Stediril (.5 mg norgestrel and .05 mg ethinyl estradiol combined) was taken by 130 French women aged 19-52 for 3-18 cycles for a total of 1000 cycles. Indications were contraception in 85 cases endometriosis in 10 menstrual irregularity in 20 dysmenorrhea in 5 amenorrhea in 2 artificaial delay of menstraution in 5 metrorragia in 3 virilization in 2 and polycystic ovary in 8. Results of medical treatment are reported in individual tabular and discussion form. During treatment with 1-3 tablets per day continuously or for 21 out of 28 days depending on indication there were no pregnancies metrorragia in 5% spotting in 11.5% nausea in 10% breast pain in 11% weight gain in 2 cases (many women were on reducing diets) hypertension in 1 and psychologic sequelae in 1 case. Selected clinical tests on small groups of patients showed 2 women with elevated liver transaminases and abnormal thromboelastograms. Incidence of class 2 and 3 Papanicolaou smears and vaginal infections was normal. Those taking Stediril for medical indications all had good results.


ABSTRACT The primary aim of premedication is to relieve the patient's anxiety/restlessness before anaesthesia and to ensure optimum quantity and quality of sleep on the night preceding surgery. With these objectives in mind, oral benzodiazepines offer a good alternative to traditional parenteral premedicants, especially as the clear anxiolytic and sedative effects of the former are of great clinical value.


The electrical resistance (R) and tip potential (Ep) of the conventional microelectrode (outside diameter at the tip < 0.5 μ) was measured as it passed through the interface between a KCl solution and pure CCl4. The microelectrode was pulled from Pyrex (No. 7740 Corning) glass capillaries and filled with 1.0 M KCl. In the 40 microelectrodes studied, the electrical resistance was found to increase with depth of penetration in the CCl4, although with considerable variation. Depending on the electrode, a 10-fold increase in resistance (R10) could be recorded after as little as 1.5 (μ) or as much as 7.0 (μ) penetration (defined here as Z10). At the depth of penetration producing R10, the tip potential of the electrode was found to vary with the KCl concentration in the aqueous phase. Specifically, the stable Ep versus log (aK) plotted for a KCl range between 1.0–0.02 M produced a straight line (slope varied from 33–55 mV depending on the electrode).


Arctic shrub expansion is occurring across large parts of the tundra biome and its potential ecological repercussions have been widely discussed. But while the term "shrub expansion" often implicitly refers to an increase in tall, deciduous species such as birch and willow, several studies have also found a strong increase in evergreen dwarf shrubs in response to warming, a fact which has received far less attention. The effects of an evergreen dwarf shrub expansion are markedly different from the effects of an increase in taller, deciduous species. While deciduous shrubs may increase carbon (C) cycling through changes in albedo, litter input, and snow depth, the low stature of evergreen dwarf shrubs means that they are unlikely to influence snow cover. They also produce more recalcitrant litter, which reduces microbial activity. Furthermore, recent research suggests that ericoid mycorrhiza associated with evergreen shrubs may help to decelerate litter and soil organic matter turnover rates through the production of melanized hyphae that resist decomposition. Through selective browsing, herbivores may promote evergreen shrubs and facilitate C storage. Synthesis. In this mini review, we argue that basing predictions of how shrub expansion will affect tundra ecosystems on characteristics only applicable to tall deciduous shrubs hampers our understanding of the complex feedbacks related to Arctic vegetation shifts.


In the clinical diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, the classification of chest CT images and the accurate segmentation of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) lesions in chest CT images are of great importance in diagnosing and assessing the severity of patients. In this paper, we used a deep learning model for classification and lesion segmentation of chest CT images, and in our experiments, we achieved better results with the approach we used. The results show that the use of deep learning is effective as an important indicator to assist in the assessment of whether one is infected with COVID-19.


practice of medicine, I need make no apology for addressing* the following observations to you. Some pertinent remarks ou my arrangement of febrile diseases appeared in the last number of the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal. It will appear from the introduction to the second part of my treatise, that I so far meet the ideas there thrown out, as to regard hremorrhagy and profluvium as only modifications of inflammation ; and consequently febrile hiemorrhagies and profluvia, as only modifications of phlegmasia; but the circumstances on which this opinion is founded, appear to me sufiicicntly to reply to what is


Purpose – Turnover of managerial employees at junior and middle levels has been widely recognized as a critical organizational concern. The problem happens to be more intensified for organizations belonging to the service sector as the services provided to client/customer groups get directly affected. A number of studies have shown that compensation factor alone does not explain the retention of managerial employees in the organization. This paper aims to focus on designing and balancing the organizational social and technical subsystems elements in order to moderate the turnover of junior and middle level managers in the company.Design/methodology/approach – A number of selective junior and middle level managers were interviewed in‐depth and content analysis was made for categorization of level‐wise qualitative responses. The situation actor process‐learning action performance (SAP‐LAP) framework has been adopted as the diagnostic instrument of organizational analysis.Findings – The findings from the pap...


Exhaust gas purification system for denitrification of exhaust gases of combustion units on a SCR catalyst comprising a heatable, pressure-resistant converter (2), in which a thermolytically NH can be heated up in the cold start memory (25) for splitting off of NH


F aculty members at each one of Japan's 98 national universities get the same salaries, lab space, and base funding for research. At least they are supposed to, according to government policy. But some are more equal than others. The influence and prestige of the country's two oldest national


In recent years, by using Bregman distance, the Lipschitz gradient continuity and strong convexity were lifted and replaced by relative smoothness and relative strong convexity. Under the mild assumptions, it was proved that gradient methods with Bregman regularity converge linearly for single-objective optimization problems (SOPs). In this paper, we extend the relative smoothness and relative strong convexity to vector-valued functions and analyze the convergence of an interior Bregman gradient method for vector optimization problems (VOPs). Specifically, the global convergence rates are O ( 1 k ) and O ( r k )(0 < r < 1) for convex and relative strongly convex VOPs, respectively. Moreover, the proposed method converges linearly for VOPs that satisfy a vector Bregman-PL inequality.


Dental caries is a multi factorial disease due to minerals imbalance in the tooth structure. One of the main etiological factors causing dental caries is dental plaque [1]. Occlusal and proximal surfaces of the tooth structure are more susceptible to plaque accumulation [2]. Within the dental plaque, sufficient amount of cariogenic bacteria could utilize the available carbohydrates inside the oral cavity in order to produce lactic acid and demineralize the tooth structure [3]. Evidence showed that caries prevalence in young individuals is more related to the occlusal surfaces. As for adults, this prevalence is higher in proximal surfaces [4,5]. Interproximal plaque was found to be more acidogenic than other surfaces [6]. The routine tooth brushing cleans off the dental plaque from accessible tooth surfaces [7]. However, toothbrushes are not designed to clean the interproximal areas between teeth. Due to toothbrush limitations, dental floss was introduced as an inter dental cleaning tool in 1819 [8]. The dental floss is developed to go between the teeth and get the interproximal plaque off. Eventually, with the correct habitual flossing process, this should eliminate, or reduce the amount of proximal caries [9].


