This paper reviews some of many methods political scientists have used to get positions out of textual data and argues that they are the identical to, approximations to, or special cases of a single count data unfolding model that produces low dimensional representations of patterns of relative emphasis. Ideological positioning via a logic of relative emphasis not only generates useful scaling technique for anything we can count, but also vindicates (some of) the key intuitions of the saliency theory of party positioning. I also use the model to motivate biplots as an underused graphical tool for understanding scaling models. "There should be one – and preferably only one – obvious way to do it"1 Political scientists often need to infer policy positions from text, and have over the last 30 years proposed, developed, or borrowed methods and techniques of steadily increasing sophistication. The available methods seem very heterogenous. Many statistical frameworks have been applied, from factor analysis (Warwick 2002), unfolding (Elff 2013), and item-response theory (IRT Bakker 2009; Albright 2008) to heuristic or numerical approaches such as Laver, Benoit, and Garry 2003, Gabel and Huber 2000, and Lowe et al. 2011. Researchers have distinguished between 'a priori' scaling methods that assume that the positions of at least some texts or words are known (Laver, Benoit, and Garry 2003; Pennings and Keman 2002) and 'inductive' methods in which positions and other parameters are simultaneously estimated (Slapin and Proksch 2008; Monroe and Maeda 2004). These methods have been applied to a range of units, e.g. counts of word types (Slapin and Proksch 2008; Monroe and Maeda 2004; Laver, Benoit, and Garry 2003), sentences and quasi-sentences (Budge, Robertson, and Hearl 1987), dictionary-based content analysis categories (Laver and Garry 2000), metadata tags (König and Luig 2009), and – most popularly in comparative politics – subsets of the category scheme developed by the Budge, Robertson, and Hearl's Comparative Manifesto Project (e.g. Pennings and Keman 2002; Lowe et al. 2011; Elff 2013; König, Marbach, and Osnabrugge 2013). These applictions imply though never quite make explicit, and important desideratum: a suitable scaling models should apply equally well to anything we can count. This issue is taken up in more detail in the appendix. In the face of this variation researchers might reasonably ask: Is there a common set of substantive and statistical assumptions underlying these text scalingmethods? What am I committing to substantively by choosing one method over another? Empirical reviews of the consequences of these different methods exist for particular cases e.g., Dinas and Gemenis (2009) compare Greek and Klemmensen, Hobolt, and Hansen (2007) Danish party positions and Klüver (2009) look at interest groups in relation to the European Commission. But these reviews do not in general attempt to provide insight into the methods themselves. The first goal of this paper is to provide a unifying theory for existing text scaling methods. I will argue that there is essentially only one way scale the kind of count data that textual data implies, and that the methods above are particular implementations, special cases, or computational approximations to it. This is possible because there is a common logic to scaling count data. Specifically, I show that existingmethods reflect the idea that document positions are based on low dimensional reconstructions of patterns of relative emphasis by deriving them from a model that explicitly does so. Low dimensional reconstruction is common theme in latent variable modeling, of which factor analysis and IRT models are perhaps the most widely used instances in political science. However, scaling texts is essen1. from The Zen Of Python. Quote continues "(although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.)" 2 tially a problem of count data, for which these approaches are not appropriate. Methods like factor analysis assume conditionally Normal responses and the IRT models borrowed from the analysis of roll call votes assume that the data is binary. In contrast, for count data it can only be the relative emphasis of one word (or category) over another that signals position. Consequently the empirical quantities that need low dimensional reconstruction in count data scaling are not correlations but associations, so the appropriate model class will be association models and their relatives. One interesting substantive corollary to the argument will be that all these methods embody – and to the extent they work, also vindicate – some but not all of the key claims for the saliency theory of positioning (Budge 2001). This connection makes it easier to explain what substantive commitments about political text come with text scaling. A practical consequence the unified theory is to offer new ways to interpret and visualise existing text scaling models and also to define useful new ones. In particular, this paper argues for the use of biplots for visualizing the results of text scaling models. The paper proceeds as follows: I present a first text scaling model defined as a choice-model over words. I then consider an important application, scaling manifesto positions from CMP data (Budge, Robertson, and Hearl 1987), and note that two recent methods, logit scoring (Lowe et al. 2011) and the CMP's own preferred measures, are special cases. I then show how a computationally convenient way to estimate this model recovers the Wordfish (Slapin and Proksch 2008) and the Rhetorical Ideal-point model (Monroe and Maeda 2004). I then re-derive the model directly as an association model (Goodman 1979) and introduce canonical correlation analysis, perhaps better known as simple correspondence analysis, as an efficient least squares approximation. I note in passing that the 'vanilla method' (Gabel and Huber 2000) is in practise another approximation and derive Wordscores (Laver, Benoit, and Garry 2003) as a special case. Finally I show the advantages of the method for inference about dimensionality and position visualisation. Text Scaling Text scaling models almost all represent each document in a collection as a 'bag of words' assumption. This means that a set of documents is represented by an N×V matrix of counts C where entry Cij is the number of times the j-th textual unit (word, category, or sentence) occurs in the i-th text (or document or speech). Denote the row marginal totals as Ci+, the column marginal totals as C+j, and the grand total as C++. For concreteness I will where possible refer to N documents and a vocabulary of V words, although sometimes these 'words' will be categories, topics or some other countable unit. In this terminology C is a cross-tabulation of documents and word types, Ci+ is the length of document i in words, and C+j is the frequency of word j in the document collection. The samping scheme for C is product multinomial because words are sampled in a stratification determined by document.2 The scaling model Each row of the cross-tabulation [Ci1 . . .CiV] represents the content of document i as a vector of word counts. For text scaling we suppose that each row is generated by an actor attempting to express, and thereby provide information about, her unobserved position θ on one or more policy dimensions. Perhaps the simplest generalized linear statistical model that reflects this relationship between which words she chooses to use and 2. Only Wordscores makes use of this fact, though it need not have bothered since only quantities that are invariant to row and column margins totals are estimated as positions. 3 her position is a multinomial IRT model, modeled fairly directly on the Binomial model familiar to roll-call vote analysis. [Ci1 . . .CiV] ∼ Multinomial(πi1 . . . πiV,Ci+) log ( πij πik ) = ψj/k + θi βj/k (1) where the two sets of word parameters ψ and β are labelled to indicate the word contrasts they apply to and the k-th word operates as a baseline. The same scaling model Practically, Eq.(1) can be hard to estimate because conditioning on the document length Ci+ couples theword parameters so they must be jointly estimated. For large V this can be impractical. Fortunately, a completely equivalent 'surrogate Poisson model' formulation of the model decouples them by assuming independent Poisson processes for each cell count and introducing nuisance parameters αi to capture the effect of conditioning on each Ci+: Cij ∼ Poisson(μij) log μij = αi + ψj + θi βj. (2) The model parameters from (1) and (2) are linearly related: log ( πij πik ) = log ( μij/∑j μij μik/ ∑ j μij ) = log μij − log μik = (αi − αi) + (ψj − ψk) + θi (βj − βk) = ψj/k + θi βj/k This relationship between the two formulations is themultinomial-Poisson transform (Palmgren 1981; Baker 1994). Eq.(2) has the practical advantage over Eq.(1) that it can be simply fitted by iteratively optimising α and θ conditional on the current values of ψ and β, and then ψ and β conditional on the values of α and θ until a peak in the likelihood is reached, as first suggested by Goodman (1979). For large tables, which includes essentially all text scaling applications, this is a far better choice than Fisher-scoring methods. The multinomial-Poisson transformation also guarantees that either of the two profile likelihoods can be used for conditional inference about parameters from the other margin. Interestingly, this also means that themodel is consistent in increasingN, in fixed or randomeffects formulation due to parameter orthogonality (Lancaster 2002; Charbonneau 2012)). A second practical advantage of the equivalence is that if we are willing to assume that the word parameters are well-estimated, the formulation in Eq. (1) allows easy computation of asymptotic standard errors for θ without bootstrapping. Implementers can therefore fit using Eq. (2) and construct conditional standard errors using Eq. (1


LED(Light Emitting Diode) is a powerful device used in applications as diverse as replacements for aviation lighting, automotive lighting as well as in traffic signals. This study is to propose a prediction system based on the degradation model of LED which is determined by combining scale and shape parameter. The degradation model is analysed goodness of fit test using calculated R-square, and is compared with previous models. A LED prediction system using degradation model is developed to automate estimations of degradation parameters and lifetimes.


The ultrasonic technique for the nondestructive evaluation of elastic moduli is described. Its use in the application to polymers, whereby viscoelastic effects are eliminated, is discussed. Experimental results are given for composites containing high contrast (iron) spherical inclusions. The measurements are discussed in terms of available theoretical models. It is clearly demonstrated that models that account for the microscopic details of the material offer the best description of the bulk properties.


The optimization techniques are adopted nearly in all domains to find best solution from the feasible solutions. It is NP-hard to solve problems with partial information and few assumptions. Various meta-heuristic techniques are applied to optimize the solution; one among them is Tabu Search (TS) which gives solution nearer to the optimum with high speed and precision. Initially Tabu Search is applied to various combinatorial problems that have appeared in the operations research literature. Tabu Search relieves local search method from local optima problem, and start finding the solution from single point, finds application mostly in all areas in computer science including VANET, Software Development Effort Estimation, Quadratic Assignment problem, etc., for their efficiency. This paper provides the survey of Tabu Search for different optimization problems along with the hybridization technique with other heuristic algorithms. Finally, the summarization of all the works under Tabu Search was explored.


