietic system (n = 31), thyroid (n = 14), bladder (n = 9), brain (n = 8), or pancreas (n = 8); melanoma (n = 31); or other types of cancer (n = 38). In contrast, and consistent with previous work in this cohort for the end point of any vascular event (5), median CRP levels at baseline among women who subsequently developed cardiovascular disease (5.1 mg/L [interquartile range, 2.6 to 8.5 mg/L]) were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.001). Table 2 presents relative risks for developing either cancer or cardiovascular disease according to increasing quartiles of CRP levels obtained at study entry. As Table 2 shows, there was little evidence that baseline levels of CRP predicted incident cancer in either crude or adjusted analyses. We found similar results after additional correction for alcohol use and age at menarche (data not shown). In contrast, increasing quartiles of baseline CRP level were a strong marker of risk for incident cardiovascular disease in crude and adjusted analyses. For example, the adjusted relative risks from the lowest to the highest quartiles of baseline CRP levels were 1.0, 2.9, 3.4, and 5.6, respectively (P for trend < 0.001). Table 2. Relative Risk for Future Cancer and Cardiovascular Events, according to Baseline Plasma C-Reactive Protein Level Discussion In this prospective study of apparently healthy middle-aged and older women, baseline plasma CRP concentrations were not significantly related to the incidence of future cancer but were a strong independent predictor of future myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death. We believe these data have importance for general medical practice for several reasons. First, our data corroborate the findings in several previous reports (2-6) that baseline levels of CRP predict future vascular events among apparently healthy men and women (2-6) and that CRP level adds to the predictive value of total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (5, 11). As a result of these earlier findings, outpatient screening for CRP has recently become available. However, if CRP is clinically nonspecific, as two recent studies evaluating all-cause mortality suggest (7, 8), then screening for this inflammatory marker might have reduced diagnostic utility. Thus, our finding that CRP appears to be specific for incident vascular disease but not for incident cancer has substantial clinical importance and suggests that data linking CRP level to overall death rates may have been due to the large contribution that vascular disorders make to all-cause mortality, particularly in the western world. Second, the relative risks for future myocardial infarction or stroke observed among women in the top versus bottom quartile of baseline CRP in this analysis are somewhat greater than those previously reported from this cohort for the end point of any vascular eventan end point that included not only myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular disease mortality, but also coronary revascularization (5). Thus, these data also suggest that CRP level may be a stronger marker for events involving atherosclerotic plaque rupture and acute thrombosis than for events primarily involving progression of lesional stenosis. These epidemiologic data are thus consistent with the hypothesis that inflammation is an important determinant of plaque vulnerability (12). Finally, we believe that our observation that CRP levels do not strongly predict future cancers is itself of pathophysiologic interest; this is of particular interest because levels of CRP and other inflammatory biomarkers are known to increase after development of certain malignancies (13, 14). As such, our data also suggest that the systemic inflammatory component of cancer previously reported in cross-sectional studies may be a late development in the genesis of that disease but is not likely to prove useful in determining risk among healthy persons. Several limitations of our study deserve attention. Plasma CRP levels increase acutely in a wide variety of pathologic conditions, including febrile illness, various inflammatory states, and trauma (15). In our


The bonding temperature is the key parameters for transient liquid phase diffusion welding and welded joint properties.In this paper,transient liquid phase diffusion welding experiments for T91/12Cr2MoWVTiB are carried out at different temperature: 1 210 ℃,1 230 ℃ and 1 250 ℃ with the holding time of 4 min and the pressure of 2 MPa.The results show that,the chemical compositions of the joints become more and more homogenized,the microhardness becomes gently and the mechanical properties also become better and better with the increasing of the bonding temperature from 1 210 to 1 250 ℃.


The existance of bounded and unbounded solutions for disturbed Emden-Fowler difference equations is studied,oscillation and approximation of those solutions are also obtained.


This study elucidates Russia's strategy in protecting its national interests in the Eastern Mediterranean by establishing an A2/AD (Anti-access/Area Denial) zone expansion. This article is designed to elaborate on Russia's military objective and strategy in establishing an A2/AD zone which contributes to the formulation of Russia's defence policy in securing the Assad regime. This study uses qualitative research and finds that Russia's goals have been divided into two folds. First is the short-term goal which is to keep Assad in power. Second, the long-term goal is to deter the influence of the Western by deploying its advanced armed forces in the Eastern Mediterranean.


. The problem on the estimation of shift parameters of a queueing system M/M/ 1 / 0 from distorted data observed during a time interval between two sequential states of the system is considered in this paper. The information about the states of the system is not available. Asymptotic properties of the estimators are studied.


The Early Bronze Age site HD-6, located close to the coastal village of Ra's al-Hadd on the eastern Omani coast, has been the focus of archaeological investigations for over fifteen years. This paper presents a description and definition of its lithic assemblage by means of technological analyses of both blank production sequences and retouched tools. A sample of lithic artefacts recovered from the excavated buildings is analysed for this study. Fourteen rooms within seven of the houses uncovered on site were chosen for this purpose. Mainly multi-platform and bipolar (anvil) cores made of poor-quality, local raw materials were used to manufacture stout flakes. Perforating implements constitute a large part of the tool inventory, and functional comparison with the assemblages of Holocene sites excavated along the Omani coast has been attempted. Furthermore, HD-6 provides the possibility of segregating activity areas delimited by the excavated rooms. In sum, the analysis of the lithic assemblage presented here adds to the data needed to understand social organisation and economic activity at the site.


The process of silk fabric printed with a natural dye such as mulberry red has been studied. Sodium alginate could meet the need of silk printing. The optimum printing condition was that, steaming temperature was 100 °C, for 20 min with saturated steam. When the dye concentration relative to original paste reached 4%, the maximum of color depth could be achieved. The printed silk fabric with different mordants can get different colors.


In response to the twin development challenges of energy shortage and water-scarcity in worldwide arid to semi-arid regions with geothermal resources, a new combined power and freshwater generation system is proposed for geothermal energy utilization. In this system, a total-flow turbine (TF) is employed to be coupled with the traditional single-flash (SF) system and thereafter the coupled TF-SF system is investigated in this work. In addition to power generation, the exhaust steam from turbines are recovered to produce freshwater through condensation. Based on the novel designed system, the production of both power and water are studied under variable wellhead conditions, including variable wellhead pressures, temperatures, mass flowrates, and vapor qualities. The temperature of the separating point at which the total-flow expansion ends and the steam expansion starts is studied for optimal system output. In addition, the efficiency effects of the total-flow turbine on performance of the combined system is also investigated. The power generation comparison shows good power potential of the proposed TF-SF combined system. An effective total-flow turbine with an average efficiency of 65% can lead to an optimal power capacity, exceeding the traditional single-flash (SF) system by 23.7%. Moreover, more than 1/3 of total wellhead discharge can be recovered as desalinated freshwater by the naturally equipped condensation process of the power plant, showing extra benefit from geothermal energy utilization.


A total of 4781 nests of 110 species of birds was examined for the presence of Protocalliphora in several localities in Ontario, Canada, and the intermountain region of northern Utah. Twenty species belonging to this genus were found in 1621 (33.8%) nests of 73 avian species. Some species, such as P. chrysorrhoea and P. halli, showed strong host preferences, whereas others, such as P. metallica and P. interrupta, preferred specific nest environments. The nests of birds that live in colonies and (or) return to the same site annually were more frequently and heavily infested than those of other birds. In Utah, where 17 species of Protocalliphora occurred, most species showed a degree of host preference, whereas in Ontario, where there were only 9 species, most species preferred specific nest sites. Of the 20 species of Protocalliphora collected during this study, 3 were found exclusively in Ontario and 11 in Utah, with 6 species common to both study areas.