Hip arthroscopy has gradually evolved over the past two decades. Recently hip arthroscopy has an increasing role in diagnosis and treatment for specific intra articular and extra articular hip injuries and especially for soft tissue injuries. February 2002 – May 2009 18 athletes 5 football players 8 basketball players 2 weight lifters 3 gymnasts Mean age: 32 y.o. (19–39 y.o.) Undiagnosed hip pain, Osteoarthritis, Labral pathology, Loose bodies, Osteochondral defects, Sepsis, Liga-mentum Teres, Trauma, Synovitis Symptoms: Deep dull ache pain during hip flexion and external or internal rotation. Decreased R.O.M. 12/18 Cam sign + (positive), 11/18 Pincher sign + (positive), 14/18 Impingement syndrome in adduction and in flexion. Instrumentation and Equipment: 30°, 70°, 4,5mm arthroscope, High flow rate mechanical pump, 15 gauge 6" cardiac needle, Convex full radius chondroplasty blades, Special electrocautery (Philippon), Distraction apparatus, Mechanical water pump unit, Image intensifier Surgery: Standard orthopaedic traction table, Supine position, Hip is extended and abducted 25° Portals: Anterior, Anterolateral, Posterolateral Intraoperative Findings – Results Detachment of the labrum, 2/18 erosion of the articular cartilage of the acetabulum and drilling of the bare area, 12/18 Cam sign excision The athletes with symptoms of an internal hip pain and impingement signs after a clinical exam of their hip will get a benefit from an arthroscopic procedure for treating any existing cetabulo-femoral pathology, especially for the athletes with femoraloacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI).


Eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (ED-NOS), are serious illnesses with a high burden of disease and significant psychiatric and medical comorbidity. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, and bulimia and EDNOS are also associated with medical instability (Crow et al., 2009). Because approximately half of the individuals presenting with EDs fail to meet the strict criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000) for anorexia or bulimia, the most common ED diagnosis in clinical settings is EDNOS. It is highly likely that professional counselors will encounter EDs in their practice, even in clients presenting with other problems. Studies have found that up to 15% of women will suffer from a diagnosable ED in their lifetime (Wade, Bergin, Tiggemann, Bulik, & Fairburn, 2006). Moreover, although it has traditionally been believed that only one in 10 ED cases occurs in a male, a recent community study of over 10,000 teenagers, ages 13 to 18, found equal numbers of males and females with anorexia (Swanson, Crow, Le Grange, Swendsen, & Merikangas, 2011). It is likely that male ED cases often go undetected or undiagnosed, making accurate estimation of prevalence difficult. Anorexia tends to develop in adolescence, with peaks in onset at ages 14 and 18, whereas bulimia tends to develop in later adolescence or early adulthood (Hudson, Hiripi, Pope, & Kessler, 2007). However, EDs can also present in children and develop or persist into late adulthood. Indeed, EDs tend to persist in a majority of cases, although their form may vary over time (Wade et al., 2006). Approximately 50% of individuals with anorexia will go on to experience bulimia or EDNOS, and individuals with bulimia may also shift to EDNOS over time (Steinhausen, 2009). In terms of prognosis, approximately 50% of individuals with anorexia and bulimia may be expected to recover, 20%-30% will present with persistent subclinical symptoms, 20%-25% will have a chronic disorder, and up to 10% may die as a result of the disorder (Steinhausen, 2009). Medical complications in EDs are wide ranging and have an effect on major organs of the body, particularly the skeletal, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems (Kaplan & Noble, 2007). Individuals with EDs can experience severe medical problems and may require one or multiple hospital admissions. In addition, they frequently present with psychiatric comorbidities, including depression (45%-86%; O'Brien & Vincent, 2003), anxiety disorders such as social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (64%; Kaye et al., 2004), and personality disorders (58%; Rosenvinge, Martinussen, & Ostensen, 2000). Because medical and psychiatric comorbidities are common when working with EDs, treatment guidelines recommend the regular monitoring of clients' mental and physical status (APA, 2006; National Institute for Clinical Excellence [NICE], 2004). Several risk factors for developing an ED have been identified. Gender and sociocultural factors, such as the media and Western culture, clearly play a role. Repeated exposure to fashion magazines (which often use technology to modify images) has been found to predict increases in ED symptoms among adolescent girls valuing a thin ideal (Stice, Spangler, & Agras, 2001). In a comprehensive review, Jacobi, Hayward, de Zwaan, Kraemer, and Agras (2004) concluded that low self-esteem and elevated weight and shape concern substantially increase the risk of an ED. Early childhood feeding and gastrointestinal problems, such as pica, indigestion, and picky eating, can also elevate risk. Adverse life experiences, such as sexual abuse or loss of a first-degree relative, are risk factors for developing a psychiatric disorder and may predispose some individuals to an ED (Jacobi et al. …


Artificial intelligence experts often question whether AI is fair. They view fairness as a property of AI systems rather than of sociopolitical and economic systems. This paper emphasizes the need to be fair in the social, political, and economic contexts within which an educational system operates and uses AI. Taking Swedish decentralized compulsory education as the context, this paper examines whether and how the use of AI envisaged by national authorities and edtech companies exacerbates unfairness. A qualitative content analysis of selected Swedish policy documents and edtech reports was conducted using the concept of relevant social groups to understand how different groups view the risks and benefits of AI for fairness. Three groups that view efficiency as a key value of AI are identified, and interpreted as economical, pedagogical and accessibility-related. By separating fairness from social justice, this paper challenges the notion of fairness as the formal equality of opportunities.


For the purpose of antibacterial and photocatalystic deodorization functions, the papermaking inorganic fillers and pigments were surface-modified with Ag nano-colloidal solution and TiO2 by using the hybridization technique. The functional specialty sheets and coating papers were produced with the surface-modified fillers and pigments, and evaluated by halo test and inhibition growth test in their antibacterial and photocatalystic characteristics. For the application of specially produced antibacterial handsheet to the wallpaper usages, the photocatalyst efficiency test of benzene in volatile organic compound dissolution experiment of antibacterial and deodorization function wallpaper showed that the efficiency was 45~50% for 80 min of reaction time and 90% of attained resolution was reached at approximately 30 min of response time.


Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute Seismology Division, Boğaziçi University,Istanbul,Turkey Introduction At least 176 people have died and 521 people were injured in an earthquake that shook the eastern Turkey's Bingöl province at 03:27 local time on 1 May 2003. According to the Kandilli Observatory, the epicenter of the earthquake that measured of magnitude Ms=6.4 was located at about 14 km N-NW of the Bingöl city (Figure 1). Several public buildings collapsed in the centre of Bingöl city and its vicinity. The last official report concerning the consequences of the earthquake in the city indicates about 570 buildings were collapsed and about 6000 others were damaged.


South Korea has industrialized and urbanized rapidly since the 1970s, and subsequently, the historic downtown areas of major cities have been hollowed out as the population and industry have become concentrated in urban centers. Based on the Urban Decline Indicators of Korea, in accordance with the Urban Revitalization Act of the South Korean government, a comparative analysis of the population changes, office vacancy rate, building aging rate, decrease in the number of industries and employees, and housing supply and demand in historic downtown areas and new urban areas of six major South Korean cities demonstrated that all six historic downtown areas have declined significantly. Currently, little research is available in South Korea on the expansion of urban living and the inflow of urban residents through office-to-residential building conversion. Therefore, this study explores the expansion of urban residences to revitalize these historic downtown areas. To this end, this study examines the feasibility of converting poorly functioning, vacant offices in historic downtown areas into residential spaces to present a sustainable strategy for their complexation. This study finds that office-to-residential building conversion is a sustainable way to recover urban space and grow the population and industry in historic downtown areas.


A certain class of power converters exhibits linear periodic time varying characteristics. This paper investigates an approximate direct solution of the steady-state operating point for this type of system. The solution is computationaly efficient, and is readily applied to complex systems.


Objective To investigate the relationship between the integration of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA,the expression of p16 gene and the carcinogenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods 35 cases of HCC and 31 cases of liver cirrhosis (LC) were studied.Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was applied to examine HBV DNA in serum and tissues and detect HBV DNA integration confirmed by southern blot analysis.The expression of p16 gene in tissues was detected by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT PCR).Results The integration rate of HBV DNA in HCC,adjacent region and LC was 71.4 %(25/35),62.9 %(22/35),61.3 %(19/31)respectively,with the difference being not significant among them(P0.05).But the integration rate of HBVX gene in these three kinds of tissues integrated by HBV DNA was 100.0 %(25/25),81.8 %(18/22)and 68.4%(13/19)respectively,with the difference among them being statistically significant (P0.05).The expression rate of p16 gene in the above tissues was 51.4 %(18/35),31.4 %(11/35),22.6 %(7/31)respectively,with the difference being significant(P0.05).Conclusion There was correlation between the expression loss of p16 gene and HBV DNA integration,which may play important roles in the carcinogenesis and development of HCC.