The cold-start is the most serious stage in which harmful substance of engine such as CO,HC and NOX etc emits. In this stage,the emission value is not identical in different environments,different time,different state and different fuel oil characters etc. So it is significant for harmful substance control of engine to be researched on influence of equal temperature time playing on emission of engine in cold-start,and getting qualitative conclusion through analysis on test and course.


Since the fisheries agreements of China-Vietnam have come into effect,traditional fishing grounds in Beibu Gulf of China sharply decreased.For the plight that parts of fisherman of ocean fishing industry in different areas around Beibu Gulf must evacuate from these fishing grounds,the job transfer of fisherman becomes inevitable and urgent.According to the national policy of fisherman's job transfer and the self conditions of fisherman,the developmental potential of seawater aquaculture,the culture varieties,culture techniques,market demands and so on were analyzed.The important ways for increasing the farmer's income were obtained.


Problem solving, both theoretical and practical, is the underlying skill developed through the physics curriculum. Service-learning has been integrated into engineering curricula, but programs proposed for that field often do not fit well into the structure of physics departments. A consultant-based approach to service-learning offers physics students the opportunity to apply their problem-solving skills for the benefit of others. As service-learning consultants, physics students provide technical and managerial support to groups that are participating in technically oriented educational enrichment activities.


To improve the fertilization technique of phosphorus(P) and provide basic theory for scientific fertilization of rice with drip irrigation under mulch, single factor randomized block design was used to study the effects of different P fertilization methods on the rice yield, yield structure, nutrient uptake and distribution characteristics at different growing stages, as well as the nutrient distribution in soil. The rice yield increased by 39.1% when the P was used at 40% base application and 60% drip fertilization. Plant's N and K contents were the highest at early growing stage. Plant's N, P, K uptake at tillering stage accounted for 30.72%, 19.31% and 22.32%, respectively. The N and P had the highest and weakest mobility, respectively, while K had the mobility between N and P. The N and K could be fully applied with drip irrigation, but the P should be applied mainly(60%) with drip irrigation and partially(40%) with base application.


A 45-days trial was performed to assess the effect of fermented sunflower oil cake (FSFC) on digestive enzymes activity and immune responses in Penaeus vannamei. Five iso-nitrogenous diets were formulated with FSFC (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg) by substituting fishmeal (w/w). A total of 300 juveniles (3.08±0.07 g) were randomly distributed to the experimental tanks (twenty shrimp per tank) with three replications for each treatment. Results revealed that protease activity was decreased (P


The theory of three worlds is advanced by Karl Popper and John Eccles.It divides the world into three,i.e.World 1,World 2,and World 3.The three worlds are thought to interact with each other and there are upward and downward causations between them.As a meta-theory of psychology,the theory of three worlds means a lot for psychological studies and in particular enables psychology to become a science in the true sense of the word and to improve its research approaches,methods,and strategies.


In the orthorhombic crystalline phase of the title compound, C20H11I2NO2, all the benzene rings are parallel, whereas the acridine systems are either parallel or perpendicular to each other; this generates a herring-bone pattern. The acridine systems and benzene rings are inclined at an angle of 45.5 (1)° to each other, and the acridine systems and carboxylate groups are inclined at an angle of 54.2 (1)°. Oppositely oriented consecutive molecules, with π–π interactions between their acridine systems and I⋯I and I⋯N contacts, are aligned in stacks along the a axis. These stacks, interacting through π–π contacts between benzene rings, are arranged in layers.


A recent letter [1] investigated the effects of deuteron polarizability in the mu D atom. The importance of understanding this atom has been heightened because of the possible light it could shed on the proton radius puzzle. Here we confirm, clarify, and emphasize the significance of the result [1] that the effects of the third Zemach moment are canceled by part of the deuteron polarizability effects. 1. K. Pachucki, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 193007 (2011)


A distributed trust model is proposed based on multi-factor trust. The proposed trust model introduces an aging function to distinguish the importance of trust in different time. When calculating the comprehensive trust value of nodes,the model increases the trust of energy by analyzing the residual energy of node. Also,the model combines the trust of communication and the trust of energy and properly adjusts the size of the weight between communication trust and energy trust to evaluate the credibility of sensor nodes. Simulation experiment and analysis shows that this model can quickly identify malicious nodes with improves successful rate of trading by nodes and security of information in the network system when compared with other models.


Organizations often seek benchmarks to judge the success of their forecasts. Reliable benchmarks would allow the company or agency to see if it has improved upon industry standards and to evaluate whether investment of additional resources in forecasting would be money well spent. But can the existing benchmark surveys be trusted? "No," says Stephan Kolassa, who has analyzed the surveys and found them seriously deficient. In this article Stephan explains the many problems that plague benchmark surveys and advises that companies should redirect their search from external to internal benchmarks since the latter provide a better representation of the processes and targets the company has in place. Copyright International Institute of Forecasters, 2008


In the December 2016 issue, the piece "Sex on the brain: Unraveling the differences between women and men in neurodegenerative disease" (Nat. Med. 22, 1370–1372, 2016), the explanation of the US National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) policy on sex differences in animal research is incorrect. The policy does not require that researchers include equal numbers of male and female animals, but rather that they account for sex as a biological variable in their research design.


The paper discusses how the retailers to apply screening model in solving adverse selection problems,establishes the screening model and analyzes two optimal contracts respectively in the conditions of information symmetry and dissymmetry.


In this article, based on the concentration compactness principle and the mountain pass theorem, we establish the existence of positive solutions to the fractional p-Kirchhoff type problem with a generalized Choquard nonlinearity and a critical Hardy-Sobolev term.


The nucleus is enclosed by the inner nuclear membrane (INM) and the outer nuclear membrane (ONM). While the ONM is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the INM is independent and separates the nucleoplasm from the ER lumen. To maintain INM homeostasis, proteins mislocalized to the INM are degraded by the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway. However, the mechanism for turnover of resident INM proteins is less clear. Here we show that the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulates the degradation of Mps3, a conserved integral protein of the INM. Turnover of Mps3 requires the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes Ubc7 and Ubc6, but not the three known ERAD ubiquitin ligases, Doa10, Hrd1, and the Asi1-Asi3 complex. Using a genetic approach, we have found that Cdh1, a coactivator of APC/C, modulates Mps3 stability. APC/C controls Mps3 degradation through Mps3's N-terminus, which resides in the nucleoplasm and possesses two putative APC/C-dependent destruction motifs. Accumulation of Mps3 at the INM impairs nuclear morphological changes and cell division. Our findings therefore reveal an unexpected mechanism of APC/C-mediated protein quality control at the INM that coordinates nuclear morphogenesis and cell-cycle progression.


This paper is the comprehensive review on the RD of buffer/backfilling materials in deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste,and it summarizs the research findings about buffer/backfilling material's properties including water permeability,heat property,swelling property. The direction for the future study of this field is pointed out.


Based on measurement and analysis of blasting vibration of surface mine and underground mine, all-round and scientific criteria of blasti ng safety are suggested. It is concluded that appraising the safety o f construction blasting vibration include not only peak value of mass point, but also frequency of blasting vibration(natural frequency and driving frequency of construction). The safety criteria of blasting vibrat ion consist of displacement, velocity and acceleration.


The outcome and the rate of rebleeding of brainstem cavernous malformationss were analyzed following conservative treatment, microsurgical excision and Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS). We especially concentrated on the role of radiosurgery. We treated 39 patients with brainstem cavernous malformations using conservative treatment, microsurgical removal or GKS from April 1993 to November 2003. Follow up duration was 7 to 132 months (mean 45.8, median 30.6). The lesion location included pons, midbrain, medulla oblongata and cerebellarpeduncle. Conservative management was performed in 14 patients, GKS in 18 patients and microsurgical removal in 7 patients. The annual rate of rebleeding was 22.2% in conservative group and 22.7% in GKS group. Good and moderate outcome were obtained in 70% of conservative group, 75% of GKS group and 85.6% of surgical group. Overall mortality rate was 5.1%. Microsurgical excision tended to be resulted in good outcome. GKS and conservative managements were accompanied by a risk of recurrent bleeding, even death. There was no statistical difference in outcome and the rate of rebleeding between conservatively managed group and GKS treated group. (Kor J Cerebrovascular Surgery 6:144-7, 2004)


Climate changes actualise the need for the transition of Ukraine's agricultural business to agroforestry systems not only in the steppe but also in the northern regions of the country. The purpose of the study is to examine the features of creating protective stands of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) and Poplars (Populus × euramericana) in Polissya and in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Experimental plantings of Walnut were created by one-year-old seedlings on sod-podzolic sandy loam soils of Zhytomyr Polissya and on carbonate soils of the Western Forest-Steppe, and the analysis of the survival rate of Poplar plantings was conducted on chernozems of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe. It was established that on sod-podzolic soils, five-year-old plants of Walnut had an average height of 91.8 cm. At the age of 4, some of them bore fruit. The fruit-bearing trees had higher indicators of average height of 13.4% and a diameter of 71.5% compared to the rest. On carbonate soils, the trees showed substantially better growth in height, which is explained by the calciphile nature of the nut. It is determined that an effective way to increase the survival rate of one-year-old seedlings of Poplar varieties Dorskamp, Robusta and I-45/51 is to plant them without trunks. In all the examined varieties, during the first two years, the highest survival rate of seedlings was in the variant without a trunk – from 57.0 to 68.9%, while in seedlings with a trunk – from 50.3% to 68.1%. In 2022, due to irrigation, the survival rate ranged from 74.4% to 88.9%. The average height was mostly also higher in plants that grew from seedlings without a trunk. It was the largest in plants of the Dorskamp clone – 188.6 to 209.3 cm. In uncut plants of this variety, it ranged from 174.0 to 197.2 cm. The practical importance of the study lies in the possibility of developing new forms of Walnut and Poplar and improving technologies for creating forest lands with their involvement, which can be used in Polissya and Forest-Steppe conditions

https://forestscience.com.ua/web/uploads/pdf/Ukrainian Journal of Forest and Wood Science_2023_Vol. 14, No. 3_35-46.pdf


The EU Member States have to implement the new Basic Safety Standards Directive (BSS) by May 2000. The Title VII of the Directive applies in particular to radon in workplaces. The Member States are required to identify workplaces which may be of concern, to set up appropriate means for monitoring radon exposures in the identified workplaces and, as necessary, to apply all or part of the system of radiological protection for practices or interventions. The BSS provisions on natural radiation are based on the ICRP 1990 recommendations. These recommendations were considered in the Finnish radiation legislation already in 1992, which resulted in establishing controls on radon in all types qf workplaces. In this paper issues are discussed on the practical implementation of the BSS concerning occupational exposures to radon basing on the Finnish experiences in monitoring radon in workplaces during the past seven years.