A design framework for integrating windcatcher functions within the contemporary hot-arid urban Iranian context of Tehran responds to two major changes impacting their current utilization: 1) urban densification resulting in modified access to adequate airflows, and 2) sociocultural shifts towards dependencies on modern mechanical airconditioning systems. Windcatchers are ubiquitous and integral to buildings throughout the hot-arid regions in the Middle East, and traditionally provide human comfort cooling functions through combinations of thermal mass, stack effect, and evaporation techniques. In historic context, the windcatcher is effective for passively moderating indoor temperatures by means of these natural ventilation cooling strategies. However, this passive technology is rarely used in recent decades due to emerging disadvantages such as maintenance difficulties, lack of urban air filtration methods, decline of cooling efficiency due to modified airflow patterns, habitable space utilization modifications, and the resulting dependencies on mechanical cooling systems. Modular lightweight tensile structures are identified as a potential method for integrating windcatcher functions to reduce energy use and engage regional textile industry. The beneficial aspects of this design strategy emphasize adaptability through inhabitant control for localized modulation to airflow through potential integration in existing multi-story apartment buildings. In addition, the framework suggests advancements for environmental performance of lightweight textiles, such as particulate matter filtration, kinetic energy transformation, and photo-response for passive shading or natural daylighting strategies. The specific objective presented in this study is to define the parameters required for improving natural ventilation cooling and inhabitant adaptability. Existing windcatcher dimensions, microclimate conditions, and urban morphology are identified to inform the Sangelaj neighborhood in Tehran to develop the heat transfer and airflow analysis theory alongside human interface metrics that will inform lightweight tensile structure designs. The comprehensive research project situates intersecting transformations between evolving urban fabric and sociocultural agency with environmental performance and local material industry.


We tested a Benchmarked Experiential System for Training (BEST) on Dynamic Distributed Decision Making (DDD)/AWACS simulations. BEST leveraged mathematical optimization, human expertise, and observational learning to give trainees feedback about mathematically and behaviorally defined near-optimal/expert strategies. We measured team defensive scores for college students on baseline, and three assessment trials with planning, missions, and debriefings. During debriefings, BEST and Control teams had checklists and equal time, but BEST teams also observed a near-optimal mission. On baseline, BEST and Control teams were similar; on assessments 1–3, MOST teams significantly outperformed Control teams (partial eta squared effect sizes of .10, .21, and .13). The findings are a foundation for scientists to address how expert, novice, BEST, and Control teams differ on themes of cognitive systems engineering and dynamic systems theory. BEST interventions may substantially reduce team training time and facilitate teams in flexible and dynamic work conditions.


Let G be a finite group given in one of the forms listed in the title with period 2d and X(n) an n-dimensional CW-complex with the homotopy type of an n-sphere. We study the automorphism group Aut(G) to compute the number of distinct homotopy types of orbit spaces X(2dn-1)/\mu with respect to free and cellular G-actions \mu on all CW-complexes X(2dn-1). At the end, the groups E(X(2dn-1)/\mu) of self homotopy equivalences of orbit spaces X(2dn-1)/\mu associated with free and cellular G-actions \mu on X(2dn-1) are determined.


The peach crop in Mexico has a planted area of 45 584 ha and average yield of 4.6 t ha-1, generating a production value of $ 1 185 558. In the center of the country, the State of Mexico is third in the production of this fruit. In the state, the county of Coatepec de Harinas, has a planted area of, 1 988 ha, an average yield of 14.8 t ha-1 and a production volume of 29 350 t. The study was conducted in 2007 to analyze the technical aspects of production and type of peach farmer. The sampling method used was a simple random sample with proportional allocation to the size of the stratum, which consisted of applying a questionnaire with closed and open questions to 50 ejidal (communal) producers and smallholders. The results indicated that major technical problems were: agronomic management, fruit quality, size of the orchard and the markets in which they sell their Bertha Sofía Larqué Saavedra et al. 306 Agric. Téc. Méx. Vol. 35 Núm.3 1 de julio 30 de septiembre 2009 product. In relation to farmers, there is a need to promote their organization seeking to secure financial support for production and timely marketing, to facilitate the direct sale to consumers or to wholesale and to add value to their product. Key works: Prunus persica L. Batsch., characterization technical, farmer, typology.


Liquid crystalline (LC) alkyd resins with mesogenic side chains are prepared with the following three methods: (a) grafting p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) to hydroxy-terminated alkyd resin, (b) grafting PHBA to carboxyl-terminated alkyd resin, and (c) grafting PHBA to an excess succinic anhydride-modified alkyd resin. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) is employed to react with formed water in promoting esterification of PHBA with alkyd at room temperature. Pyridine is used as a solvent, and the catalytic amounts of p-toluene-sulfonic acid (p-TSA) is added to suppress side reaction and to promote esterification. Grafting efficiency (% GE) is estimated to range from 70 to 95%. The character of liquid crystallinity is imparted only when at least two or more aromatic units of PHBA are connected to form the rodlike mesogenic side chain. At present, we have found that LC alkyd resins have the following merits: the polymer solution viscosity is reduced; the coating's dry-to-touch time is reduced; and the coating film is both hardened and toughened and has excellent resistance to water and acid. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Trypanosoma cruzi is a flagellate protozoan from Trypanosomatidae family, which transmission cycle is primarily enzootic. It is an ancienty parasite of wild mammals. Infections by Trypanosoma cruzi in captive animals are poorly studied. In order to understand the participation of these mammals in this parasite's life cycle, we obtained 106 blood samples from Primates, Carnivora, Rodentia, Cetardiodactyla and Didelphimorphia from the Fundacao Zoologico de Sao Paulo (FPZSP). Besides, we captured 62 free-living mammals (Didelphimorphia, Rodentia and Primates) and 11 triatomines (Panstrongylus megistus) from the surrounding forest. Regarding mammals, it was performed serological survey, fresh blood examination, culture (LIT-NNN) and molecular analysis (Nested-PCR 18S rDNA), this latter carried out from positive blood cultures and whole blood. Triatomines were examined by culture of the digestive tract (LIT-NNN) and molecular analysis was carried out from positive cultures and frozen digestive tract. Positive products of the molecular assays were sequenced and the similarity with reference sequences (GenBank®) was observed, followed by phylogenetic analysis. Among captive mammals, 41.5% (44/106) were positive: 3% (3/104) in fresh blood examinations (Leontopithecus chrysomelas); 4.7% (5/105) in blood cultures; 31.8% (29/91) in serological surveys; and 32% (34/106) in blood molecular diagnoses. Seven parasites belonging toTrypanosoma genus were identified in captive mammals: T. rangeli (n=1), T. minasense (n=1), T. dionisii (n=1), T. janseni (n=1), T. terrestris-like (n=4), T. cruzi DTU TcI (n=23) and T. cruzi marinkellei (n=1). Two coinfections were described in L. chrysomelas (T. cruzi DTU TcI / T. dionisii and T. cruzi DTU TcI / T. cruzi marinkellei). From the captive mammals infected by T. cruzi, 64% (16/25) of them represent autochthonous cases. Among the free-living mammals, 53.2% (33/62) were positive: 26.6% (16/60) in fresh blood examinations; 33.8% (21/62) in blood cultures; 38% (22/58) in serological surveys, all Didelphis aurita; and also 40% (24/60) positive in molecular analysis of blood samples (D. aurita, Sphiggurus villosus and Alouatta clamitans). Two species of Trypasonoma were identified in free-living mammals: T. minasense in A. clamitans and two T. cruzi genotypes, DTU TcI in D. aurita (n = 16) and S. villosus and DTU TcII in D. aurita (n = 2), besides a TcI / TcII mixed infection. From the collected P. megistus, 90.9% (10/11) were infected by T. cruzi DTU TcI and two presented coinfection with T. cruzi marinkellei. Captive mammals are immersed in the enzootic cycle of different Trypanosoma species at FPZSP. These parasites are geographically dispersed and comprise the local biodiversity. The
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transmission of T. cruzi at FPZSP derive from the proximity to the forest, where P. megistus and D. aurita come from, as well as the maintenance of the parasite in reservoirs of at least two captive species (D. aurita and S. villosus). The captive animal's movement, by interchanges or reintroductions, may result in the exchange of parasites. It is essential to follow up the health status of the infected animals and comprehend their infection patterns in order to improve the quality of life of the animals and prevent the transmission of parasites.