Possible low-$|t|$ structures in the differential cross section of $pp$ elastic scattering at the LHC are predicted. It is argued that the change of the slope of the elastic cross section near $t=-0.1$ GeV$^2$ has the same origin as that observed in 1972 at the ISR, both related to the $4m_{\pi}^2$ branch point in the $|t|$-channel of the scattering amplitude. Apart from that structure, tiny oscillations at small $|t|$ may be present on the cone at low $|t|$.


PURPOSE: To provide a single substrate cleaning technique by which the oxidation of the surface of a wafer can be prevented effectively while taking advantage of single wafer wet cleaning. CONSTITUTION: In the drying process of a single substrate cleaning method in which wafers W are wet-cleaned one by one without a cassette in a hermetically sealed cleaning housing 1, each wafer W is spin-dried by rotating the wafer W at a high speed while the wafer W is supported and an oxidation preventing N2 gas is supplied to the surface of the wafer W. The supplied quantity of the N2 gas to the surface of the wafer W is adjusted so that the quantity may become larger in the outer peripheral section than that in the central part on the surface of the wafer W.


This thesis presents some of the general challenges in the field of literary translation, focusing primarily on the challenge of translating author'


The paper studies psycho-emotional characteristics of adolescents with different types of attitudes towards death. The theme of death becomes especially relevant and requires understanding during adolescence, sensitive to existential fears. In adolescence, an attitude towards death is developed, which depends both on the individual experience of facing death and on other personal characteristics of an adolescent. In the future, this attitude can affect psychological health, the definition of the meaning of life, and the specifics of behavior. The paper analyzes the psychological ideas of fear of death and the factors of its occurrence and the characteristics of adolescence, describes the features of thanatophobia manifestation in teenage years. Based on a theoretical review, the author hypothesized that self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and attitude towards death affect the emergence of thanatophobia in adolescence. The empirical sample consisted of teenagers (N=172) from Novosibirsk schools aged 15–17 years, from which 70 boys and 102 girls are. The average age of survivors was 15.8 years (max=17, min=15). In the study, the researcher used the following techniques: D. Templer Death Anxiety Scale; the "Metaphors of personal death" method by J. McLennan; the Beck Depression Scale; the Kondash scale of socio-situational anxiety; and Dembo-Rubinshtein technique for measuring self-esteem. The dispersion analysis showed that differences in the level of ambitions, negative metaphors of death, and preoccupation with physical changes are significant in terms of gender-role. The correlation analysis identified the relationship between the perception of death and death anxiety.


Combined biological AOP system, or CBA, are increasingly being used in Indonesia to treatment hospital waste water, that are otherwise difficult to treatment in conventional methods. CBA catalytic ozonation are now used for over 579 hospitals, making this tool a major phenomenon for high adopt hospital waste water treatments in Indonesia, and one that has experienced great expansion over the past three years. The question of whether the CBA is a good or a bad tool for the treatment hospital waste water depends on many parameters. To respond to this question, it is necessary to investigate on operating conditions, but it is also very important to gather more data and conduct further research on treatment efficiency and energy. In this paper, we examined and discuss to gain a better understanding of the CBA environmental technology and of its impacts. About 100 CBA Full-scale Hospital waste water treatments have been investigated, and it was in Indonesia from eight provinces. CBA demonstrate good removal efficiency of macro-pollutants from hospital waste water and meet the requirements as per LH R.I. Number 5 Year 2014 on Wastewater Quality Standard and LHK R.I. Number P.68 / Menlhk / Setjen / Kum.1 / 8/2016 Concerning the Quality Standards of Domestic Waste Water. Various parameters of macro-pollutants such as pH, temperature, TDS, TSS, BOD 5, COD, oil fat, and MBAS also amonia nitrogen and total coliform were analysed to identify the performance of CBA. We obtained the average energy consumption per cycle is 0.504 kWh, capacity V m 3 /hours which treatment cost Rp 1.478/m 3 and 60,96%-94,00% removal efficiency of macro-pollutants. CBA catalytic ozonation reported here is very efficient and environmental friendly for treatment hospital waste water.


Abstract Under suitable imaging conditions using the weak-beam method of electron microscopy, constrictions in the stacking faults of dislocations in Ge become clearly visible. After deformation at relatively low temperatures they occur at an average separation of 950 A. In short segments they reduce the width of the stacking fault.


Objective:To study the clinical characteristics,diagnosis and treatment of primary thyroid non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Methods:7 cases diagnosed primary thyroid non-Hodgkin's lymphoma form 2003 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed,and the literature was also reviewd with regard to its clinical manifestation,diagnosis and trement.Results:All the initial symptoms of 7 cases were painless thyroid enlargement.Male and female ratio was 1:6,mean age 63.5 years(rang 51-77 years),3 cases were associated with chronic lymhocytic thyroiditis.All patients were surgically and immunohisto-chemically diagnosed.Conclusion:Primary thyroid non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurrs most commonly in elderly women and is closely related with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.The most common symptom is painless thyroid enlargement,and often is diagnosed pathohogically and immunohistochemically.The treatment is surgery combined chemotherapy and radiationtherapy,etc.


An isolated calyx is a rare complication in which the renal calyx and pelvis are disconnected. The treatment is often complicated.


Self-control research has predominantly focused on the restraint part of self-control and has only recently started investigating the core motivational forces that need to be controlled. Specifically, the question of how desire emerges has not been systematically tackled yet. We strived to carve out the underlying mechanisms that interplay together in triggering desire towards various stimuli. Across two studies we specifically investigated the interplay between stimulus properties, learning history and need states (measured by hunger) in triggering desire for fast foods (Study 1, N = 138) or candies (Study 2, N = 102). We hypothesized that desire is strongest for hungry participants who had mainly positive experiences with the given stimulus and who were confronted with fast foods (Study 1) or with sweets (Study 2). We manipulated stimulus properties by randomly asking participants to rate either tempting stimuli (experimental condition) or flowers (control condition). Then they completed a mood measure to assess and control for any mood effects and finally a measure to assess experienced desire to the given stimulus (FCQ-S, Cepeda-Benito et al., 2000). In line with our dynamical model of desire, we found a three-way interaction effect in such, that desire was strongest when all three factors came into play. Follow-up analyses showed that absence of either factor resulted in lower desire strength. Hence desire is a function of internal and external factors that closely interact with each other. Implications for self-control research and how to change individuals' learning history to reduce cravings are discussed.


We studied the influence of phytotherapy on the state of lymph nodes hydration at late stages of ontogenesis. We assessed the hydration status using the thermogravimetric method. It is shown that taking the original phytocomposition modulates the hydration status of lymph nodes depending on the localization. The phytotherapy reduces the disturbance of water balance induced by age. The hydration coefficient reduced after application of phytocomposition. This coefficient indicates the increase of liquid component lymph nodes by redistributing fractions of water. The optimization of hydration is manifested to a greater extent in visceral lymph nodes than in the somatic lymph nodes. The characteristic of hydration changes after phytotherapy can improve the protective capabilities of lymphatic nodes that can be used in programs of endoecological rehabilitation and anti-aging to enhance nonspecific resistance of an aging organism.


Objective
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of retrograde flexible ureteroscopy combined with visual minimally channel percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPCNL) in the treatment of staghorn calculi.