Executive Summary. This article analyzes the results of a survey sent to real estate academics and professionals around the world, attempting to define a body of knowledge for real estate. A list of thirty-six topics developed from a preliminary survey was submitted to potential respondents. The topics from the responses are ranked overall and compared for differences by the geographic location of the respondents and the professional area of the respondents.


For patients and their clinicians, broad access to information about DNA sequence variation is critical. The information is essential to interpreting the clinical significance of genetic variants, but it is not always readily available. At the present time, genetic test providers have the ability to create private databases containing information they have collected through testing and to restrict access to this vital information.

A case study of BRCA1/2 testing by Myriad Genetics reveals the implications of creating a private database of clinical information and the importance of open access of this information. Until the June 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated patents on isolated, naturally occurring human DNA, Myriad Genetics provided the only commercially available test for BRCA1/2 diagnostic testing in countries where patents were filed (for example, the United States). Myriad has tested over 1 million people and has gained valuable experience and information.

A particularly significant consequence of being the sole provider of the BRCA1/2 diagnostic tests is that Myriad has collected a vast number of the genetic variants associated with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, along with the accompanying interpretation of each variant. If this testing becomes available elsewhere, this information will not be available to researchers, clinicians, and patients.

Some BRCA1/2 test results have a clear-cut interpretation. Perhaps the most clear-cut is a negative result upon testing a relative of someone with a known mutation. A negative result could be uncertain unless the negative result occurs in a person with a known mutation in the family and that mutation was not detected. A positive result, or detection of a known deleterious mutation, is also clear-cut when that mutation has been disclosed. However, some variants are particularly difficult to interpret because the effect of the variation is not yet known. These BRCA variations are aptly named "variants of unknown significance" (VUS).

Myriad's patent exclusivity on the BRCA1/2 genes allowed the company to be the sole distributors of the genetic test, and thus it has been the largest collector of any clinically discovered VUS. Through the information gained from this collection, Myriad reports it was able to reduce the frequency of reporting a VUS. Furthermore, when a patient receives a test result with a VUS, Myriad offers free testing to the family members in an effort to gain more information and help determine the clinical significance of the variant. The ability to include additional data on the VUS and expand the proprietary database is a clear incentive for Myriad to offer free testing to the family members of the patient with the VUS. Patients also benefit from this practice.

However, other providers of the BRCA1/2 tests will face unnecessary challenges due to the lack of transparency of data. The practice of privatizing clinical data obstructs the scientific community from independently verifying the data's clinical significance and accuracy.

The ideal course of action to mitigate this problem would be to require every laboratory that tests for BRCA1/2 to register each test in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Institutes of Health, Genetic Testing Registry, and deposit all BRCA1/2 variants in the NCBI ClinVar database.

Another powerful way of liberating the BRCA1/2 variants is for the very people who have been tested to "free the data" and independently submit their BRCA1/2 report to directly contribute to an open-access database. Current projects that have undertaken this effort include the Sharing Clinical Reports Project (www.sharingclinicalreports.org), where physicians are encouraged to submit their patients' de-identified report to be uploaded to the ClinVar database, and the complementary Free the Data! Campaign (www.free-the-data.org), where the individuals are empowered to share the information themselves. The Sharing Clinical Reports Project avoids violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act by the de-identification of the patient's personal information, but the Free the Data! Campaign goes one step further in individual autonomy by enabling tested individuals to share their variant in ClinVar and to set their own sharing, privacy, and data access preferences. They can also share phenotypic information, thus providing researchers with information to help advance an understanding of these variants.

BRCA1/2 is just an example of the clinical trade secret issue. Allowing public access to variants and associated phenotypes on all genes is essential for the accelerated understanding of health and disease that everyone desires. Private databases thwart progress and slow understanding of the contribution of genetics to health and disease. Laboratories need to share clinical variants for the public good; it cannot be held as a proprietary interest. Individuals need to exert their influence and "free the data" to let the data speak.


BASED ON THE STUDIES OF GUYON, SOME EXPRESSIONS ARE DEVELOPED FOR CALCULATING THE LOSS OF FORCE IN PRESTRESSING STRANDS. TWO TYPES OF LOSS ARE DISTINGUISHED: INITIAL LOSS WHICH OCCURS DURING TENSIONING OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER ANCHORAGE; AND DEFERRED LOSS WHICH OCCURS DURING THE FIRST TWO OR THREE YEARS. TAKING THE FIRST CASE, THE LOSSES DUE TO FRICTION ARE ANALYSED: FRICTION IN THE JACK, AT THE ANCHOR BLOCK OUTLET, INSIDE THE SLEEVES AND CONDUITS, AND THOSE DUE TO PARASITE EFFECTS; FRICTION DUE TO DEFORMATION OF THE ANCHORAGE, TO POSSIBLE SLIPPING OF REINFORCEMENT, OR TO NON-SIMULTANEOUS STRETCHING WHICH CAUSES THE DEFORMATION OF SOME CABLES AS SUBSEQUENT ONES ARE TENSIONED. IN THE SECOND CASE SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE CONCRETE SHRINKAGE, RELAXATION OF THE STEEL (ABOUT 8 TO 10% OF THE ORIGINAL TENSION), AND THE CREEP OF THE CONCRETE. THESE THREE CAUSES ARE SIMULTANEOUS AND THE RESULTANT STRESS LOSS IS AFFECTED BY FACTORS WHICH DEPEND ON THE TENSION-DEFORMATION DIAGRAM OF THE STEEL AND LAWS OF THE CREEP OF THE CONCRETE. AN APPLIED EXAMPLE IS GIVEN.


Abstract It is well known that for all recursively enumerable sets X1, X2 there are disjoint recursively enumerable sets Y1 ⊆ Y2 such that Y ⊆ X1, Y2 ⊆ X2 and Y1, ⋃ Y2 = X1 ⋃ X2. Alistair Lachlan called distributive lattices satisfying this property separated. He proved that the first-order theory of finite separated distributive lattices is decidable. We prove here that the first-order theory of all separated distributive lattices is undecidable.


Although continuous erythropoietin receptor activators (CERAs) are widely used erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents for correcting renal anemia in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), few reports have examined weekly CERA administration. In this randomized controlled trial, we compared the efficacy and changes in the parameters of iron metabolism and erythropoiesis between weekly and biweekly CERA administration. In total, 120 patients undergoing maintenance HD were randomized to the weekly or biweekly group. The primary end point was the total CERA dose needed to maintain the target hemoglobin (Hb) levels during a 12‐week evaluation period. There was no significant difference in the total dose between the weekly and biweekly groups (median 175.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 93.8–337.5] µg/12 weeks vs. 300.0 [IQR 125.0–375.0] µg/12 weeks, P = .18). The mean Hb levels during the evaluation period were 10.9 ± 0.8 g/dL in the weekly group and 10.7 ± 0.8 g/dL in the biweekly group (P = .25). Weekly CERA administration was well tolerated. Weekly CERA administration similarly managed anemia as biweekly administration in patients undergoing HD.