In a previous paper 3-(7-methoxycoumarin-3-carbonyl)-2-oxazolone (MCCO)' used as a fluorescent labeling reagent for primary amines was reported. However, the procedure for its derivatization requires a long time (90 min) due to the smaller reactivity. We have therefore studied MCCO analogues in order to improve the reagent reactivity and developed 7-methoxycoumarin-3-carbonyl fluoride (MCCF) having fluoride instead of oxazolone as a leaving group toward the amine. This paper describes the preparation of MCCF and the optimum conditions for fluorescent precolumn labeling of primary amines with MCCF in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).


Disabling propranolol-induced bronchospasm occasionally prevents use of this drug in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A means was developed to identify patients who have high risk for this adverse effect using bronchial challenge by inhaling the parasympathomimetic drug, carbachol, and isoproterenol. After baseline pulmonary function tests, 12 patients with varying degrees of COPD and 13 control patients underwent maximal beta-blockade using intravenously administered propranolol during cardiac catheterization followed by repeat pulmonary function testing. Seven of the patients with COPD and ten of the control subjects were restudied while taking propranolol orally for at least three weeks. The results indicated that the bronchodilator response to inhaled isoproterenol does not reliably identify patients who develop bronchoconstriction with propranolol, but bronchoconstriction after inhaling carbachol is indicative of the high risk of developing bronchoconstriction from propranolol.


As the human society transformed from industrial economy to knowledge-based economy,the human's over-exploitation and consumption of natural resources of the earth caused the current serious global environmental problems.Therefore,social responsibility was forced to embed into the corporate.At the same time,the status of human capital increased and companies turned to the customer-value-oriented philosophy——customer is God.Social reality promotes the change from economic contract corporate to economic and social contract corporate.This change also contributes to the change from "capital hiring labor" of narrow humanism capital structure to the "capital equaling to labor" of general structure.In this paper,the author concludes that the ratio between material capital and human capital is the real corporate capital structure by using a mathematical deduction and analyzes and verifies the existence of this corporate capital structure based on empirical research.


Fiber Gratings are found among the most popular devices widely used in both, optical communications and optical fiber sensing. Within optical communication networks, optical fiber-based devices perform critical operations such as coupling/splitting, wavelengthselective filtering, and optical switching (Han, Y. G. et al., 2004; An H. et al., 2004; Eggleton B. J. et al., 1997). In the field of optical sensing, optical fiber sensors, with unique advantages such as immunity to electromagnetic interference, high sensitivity, resistance to corrosion, and high temperature survivability, are widely used to measure various physical variables such as stress, temperature, pressure, refractive index, etc. and chemical parameters (Udd, E. 1991).


ABSTRACT Aquatic funnel trapping with commercially available minnow traps has proven effective for sampling several aquatic snake species. However, the efficacy of this technique for sampling snakes has received little controlled evaluation. We investigated the ability of aquatic snakes to escape from three funnel trap varieties (cylindrical steel, cylindrical plastic, and rectangular collapsible nylon mesh). We found that when intentionally released into traps, the majority (74%) of snakes escaped within 24 hours. Snakes escaped most frequently from collapsible traps, and of the species tested, Seminatrix pygaea escaped most frequently. We found significant differences in capture rates among trap types for S. pygaea, Farancia abacura (both captured most in plastic traps), and Nerodia fasciata (captured most in steel traps). Additionally, as we captured many large aquatic salamanders (Siren spp. and Amphiuma means), we also report trapping efficacies of the funnel traps for these amphibians.


Icicles on the ice-covered insulator string will shorten the air gap between the adjacent sheds of the insulator and make the discharge propagate along the air gap easier. The processes and the leakage current waveforms of the discharge propagation along the air gap are recorded and investigated under two different experimental conditions. The common and different discharge phenomena are shown and compared.


John Cory Kalvass Prediction of Brain Extracellular Fluid Concentrations: Application to Understanding Central Nervous System Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (Under the direction of Gary M. Pollack, Ph.D.) This project was pursued to evaluate the applicability of in vivo brain extracellular fluid concentrations, obtained via brain-homogenate equilibrium dialysis, to assess extent of CNS penetration and provide estimates of CNS biophase concentrations. Parallel experimentation was conducted to define the impact of blood-brain barrier (BBB) efflux on opioid pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), and to evaluate mathematical approaches for assessing efflux transport kinetics. Steady-state unbound plasma-to-unbound brain concentration ratios and in vivo P-gp efflux ratios were determined in mice and used to evaluate extent of CNS distribution for 34 drugs. PK/PD studies were conducted with seven opioids to estimate ED50, serum EC50, and brain EC50; relevant in vitro and clinical parameters were used to construct in vitro-to-preclinical and preclinical-to-clinical comparisons of opioid potency. PK/PD studies were conducted in P-gp-deficient mice to assess the influence of BBB efflux transport on CNS PK/PD for opioid substrates of P-gp. Comprehensive mathematical modeling was employed to evaluate the influence of efflux, or efflux inhibition, on brain exposure, and to evaluate several potential metrics of efflux. The unbound plasma-to-unbound brain concentration ratio proved to be a valuable parameter for assessing the CNS distribution of drugs (equivalent to or superior to the in vivo P-gp efflux ratio). Opioid PK/PD studies indicated that, for centrally-active agents, unbound brain EC50,u


Pompe disease is a glycogen storage disorder caused by deficiency of acid α-glucosidase (GAA), which degrades lysosomal glycogen, leading to a wide spectrum of symptoms and variable rate of disease progression. In children, severe GAA deficiency results in cardiomyopathy, hypotonia, and respiratory insufficiency leading to death within the first year of life, whereas this disease is generally restricted to skeletal and respiratory muscles in adults with a slow disease progression over decades.1

Results of clinical trials with biweekly infusions of recombinant human GAA …


Multilevel societies (MLS), which are characterized by two or more levels of social organization, are among the most complex primate social systems. MLS have only been recorded in a limited number of primates, including humans. The aim of this study was to investigate whether proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) form MLS in Sabah, Malaysia, and to characterize their dispersal patterns. Association data were obtained through direct observation (35 months) and kinship data through genetic analysis, based on feces collected from ∼200 individuals. The results strongly suggest that proboscis monkeys exhibit a form of MLS, with several core reproductive units and a bachelor group woven together into a higher-level band. Genetic analysis revealed that the females migrated randomly over short and long distances; however, the males tended to migrate relatively shorter distances than females. Thus, male-male dyads were closer related than female-female dyads. Combined with the results of direct observations, we conclude that proboscis monkeys form a MLS with at least two layers and a patrilineal basis. Since patrilineal MLS have been identified as an important step in the evolution of human societies, their convergent appearance in proboscis monkeys may help us understand of the drivers of human social evolution. Significance Statement The aim of this study was to determine the social organization of proboscis monkeys by direct observation and genetic analysis. The results revealed that their social system exhibited a form of multilevel society with a possible patrilineal basis. Since humans exhibit a similar constellation of social features, proboscis monkeys may offer insightful clues about human social evolution.


Dynamic assessment uses a response‐to‐instruction paradigm to complement traditional diagnostic assessment of word recognition and comprehension. The process helps the examiner to predict appropriate remedial intervention by exploring a student's responses to a series of instructional episodes in an interactive teaching‐learning relationship. Dynamic and traditional (or static) assessment differ in orientation (process vs product), procedure (response to instruction vs enumeration of existing abilities), and interpretation (patterns of response to instruction vs indices, for example percentiles or stanines). A dynamic approach to assessment provides the opportunity to evaluate systematically the instructional factors that influence reading performance.


The magnetic properties of Co5(GdxSm1−x) alloys were studied as a function of Gd content over the temperature range −200° to + 225°C. From this study it has been determined that alloys with x ≈0.42 have an essentially zero reversible temperature coefficient of magnetization. One alloy with x = 0.425 had a reversible temperature coefficient of +0.0015% per °C over the range 0° to 100°C, and the following magnetic properties: Br 6.35 kGauss, Hc=5.67 kOe, and (BH)max 9.3 MGOe.


In this paper we present a java implementation for prime fields and binary fields. This is quite important as there can be constructed several techniques in cryptography and coding theory. The implementation is presented as set of classes, their organization and how actually is taken advantage of that to improve the performance. Finally, it is reported several tests regarding timings of each one of operations implemented.