Methods
A total of 23 patients with staghorn calculi were treated by retrograde flexible ureteroscopy combined with visual mPCNL from January to June, 2015. Of all the 23 patients, 20 were males and 10 were females (ages ranged from 26 years to 79 years) with mean age of 39.6 years. The calculi ranged from 3.5 cm to 6.5 cm [average (5.35±0.16) cm]. Under general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia, the stones were shattered within the visual field through mPCNL firstly, then the stones in upper calyx, lower calyx and/or calyx which parallel with the percutaneous renal access were shattered by retrograde flexible ureteroscopy. F5 or F6 double-J tubes and nephrostomy tubes were routinely indwelled postoperatively. KUB and CT were performed at the first day postoperatively. A second-stage retrograde flexible ureteroscopy combined with visual mPCNL were performed for patients with residual stone fragments larger than 4 mm at the first week follow-up. Re-examinations with B-ultrasonography or CT was performed at the fourth week follow-up postoperatively to evaluate the stone free rate. Residual stones ≥ 4 mm were considered as clinical significance of residual stone.

Results
All the procedures were successful. The stone free rate was 91.3%(21/23) at one-stage and 100% (23/23) after the second stage. The operation time was 75-217 min [average (125±13.2) min]for one-stage procedure. Seven patients experienced with mild complications (Clavien-Dindo classification: gradeⅠ-Ⅱ), and no patient experienced grade Ⅲ or above complications.

Conclusions
Retrograde flexible ureteroscopy combined with visual mPCNL are safe and effective for the treatment of staghorn calculi.

Key words:
Staghorn renal calculi; Visual minimally channel percutaneous nephrolithotomy; Flexible ureteroscopy; Combined treatment


The utility model provides an in-mold decoration (IMD) decorative strip with a plating bar, which comprises an IMD decorative strip, and is characterized in that: a groove body is arranged inside the IMD decorative strip, the plating bar is arranged inside the groove body, the plating bar has a connection column, and the connection column passes through the groove body so as to fix the plating bar onto the IMD decorative strip. The plating bar is arranged on the IMD decorative strip through the connection column, so the IMD decorative strip is firm to connect and is difficult to drop, the strength can satisfy the requirement, and the surface decoration grade of the IMD decorative bar can be enhanced.


Sustainability is a planning perspective that accounts for economic, social and environmental aims. The transportation of people and goods represents a special and unique challenge for sustainable development. Although transportation provides many economic and social benefits, the movement of people and goods can have significant environmental consequences that can, in turn, have social and economic repercussions. Sustainable transportation calls for ensuring that the environment is considered, along with economic and social considerations, in transportation decision making. In accordance with sustainable transportation, this paper presents an overview on air-pollution problems in a complex valley, located in the middle of Italy, and then discusses current and on-going new deals for reducing transport-related air pollution. This incorporates both "how to control transport" and "how to improve air quality". For this purpose a detailed evaluation of the changes in air pollution, following new road projects, is also provided. The analysis includes a comparison of the impacts in a scenario of planned new road network and in a scenario of an actual road network. The issues to be taken into account for an individual road network planning shall include air-quality improvement, economic development and safety improvement. The dispersion of road-traffic emissions has been modelled using the Gaussian Dispersion Model AERMOD-PRIME. AERMOD is a steady-state plume-dispersion model for assessment of pollutant concentrations from a variety of sources. For this assessment, AERMOD-PRIME has been used to calculate concentrations of CO (mg/m3) under prevailing weather conditions. Transactions on Ecology and the Environment vol 67, © 2003 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3541


The purpose of this study was to investigate EMG profiles of masticatory muscles in orthognathic surgery patients with mandibular prognathism during deliberate unilateral gum chewing.Vertical jaw movement and EMG activities from bilateral anterior temporal, masseter, and anterior belly of digastric muscles were recorded simultaneously from 12 healthy adults and 12 patients. EMG signal was divided according to the period of the maximum opening position of vertical jaw movement. EMG profiles of the chewing stroke were accomplished by normalizing each period to 100%. Normalization was achieved by setting the mean value of each EMG over the chewing cycle to 100%. The relationship of the EMG profile between normal subjects and patients was evaluated. The degree of similarity and the displacement for each EMG profile in all muscles was investigate by using a cross-correlation technique.The results were as follows:1. EMG profiles of patients were different for the "Peak" vale and "Duration" of the activity from those of normal subjects.2. The similarity was little, and great displacement was found in patients.3. In patients, the similarity and displacement of EMG profiles had large value on the working side.


The T. maritima ADP‐glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADPG PPase) is comprised of both glgC and glgD subunits which form a heterotetramer. While glgD displays negligible activity alone, the low activity glgC showed ~20‐fold stimulation when combined with glgD and also responds to the activator FBP. Amino acid alignment and modeling studies indicated that glgC D126 may be a catalytic residue, so this position was probed by site‐directed mutagenesis. D126A was generated and the His tagged protein purified via a heat step and nickel affinity chromoatography. The D126A enzyme displayed a ~1400 fold decrease in activity compared to the native enzyme while the S0.5 for ATP only increased ~2‐fold. Native PAGE revealed that the D126A protein successfully formed a complex with WT glgD which was also activated by FBP. The glgC D126 is an important residue for catalysis indicating that the enzyme active site is similar to other bacterial ADPG PPases. Additional analyses of D mutations in combination with various C proteins are underway. Supported by NSF 0448676 and the CSUF HHMI Research Scholars Program.


In California a defendant may plead diminished capacity when, by reason of mental disease or defect not amounting to insanity, or because of intoxication, he was unable to form any of the mental states essential to the crime charged.' Thus a defendant accused of first degree murder found not to have the required intent to kill due to diminished capacity can only be found guilty of manslaughter. Since its inception in 1949, the diminished capacity defense in California has developed along two separate but equally important lines. One main line of development can be termed the Conley approach.2 This approach focuses on the various states of mind essential to one or both grades of murder-malice, premeditation, deliberation, and intent to kill-the presence of which, according to the Conley doctrine, can be refuted by evidence of any mental abnormality not amounting to insanity. The defendant's diminished capacity distorts the emotional and intellectual perceptions he has of his act and renders him incapable of performing as would a reasonable, mentally normal man. The Conley approach has gained official recognition in the diminished capacity instruction for California courts.'


In Brazil, elephant grass has been used for thermal energy production, due to the high productivity, energy efficiency, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and biomass quality for energy generation by direct burning. The use of biomass depends mainly on the energy balance and biomass characteristics for energy production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomass of dry matter yield, qualitative biomass variables and energy balance of two elephant grass genotypes. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks with two elephant grass cultivars (Gramafante and Roxo) and four replications per treatment. Five cultivation cycles were studied. Biomass yield and the contents of acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, ash and calorific value were evaluated. The biomass yields of elephant grass cultivars varied between 12 and 24 Mg ha-1, where the lowest yields were presented by the cultivar Roxo, and the higher yields by Gramafante. The contents of fiber, lignin, cellulose and calorific value did not vary among the genotypes studied. An energy balance was calculated for the complete biomass production lifecycle of elephant grass and the overall energy output/input ratio was 15.1:1. The results show that the elephant grass has highly suitable materials for the production of energy by direct burning.

 Key words: Pennisetum purpureum, agroenergy, dry matter.


The recent revival of interest in consumer health education is no accident. I t is a highly appropriate response to recent developments in both the supply and demand for health care. Physicians and other health professionals are overworked and harassed by a myriad of preventable health problems. The costs of care are rising and providing a burden to consumers, providers, and third parties alike. Consumers are beginning to realize that health cannot be bought or given to them through some magic potion and that they themselves bear the ultimate responsibility for their own health. All these factors have set the stage for this belated but welcome revival of interest in health education. Nowhere is health education more important than in rural areas where the two most basic health care problems are medical manpower and organization of services. The most acute needs are for more primary physicians and for better organization of primary medical practice. Solving either of these would aid in accomplishing a solution of the other. Adequate manpower enables more progress on the task or organization than would otherwise be possible, and group organization of practice makes recruitment and retention of physician manpower easier. Nevertheless, improvements in these respects must also be accompanied by improved personal health practices and more appropriate utilization of available health care services.