Abstract Study question How to ensure a reliable and accurate detection of SARS-CoV–2 in seminal plasma and spermatozoa fractions of human sperm samples? Summary answer This RT-PCR assay showed high sensibility, repeatability and reproducibility for SARS-CoV–2 detection in seminal plasma and spermatozoa fractions, with a detection limit of 17 genomes/reaction. What is known already SARS-CoV–2 pandemic brings numerous concerns, such as the safety of gametes for patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies, fertility preservation or sperm donation. Transient viremia and expression of SARS-CoV–2 receptors in testis and accessory glands bring the question of the presence of the virus in sperm samples. Moreover, the contamination during sperm collection may be possible. The few available studies about this issue mostly showed the absence of SARS-CoV–2 detection in semen of COVID–19 patients, except one reported study. All these studies performed SARS-CoV–2 detection with RT-PCR assays approved for naso-pharyngeal swabs, without a process specifically validated for semen fractions. Study design, size, duration Method validation was conducted between July 2020 and January 2021. SARS-CoV–2 direct detection was performed according to the French Society of Microbiology guidelines (SFM). Repeatability (n = 6), reproducibility (n = 3), limit of quantification (n = 2) and of detection (n = 6) were evaluated in seminal plasma (SP) and spermatozoa samples isolated after density gradient centrifugation and cryopreserved. In addition, variability of the whole analytical method efficiency was evaluated in samples of men with normal (n = 6) or altered sperm parameters (n = 6). Participants/materials, setting, methods Samples were surplus semen obtained from men undergoing routine semen analysis after granting informed consent. Assays were performed on SP and frozen spermatozoa fractions. After automated RNA extraction (MGISP–960, MGI-Tech®), real-time RT-PCR was performed using the one-step multiplex TaqPath COVID–19 kit (ThermoFisher®) targeting three viral regions (ORF1, nucleocapsid-N and spike-S proteins). An exogenous internal control was added before RNA extraction. Positive samples and dilution ranges were prepared with a standard (SARS-CoV–2 inactivated virus, QnosticTM Randox®). Main results and the role of chance RT-PCR assay applied for human sperm samples has been previously validated and is routinely used for SARS-CoV–2 detection in naso-pharyngeal swabs. We evaluated the efficiency of RNA extraction and RT-PCR for SARS-CoV–2 detection in semen fractions. The qualitative and quantitative performance of the whole analytical method was validated with an accuracy profile for SP and spermatozoa fractions. Overall, for repeatability, the standard deviation (SD) of the cycle threshold (Ct) was lower than 0.40 for the strong positive sample and 0.50 for the low positive one. An exception was observed for the S target of the low positive SP samples (SD = 3) which was consistent with S being the less sensitive target of the assay. For reproducibility, SD of the Ct was lower than 0.30 for the strong positive sample and 0.80 for the low positive, except for the S target of the low positive (SD = 1.5). The linearity range was determined for N target, the most sensitive target of the RT-PCR assay. It layed between 5200 and 52 SARS-CoV–2 genomes/reaction. The limit of detection of the RT-PCR assay was 17 viral genomes/reaction. Equal efficiency of the assay was observed for SP and spermatozoa independently of semen parameters (normal and altered sperm parameters). Limitations, reasons for caution: Our detection method was validated for the whole process: RNA extraction (reagents and system), RT-PCR (reagents and thermocycler QuantStudio 5TM) and for both SP and frozen spermatozoa fractions. Variability might be observed with a different extraction system or a different type of biological sample. Wider implications of the findings: This validated RT-PCR assay enables accurate and reliable screening of SARS-CoV–2 in SP and spermatozoa fractions, mandatory to investigate the presence of the virus in semen samples of patients undergoing assisted reproductive techniques, fertility preservation or sperm donation, and to ensure viral safety in the cryobanking process during covid–19 pandemic. Trial registration number EudraCT 2020-A01409–30


PurposeAlthough much research has investigated the impact of social capital on objective career success, the process through which this relation is established remains under-explored. In addition, studies conducted in the Middle East and North Africa region are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to examine and potentially bridge these gaps.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via survey from 348 Tunisian bankers. Path analysis using AMOS was used to explore the relationships between mentoring received, network resources training and development and objective career success. For testing the mediating hypotheses, the authors employed bootstrapping.FindingsResults support the conjecture that social capital is useful for career success. The authors found that when the employees receive mentoring, they seem to develop more instrumental network resources, and consequently they have wider access to training and development, which, in turn, will be related to better promotion outcomes. However, expressive network resources were not related to objective career success, and training and development did not mediate the relationship between these network resources and career success.Originality/valueTo the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore the relationship between social capital and objective career success in the Tunisian context. This paper also reveals the mediating role of training and development in the above relationship. These findings add to the cross-cultural literature on careers.


In modal subordination, a modal sentence is interpreted relative to a hypothetical scenario introduced in an earlier sentence. In this paper, I argue that this phenomenon reflects the fact that the interpretation of modals is an ANAPHORIC process. Modal morphemes introduce sets of possible worlds, representing alternative hypothetical scenarios, as entities into the discourse model. Their interpretation depends on evoking sets of worlds recording described and reference scenarios, and relating such sets to one another using familiar notions of restricted, preferential quantification. This proposal relies on an extended model of environments in dynamic semantics to keep track of associations between possible worlds and ordinary individuals; it assumes that modal meanings and other lexical meanings encapsulate quantification over possible worlds. These two innovations are required in order for modals to refer to sets of possible worlds directly as static objects in place of the inherently dynamic objects—quite different from the referents of pronouns and tenses—used in previous accounts. The simpler proposal that results offers better empirical coverage and suggests a new parallel between modal and temporal interpretation.


In the era of explosive data growth, RAID2.0 architecture with dozens or even hundreds of disks is commonly used to provide large capacity data storage. Due to limited resources, such as memory and CPU, the reconstruction for disk failures in RAID2.0 is executed in batches. Traditional random data placement and recovery scheme make the I/O access highly skewed within a batch, which slows down the reconstruction speed. We propose DR-RAID, an efficient reconstruction scheme that balances local rebuilding workloads across all surviving disks within a batch. Instead of executing tasks sequentially from all pending recovery tasks, we dynamically select a batch of tasks with an almost balanced read load. Furthermore, we transform the problem of distributing the reconstructed data to surviving disks into a bipartite graph model, and achieve uniform write load distribution by finding a maximum matching in the graph. DR-RAID can be applied in a large disk pool with homogeneous or heterogeneous rebuilding bandwidth. We implemented DR-RAID into a pool of 50 disks and conducted extensive experiments. DR-RAID increases the rebuilding throughput by up to 61.90% compared with the random data placement scheme in offline rebuilding, and up to 59.28% with varied rebuilding bandwidth. DR-RAID accelerates rebuilding by effectively eliminating the local load imbalance within a batch, and greatly shortens the period of interference to user requests.


During the interpretation of the Lamb wave data, the main concern is often the arrival times of wave groups. Group arrival times determine the distance of the source or the reflector. The inspection of sensory signal envelopes is satisfactory to identify and localize defects. The S-transformation is proposed for isolating wave forms at their excitation frequency and obtaining their envelopes. To further minimize the storage and computational costs, reduction of the data size by down sampling (skipping 5 data points for each saved one) and compression via calculating the wavelet transformation three times are proposed. The data was reduced to 1/30th of its original size, while the reconstructed wavelet transformation had a less than 1% average error with respect to the down sized envelope signal.


Aim: The aim is to evaluate geographical, sociodemographic, laboratory, clinical features and follow-up and treatment outcomes of children with toxic plant and mushroom poisoning. Material and Methods: From 2015 to 2017, cases aged between 1 month and 18 years and diagnosed with toxic plant and mushroom poisoning were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The mean age of the patients was 6.0±3.2 and the male/female ratio was 2.8. Mushrooms were the most common factors for poisoning (36.8%). The average time for application to the health facility was 2.4±1.9 hours. Poisoning was most commonly seen in summer (42.1%) and the most common complaint was vomiting. Most of the family members were primary school graduates. Treatment methods were activated charcoal (53%), activated charcoal and gastric lavage (26%), gastric lavage, activated charcoal and acetyl cysteine (11%) and acetyl cysteine (5%). One patient (5%) was applied followed up. Extracorporeal treatment was applied to two patients who developed liver and renal failure during treatment and follow-up. During the laboratory comparisons before and after hospitalization, white blood cell, creatinine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were found to be significant (p <0,05). Conclusion: In childhood age group, more informative, symptomatic and supportive treatments can lead to positive results in toxic plant and mushroom poisonings. Sometimes more aggressive treatment methods such as extracorporeal treatment may be needed. Close monitoring of laboratory parameters in mushroom and plant intoxication cases due to late manifestations has an important role in patient follow-up and treatment.


Based on the DEM topographic data of Zhanghe River reservoir in Jingmen, Hubei with the spatial resolution of 90m×90m, the work selected 20 flood processes from 2012 to 2015 (wherein 16 were for simulation, and 4 for test). The flood forecasting were tested by coupling the tripling-nested precipitation forecasting with the spatial resolutions of 3km×3km, 9km×9km and 27km×27km provided by the WRF in the Central China, the lumped Xin'anjiang model and the semi-distributed TOPMODEL. Through the comparison, the following conclusions were obtained: When the spatial and temporal distributions of precipitation in the basin were relatively uniform, the lumped Xin'anjiang model could accurately forecast the peak flow and peak appearance time; when there was large difference in the precipitation spatial and temporal distributions, the forecasting error increased accordingly. The TOPMODEL model based on DEM data reflected the difference of flood forecasting results under different precipitation spatial and temporal distributions. The test results showed that the output results of 3km×3km and 9km×9km flood forecasting were relatively close, and the forecasting accuracy and the relative error of flood peak were better than those of 27km×27km flood forecasting. On the time difference of peak appearance, the 27km×27km flood forecasting was in good agreement with the actual situation. It was also found that although there were some differences in the spatial and temporal distributions of precipitation in the basin, the WRF of three spatial resolutions could not forecast precipitation distribution in accordance with the actual data. However, in some cases, when the time distribution error and the spatial distribution error of precipitation were offset, more accurate flood forecasting results could still be obtained. Therefore, the precipitation forecasting of high spatial-temporal resolution does not contribute positively to flood forecasting, and it is necessary to repeatedly test for the optimal spatiotemporal resolution of hydrological model and numerical model coupling.


We suggest the symmetrized Schrödinger equation and propose a general complex solution which is characterized by the imaginary units i and ǫ. This symmetrized Schrödinger equation appears some interesting features.


800 MPa grade dual phase steel was prepared based on lower cost C-Mn-Si alloy system in laboratory.The microstructure,properties and technique of the(α+γ) intercritical heat treatment of dual phase steel were studied.Three kinds of different component steels can obtain different proportion of F and M dual phase steel under the(α+γ) intercritical heat treatment.And the properties are different by adjusting the processes of intercritical annealing.The results show that the optimum heating-up temperature is from 780 ℃ to 800 ℃,the cooling speed should be controlled in 10 ℃/s.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the land use and land cover conditions in the municipality of Caucaia, located in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza (RMF), state of Ceará, with emphasis on the Permanent Preservation Areas (APP). The theoretical and methodological procedures were based on the bibliographical and cartographic survey of the space sector under analysis, and the geocartographic products were validated in field works and through the design of the statistical index of concordance of kappa. Nineteen classes of land use and land cover were mapped, and the ones with the greatest territorial extension were: Open caatinga / Agriculture (39.92%), Closed caatinga (14.28%), Open forest tabuleiro / Agriculture (10.08%), Dry forest (8.01%) and urbanized area (5.48%). The legal-institutional basis of the research included the APP, APA of the Ceará River, APA of Lagamar do Cauhípe, Ecological Station of Pecém, Park botany of Ceará and Tapajos Indigenous Land. By combining the land use and land cover information with the legalinstitutional base map, it was found that: there is significant degradation of the riparian forests of the courses and water sources; The mangroves and paleodunas are being affected by indiscriminate deforestation and; In PPAs the use of land in agriculture-related activities is significant. Finally, it is mentioned that the results indicate the highlight of geoprocessing techniques for this type of analysis.