It is not accidental that microhistory played a key role in the critical reflections begun by Annales historians in the 1980s. The term "microhistory" refers to the programmatic pronouncements and even more the practices of a small group of Italian historians who began publishing in the 1970s the best known of whom are Carlo Ginzburg, Edoardo Grendi, Giovanni Levi, Carlo Poni, and their students). The work of these historians can be distinguished on two fronts : first, they practiced social history in a country where social history was far less dominant than in France ; second, as outsiders with respect to the leading French approaches to the subject, they were able to draw on work being clone in many other countries, especially England and the United States. Their program (which was in any case quite loosely coordinated : there is more than one concept of microhistory) was not so much a model as a guidepost : some Annales historians found it helpful to reflect on the implicit assumptions of their approaches as well as on settled ha bits and reflexes. Microhistory was thus taken less as an alternative strategy than as an occasion for critical reflection on historical methods. This is the perspective Jacques Revel develops in this essay.


2 is preferable for great earthquakes with complex ruptures. We plan to investigate the proper volume of the grid points for suppressing the ghost image and getting high resolution.


The application of a rotating electric quadrupole field to a pure electron plasma confined in an elongated Penning trap of the Malmberg type operating at 1 Tesla is shown to produce an unusually long‐lived state. The observations are consistent with an assumption that the rotating field suppresses the radial expansion from transport due to alignment imperfections that normally limits the lifetime of such a plasma to a few thousand seconds. With the rotating field in operation, a lifetime of 20 hours was obtained.


The land issue is a problem that is most closely related to the basic rights of the community. Land acquisition for the use of public interest is related to land that has a social function. Along with the high value and benefits of land, many people try to obtain proof of land ownership by having fake certificates, where the data on the certificate does not match what is in the land book. This study uses a normative juridical method which is supported by empirical juridical. Based on the results of research on court decisions Number 482/Pdt/2018/Pt.Bdg. shows that legal certainty over the dual ownership certificate has been achieved with the judge's decision granting the Plaintiff/Plaintiff's claim as the owner of the original land rights. Therefore, the National Land Agency must be more careful in making physical data and juridical data in carrying out the land registration process, and also for the next case the judge is more careful in examining the chronology of the occurrence of ownership of land rights, because it involves the certainty of the subject and object of ownership of rights. over the ground.


Given a maximum allowable codeword length for a source S, an algorithm is developed to produce a set of optimal variable-length binary codes for the symbols in S. It is shown that no matter what the maximum size of the codewords is the algorithm always generates a set of optimal variable-length codes. And if no limit for the maximum code-length is specified the variable-length code becomes ultimately Huffman code. A maximum allowable codeword length is often necessary for data compression and transmission used in different applications. The limit for the codeword size might be necessary and essential because of the data-word size, the data buffers or even the data transmission rate. The ability to optimally control the length of the codewords provides a definite advantage over either a fixed code-length or a full variable-length code. Depending on particular applications and constraints, in the former case, one is able to choose the growth of the codewords that best suits the application and resources.


Observations of recurrent novae (Warner 1976) imply the presence of a red giant (RG) in most, if not all, cases. Giant secondaries in nova systems are otherwise known or suspected only in the peculiar slow novae RR Tel and RT Ser. Bath and Shaviv (1978) showed quantitatively that only a red giant can transfer enough hydrogen-rich mass (~10 -5 M ⊙ ) to a white dwarf (WD) companion rapidly enough (in ∽30 years) to yield a recurrent nova.


Cytotoxic effects of escin on human castration-resistant prostate cancer cells through the induction of apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest PIAO SONGZHE Department of Urology The Graduates School Seoul National University College of Medicine The progression of prostate cancer to the lethal castration-resistant stage coincides with the high mortality and poor outcome due to loss of successful treatment options and requires the discovery of more potent agents. Escin is known to have cytotoxic


Let \begin{document}$X$\end{document} be the full shift on two symbols. The lexicographic order induces a partial order known as first-order stochastic dominance on the collection \begin{document}${\mathcal{M}}_{X}$\end{document} of its shift-invariant probability measures. We present a study of the fine structure of this dominance order, denoted by \begin{document}$\prec$\end{document} , and give criteria for establishing comparability or incomparability between measures in \begin{document}${\mathcal{M}}_{X}$\end{document} . The criteria also give an insight to the complicated combinatorics of orbits in the shift. As a by-product, we give a direct proof that Sturmian measures are totally ordered with respect to \begin{document}$\prec$\end{document} .


For systems which can be described by u t = Au, with a highly non-normal matrix or operator A, the spectrum of A may describe the behavior of the system poorly. One such operator arises from the one-dimensional wave equation on a nite interval with a homogeneous Dirichlet condition at one end and a linear damping condition at the other. In this paper the pseudospectra (norm of the resolvent) of this operator are computed in an energy norm, using analytical techniques and computations with discrete approximations. When the damping condition is perfectly absorbing, the pseudospectra are half-planes parallel to the imaginary axis, and in other cases they are periodic in the imaginary direction and approximate strips of nite thickness. The non-normality of the operator is related to the behavior of the system and the limitations of spectral analysis.


Systemic dehydration negatively alters the expression of vocal fold inflammatory and cell junction markers. These biological changes can have downstream effects on the healing processes of injured vocal folds. In the dermis, reduced hydration prolongs inflammation and delays healing. It is unknown whether this biological effect is observed in vocal fold tissue.


This article describes the development of a novel rapid one-step cationic suspension photopolymerization method for the synthesis of epoxy-functional polymeric microspheres ranging in size from 50 nm to 100 μm. Multifunctional silicon-containing epoxy monomers and oligomers were photopolymerized to produce microspheres in both in aqueous and nonaqueous suspensions using a variety of cationic photoinitiators. Various solvents with controlled polarities were employed to produce macroporous particles. The effects of a variety of experimental and compositional variables on the particle diameter, size distribution, and epoxy content of the microspheres were examined. Among the parameters that were evaluated were the initiator composition and concentration, agitation method, UV irradiation time, viscosities of both the monomer and suspending medium, and type of porogen used. Following synthesis, the microspheres were characterized by SEM microscopy and by titration to determine the epoxy-functional group conten...


A general description of linear optical birefringence effects is presented in terms of the effect of forward scattering on the photon polarization density matrix. The approach enables explicit statements to be given for the polarization changes involved in any linear birefringence phenomenon in terms of R matrix elements between plane-polarized base states. Expressions in terms of molecular quantities are listed for the R matrix elements involved in some typical natural and induced birefringence effects. This description of birefringence is related to the infinitestimal unitary transformations of the density matrix and rotations in Poincare space.


This paper proposes a new methodology for dynamic security assessment and preventive control. In the first phase, an artificial neural network (ANN) is trained to provide the security status. ANN inputs are settled by a feature selection approach that takes into account the requisites of the control algorithm, to be applied in the second phase. The adaptive control methodology is based on the steepest descent method, where the usual explicit math functions to be dealt with are emulated by the trained ANN. To illustrate the developed approach, the methodology was applied to the control of dynamic security of Madeira island power system. Results attained so far show that the proposed approach was able to find the optimal control actions.


While a strong feminist tradition has virtually revolutionized the reading of Frankenstein, giving the work's feminine subject new visibility and centrality, this approach has simultaneously obscured access to the text's theatrical display of masculinity. Yet an understanding of the deployment of the male body (in the novel and in the cultural construction of Mary Shelley) might challenge current understandings of both the gendering of Frankenstein and Frankenstein's place in the gendering of literary history. The spectacle of masculinity haunts late-nineteenth-century Shelleyan iconography and informs the gendered narratives that shape such influential studies as James Rieger's twentieth-century textual and biographical reconstructions of Frankenstein and its author. Given this history, a feminist critique can profit from a reading of Frankenstein's insistent exhibition of masculinity, for the male spectacle unfixes gender hierarchies, illuminating the fractures and contradictions underlying masculine authority. (BL)


Because of the typical cascade reservoir effect, it is important to construct cascade reservoir scheduling automation system for the Yuanshui basin. The basic ideas of and experiences in the system construction are introduced. Besides the introduction of the hydrological information into the system, the relative information of power generation, weather and flood prevention are also introduced, and the interfaces for exchanging data with the provincial dispatching system and the grid dispatching system are reserved. The system is proved stable and effective.