Ultra‐high‐resolution X‐ray crystallography of macromolecules (i.e. resolution better than 0.8 Å) is a rising field that promises to provide new insight into the structure–function relationships of biomacromolecules. The picture emerging from macromolecular structures at this resolution is far more complex than previously understood, requiring for its study improved tools for structure refinement, analysis and annotation. Some of these problems were highlighted during the recent High Resolution Drug Design Meeting (Bischenberg‐Strasbourg, France, 13–16 May 2004). We will review here some of the results and discussions that took place during that meeting and elaborate on the trends and challenges ahead in this emerging new field of research. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In 2004/5 NAM acquired a proprietary long-cable survey with 6 km streamers in the Dutch offshore, the first 3D survey to be shot in the Southern Permian Basin with these streamer lengths. The long-cable acquisition geometry was deemed necessary because step change improvements in imaging was required to support additional exploration drilling. The quality of the seismic image is crucial to optimally leverage Shell's DHI enhancement technique called CTD stacking. This technique was specifically designed for the Rotliegend stratigraphy. For the discovered fields, CTD stacks of the vintage data delivered a high success rate (70%) in estimating the encountered gas water contact (GWC). For the remaining prospect portfolio, however, the approach provided less conclusive results. Improved data quality was considered essential to achieve a similar success rate. The combination of long-cable 3D data and CTD stacking technology had significant impact on our business: • We were better able to image deep Rotliegend fault blocks • We obtained better structural definition underneath salt ridges • We achieved more consistency in the DHIs and were therefore better able to rank the portfolio


The Gospel of Mark, addressed to an early Christian community perplexed by failure and suffering, presents Jesus as suffering Messiah and Son of God. Recognizing that failure and suffering continue to perplex Christians, Francis Moloney marries the rich contributions of traditional historical scholarship with the contemporary approach to the gospels as narrative to bring the Gospel's story to life for readers today.


DOI: 10.1097/SGA.0000000000000505 autoimmune hepatitis (aIH) is a chronic liver disease that occurs when there is dysregulation among T-lymphocyte helper cells, T-lymphocyte cytotoxic cells, and B-lymphocyte cells in response to hepatic autoantibodies (Lohse & Weiler-Normann, 2018; Lowe & John, 2018). Dysregulation of lymphocytes causes cytotoxic T-lymphocytes to destroy hepatocytes, leading to progressive inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis of the liver requiring liver transplantation (Lohse & Weiler-Normann, 2018; Lowe & John, 2018). autoimmune hepatitis occurs in genetically susceptible individuals and is triggered by drugs, which include prescription and nonprescription agents, infections, and xenobiotics in the environment (Lohse & Weiler-Normann, 2018; Lowe & John, 2018). The incidence of aIH is 15–25 per 100,000 worldwide. It is estimated that 100,000–200,000 people in the United States have the disease (Lohse & Weiler-Normann, 2018). approximately 90% of patients with aIH are female who may have coexisting autoimmune disorders (Lohse & WeilerNormann, 2018).


We present one-loop results for the forward twist-two matrix elements relevant to the unpolarized, helicity and transversity baryon structure functions, in partially-quenched (N{sub f}=2 and N{sub f}=2+1) heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory. The full-QCD limit can be straightforwardly obtained from these results and we also consider SU(2|2) quenched QCD. Our calculations are performed in finite volume as well as in infinite-volume. We discuss features of lattice simulations and investigate finite volume effects in detail. We find that volume effects are not negligible, typically around 5%-10% in current partially-quenched and full-QCD calculations, and are possibly larger in quenched QCD. Extensions to the off-forward matrix elements and potential difficulties that occur there are also discussed.


This article describes ceramic coatings technology and Its historical use on continuous caster copper molds. Recent broadface ceramic coating trials are fully described.


ABSTRACT Twelve 'Japanned' metal trays from Greece and Turkey, dated in the 19th century, were subjected to macroscopic and microscopic examination (stereoscopy, metallography, scanning electron microscopy) as well as to XRF and SEM-EDX analysis. The trays represent two stylistic types made of wrought iron either tin-plated or protected with a primer. Two were manufactured by forging while the rest were made by rolling prior to die forming with drop hammers or machine presses. Wrought iron was produced indirectly from cast iron with fossil fuels. Only in one case charcοal fuel was implied. Most pure iron was recognized for four trays dated at the end of the 19th century. Three of them also revealed the deliberate incorporation of metallic manganese while one of them was found to be alloyed. The other metals used such as copper, brass, silver and tin as also the methods applied, seem to follow the industrial evolution of the iron substrate but more analysis is required. As regards origin, the metallurgical results, even limited, combined with historical information, indicated that the metals/techniques used, were probably originally produced in west Europe although the supply of materials could have depended on different sources.


Using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer, we have studied the black hole candidate (BHC) X-ray transient XTE J1650-500 near the end of its 2001-2002 outburst after its transition to the low-hard state at X-ray luminosities down to L = 1.5 × 1034 ergs s-1 (1-9 keV, assuming a source distance of 4 kpc). Our results include a characterization of the spectral and timing properties. At the lowest sampled luminosity, we used an 18 ks Chandra observation to measure the power spectrum at low frequencies. For the three epochs at which we obtained Chandra/RXTE observations, the 0.5-20 keV energy spectrum is consistent with a spectral model consisting of a power law with interstellar absorption. We detect evolution in the power-law photon index from Γ = 1.66 ± 0.05 to 1.93 ± 0.13 (90% confidence errors), indicating that the source softens at low luminosities. The power spectra are characterized by strong (20%-35% fractional rms) band-limited noise, which we model as a zero-centered Lorentzian. Including results from an RXTE study of XTE J1650-500 near the transition to the low-hard state by Kalemci and coworkers, the half-width of the zero-centered Lorentzian (roughly where the band-limited noise cuts off) drops from 4 Hz at L = 7 × 1036 ergs s-1 (1-9 keV, absorbed) to 0.067 ± 0.007 Hz at L = 9 × 1034 ergs s-1 to 0.0035 ± 0.0010 Hz at the lowest luminosity. While the spectral and timing parameters evolve with luminosity, it is notable that the general shapes of the energy and power spectra remain the same, indicating that the source stays in the low-hard state. This implies that the X-ray-emitting region of the system likely keeps the same overall structure, while the luminosity changes by a factor of 470. We discuss how these results may constrain theoretical black hole accretion models.


Using a radioimmunoassay to measure GABA (γ‐aminobutyric acid) transaminase in brain tissue homogenate, we have determined the turnover number of the enzyme in various regions of the rat brain. These numbers are not constant and vary from 3.5 to 30.6 s‐1 according to the regions studied, the highest numbers being found in regions rich in white matter. The significance of these results is discussed.


The underlying causes of the current health status and the pre - valence of substance related issues in Aboriginal communities are complex. Ill health, alcohol and substance use and misuse among Aboriginal people ... need to be understood in the historical contexts of colonial ism and dispossession, and the contemporary contexts of social factors such as institutional racism and poverty. - Department of Health and Aging, 2007.


In previous documents we have outlined an approach for the analysis of 2 and 3D shape vectors using measurement covariances for the situation where the measurements are known to be independent. The purpose of this document is to explain the mathematics required to extend this approach to "pseudolandmarks", where information is provided at a given 2 or 3D location only in 1D. We show that the use of a pseudo-inverse together with generalisation of the measurement process is sufficient to solve the task.