The most interesting article, in intricacy and cleverness of argumentation, breaking of new ground, and fertility of concepts, is paradoxically the most technical: "Fatimid Historiography: A Case Study—The Quarrel with the Zirids, 1048-58." Its author, M. Brett, undermines the conventionally accepted explanation for the Hilalian invasion— that the Fatimids "unleashed" the Arabs to punish the Zirids for their insubordination. By making a few imaginative, albeit arguable, corrections to previous readings and interpretations of key texts, he argues that this widely accepted understanding was developed only as a post hoc explanation for Arab incursions and victories that took place for other reasons. In the course of his demonstration, he shows with considerable subtlety how various types of authors handled the events in question according to their own purposes, tastes, and sensibilities. Despite his maintaining an interest in what "really" happened, Brett is able to learn something about Fatimid cultural and political history even from sources that, according to him, are inaccurate. In so doing, he raises stimulating issues for other historians as well. Other articles tend to be more descriptive than analytic, more about historians than historiography. Where historiographical issues are raised, they are limited to the topic at hand and are basic to a traditional approach—how to overcome the limitations (in terms of modern expectations) of the evidence, e.g., typology in biographical literature, or test its reliability; how to get at an author's biases and methods of composition; how to distinguish real history from propaganda. Governing the whole is a fairly common positivistic agenda—filter out all the bias and propaganda to recover the separable kernel of fact. Although most of the articles deal with formal narrative compositions, none is informed by the insights of narratology, nor is any concerned with stylistic or semiotic analysis of texts. The authors could profitably substitute, for such polarities as propaganda-history, an understanding that all narrative composition is governed by rules which help the writer turn experience into event, and that the "facts" presented always have to be understood in that light. Using the words of one well-known semiotician, historical accounts, like other stories, can often be considered present fictions about absent realities. (1 refer to Robert Scholes, Semiotics and Interpretation [New Haven, 1982], Chapter 2. Although Scholes does not mention historical narrative specifically, he includes stories about things that "really" happened in his discussion of fictiveness and literariness.) It would also have helped these authors to acknowledge a very common medieval understanding of the relationship of truth and fact—that the latter does not guarantee the former, but only provides the raw material for its elucidation. (See Hayden White, "The Fiction of Factual Representation," in Angus Fletcher, ed., The Literature of Fact, New York, 1976, pp. 22-44). Finally, they might have shown more of an interest in what we can learn about the intellectual outlook of an age from the very bias that good modern historians like to filter out. We will be able to make the most of our sources only when we learn to make appropriate use of everything they contain.


Occupational health and safety behaviour in hospitals is very important because the slightest action can pose a risk to midwives and patients. One of the causes of the risk of infection is the behaviour of midwives who at work do not wear complete personal protective equipment (PPE) where the prevention is more directed at the work environment, equipment. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the behaviour of midwives on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in assisting normal delivery at Benyamin Guluh Kolaka Hospital with a cross-sectional design. The instrument used is a questionnaire. The results showed that there was a relationship between knowledge and behaviour of midwives on the use of PPE in Normal Delivery Assistance at Benyamin Guluh Kolaka Hospital. There is a relationship between attitudes and behaviour of midwives towards the use of PPE in Normal Delivery Assistance at Benyamin Guluh Kolaka Hospital. There is no relationship between compliance with the behaviour of midwives on the use of PPE in Normal Delivery Assistance at Benyamin Guluh Kolaka Hospital. There is a relationship between facilities and infrastructure and the behaviour of midwives towards the use of PPE in Normal Delivery Assistance at Benyamin Guluh Hospital.


A significant reduction in the cost of manufacturing machines and various mechanical systems can be achieved by adapting their designs to 2D technologies. The article is devoted to the development of appropriate designs of centroid mechanisms, namely, spiderless planetary transmission and planetary rotary hydraulic machines.


Code authorship attribution aims to identify the author of software source code according to the author's unique coding style characteristics. The lack of benchmark data in the field, forced researchers to employ various resources that often did not reflect real programming practices. Throughout the years, research studies have used textbook examples, students' programming assignments, faculty code samples, code from programming competitions and files retrieved from open-source repositories as research objects. The diversity of the data raised concerns about the feasibility of capturing the appropriate data characteristics to reliably evaluate code attribution. In this paper, we investigate these concerns and analyze the effect of the dataset characteristics and feature elimination techniques on the accuracy of code attribution. Unlike the majority of the work done in this field, which mainly concentrates on designing new features, we explore the nature of the data used in previous studies and assess the factors that influence the attribution task. Within this analysis, we investigate the robustness of three feature sets regarded as reliable benchmarks in the attribution research. Based on our findings, we define a process for deriving a reduced set of features for accurate and predictable attribution and make recommendations on the dataset characteristics.


The primary motivation for conducting short-term tests for environmental mutagens and carcinogens has been to predict mutagens and/or carcinogens and to assess any associated risks. Organ-speciˆc in vivo short-term tests in rodents are valuable because chemical carcinogenesis is generally organ-speciˆc. I have attempted to develop various organ-speciˆc in vivo short-term tests mainly in rodent liver and stomach. Recently, our collaborative study group, Toxicogenomics/Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society・Mammalian Mutagenicity Study Group (JEMS・ MMS), attempted to use gene expression proˆling in in vivo short-term tests, conducted DNA microarrays to extract candidate marker genes, and later shifted to quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to proˆle the expression of selected genes. We successfully discriminated 8 genotoxic hepatocarcinogens from 4 non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogens by statistical analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) based on the gene expression proˆles for 12 genes (Aen, Bax, Btg2, Ccnf, Ccng1, Cdkn1a, Gdf15, Lrp1, Mbd1, Phlda3, Plk2, and Tubb2c) in mouse liver at 4 and 48 h following a single intraperitoneal administration of chemicals as determined by qPCR. More recently, we successfully performed a similar study in rat liver. Previously, my collaborators and I developed various organspeciˆc in vivo short-term test methods, including UDS (unscheduled DNA synthesis); RDS (replicative DNA synthesis) using a liquid scintillation counter in rat glandular stomach, forestomach, colon, and liver and hairless mouse epidermis; DNA single-strand scission (DSS); and ornithine decarboxylase assay (ODC) in rat glandular stomach on 62 compounds. Developing short-term tests that are helpful for the risk assessment of human mutagens and carcinogens would contribute to the development of ideal prediction methods.


An illegal waste carrier has been order to pay £437 by Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court following a joint operation by the Council and Police.


Patients with diabetic kidney disease show a wide variability in their response to established and new treatments. SGLT2 inhibitors have also shown to slow the progression of kidney disease. Some studies have also shown kidney benefits for Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists (MRA). A large outcome trial with the MRA finerenone is currently ongoing to assess effects of this MRA on major kidney outcomes. The individual trials will solve the issue whether a patient may have benefit from an SGLT2 inhibitor or MRA, but they do not address the key question which of the two or their combination is better to reduce albuminuria for each individual patient. Therefore, we designed the ROTATE-3 trial is designed to investigate the individual albuminuria response to MRA (eplerenone), SGLT2 inhibitor (dapagliflozin) or the combination.

 ROTATE-3 is a randomized, prospective, open label, multicentre, crossover trial with a total duration of 28 (to 42) weeks [EudraCT number: 2017-004641-25]. Patients with or without type 2 diabetes, ≥18 years and elevated albuminuria (100-3500 mg/24 hour) already receiving a stable (same dose at least 4 weeks) maximum tolerated dose of an ACE-inhibitor or Angiotensin Receptor Blocker will be enrolled.Patients receive in random order 4 weeks of treatment with the eplerenone 50 mg/day, dapagliflozin 10 mg/day or combination of both drugs with a 4-weeks wash-out period in between. After the last treatment period patients will proceed to a 4-weeks wash-out period. The primary study outcome is the correlation in albuminuria response to eplerenone and dapagliflozin for which 46 patients provides 80% power to detect a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.4 between the log transformed albuminuria response to eplerenone and dapagliflozin. Blood is collected for clinical chemistry every two weeks during each treatment period. Patients are requested to collect one 24-hour urine sample at start and at end of each treatment period. Home blood pressure is monitored every 2 days.

 As of January 1st 2020 the study has enrolled 13 patients. It is anticipated that recruitment will be completed by December 2020 with study completion in August 2021.

 The results of the ROTATE-3 study will provide more insight in the individual albuminuria lowering response to potentially two new treatment options for patients with CKD and may help to implement personalized medicine in diabetic kidney disease.Study sponsored by University Medical Center Groningen. The Netherlands.