Making Sense of Exit Exam Policies: A Phenomenological Study of English Language Development Teachers by Scott N. Forrest M.A., San Diego State University, 2003 B.A., Grand Canyon University, 1992 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Teacher Leadership Walden University October 2010 Abstract There is a lack of understanding regarding how sensemaking could be incorporated into aThere is a lack of understanding regarding how sensemaking could be incorporated into a professional development program to improve teacher quality and student achievement. The lived experiences of high school English language development teachers as they interpret English language development and one state's high school exit exam instructional policies were explored in this phenomenological study. The conceptual framework that supported this study is based on the theory of sensemaking, the processes by which educators interpret and implement policies. The participants were English language development teachers of English learners who have not yet passed the exit exam. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and artifact collection. An analysis of participants' responses was conducted which lead to the disclosure of themes related to sensemaking. The findings of the study indicated teachers' interpretations and implementations of instructional policies are not in line with the intentions of the policies. Contributing to positive social change, this study provided a better understanding of teacher sensemaking and its potential to transform professional development, improve teacher quality, and increase student achievement. The study includes recommendations for professional development programs including developing standards-based outcomes, supervising policy implementation, defining roles and responsibilities, and building teacher capacity. Making Sense of Exit Exam Policies: A Phenomenological Study of English Language Development Teachers


ABSTRACT The last automobiles manufactured in Australia rolled off the assembly line in the fall of 2017. This article looks at some of the factors that have impacted the industry since 1968 and led to its demise, including a high value of the Australian dollar in recent years, strategic decisions on the part of parent companies and reductions in governmental support and tariff protection. We estimate a cost function for the industry with inputs of domestic capital and labour and insourced intermediate goods as well as imported intermediate goods. The findings include that the remaining firms are operating in an output range of strongly statistically significant economies of scale, and that all of the input pairs are substitutes except for statistically significant complementary relationships between capital and domestic intermediate goods and labour and foreign intermediate goods. Unexpected results are that an increase in output per assembly plant appears to have a positive effect on total cost, while an increase in the effective tariff and an increase in the number of models appears to have a negative effect. One explanation for these robust but unexpected findings may be that total profit contribution is a part of total cost, and, therefore, factors that increase total profit contribution will also increase total cost.


Habermas' discourse theory stresses the autonomy of public deliberation transcending the spontaneous emergence of private networks of legal relationships between individuals. Only the public discourse which is detached from the inertia of overlapping practical forms of coordination can refer to the ideally designed social work of legitimated interpersonal relationships. The democratic constitution is regarded as a legal institutionalization of the priority of the public forum of discourse. Conceptions related to classical liberalism would question the cognitive potential of public deliberation, and even deny its productivity as a normative frame of reference for (post-)modern societies which are confronted with the challenge of uncertainty and the continuous process of self-transformation.


Although the development of computer network supplies people with more information and more efficient contacting,an increasing number of online infringement cases bring forward a series of new questions for China' s traditional justice system,in which the civil jurisdiction of network infringement cases is one of the outstanding problems.According to China' s current laws,the lawsuit over infringement action(including generic infringement cases and network infringement cases) only falls within the jurisdiction of infringement location courts or defendant domicile courts.But,in real life,network infringement disputes reflect a unique phenomenon that is different from that of other infringement disputes,that is,the plaintiffs suffering from network infringement being so difficult to determine the domiciles of online infringement defendants and the specific infringement locations that they are in the dilemma of prosecution.This essay holds that it is necessary to sort out,by way of the features of computer network,the related theories both at home and abroad,whether traditional or new,especially America' s theory of the "long-arm jurisdiction".And the people' s court located in the domicile of plaintiffs should become one of the courts falling within jurisdiction of network infringement,which can give the plaintiff a greater right to choose the jurisdiction of the courts so as to solve effectively the problem of the "difficulty to the plaintiff' s prosecution" in judicial practice.


: Due to unprecedented growth of information on the Web and lack of structure in many Web sites, it became real challenge to the Web users to find relevant information. To solve this problem, Personalization becomes a popular solution to customize the World Wide Web environment toward the user's preferences. Recent studies show that Web Usage Mining plays an important role in designing recommendation systems. Classical Web Usage Mining does not take Semantics Knowledge into pattern discovery and recommendation process. Recent studies show that Ontology as domain knowledge can improve pattern's quality. Our work aims to incorporate semantics knowledge into Web Usage Mining process. ERMiner, a state-of-the art algorithm for Sequential rule mining is applied over the Semantic space to generate frequent Sequential rules. Experimental results shown are promising and proved that incorporating Semantic Knowledge into Web Usage Mining process can provide us with more quality patterns which consequently make the recommendation system more functional, smarter and comprehensive. The experimental results of our Web recommendation system show a significant improvement on the quality of the recommendations.


Objective
To examine the expression and clinical significance of MyD88 in ovarian carcinomas.

Methods
Specimens from 115 patients with ovarian carcinomas managed in our hospital between Augest 2000 and February 2010 were included in this study. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of MyD88 in ovarian carcinomas and normal tissues. All the specimens were confirmed by pathology for ovarian carcinomas and normal tissues by HE staining. The correlation between the expression and clinical significance of patients was analyzed.

Results
The positive expression rate of MyD88 in ovarian carcinomas and normal tissues was 70.4% and 23.5%, respectively. MyD88 expression was significantly associated with tumor stage and distant metastasis (P<0.05). According to the survival analysis of 115 ovarian carcinomas patients, cases in the MyD88 positive-expression group showed poorer overall survival rate when compared with negative-expression group (P<0.001).

Conclusion
These results indicate that the expression of MyD88 was related with in the progression of ovarian carcinomas and may have clinical utility in the prediction of prognosis of ovarian carcinomas.

Key words:
Ovarian neoplasms; Cyeokines; MyD88


Background A reduction in adiposity may be associated with an improvement in insulin sensitivity and β-cell function as well as cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors; however, few studies have investigated these associations in a longitudinal setting. Methods To investigate these associations over a 1-year period, we conducted an observational analysis of 196 Japanese subjects with obesity in the Saku Control Obesity Program. We investigated the relations between changes in adiposity (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, subcutaneous fat area [SFAT], and visceral fat area [VFAT]) and changes in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin sensitivity index (ISI), the homeostasis model assessment β cell function (HOMA-β), lipids, and blood pressure. Results All adiposity changes were positively associated with HbA1c and FPG changes. Reductions in BMI and VFAT were associated with HOMA-β reduction. Reductions in all adiposity measures were associated with an improvement in the ISI. Changes in most adiposity measures were positively associated with changes in blood pressure and lipid levels, except for LDL. Conclusion The present findings provide additional supportive evidence indicating that a reduction in adiposity may lead to an improvement in insulin sensitivity and the reduction of CVD risk factors in obese individuals.


Objective To compare the differences in 4 sets of gross tumor volumes (GTVs) generated from FDG PET/CT in cervical cancer,and determine the optimal method for target volume delineation of cervical cancer.Methods Sixteen cervical cancer patients with 28 primary or metastatic lesions underwent FDG PET/CT.CT and PET images were coregistered,and transferred to Pinnacle therapy planning workstation.Four sets of GTVs were defined.The first set ( GTVvis ) was manually contoured using a visual method on PET images.The second set ( GTV40 ) was autocontoured using a threshold of 40% of the maximum intensity level for PET images.The third set ( GTV2.5 ) used an autocontour of standardized uptake value (SUV) of 2.5 around the tumor.By phantom measurements we determined an algorithm ( threshold =(mean target concentration + 2.623)/1.975),GTVfunction was defined using this method as the fourth approach.The volumes of 4 sets of GTVs were compared with group t-test.Results The average volumes of GTVvis,GTV2.5,GTV40,and GTVfunction were 63.41,53.20,41.33,and 61.84 cm3. There was no significant difference between GTVfunctoon,GTV2.5 and GTVvis ( t =1.05,0.91,P =0.305,0.37 ),but GTV40were smaller than GTVvis.The SUVmax and target to background value had no significant influence on the differences between GTV40 and GTVfunction or GTVvis ( t =0.00,- 0.34,0.92,0.35,P =1.000,0.746,0.374,0.737),but they had significant influence on the difference between GTV2.5 and GTVvis (t =- 3.87,3.16,P =0.002,0.016).Conclusions GTVvis,GTV2.5 and GTVfunction all could be used for target delineation if the method can define the GTV.The difference between the GTVfunction and GTVvis was the smallest;GTV40 was smaller than GTVvis. GTV2.5 was significantly influenced by SUVmax and target to background value of the legions.