Age and driving experience play a critical role in the vehicle control and eye movement behaviors of drivers subjected to hazardous environments. This study investigates whether significant differences exist in vehicle control and eye movement behaviors among drivers of different age and experience groups while driving in a simulator and through real world potential hazards. Three groups of drivers were studied: "novice teen," "early licensed teen" and "experienced adult" drivers, consisting of five participants each and having driving experience of about 6 months, 2 years and 10 years, respectively. The subjects were asked to drive through four potentially hazardous scenarios in the simulator and in the real world, namely a left-turning truck ahead, a mid-block crosswalk, a hidden crosswalk, and curved stop ahead. Indicators measured for eye movement were eye gaze rotation for simulator and eye gaze direction for the real world. In the simulator drive, measured parameters for vehicle control analysis were speed, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, lane deviation and braking force. Those for the real world were speed, accelerator pedal angle and braking force. The results indicated that different driving conditions in the simulator did not have a major effect on the eye movement behavior of the participants. However, different eye movement behavior was evident, both in the simulator and the real world drive, between the "experienced" and "early licensed teen" driver group at the scenario "curved stop ahead". Significant differences in the vehicle control behavior between these two groups were also observed under specific circumstances.


Euphorbia yadgirensis is a new species described and illustrated from the scrub forest of Rayangole village, Yadgiri District of Karnataka, India. It belongs to E. subg. Chamaesyce sect. Hypercifoliae and resembles Euphorbia kadapensis. However, it differs in nature of stipules and bracteole, structure of limbs, lack of sutures on capsules, etc.


to part of an Egyptian bow of the Roman period may be pointed out: it is illustrated by our Fellow Mr. Henry Balfour in Jonrn. R. Anthrop. Inst. li, 305. The presentation of Hungarian antiquities in bilingual monographs is an enterprise to be encouraged; and it is gratifying to see accounts of prehistoric gold-finds, the Palaeolithic and Copper Ages of Hungary announced in future volumes of this series. Once the language difficulty is surmounted, Hungary's contribution to the archaeology of Europe will be found of special interest to those concerned with the influence of oriental motives on European art. REGINALD A. SMITH.


Abstract § 1. One of the most persistent problems of Germanic historical phonology is the question of the origins of the so-called *ē 2, i.e. the sound that represents a long ē different from original Gmc. *ē, sometimes termed *ē 1 (from I.-E. *ē), as seen by the divergent development of these sounds in West and North Germanic.


The hidden terminal problem is a well-known phenomenon in wireless networks. Mechanisms to eliminate the effect of hidden terminals have been proposed and standardized. These mechanisms are usually used, however, without being aware of the existence of any hidden terminals. Hidden terminal detection, on the other hand, provides such awareness, which is useful when deciding whether or when these standardized mechanisms should be used. This paper proposes two detection mechanisms: active detection and passive detection. Simulations based on IEEE 802.11-based ad hoc networks are carried out to evaluate the proposed schemes.


Flavonoid compound was isolated from Crinum amabile Donn. leaves. The separation of flavonoids was carried out by using chromatographic techniques to purify CH2Cl2 extract of Crinum amabile Donn. leaves. Column chromatography with silica gel and sephadex as stationary phases, thin-layer chromatography, and preparative thin-layer chromatography were the chromatographic techniques used in this research. The pure compound obtained in the form of white-yellow solid with the Rf value is 0.44. Compound identification using 1H-NMR spectrometer showed the presence of protons from the CH=CH ortho with the appearance of a doublet of doublet (dd) each having j values of 8.5 Hz and 8.1 Hz with chemical shifts in the range of 6.5 ppm and 7 ppm. The CH=CH ortho group with the appearance of doublet of doublet of doublet (ddd) each having j values 8.4 Hz and 9 Hz with chemical shifts in the range of 7.2 ppm to 7.4 ppm. The methoxy group (-OCH3) was detected on chemical shift 3.8 ppm. Spectrometries of analysis showed that flavonoid compound obtained was 4-Hydroxy-7-Methoxyflavan.


Yeast was processed by means of different technical drying procedures, heating in water suspension, and mechanical disintegration. The influence on the ultrastructure, the nutritive value and on the availability of the cell nitrogen-containing compounds to chemical extractants was studied.

On micrographs no cell wall disrupture could be observed after any of the heat treatments. The internal cell structure was affected at the higher temperatures. After drum drying this structure was destroyed to a large extent. The heat treatments increased the nutritive value compared to unheated yeast cells but did not increase the availability of the cell content to chemical extractants. Mechanical disintegration increased both the nutritive value and the availability to chemical extractants.

Heat processes and mechanical disintegration give high nutritive value to the yeast. Mechanical disintegration is advantageous when processing steps such as extraction with chemicals are necessary for obtaining specific protein products.


The coutilization of silicon (Si) and graphite is a commercially viable method for realizing high-energy-density anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, the high cost and complicated ma...


OBJECTIVE— The pathogenesis of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and fulminant type 1 diabetes remains unclear, although it is known that immune-mediated processes severely compromise the endocrine and exocrine functions in both diseases. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— We have screened a λTriplEx2 human pancreas cDNA library with serum from a patient with AIP and obtained positive clones. Sequence analysis revealed that 7 of 10 clones were identical to human amylase α-2A. Using a recombinant COOH-terminal amylase α-2A protein, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system to detect autoantibodies against human amylase α-2A. RESULTS— All 15 serum samples from patients with AIP recognized the recombinant protein, whereas sera from 25 patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and sera from 25 patients with a pancreas tumor did not. Interestingly, 88% (15/17) of patients with fulminant type 1 diabetes were positive for an autoantibody against amylase α-2A. These antibodies were detected in 21% of patients with acute-onset type 1 diabetes (9 of 42) and 6% of type 2 diabetic patients (4 of 67). CONCLUSIONS— These results suggest that an autoantibody against amylase α-2A is a novel diagnostic marker for both AIP and fulminant type 1 diabetes and that, clinically and immunologically, AIP and fulminant type 1 diabetes are closely related.


This study aims to examine the meaning of the verses of the Qur'an related to Religious Moderation from the perspective of Muqotil ibn Sulaiman Al-Balkhy which focuses on four words, namely: al-din, al-kufr, al-syirk and al-jihad. The choice of these four terms is because they are closely related to the discussion of religious moderation in which there are certain groups who generalize the meaning of the term textually, even though every word in the Qur'an has several alternative meanings that vary. This study uses a qualitative method of library research or library research. The results of this study are that the four terms have various meanings, namely: the word al-Din has five meanings: Tawhid, Calculation (Charity), Law, Religion and Belief. The word al-Kufr has four meanings: denying the oneness of Allah, denying argument, denying favors and breaking away. The word al-Shirk has three meanings: associating partners with Allah with something else, shirk by not worshiping and showing off. The word al-Jihad has three meanings: speech, war with weapons and Charit


Distribution transformers are of great importance in power systems regarding electrical power supply to the consumers. To have a reliable and continuous service, monitoring of transformers is a crucial issue. Maloperation or improper transportation can result in mechanical tension and stress on transformer windings. Axial displacement (AD) is one of the mechanical defects that can influence transformer operation through windings insulation degradation and short circuit faults. Frequency response analysis (FRA) is an efficient diagnostic technique widely used in transformers monitoring; however, interpretation of FRA results is complicated and is still under investigation. In this paper, AD faults are implemented on the 20 kV winding of a 1600 kV A distribution transformer. FRA traces are practically measured, and then the most sensitive and appropriate statistical indices such as cross-correlation factor (CCF), Lin's concordance coefficient (LCC), sum of errors (SE), and fitting percentage (FP) are employed to extract feature sets. All four components of the frequency responses, i.e., magnitude, phase, real and imaginary parts, are considered. Furthermore, an Artificial Neural Network using the obtained feature vectors is designed to detect the extent of the AD faults. The K-fold cross-validation method is used to evaluate the performance of the intelligent classifier. Both of the most suitable statistical indexes and frequency response components to detect the AD faults are determined.