The coordination and regulation of growth and development in multicellular organisms is dependent, in part, on the controlled short and long-distance transport of signaling molecule: In plants, symplastic communication is provided by trans-wall co-axial membranous tunnels termed plasmodesmata (Pd). Plant viruses spread cell-to-cell by altering Pd. This movement scenario necessitates a targeting mechanism that delivers the virus to a Pd and a transport mechanism to move the virion or viral nucleic acid through the Pd channel. The identity of host proteins with which MP interacts, the mechanism of the targeting of the MP to the Pd and biochemical information on how Pd are alter are questions which have been dealt with during this BARD project. The research objectives of the two labs were to continue their biochemical, cellular and molecular studies of Pd composition and function by employing infectious modified clones of TMV in which MP is fused with GFP. We examined Pd composition, and studied the intra- and intercellular targeting mechanism of MP during the infection cycle. Most of the goals we set for ourselves were met. The Israeli PI and collaborators (Oparka et al., 1999) demonstrated that Pd permeability is under developmental control, that Pd in sink tissues indiscriminately traffic proteins of sizes of up to 50 kDa and that during the sink to source transition there is a substantial decrease in Pd permeability. It was shown that companion cells in source phloem tissue export proteins which traffic in phloem and which unload in sink tissue and move cell to cell. The TAU group employing MP:GFP as a fluorescence probe for optimized the procedure for Pd isolation. At least two proteins kinases found to be associated with Pd isolated from source leaves of N. benthamiana, one being a calcium dependent protein kinase. A number of proteins were microsequenced and identified. Polyclonal antibodies were generated against proteins in a purified Pd fraction. A T-7 phage display library was created and used to "biopan" for Pd genes using these antibodies. Selected isolates are being sequenced. The TAU group also examined whether the subcellular targeting of MP:GFP was dependent on processes that occurred only in the presence of the virus or whether targeting was a property indigenous to MP. Mutant non-functional movement proteins were also employed to study partial reactions. Subcellular targeting and movement were shown to be properties indigenous to MP and that these processes do not require other viral elements. The data also suggest post-translational modification of MP is required before the MP can move cell to cell. The USA group monitored the development of the infection and local movement of TMV in N. benthamiana, using viral constructs expressing GFP either fused to the MP of TMV or expressing GFP as a free protein. The fusion protein and/or the free GFP were expressed from either the movement protein subgenomic promoter or from the subgenomic promoter of the coat protein. Observations supported the hypothesis that expression from the cp sgp is regulated differently than expression from the mp sgp (Szecsi et al., 1999). Using immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, it was determined that paired wall-appressed bodies behind the leading edge of the fluorescent ring induced by TMV-(mp)-MP:GFP contain MP:GFP and the viral replicase. These data suggest that viral spread may be a consequence of the replication process. Observation point out that expression of proteins from the mp sgp is temporary regulated, and degradation of the proteins occurs rapidly or more slowly, depending on protein stability. It is suggested that the MP contains an external degradation signal that contributes to rapid degradation of the protein even if expressed from the constitutive cp sgp. Experiments conducted to determine whether the degradation of GFP and MP:GFP was regulated at the protein or RNA level, indicated that regulation was at the protein level. RNA accumulation in infected protoplast was not always in correlation with protein accumulation, indicating that other mechanisms together with RNA production determine the final intensity and stability of the fluorescent proteins.


Abstract The present study was undertaken to know the extent of awareness among married women towards aspects of family planning. A total of 150 married women were randomly selected from two blocks of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Data was collected through self-structured interview schedule. It was found that majority of respondents had knowledge and awareness about various aspects of family planning. Women were the major users of contraceptives as contrary to men. Oral pills were the most used family planning method followed by use of loops.


In wind tunnel tests,the Reynolds number plays a crucial role in the evolution of the flows around streamlined structures which determines the evaluation of its wind loading and aerodynamic performances.Previous works suggests the effects of high Reynolds number can be simulated by increasing the surface roughness,but the effects of the simulations are usually influenced by artificial factors.Little is known about the relationship between surface roughness and the change of flow features which makes the practical simulations difficult.Two comparative wind tunnel tests of Hyperbolic circular section structures in difficult Reynolds number range were designed.By changing the thickness of the strips on the model surfaces,the effects of high Reynolds numbers were simulated,including the investigation of both transverse pressure distribution and drag coefficient.A serial of results provide a detailed understanding of the regularity of surface roughness parameters with different model scales,which helps the practices of similar future projects.


Current research was conducted with aim to identify the characters of utmost importance in irrigated and non-irrigated conditions that may be used as selection criteria in a wheat breeding program. The experimental material consisted of 13 wheat genotypes including 11 bread wheat advanced lines from two different sources, 1 synthetic hexaploid and its durum parent. Stress was imposed by withholding irrigation at three different growth stages of plant i.e. tillering, anthesis and grain filling. Experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block in a split-plot arrangement. Water regimes (irrigated and non-irrigated) were allocated to the main plots and genotypes to the sub-plots. Morphological traits were recorded including days to heading, flowering, anthesis, physiological maturity, grain-filling period, flag leaf area, plant height, biomass, number of spikes, number of spikelets per spike, spike length, number of grains, grain yield, harvest index and 1000-grain weight. According to obtained results heritability among the traits under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions was estimated. Spike length exhibited highest heritability value of 0.89, 0.84 and 0.87 under irrigated, tillering and grain filling stress whereas grain yield had highest heritability value of 0.76 under anthesis stress. These traits therefore deserve more attention in future breeding programs for evolving better wheat for stress environments.


Purpose:  Anterior temporal lobe resections (ATLR) benefit 70% of patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but may be complicated by emotional disturbances. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the role of the amygdala in processing emotions in TLE and whether this may be a potential preoperative predictive marker for emotional disturbances following surgery.


In this study, we present some new features of the enhancements of electron density in the ionospheric F region at low latitudes. The peak parameters of the ionosphere were recorded by Sanya (109.6°E, 18.3°N) ionosonde and electron density profiles analyzed were measured by the Qujing (103.8°E, 25.6°N) incoherent scatter radar. The peak electron density of the F2 layer (NmF2) is found to be enhanced in the afternoon and sunset hours. Common features in the cases demonstrate that the NmF2 increases at low latitudes are characterized by a descent of the peak height (hmF2). Meanwhile, the electron density at Qujing shows an increase at the bottom of the ionosphere and a depression at topside altitudes. It is consistent with those of the ionosonde measurements at Sanya, for both the daytime and nighttime enhancements. Cross correlation analyses reveal a lag of NmF2 to hmF2 in the cases. After taking time shifts some events of the enhancements in NmF2 are still associated with a downwelling hmF2, confirming the processes which drive a lower hmF2 and a convergence of plasma flux may possibly bring about a rise in NmF2.


The paper deals with issues of textual research and publication of Fyodor Dostoevsky's draft manuscripts. The authors of the article focus on the problem of contextual analysis of handwritten materials and meaningful differentiation of entries related to different creative ideas of the writer, which at the draft stage is often a significant difficulty for researchers. As a result of the critical analysis proposed in the article, inaccuracies of reproduction and omissions in scientific publications of Fyodor Dostoevsky's drafts were found. The textual and real comments on the studied material were supplemented. The analysis of this problem remains relevant due to the complex composition of the manuscript heritage of Fyodor Dostoevsky. The writer's workbooks include a considerable number of scattered draft notes, the boundaries of which and the thematic affiliation to a particular idea are not always clear. In addition, scholarly reflection on the content of Fyodor Dostoevsky's draft notes is particularly relevant in the context of the academic preparation of the complete collections of the writer's works.


What is research? Research in any subject including history means either new discovery of facts or a new interpretation of facts already known. If a book or article has been written which fails to do that, it is not a piece of good research. In recent years, development of information and communication technology (ICT) has facilitated sound research by means of making it possible for the researcher to have instant and easy access to the vast source of information. Thus, technology has come to play an important role in research. By using ICT tools, a researcher can make a perceptible improvement in the quality of work. We propose to discuss some of the important databases which are of immense help to conduct historical research.


Despite the popularity of Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR/VR) within gaming, the full potential of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies is yet to be investigated. Specifically, systems that combine both VR and AR within one cohesive user experience are largely uninvestigated, especially within game settings. Thus, we propose Clash Tanks, which is a game that is developed to investigate how VR and AR can coexist within one game environment. We present our approach's technical architecture to embody both VR and AR, related interaction methods and game mechanics. Our developed prototype is an immersive VR cockpit, containing various AR components and game elements, which is used to operate two real robots in various game modes. We carried a preliminary user study to investigate our approach's immersion and enjoyment aspects. Overall, participants favored our approach in terms of enjoyment, specifically citing that they felt immersed within the VR cockpit while controlling the robot. Participants also mentioned some shortcomings such as motion sickness and vision blurriness because of the head mounted display. Lastly, we present our future direction for our project.


Summary Managing uncertainties is vital for the economic assessment of exploration, appraisal and development of a field. A key factor resides in the integration of data at different scales. This paper will focus on an integrated DRP (Digital Rock Physics) workflow from pore to core using multi-scale x-ray CT imaging. In gas shale, understanding of the internal pore architecture down to 3 nanometer scale is crucial for accurately determining porosity, pore connectivity, total organic content (TOC) and it's connectivity, and permeability. Different resolutions are used on gas shale samples, from macro, micro and nano scale to the newly developed FIB -SEM resolution. The volumes obtained from macro-CT scanning used on one-meter core sections, constitutes the link between properties computed on very small samples (10 microns/diameter) and the log data.