Key words:
Fluorodeoxyglucose;  Positron-emission tomography;  Target delineation;  Cervical neoplasms


Kirsling, Kochar, and Chan (1989) assessed the point of prevalence of depressive symptomatology among first-year residents in medicine. They reported that: "Neither sleep nor hours worked over the past week were associated with increased Beck (Depression) scores. These results indicate that sleep deprivation and long work hours did not contribute to depression among the subjects who participated in the study" (p. 355). There has been much recent interest in the effects of sleep deprivation on the psychological functioning of physicians. I t is particularly important to emphasize therefore that the young medical residents in the Kirsling, et al. study averaged 6.2 hours of sleep per day over the week prior to entering the study. During that week they averaged 77.4 hours of work. I n terms of total sleep obtained during a 24-hour period the subjects of this study did not appear to be sleep deprived as Kirsling, et al. remarked. Other investigators of medical house officers, however, reported findings based on subjects who were in fact acutely and chronically sleep deprived. I n the investigation carried out at Columbia P & S, for example (Friedman, Bigger, & Kornfeld, 1971), the interns whom we studied slept on the average 1.8 hours (out of 32) when "fatigued." Also, they averaged more than 100 hours per working week.


Objectives | Transmedia storytelling is considered to be "Quickly becoming the new standard for 21st century communication" (Rutledge, 2011) and "How the future will tell stories" (Peters, 2010). Even though transmedia storytelling has been successfully implemented in marketing and entertainment, its impact in tourism remains to be studied. This summary focuses on the design and development of travelplot Porto, a location based transmedia storytelling pilot experience, which results will help to begin to understand what effect these techniques might have and benefits they may bring to the tourism industry.


In this paper we explore the Swedish Government's vision for the forest sector: The Forest Kingdom – with values for the world, launched in 2011. We use the issues of climate change and gender equality to demonstrate implicit "values" that underpin this recent forest policy initiative. Drawing on new institutionalism, critical discourse theory and gender as an analytical category, we conceptualise values as important governance mechanisms mediated through discourse. We analyse key documents of the Forest Kingdom, along with press releases, governmental bills and reports and direct attention to problem representations and subject positions (identity offerings) produced. Our findings demonstrate how climate change is turned into a business opportunity and a means to secure growth and employment throughout Sweden. Women are represented as potential employees and active forest owners connected to the needs of the industry, rather than as active citizens involved in forest policy-making. Climate change and gender inequality are thereby displaced from the political to an economic sphere, linked to industrial needs, private forest ownership and profit rather than to public and collective decision-making. Values underpinning these representations are economic growth, individualism and faith in markets. The emphasis on production is not dissimilar from previous forest policies, which until 1993 primarily were oriented towards timber production.


ABSTRACT Intensive production of vegetables in greenhouses can increase the amount of inoculum of soil-borne pathogens, such as the root-knot nematode. Thus, in this study we aimed to evaluate the potential of Solanaceae as rootstocks resistant to Meloidogyne javanica nematodes as an alternative to tomato grafting. The experiment consisted of seven treatments: wild species joá-vermelho (Solanum capsicoides), joá-bagudo (Solanum palinacanthum), joá-bravo (Solanum viarum), jurubeba (Solanum spp.) and the commercial tomato cultivars Santa Cruz Kada, Batalha and Guardião. The analyzed variables were gall index; egg mass index; final nematode population; reproduction factor (FR) and reaction: susceptibility, resistance and immunity; fresh shoot and root mass and number of eggs per gram of roots. The wild species joá-vermelho, joá-bagudo and jurubeba showed resistance, with the lowest indexes of galls, egg mass, final population of nematodes and number of eggs per gram of root, not differing from the resistant control treatment (hybrid rootstock Guardião), with a reproduction factor less than 1, showing potential to be used as a resistant rootstock to M. javanica. Joá-bravo species showed susceptibility to the root-knot nematode, with a FR>1, not differing from the susceptible tomato Santa Cruz Kada. These results confirm the resistance of wild species to nematode parasitism, which can prove the viability of use as possible alternative rootstocks, and reinforce the idea that more studies should be carried out aiming to provide more viable options for farmers and plantlet producers.


In this paper, a new classification method based on the combination of semi-supervised learning with spatial similarity of adjacent pixels is presented for crop classification in inaccessible areas. Iterative classification based on semi-supervised learning is applied to extract reliable training data from both the initial classification result with a small number of training data, and classification results of adjacent pixels are also considered to extract new training pixels with less uncertainty. To evaluate the applicability of the proposed method, a case study of the classification of field crops was carried out using multi-temporal Landsat-8 OLI acquired in the Daehongdan region, North Korea. From a case study, the misclassification of crops and forests, and isolated pixels in the initial classification result were greatly reduced by applying the proposed semi-supervised learning method. In addition, the combination of classification results of adjacent pixels for the extraction of new training data led to the great reduction of both misclassification results and isolated pixels, compared to the initial classification and traditional semisupervised learning results. Therefore, it is expected that the proposed method would be effectively applied to classify areas in which it is difficult to collect sufficient training data.


Abstract: One of the key elements of any national strategy nowadays is the implementation of digital technology in health care and research. The purpose of this study is to apply online testing capabilities to assess women's reproductive health. An online survey (CAWI) was conducted with a set of respondents using river-sampling technology (681 people). A high prevalence of lifestyle-related health risk factors as well as negative conditions of premenstrual and menopausal syndromes was revealed. The widespread use of preventive programs, including the use of digital solutions, will preserve the reproductive health of women.


has serious implications for national economic policy, traditional agricultural policy, and the agricultural economics profession. Because of the importance and timeliness of the food price problem and related public policy issues, the editors have broken a long established tradition and solicited the following three papers. These were written as a critique and broadly based discussion of the 1973 Economic Report of the President and the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers.


Capacitive power transfer (CPT) technology is a newly emerging research focus for EV charging applications. Due to the absence of eddy current loss and light weight of the capacitive coupling metal plates, CPT technology is considered to be a promising alternative to the inductive power transfer (IPT) technology. In this paper, the recent designs of large-gap CPT systems designed for EV charging applications are summarized. And a graphical method based on Smith chart is proposed to analyze the characteristics of the compensation designs. With the design objectives graphically represented, the Smith chart can be used to visually analyze the performance of a compensation design, which could be helpful in multi-objectives design of the CPT system. The graphic features of three major design objectives on the Smith chart are investigated. Several guidelines of a good compensation design are concluded.


ABSTRACTThe perceptions, attitudes, and understandings of Anglo students about school achievement tests stand in sharp contrast to those of Navajo students. How then do Anglo and Navajo students perceive testing in their classrooms and how does it affect their feelings and performance there? A comparison of these groups found a dichotomy between them with respect to their acceptance of testing and understanding of its importance and purpose. That a public test of a student's knowledge should determine the success or failure of learning is congruent with the expectations of Anglo students. In the lives of Navajo students, however, an assessment of learning through individual assessment is culturally incongruent and against their experience and expectations. Test-taking itself is a cultural activity; it depends on the acceptance of two specific values—first, the value that achievement is an individual accomplishment, and, second, that the individual should display that accomplishment publically. The Anglo s...