As a next step we consider plane embeddings in the geometric setting, where every edge is drawn as a straight-line segment. A classical theorem of Wagner and Fáry states that this is not a restriction in terms of plane embeddability. Theorem 2.31 (Fáry [6], Wagner [21]) Every planar graph has a plane straight-line embedding (that is, it is isomorphic to a plane straight-line graph). Although this theorem has a nice inductive proof, we will not prove it here. Instead we will prove a stronger statement that implies Theorem 2.31. A very nice property of straight-line embeddings is that they are easy to represent: We need to store points/coordinates for the vertices only. From an algorithmic and complexity point of view the space needed by such a representation is important, because it appears in the input and output size of algorithms that work on embedded graphs. While the Fáry-Wagner Theorem guarantees the existence of a plane straight-line embedding for every planar graph, it does not provide bounds on the size of the coordinates used in the representation. But the following strengthening provides such bounds, by describing an algorithm that embeds (without crossings) a given planar graph on a linear size integer grid. Every planar graph on n 3 vertices has a plane straight-line drawing on the (2n − 3) × (n − 1) integer grid. Canonical orderings. The key concept behind the algorithm is the notion of a canonical ordering, which is a vertex order that allows to construct a plane drawing in a natural (hence canonical) way. Reading it backwards one may think of a shelling or peeling order that destructs the graph vertex by vertex from the outside. A canonical ordering also provides a succinct representation for the combinatorial embedding. Denition 2.33 A plane graph is internally triangulated if it is biconnected and every bounded face is a (topological) triangle. Let G be an internally triangulated plane graph and C • (G) its outer cycle.


Recognizing emotions from facial images has become one of the major fields in affective computing arena since it has wide spread applications in robotics, medicine, surveillance, defense, e-learning, gaming, customer services etc. The study used Ekman model with 7 basic emotions- anger, happy, disgust, sad, fear, surprise and neutral acquired from subjects of Indian ethnicity. The acquired data base, Amritaemo consisted of 700 still images of Indian male and female subjects in seven emotions. The images were then cropped manually to obtain the region of analysis i.e. the face and converted to grayscale for further processing. Preprocessing techniques, histogram equalization and median filtering were applied to these after resizing. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) was applied to these pre-processed images. The 2 D Haar wavelet coefficients (WC) were used to obtain the feature parameters. The maximum 2D correlation of mean value of one specific emotion versus all others was considered as the similarity feature. The squared difference of the emotional and neutral images in the transformed domain was considered as the difference feature. Supervised learning methods, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to classify these features separately as well as together. The performance of these parameters were evaluated based on the measures accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.


Problem analysed in this research is " Organizational Change Attitude of Aparatur of State Civil ( ASN) of As for this research variable is Organizational Cultural influence, and Organizational Commitment (as free variable) and Organizational Change Attitude of Aparatur of State Civil (ASN) ( as variable trussed). This research pay attention to the Organizational Change Attitude storey;level of Aparatur of State Civil (ASN) as well as require to be paid attention to by a Organizational Culture, and the Organizational Commitment. By striving to improve the Organizational Change Attitude of Aparatur of State Civil (ASN) in order to attainment of Institution target, specially to Office of Subdistrict of Pariaman Town. This elite aim to to lay open the, Organizational Cultural Influence to Organizational Change Attitude of Aparatur of State Civil (ASN) By Commitment is Organizational as moderator variable of at Office of Subdistrict of Pariaman Town. showing signifikansi band usher the variable in structural model seen from statistical t usher the variable. Each; Every independent variable of examinee in structural model of] this research not all own the influence signifikan to this variable dependennya. Is proven from value T-Statistics which not all bigger than 1.96 ( examination two-tailed = 0,05). [Relation/Link] test usher the variable indicate that the organizational culture to positive Organizational Change Attitude ( 0,279) and signifikan at = 0,05 with the value statistic 3,592 > 1,96, inferential so that that supported first hypothesis. organizational culture to Organizational Commitment and got [by] a positive result ( 0,472) and signifikan of = 0,05 with the value statistic 0,348 1,96. Inferential so that that hypothesis is third supported. organizational culture to Organizational Change Attitude [through/ passing] got by organizational Commitment of positive result ( 0,351) and signifikan = 0,05 with the value statistic 2,317 > 1,96, inferential so that that supported fourth hypothesis. Conclusion from research that Organizational Cultural variable Hypothesis, and proven to Organizational Commitment own the positive influence and signifikan to Organizational Change Attitude At Aparatur of State Civil (ASN) of either through direct and also indirectly Office of Subdistrict of Pariaman Town by Average is adjusted R-Squared ( AARS)=0.399, P<0.001 Contribution 39,9%. Suggestion to be more focus to improve;repair the variable, by paying attention to its indicators


: The aim of the article is to present a new supervisory tool in the form of the Corporate Governance Scorecard (CGS) after its verification and modification for companies with the status of an internal entity and to determine the conditions of use. It has been assumed that the essence of CGS, as a supervisory and manage-ment mechanism, will be an important determinant of the sphere of change and development of the compre-hensive concept of ownership supervision system. The result sheet described in the article has the character of a spreadsheet with visualization of trends in changes of individual indicators and comparison to standards. The implementation of the scorecard in the surveyed companies took place on January 1, 2018. The experience of several months shows that it fulfills its role not only as an instrument used by the supervisory boards or the municipal authorities. The functioning scorecard has become the subject of in-depth analyzes for the corporate governance and other stakeholders, stimulating interesting reflections on a better understanding of the specificity of managing companies with the status of an internal entity and how they operate. Currently, the implementation process and assumptions regarding the us-ability of the tool are monitored on an ongoing basis. The above experiments from the pilot study allow to conclude that carrying out the main research in the fu-ture on a proper sample of companies will confirm the hypothesis adopted at the beginning.


Sustainable development is regarded as a pivotal factor for smart urban planning. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a well-known land use transportation integration (LUTI) planning method, which can fulfill sustainable development objectives. In this study, a new spatial index is developed to measure TOD levels in neighborhoods of Tehran, the capital of Iran. To develop the TOD index, several criteria and indicators are first computed using spatial analyses, before being aggregated using a fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy-AHP). The fuzzy-AHP method generates three types of factor maps: that are optimistic, pessimistic, and moderate. This process evaluates the sensitivity of the TOD index by determining the indicators' weights from various views, or perspectives. The results of this sensitivity analysis show the robustness of results from various views. Furthermore, in order to assess the efficiency of the proposed method, the moderate TOD-level map is compared with both the level of public transit services and trip attraction in neighborhoods. This comparison shows that the TOD map has an accuracy of 77 percent in urban modeling, which verifies the efficiency of the proposed method for measuring TOD.


This study compared the performance of students in a televised introductory psychology course to that of students in a traditional introductory psychology course at a community college. All students had the same instructor and textbook. They took approximately the same tests. Students in the televised introductory course did significantly better than those in the traditional introductory course. These two groups were also compared on the basis of age, sex, and scores on the Sixteen Personality Factors Inventory. Students in the televised psychology course were more happy-go-lucky, conscientious, trusting, astute, controlled and less apprehensive. They were also considerably older. Students' evaluation of the TV course, text, and study guide were favorable. More students successfully completed the on-campus psychology course.


The dawn of the new millennium has brought tremendous changes in global perspectives. The concept of unknown horizons and unexplored world terrains vanished. In a sense the huge world, which we thought was so vast that one cannot travel from one end to the other without spending one's generation, shrank. Societies grew from interactional to isolated populace where each spends most of his time sitting in front of a computer. With the advent of such revolution the concept of Cyberspace was born and with it, the lives of the people and how they interact with one another correspondingly and dramatically changed.