The utility model relates to the field of bicycles, in particular to a bicycle easy to take upstairs and downstairs. The bicycle comprises a bicycle body, an idler wheel set and a fixing frame. The idler wheel set comprises at least two idler wheels and a track arranged on the two idler wheels, the fixing frame comprises two sets of vertical supporting plates and a pair of horizontal supporting plates, the horizontal supporting plates are fixedly arranged on the side faces of the two idler wheels respectively so that the two idler wheels are arranged in a mode that one idler wheel is in front, the other idler wheel is at back and the axes of the two idler wheels are parallel, one end of each set of the vertical supporting plates is fixed to the bicycle body, and the other end of each set of the vertical supporting plates is fixed to the corresponding horizontal supporting plate; each set of the vertical supporting plates is composed of two vertical plate bodies, each vertical plate body comprises an upper plate main body and a lower plate main body, the lower end of each upper plate main body is provided with a sliding hole, the upper end of each lower plate main body is provided with a nut, and the nuts penetrate through the sliding holes and can be fixed to any positions of the sliding holes. A person does not need to lift the bicycle and carry the bicycle on the shoulder, can climb stairs conveniently and saves labor.


Nigel Chaffey presents a round-up of plant-based items from the world's media.
Articles include:
Crop improvement (without GM?) /
Fabricated water hyacinth yarn? /
Attractive new use for leaves /
A bank whose deposits really can grow /
Annals gets US listing /
The secret life of ATP /
Pitcher this: rat-catcher extraordinaire /
Future of TAIR in the balance? /
Vegetarian spiders /
Not exactly jet-setting, but at least they are on the plane /
A health-promoting side to salt?


Valence‐bond (VB) theory is formulated in a general form, to be applied to states of any multiplicity, with inclusion of both spin and orbital degeneracy. Structures are related to products of spin functions, the leading terms, and a one‐to‐one correspondence is established between these products and extended Rumer diagrams. A relationship is also found with genealogical spin functions. The leading terms can be directly used in the calculation of energy eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Applications to simple hydrocarbon systems are shown, and the results are compared with experimental data.


Promising utility of using serial ctDNA in metastatic colorectal cancer to both refine patient selection, reduce toxicity due to chemotherapy, and to evaluate emerging resistance mechanisms that may lead the way to novel therapeutic strategies. However, important questions remain in validating its use as a predictive biomarker of treatment response.


A daptive reuse (AR) refers to the repurposing of a building for a new, more valuable use while preserving as much of the existing structure as possible. A primary application of AR is the conversion of commercial real estate (CRE) properties for residential use. However, for such conversion to be financially feasible, commercial properties must generally be underutilized in their current role. In this report, we provide estimates of the number of residential units that could be produced through the AR of underutilized CRE in the Los Angeles area and provide evidence on the financial feasibility of creating these residential units. Our results suggest that, if the properties we identify as underutilized were all repurposed as housing, they would represent about 9 percent to 14 percent of the total housing Los Angeles County needs to produce over the next eight years, according to the Southern California Association of Governments (Southern California Association of Governments, 2021b). We also estimate the potential financial feasibility of these properties for AR and find that, on average, the conversion of hotel/motel properties appears to be broadly feasible but that the feasibility of AR using office properties—the most common property type in our sample—depends significantly on area-specific real estate prices and the size of the residential units to be produced (e.g., studio apartments versus oneor two-bedroom apartments). The potential for AR to address Los Angeles County's regional housing shortage has drawn increased attention from policymakers and stakeholders recently. In the past two years, multiple initiatives related to AR have been undertaken across the region, including the following:


Background: Acne vulgaris is a skin disease which has always been a problem for adolescents and young adults. Women usually develop acne at their premenarcheal ages; earlier than men do. The peak incidence in women is found at the age of 14 – 17 years. Increased hormone prior to menstruation can affect the exacerbation and worsen the acne vulgaris. This study aims to analyze the association between menstruation with the incidence of acne vulgaris in adolescents.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 60 female high school students in Semarang who fulfilled the inclusion criteria (listed as a high school student in Semarang, aged between 14-18 years, suffering from acne vulgaris. Data were collected by using questionnaire and examination of acne vulgaris. Data were analyzed by using chi-square test, with significance level p <0.05.
Results: Acne vulgaris most commonly started to develop at the time before menstruation (41.7%). Most subjects who suffer from acne vulgaris were 17 years old (53.3%), family history of acne vulgaris is less affected (41.7%) with a history of acne vulgaris is found most in the mother (64%), cosmetic used on subjects with acne vulgaris (86,7%), treatment of acne vulgaris is still low (23.3%) and most forms of medicine useds topical medications (93.3%), conduct regular facial cleaning (75%), stress factors influence on acne vulgaris (55%), food that most affect acne vulgaris is nuts (60%). There is a relationship between menstruation and the incidence of acne vulgaris in adolescents (p = 0.004).
Conclusion: The Acne vulgaris is most commonly found at the time before menstruation (41.7%). There is a relationship between menstruation and the incidence of acne vulgaris in adolescents.


The focus of this chapter is on innovative efforts to educate Evangelical/Pentecostal seminarians and university students regarding interfaith (i.e. multifaith) understanding, dialogue, and cooperation. Most of these efforts have been conducted at the Pen-tecostal Theological Seminary (pts) with related activities at Lee University. Both institutions are located in Cleveland, Tennessee, as educational ministries of the Church of God, which has international offices in Cleveland as well.1 Additionally, annual academic conferences and publications of the Society for Pentecostal Studies have provided a broader forum for promoting multifaith understanding, dialogue, and cooperation among member institutions with their respective scholars.2 The structure of this chapter is threefold. First, I outline the philosophy behind an explicitly Pentecostal pedagogy for teaching on interfaith topics in higher education contexts. Second, I survey the current state of the Christian theology of religions among Pentecostal thinkers and practitioners. The third section recounts specific educational praxis through classroom instruction and guided encounters. I discuss symbiotic concerns and questions as they arise in each section.


Euler summability method in a complete, non-trivially valued,
ultrametric field of the characteristic zero was introduced by
Natarajan in [7]. Some properties of the Euler summability
method in such fields were studied in [2] and [7]. The
purpose of the present note is to continue the study and to prove a pair
of theorems on the Cauchy product of Euler summable sequences and
series.


After experiencing a major liquidity crisis in 1903, Ferranti embarked on an ambitious marketing strategy which not only resulted in the establishment of an extensive agency network, but also laid the foundations for the creation of a multinational operation, especially in Canada. By examining the fortunes of this Canadian subsidiary, and placing it in the context of general British multinational development, it is possible to challenge the theoretical work of international business specialists like Dunning, Buckley and Casson. In particular, while it is clear that Dunning's 'eclectic paradigm' can help to explain why Ferranti embarked on this strategy, a range of other influences was clearly apparent, including family predilections and local managerial and governmental pressures. This brings into question the general applicability of theoretical frameworks when explaining British multinational expansion, focusing interest on the need for more effective empirical research.


This paper presents the results of evaluating the dynamic corrosion resistance, the erosion and corrosionerosion, to impact angles of 30 ◦ and 90 ◦ , with respect to the sample surface in steel ASTM 240 (A240) or AISI 304 and steel ASTM 576 (A576) or AISI 1045. The electrochemical characterization was developed by the Tafel polarization curves and the micro-structural characterization by the scanning electron microscopy. There was a marked decrease in the corrosion rate for steel A 240 compared with A576, under the erosion corrosion and corrosion dynamics conditions. Mechanical wear indicated that the normal angle condition represents higher losses in the material thickness, compared to the grazing angle for the two classes of steels. When comparing the di fferent study materials in normal condition and grazing angle, it is clearly observed that the steel ASTM A576 has the highest loss values volume, in equal exposure time, in comparison with


The mathematical dependences are bred, allowing to pick up geometrical parametres of fastening of the container, and also quantity, the sizes and a material of fixing elements for maintenance of the maximum safety of transported cargoes of an agricultural purpose.


Electro-deposition techniques of preparation bioactive ceramic coating on Ti and its alloy, including electrophoretic deposition and electrochemical deposition, were introduced in this paper. Study status and developmental trends of electro-deposition were reviewed as well.


Accurate localization systems, based on the measurement of the time of flight of a signal between radio devices, also known as Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) are becoming increasingly important especially in indoor applications. Due to severe multi path conditions, the largest problem for those RTLS systems is to detect the time of arrival of signals traveling over the direct line of sight (DLOS) path. High Resolution (HR) techniques may support detection of the LOS signal. We present ideas for efficient implementation of such a technique and demonstrate HR-performance by presenting results of practical measurements experiments.


Abstract : Theoretical and experimental solutions to basic microwave problems pursuant to providing means for generation and use of electromagnetic radiation in new realms of power, frequency, and purity are presented. This effort will emphasize unconventional devices and new ideas that show promise, but have not been adequately examined. (Author)


The problem considered is the steady flow of an incompressible viscous fluid through the space between two rotating coaxial cones with porous walls. In the case where the boundaries of the conical channel are α=20° and β=70°, the effect of the injection at the inner and suction at the outer porous walls on the radial flow is calculated. When this effect increases, the back-flow is set up in the region nearer to the inner cone: whereas the flow velocity in the region nearer to the outer cone is increased. Furthermore, it is found that the flow velocity depends linearly on the effect of the injection and suction.


The way of realizing power dynamic management in the system of enterprise information has been discussed in this paper. According to the power management existing in the current software system and the experiences in the software developing. The power dynamic management for different roles was realized using VB.NET and database SQL SERVER 2000. The method put forward in this paper can resolve the problems about power dynamic management effectively according to the enterprise's experiment.


Enhancement of material impulse response buried in reverberating ultrasonic echoes from thin layered materials can be exploited in order to be able to detect possible flaws. One of the methods presented in this study is to enhance the impulse response of a material by training an adaptive filter that promotes an appropriate statistical characteristic such as asymmetry. The other approach is to employ a parametric linear model of reverberations that utilizes Maximum Likelihood Estimation on its parameters, to later suppress the reverberations and reveal possible flaws. Both approaches are investigated and shown to succeed under certain conditions and supported with experiments.