This article analyses the specific interrelation between Aristotelianism and Petrarchism in literary exe- gesis as it was pursued by the Accademia Fiorentina in the sixteenth century. It exemplarily concentrates on G.B. Gelli's public interpretation of Petrarch's sonnet Quando giunse a Simon l'alto concetto (Rerum vulgarium frag- menta no. 78), a text written, according to Gelli, on a philosophical basis which is to be considered as strictly Aristotelian. Gelli's philosophical exegesis is much more sophisticated and ambitious than previous interpretations of this lyrical piece of Petrarch's. When constructing an Aristotelian horizon of philosophical reference, which serves as lead text to the interpretation proper, Gelli on the whole delineates, despite some didactic simplification, a coherent picture of Aristotelian doctrine regarding the creation of natural and artificial things. As far as Pe- trarch's sonnet is concerned with the origin of works of art, Gelli's exegesis manages to stay remarkably close to the literary text. However, when in the last lines of the sonnet the speaker's strong sexual longing for his beloved Laura breaks through, Gelli is forced to abandon Aristo- telianism (which is, in his view, oriented towards an em- pirical interpretation of reality and a description of human life based on sense perception) in favour of the dogmatic and metaphysical Platonism of Marsilio Ficino's theory of love. By using Ficinian theorems, Gelli wants to ethically domesticate Petrarch's text and to avoid the risk of having Petrarch make morally precarious statements. This is con- sonant with the Medici's official politics for which norms of social and cultural decorum (as reflected in the Acad- emy's statutes) had a binding character.


For implantable medical devices that must have sufficient fatigue durability to last for many years of implantation, the current fatigue reliability characterization/demonstration method has several drawbacks. In this paper, by combining the feasibility testing, FEA analysis, material level probabilistic stress-life (P-S-N) curve, use condition based fatigue loading, we developed an integrated approach to predict implantable medical device fatigue reliability.


PRéCIS:: Patients with OHT do not show impaired cerebral vasodilation responses to hypercapnia but patients with POAG do. Impaired vasoreactivity in POAG patients may have neuronal or vascular origins and increase stroke risk.

PURPOSE
To investigate changes in cerebral blood flow and cerebral vasomotor reactivity using the breath-holding index in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT), to examine whether these parameters contribute to the risk of ischemic stroke.

METHODS
Thirty patients with POAG, 30 patients with OHT, and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were included in this university hospital-based, cross-sectional, observational study. Eyes with a greater degree of visual field loss and/or more severe optic disc damage was selected for the study in patients with POAG, while in patients with OHT and controls, the study eye was chosen randomly. The mean blood flow velocity and breath-holding index were measured in the middle cerebral artery ipsilaterally in patient and control groups, by using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography.

RESULTS
The mean blood flow velocity and breath-holding indexes were significantly lower in patients with POAG than in the control group (all P<0.05). In the OHT group, the mean blood flow velocity and breath-holding indexes were not different from those in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with POAG have impaired vasodilation response to hypercapnia. Presumably, the neuronal changes and deterioration of the endothelium-mediated vasodilatation in patients with glaucoma may disrupt the regulation of arteries and potentially present functional insufficiency on vasoreactivity. Moreover, an impaired cerebral vascular regulation may contribute to the increased risk of stroke in patients with POAG.


The authors confirmed the presence of monoamines and 5-hydroxy-indolacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cephalic region of Diloboderus abderus larvae employing a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detector. An anticholinesterase insecticide produced an increase in the serotonin and 5-HIAA endogenous levels, and did not modify the catecholamines. Monoamine-oxidase activity was undetectable with a radioactive method using 3H-tyramine as substrate.


Taking the seedlings of Koelreuteria bipinnata as material,weighing control water to simulate drought,the influence of exogenous calcium on relative water content and the characteristics of photosynthesis at different drought stress were studied.The results showed that processing of exogenous calcium was conducive to overall ease influence of seedlings in the arid environment,and to ensure the normal growth of the plants in the face of adversity.For the relative water content,the more serious the stress,the greater the falling.But,the same stress level with non-calcium group,exogenous calcium treatment,the amplitude as well as speed of the drop of RWC reduced,and the RWC can not back to the control level in the calcium group.For the influence of the photosynthetic characteristics,seedlings took the strategy that lower photosynthetic,lower transpiration,higher water use efficiency to adapt to the drought environment.Through the exogenous calcium treatment,the speed and amplitude of photosynthetic rate reduction decreased,and further reduction of transpiration,at the same time the reduction of stomatal conductance was limited,and improved the water use efficiency at drought conditions.


Infectious disease of the spine needs early diagnosis and definite treatment. Development of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has made it possible to depict the infectious lesions. MRI seems to be superior to other morphological diagnostic methods for showing the lesions.We studied 19 consecutive cases diagnosed by MR imaging. Early changes of the spine and soft tissue were diagnosed by MRI correctly in cases of acute onset. Degenerative disc disease made diagnosis difficult in some cases. High signal intensity of the disc on T2 weighted images, and serial axial images showed the lesions. Ga-enhanced MR imaging was also helpful to distinguish infectious from degenerative disc lesions. MR imaging is useful for the diagnosis of infectious spinal disease. In regard to treatment, MR imaging was helpful in deciding on the effectiveness of antibiotics but was not useful for deciding on the duration of antibiotics.


(1985). The Structures of Novel Insecticidal Macrolides: Bafilomycins D and E, and Oxohygrolidin. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry: Vol. 49, No. 8, pp. 2509-2511.


The effect of a magnetic field on laminar natural convection of liquid metal was studied experimentally using NaK as conducting fluid. The magnetic field was imposed horizontally and parallel to a uniformly heated vertical plate, to act perpendicularly across the convective flow. In a low magnetic field, the temperature profile across the layer of flowing fluid acquired an η-shaped profile characterized by a valley close to the wall and a peak further away, which had the effect of raising heat transfer rate above that obtained in the absence of magnetic field. When the magnetic field was intensified, its braking effect on the flow approached the temperature profile to the case of pure heat conduction through solid, to result in dwindling heat transfer rate.


HIV promotion campaigns and common sense understandings of gay men's identities and sexuality often depict gay men's lives as being structured around serostatus. One outcome of this is that some gay men may feel the need to engage in practices, such as barebacking, with the intention of seroconversion. Such practices may be motivated by a desire to 'overcome difference', the assumption being that this is a useful way to relate to one another as gay men. In this article I examine how narratives of barebacking evidence particular neo-liberal understandings of freedom and control and the impact this has upon some gay men's sexual practices. By drawing attention to the problems that may arise from relying on an individualized, biologically driven discourse of 'HIV polarity', I propose that gay men need to critically examine how a reliance upon such polarities may only feed into stereotypical constructions of gay men's sexuality. To counter this, I outline the notion of 'working through difference' and suggest that it is important to examine how practices such as barebacking may be mediated by access to privilege.


Abstract : This debriefing covers the highlights of a corps level logistical command in support of United States, Korean, Australian, Thai and Vietnamese Forces during counterinsurgency operations in the Republic of Vietnam from September 1969 to November 1970.


A glass slide evaporated with a metal film is covered by Cd-arachidate and dye monolayers of various architecture. The assembly is inserted in water. In case of aggregate-forming dyes we observe a photovoltage (up to 60 mV) between metal and water. The results are interpreted by assuming the formation of electron-hole pairs in the aggregate after excitation of the dye; the electrons are tunneling through the monolayer of the fatty acid to acceptors in the water; the holes are filled by electrons from the metal.


147 its resolvent operator. For the remaining cases satisfying (35) the authors suggest in the conclusion solving numerically an equation that is related to the eigenvalues of the system. Although Theorem III.2 excludes the case k 2 1 = h1 v2=v1 h2 and k 2 2 = h2 v1=v2 h1, it has the advantage of treating all the remaining cases satisfying (35) using only a matrix inequality. V. CONCLUSION We provided tools that facilitate checking the exponentially stability property of a class of BCS. We showed that by using results of [14] and [16] it is easy to select the input and outputs of a BCS. Therefore, we use those results on boundary port Hamiltonian systems to define inputs and outputs for our class of BCS. Once this is done, checking for exponential stability follows easily. The main idea behind the proof consists in using a multiplier common to the whole class of BCS. This multiplier only depends on the norm of the co-energy variables at the boundary of the spatial domain. In this way one avoids searching for different multipliers every time the system or the boundary conditions are changed. This simplifies drastically the verification of the exponential stability property, as can be seen already from the examples in Section IV. Also the proof of the results of [22] and [23] can be simplified by using our results. Even though the results are only valid for a class of one-dimensional systems, the authors believe that the approach has potential to be extended to 2-D and 3-D systems. The key point being the definition and selection of the boundary port variables. Some ideas about this are presented in [16, Ch. 8]. However, this still requires more research. abstract theory for unbounded control action for distributed parameter systems, " SIAM J. Hamiltonian formulation of distributed-parameter systems with boundary energy flow, " J. Geom-Dirac structures and boundary control systems associated with skew-symmetric differential operators, " SIAM J. Boundary feedback exponential stabilization of a Timo-shenko beam with both ends free, " Int. Stability analysis of heat-exchanger equations with boundary feedbacks, " IMA J. Abstract—This technical note studies stability of neutral stochastic delay systems by linear matrix inequality approach. Delay-dependent criterion for exponential stability is presented and numerical examples are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.


volume 10 number 3 NURSERESEARCHER 73 Introduction To many people, simply buying a PC today can seem a daunting task. There are a huge number of companies, each selling a wide range of machines and add-on options. How do you begin to make a decision? With a little careful planning this task can be made far simpler than it otherwise would be. The stages involved in buying and using a PC are shown in Table 1.