Thank you very much for downloading liquid crystalline semiconductors materials properties and applications. As you may know, people have search numerous times for their favorite books like this liquid crystalline semiconductors materials properties and applications, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they cope with some malicious bugs inside their laptop.


Chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains a major challenge for the interventional cardiologist. About 10% of all angioplasty procedures are undertaken for chronic total occlusions. Immediate angiographic success rate has been reported, which varies from 67 to 81% [1], with 42–73% long term patency [2]. Because of the technical challenge, several methods have been reported. We describe a new method, using the retrograde wire technique, which was applied successfully in three patients with CTO.


A case of delayed white matter lesion after endovascular recanalization for intracranial artery occlusion Toshihiro Otsuka, M.D. and Junichiro Kumai, M.D. Department of Neurosurgery, Chiba-Nishi General Hospital A 60-year-old woman who had aphasia and right hemiparesis was transferred to our hospital with the diagnosis of cerebral infarction. Her initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 30 points. MRI revealed an acute infarction at the left putamen and left corona radiata due to left internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. After intravenous administration of tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), cerebral angiography revealed an occlusion of left ICA. Finally, we achieved thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) 2b recanalization after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Her symptoms gradually improved; her NIHSS score reduced to 2 points 24 hours after PTA. She was discharged home on postoperative day 18 with mRS 1. However, 1 month after PTA, she was aware of discomfort in the right upper limbs. DWI and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) revealed a new high-signal lesion in white matter on the treated side. Since there was no worsening of symptoms, the imaging findings showed a tendency to improve after six months. Delayed white matter lesion rarely occurs after recanalization for intracranial artery occlusion. Although delayed hypoxic leukoencephalopathy and granulomatous lesions due to polymer coating embolisms have been suggested as possible causes, further studies are needed to elucidate the


In this paper, we redesign a learning space based on game maps. Compared with the current learning space, the redesigning learning space has made the following improvements : expressing knowledge information in the form of curriculum clusters including data structure, algorithm design and program design; extending the learning contents through the association knowledge information and teaching cases; learning curriculum knowledge and culturing innovation abilities with the help of industry teaching cases. All of these implementations base on the design of game maps which containing three kind of data structures (list, tree, graph). The teaching cases in different industries are decomposed into map nodes (case implementation process) and map paths (learning paths) and expressed by appropriate algorithm. Eventually, with the support of data structures and algorithm gained write programs to solve problems in teaching cases. Appropriate incentive policies have also been introduced into the learning space to improve students' learning enthusiasm. In the process of solving practical problems by means of learning space, innovation abilities have been improved gradually.


This keynote speech discusses if our homes are giving us asthma. It was presented at the cold homes cost lives conference in 2001.


Subtitle: Newly formed regional organizations have contributed to impressive improvements in oversight capability around the globe, yet they have the potential to assume even more functions delegated by member States.


The polarised single-crystal electronic spectra of Cu(HA)4(ClO4)2 are assigned in S4 and D2d symmetries with a dxy ground state and yield the one-electron orbital sequence: dxy > dx2–y2 > dz2dxzdyz. The e.s.r. and electronic spectra yield the orbital reduction factors r‖= 0·79 and r⊥= 0·77 indicative of negligible π-bonding. These results are compared with the corresponding properties of CaCu(AcO)4,6H2O (with the dx2–y2→dxy transition assigned to the weak band at 10·8 kK) and a correlation is suggested between the copper–oxygen bond lengths, in-the-plane and out-of-the-plane, the values of T or T*, and the energy of the dz2→dxy transition. This implies weak bonding by the off-z-axis oxygen atoms in both complexes, but stronger in CaCu(AcO)4,6H2O, and favours a distorted dodecahedral description of the stereochemistry of the CuO4O′4 chromophore.


Despite the growing interest in the impact of academic-industry knowledge transfer on knowledge sharing among the members of the life science academic communities, the majority of studies have focused only on patenting, leaving the effects of other forms of knowledge transfer largely unexplored. Also, in assessing the knowledge transfer-knowledge sharing relationship, many studies have failed to consider the potential heterogeneity of different forms of knowledge sharing. Furthermore, there is an overall lack of research in this area with the focus on more than one empirical setting. In this paper, we rely on extensive literature review and empirical evidence from in-depth interviews with 38 academic researchers, industry researchers and managers and technology transfer specialists from six countries in order to reveal their experiences, attitudes and predictions regarding the role of knowledge transfer in interactions with other members of the life science community. We also identify a broad range of individual and context-specific predictors of knowledge sharing restrictions, including competition, expected reciprocity, professional age, tenure status, scientific values, scientific output and institutional policy. Drawing from the social capital and social exchange theories and using analytic induction we develop an individual-level conceptual model of knowledge transfer-knowledge sharing flows. The study contributes to the ongoing debates on the impact of commercial considerations at academic institutions on adherence to the norms of open science.


Using the Euclidean Algorithm for polynomials over GF(q), an algebraic technique for the generation of q-ary shift register sequences of arbitrary length l, 1 ≤ l ≤ qm, is obtained, where q is a power of a prime number, q = pn, and m is the number of shift register stages.


This document presents the radiological dose and toxicological exposure calculations for a spray leak inside the unloading area of the 204-AR Waste Unloading Facility.


A comprehensive limitation on benefits (LOB) provision was included in a Danish tax treaty for the first time in Denmark's new treaty with the United States. In this article the authors describe what is not an especially easy-to-read provision.


[Objective]To understand working conditions of offices for disease prevention and control agencies at different levels in Shandong Province and existing problems, explore ways to solve them and raise the work efficiency.[Methods]In November~December 2003,a questionnaire survey was conducted among 169 offices in Shandong Province.[Results]In the staff of offices for disease prevention and control agencies at different levels in Shandong Provinces, the ratio of male and female was 1.54:1,those under 35 accounted for 47.89%,those with professional and secondary technical school records accounted for 55.92% and 23.94% respectively, those with medium and junior titles accounted for 34.37% and 29.58% respectively, most of them were in various majors and in concurrent posts. [Conclusion]Offices for disease prevention and control agencies at different levels were complicated in function and inadequately equipped. The workforce are young, with improper structures in education, specialty and title and most of them lack training opportunities. They should focus on their own studies to raise work efficiency and meanwhile win leaders' support to put in more funds so as to improve their working conditions.


A sixteen-year-old boy presented with varied symptoms to the hospital. After he had been diagnosed as having Behçet's disease, investigations revealed two carotid aneurysms in the right common carotid artery and one abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysms were resected, medical therapy was started, and the patient recovered well. Although multiple aneurysms have been reported previously, the authors believe this is the first reported case involving both the carotid and the aorta.


Since the 1990s the term (and underlying concept  ) of sustainable development has become the aspect arising most often in discussions regarding the Earth's fate, the management of natural resources, energy policy, the safeguarding of food security and places to live, and so on. However, ideas on the accomplishment of sustainable development assumptions have first and foremost allowed for development and strengthening of all those ecological movements able to put political pressure on the governments of different countries, with a view to their devising and implementing policy on environmental protection, as well as the instrumentation allowing effective control over the exploitation of natural resources. Analyses concerning the structure and dynamics of contemporary use of natural resources for economic purposes which came into existence in time for the Rio "Earth Summit" (i.e., in the early 1990s) made it clear that the prevention of excessive change in the natural environment – and the guaranteeing of its appropriate quality for both present and future generations would be best served if the main focus was on raw materials and their use. This rather one-sided way of thinking did in fact evolve over time, to the point where activity in the name of sustainable development has now become multifaceted, involving a wide range of entities, and extending far beyond the field of raw-materials and resources use.


Recent electronics technology development has provided unprecedented opportunities for enabling implantable bioelectronics for long‐term disease monitoring and treatment. Current electronics‐tissue interfaces are characterized by weak physical interactions, suffering from potential interfacial failure or dislocation during long‐term application. On the other hand, some new technologies can be used to achieve robust electronics‐tissue interfaces; however, such technologies are limited by potential risks and the discomfort associated with postdetachment of the bioelectronics. Here, a hydrogel‐based electronics‐tissue interface based on the exploitation of dynamic interactions (such as boronate‐diol complexation) that features an interfacial toughness over 400 J m−2 is presented. Moreover, these hydrogel adhesion layers are also trigger‐detachable by dissociating the dynamic complexes (i.e., addition of glucose). These hydrogel‐based bioelectronic interfaces enable the in vivo recording of physiological signals (i.e., electromyograph, blood pressure, or pulse rates). Upon mild triggering, these bioelectronics can be easily detached without causing any damage, trauma, or discomfort to the skin, tissues, and organs. This kind of trigger‐detachable hydrogel adhesives offer general applicability in bioelectronic interfaces, exhibiting promising utility in monitoring, modulating, and treating diseases where temporary monitoring of physiologic signals, interfacial robustness, and postremoval of bioelectronics are required.


ABSTRACT In this article, we aim to explore the important role of future teachers in the revitalisation of minoritised languages. In the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia, language legislation stipulates that the minoritised language be supported in educational settings, yet this support has been weak at best, particularly for schools in urban areas. Teacher training colleges and universities are responsible for the preparation of new teachers who are able and willing to contribute to the school-based language revitalisation project. We report on classroom-based research in a university Early Childhood Education program, based on videotapes and written documents produced by students as classroom tasks, as well as a questionnaire they completed after the course. Our conclusions suggest that teacher training can activate teacher agency even before they enter the profession, in two main ways: 1) reflect critically on their own linguistic trajectories and competencies and 2) understand the linguistic realities in Galician society and schools. Using methodologies of guided practice and reflection, teacher education programmes can strengthen the potential of future teachers as agents of language revitalisation.