The performance of stand-off imaging systems of concealed weapons in the mm-wave range remains limited by the relatively poor angular resolution using practical aperture sizes. For this reason, increasing the operating frequency of the systems is desired, but in practice is hard to realize due to the lack of affordable, low noise amplifiers well beyond 100 GHz. In this paper we present a passive terahertz imaging system which acquires passive terahertz (~200 GHz - ~1 THz) imagery near video frame rate. The system, one copy of which is built in Finland and the other in the U.S., is based on a 64 pixel linear array of superconducting antenna-coupled microbolometers operated within a commercial cryogen-free closed cycle cryocooler, and utilizes conical scanning Schmidt optics. Quantitative measurements on the imager resolution metrics (thermal, spatial and temporal) will be presented. The results from field tests at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport will be presented.


A process sedimentologic and sequence stratigraphic study of the basal Berriasian-aged Barrow Group was undertaken within the Macedon Gas Field, WA-155-P, Exmouth Sub-basin, using conventional core and wireline log data. Due to poor data quality the 3D seismic could not be integrated into the study. The study concentrated on basal sandstone reservoirs now interpreted to be a submarine debris flow and grain flow fan complex. These sands developed as a result of rapid sediment loading of the prograding Barrow Group shelf margin with subsequent collapse of the margin and sediment transport to an offshore setting. Detailed core process sedimentology tied into wireline log motifs indicates that sediment transport was by grain flow and minor debris flow; true turbidities are rare. The inferred sediment source were shelf margin barrier bar and stream mouth bar units located to the southeast. This postulated source area has been subsequently uplifted and removed through erosion by regional intra-Valanginian tectonism. A well correlation diagram was constructed to help delineate the distribution of five fan cycles. A regionally significant third-order maximum flooding surface, slightly younger than the fan complex, was used as a stratigraphic datum for the correlation. Isopach and percent sand maps for each of themore » fans display a general east to southeast progressive displacement in both depocentre and maximum sand content. This is interpreted to be a response to a more general transgressive event within the basal portion of the Barrow Group, culminating in the third-order maximum flooding surface used as the stratigraphic datum. The entire fan complex appears to have limited areal extent which may limit both the capture area for gas charging and the water drive capacity for gas production.« less


Nearly monodisperse Dy2Sn2O7 material have been prepared via one-step hydrothermal method by changing the pH of the reaction solution. The nanoparticles were used for sonocatalytic degradation of Acid blue (AB)...


Abstract Underwater acoustic communication is a rapidly growing research area nowadays and many related studies have already been conducted in recent decades. Underwater acoustic communication can be easily applied to many fields, such as oceanic data collection, undersea exploration, disaster prevention, underwater environmental monitoring, and tactical surveillance. However, there are many challenges associated with underwater communication, including bandwidth limitations, multi-path propagation, padding, long end-to-end propagation delay, high bit error, temporary loss of connectivity, and limited battery power. To overcome these problems, existing implementable MAC protocols need to be classified in terms of network topology. To improve network mobility, two kinds of network topologies, which include cluster-head-based and ad-hoc-based MAC protocols, are considered. In this paper, we summarize some selected MAC protocols and analyze their performance by comparing a number of factors. We obtain experimental results by developing and simulating the existing numerical models of each protocol practically using simulation tools.


Neural circuit reconstruction is a challenging problem in neuroscience. Neuron segmentation, which recognises and segments neurons from neural images plays an important role in neural circuit reconstruction. Automated analysis method would be inevitably needed for this research because of the large amounts of image data produced by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In this paper, a watershed learning merge tree is used for 2D neuron segmentation. With a membrane detection map, we build a region merge tree through watershed and supervised learning algorithms, while each node of the merge tree represents a potential neuron cell. Then, a node classifier is learned to predict which node is a real neuron cell in the tree. Experimental results on automated tape-collecting ultramicrotome scanning electron microscopy (ATUM-SEM) images demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.


Objective: To introduce a kind of local anesthesia--spinal posterior rami blocking, for lumbar dicectomy.Methods: 0.5% procaine 100ml and 2% lidocaine 20 ml were mixed for use. 5 ml anaesthetic was injected hypodermic along the skin incision line, and then, five posterior rami (three over, two below) were blocked with 3~5 ml anaesthetic.The stem part of posterior ramus located at the upper edge of the basis of transverse processus.Its projection point on the skin can be located as follows: to make transverse lines between two processus, which cut superior one third of the length; to make a longitudinal line 2 cm lateral from L 1 processus and 3 cm lateral from L 5 processus;the cross points of the two lines were the projecting points of the stem of posterior rami.Results: A total of 4063 cases which underwent this method were reviewed.The effects were divided into 4 categories: excellent 72.2%, good 24.6%, medium 3%, and bad 0.2%. As for the 10 patients with bad effects, antalgic and ataractic were used intravenous, and satisfying results were got.Conclusion: The posterior rami blocking anesthesia for lumbar disc surgery is economical, safe and reliable.


The authors attempt to provide an understanding of total quality management (TQM) and its relationship to measurement. The focus is on the service sector and the development of a systematic approach to continuing improvement of quality through measurement. It is concluded that measurements of service sector work appear to be practical and must be developed on a case basis.<<ETX>>


Researchers, led by Ali Siddiqui, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, evaluated whether the duration of the interval from the completion of bowel preparation to the start of colonoscopy affects the quality of the bowel preparation. This prospective study examined 378 consecutive outpatients (95.7% men; mean age, 62.2 years) who underwent colonoscopy at a Veterans Affairs medical center over a 3-month period. The following information was recorded prior to colonoscopy: medical history, demographics, compliance with bowel preparation and dietary restrictions, and the time since the last dose of the bowel preparation. Patients with a right hemicolectomy were excluded. Senior endoscopists and endoscopy nurses independently graded the quality of the bowel preparation for the right colon on a standardized 5-point scale (from 0=excellent to 4=inadequate). Endoscopists also noted whether succus was found in the right colon. Of the 378 patients, 97.3% received polyethylene glycol electrolyte–based solution and 2.7% received oral sodium phosphate. According to the investigators, in patients who received preparations graded as excellent/good, the interval between the last dose of bowel preparation and the start of colonoscopy was significantly shorter than in patients whose preparations were graded as fair/poor/inadequate (P=.013). In contrast, no significant difference was detected in bowel preparation quality between colonoscopies performed in the morning versus those performed in the afternoon, unlike earlier studies that have suggested that the time of day is an important factor in the quality of bowel preparation. In addition, there was no significant relationship between succus and the interval from the last dose of bowel preparation or between the quality of bowel preparation and the interval from the last solid meal to the start of colonoscopy. There was good interobserver agreement between endoscopists and nurses in terms of grading the quality of the bowel preparations with the 5-point scale (Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.74). The authors concluded that the interval from the completion of bowel preparation to the start of colonoscopy appeared to be a more important predictor of bowel preparation quality than the time of day that the colonoscopy is performed. The authors also noted that the study was limited by its use of a bowel preparation that is more intensive than that typically used in colonoscopy and the fact that the study examined only patients at a Veterans Affairs medical center, which is not necessarily representative of a typical colonoscopy patient population.