Course "Advanced Aircraft Noise Modelling" (AE4463) for the Section Aircraft Noise and Climate Effects, Department for Control and Operations, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology.


Lyme borreliosis (LB) can, despite adequate antibiotic treatment, develop into a chronic condition with persisting symptoms such as musculoskeletal pain, subjective alteration of cognition and fatigue. The mechanism behind this is unclear, but it has been postulated that an aberrant immunological response might be the cause. In this study we investigated the expression of the T helper 1 (Th1) marker interleukin (IL)‐12Rβ2, the marker for T regulatory cells, forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) and the cytokine profile in patients with a history of chronic LB, subacute LB, previously Borrelia‐exposed asymptomatic individuals and healthy controls. Fifty‐four individuals (12 chronic LB, 14 subacute LB, 14 asymptomatic individuals and 14 healthy controls) were included in the study and provided a blood sample. Mononuclear cells were separated from the blood and stimulated with antigens. The IL‐12Rβ2 and FoxP3 mRNA expression was analysed with real‐time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR). The protein expression of IL‐12Rβ2 on CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD56+ cells was assessed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, the secretion of interferon (IFN)‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐12p70 and IL‐13 was analysed by enzyme‐linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and/or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chronic LB patients displayed a lower expression of Borrelia‐specific IL‐12Rβ2 on CD8+ cells and also a lower number of Borrelia‐specific IFN‐γ‐secreting cells compared to asymptomatic individuals. Furthermore, chronic LB patients had higher amounts of Borrelia‐specific FoxP3 mRNA than healthy controls. We speculate that this may indicate that a strong Th1 response is of importance for a positive outcome of a Borrelia infection. In addition, regulatory T cells might also play a role, by immunosuppression, in the development of chronic LB.


To determine the frequencies of cryptic subtelomeric rearrangements and 22q11.2 deletion in anomalous growth‐restricted fetuses with normal or balanced G‐banded karyotypes.


The Barkhausen noise was measured in plastically deformed low-carbon steel at various frequencies of the magnetizing fleld. Strip samples magnetized by a yoke were used for investigation. The measured amplitude distributions and power spectra are compared with the results of the Alessandro, Beatrice, Bertotti, Montorsi model of the Barkhausen noise. The measurement results at the triangular magnetizing current and the triangular magnetic fleld in the sample were compared and the difierences will be discussed. The Barkhausen noise (BN) method of nondestructive testing provides good sensitivity to residual stress levels and changes in the microstructure of a magnetic material. In this work, the BN was measured in plastically deformed low-carbon steel. Plastic deformation changes the average number of individual pulses in large Barkhausen jump due to the change of the dislocation density and distribution of residual microstresses in the sample. The in∞uence of the plastic deformation on the BN is usually investigated using the deflned (triangular or sinusoidal) magnetizing current with some low frequency [1]. In this paper, we tried to investigate the in∞uence of the magnetizing frequency on the measurement results. In addition, when the triangular current from the power amplifler is used as magnetizing current in coils of the yoke, the nonhomogeneity of magnetic circuit causes that the magnetic fleld in the sample is not proportional to the current, and therefore the fleld rate is not constant [2]. Further, the magnetizing frequency and the deformation of samples heavily in∞uence the nonlinearity of the sample magnetization characteristic, so the samples are not measured with the same fleld amplitude. To impose the constant fleld rate with the deflned fleld amplitude, the fleld was measured by the tangential Hall probe on the sample surface and the digital feedback was used. The impact of this feedback on measurement results will be discussed.


Acknowledgements How to use this book 1. Criteria of good daylighting 2. What light does 3. The daylight climate 4. Daylight and the form of buildings 5. Energy and control 6. Standards, design guidance and development control 7. Daylight factors 8. Daylight illuminance 9. Collecting daylight: windows, light pipes and other devices 10. Daylight coefficients and numerical models 11. Notes and References Worksheets Algorithms and equations Index


Symposium at a Glance The Second International Symposium on Remote Sensing for Ecosystem Analysis and Fisheries 15-17 January 2018 Organised by ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, India


Microsurgery techniques have allowed the development of many new therapeutic methods in plastic surgery, but are difficult to master without hard training. It is very important to set up a standardized microsurgery curriculum and training system for broadening surgical skills training and investigating the plastic surgery specialist training strategy. In our experiences, a series of training models are needed, like non-animal models, non- living animal models, live animal models and so on. This paper shows the training strategy for the primary stage of microsurgery training, non-animal model and non-living animal model training.

Key words:
Microsurgery; Clinical skill training; Non-living animal models


As the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, states may reintroduce Medicaid work requirements to reduce enrollment. Using the Health and Retirement Study, we evaluated chronic disease burden among beneficiaries aged >50 (n=1460) who might be impacted by work requirements (i.e. working <20 hours per week). Seven of eight chronic conditions evaluated were associated with reduced workforce participation, including history of stroke (OR: 7.35; 95% CI: 2.98-18.14) and lung disease (OR: 4.39; 95% CI: 2.97-7.47). Those with more severe disease were also more likely to work fewer hours. Medicaid work requirements would likely have great impact on older beneficiaries with significant disease burden.


In order to improving the accuracy of detection on mini-structures,Ground Penetrating Radar(GPR) and mine Transient Electromagnetic Method(TEM) were combined together for application to detection of mini-structures in working face.The practice of underground exploration shows that GPR has advantages of easy operation and high precision,but shallow detection depth,On contract mine TEM has high resolution and deep effective exploration depth,over 110m.Therefore,putting comprehensive detection of two kinds method into practice,can ensure the accuracy of detection on small scale structures and investigation depth by contracting and verifying the results mutually.The drilling validation shows that comprehensive geological interpretation has quite high accuracy.


Policies related to pregnancy are the integrated Antenatal Care (ANC) program for every pregnant woman, namely the 14T examination in which there is an examination of hemoglobin levels. Checking hemoglobin (Hb) levels is carried out in the laboratory to determine red blood cell levels in pregnant women to ensure Hb levels are above 11 g/dL. If the Hb level is below 11 g/dL, then the pregnant woman has anemia which can disrupt the growth and development of the fetus and can cause a risk of bleeding in the mother during delivery. The aim of this study was to determine the hemoglobin level of pregnant women. The type of research used is observational research with a prospective descriptive nature with a cross-sectional research design. The subjects of this study were third trimester pregnant women who had an examination at the Ambon Midwifery Study Program Laboratory. The result showed that 60% of the 20 respondents (12 pregnant women) had normal Hb levels, while 8 pregnant women (40%) had abnormal Hb levels. There are more pregnant women with Hb levels ≥ 11.0 g/dL than pregnant women with Hb levels < 11.0 g/dL. It is recommended that pregnant women carry out routine pregnancy checks at the Public Health Center and take Fe tablets as recommended and consume nutritious food.


This paper explores how rich forms of digital media can be used to enhance assessment and feedback design in an online or blended delivery subject. This innovative design facilitates dialogical feedback processes by leveraging digital recordings created by educators and students. The aim of this design is for educators to explicate their evaluative thinking using sustainable methods, and for students to reflect and respond to the educators with regard to their assessments. The results indicate that rich media can effectively be used to engage students in asynchronous feedback discussions regarding assessment tasks, which may lead to improvements in future work.


In the present study, a strategic designing of multilayer shield was planned to enhance the multiple reflection phenomenon to achieve maximum absorption properties in microwave frequency (C & X band) range. Multi-layer EMR shields were developed using pure cotton fabric and conductive woven fabrics, incorporated with copper- based & silver-plated hybrid yarn. First of all, single layer fabrics were produced in five variants, nomenclature as L1A (pure cotton) L1B, L1C (copper-based hybrid yarn), LS1B and LS1C (silver plated hybrid yarn). These five variants were used to prepare four sets of double & triple layer fabric. In both double and triple layer composition, L1A fabric (pure cotton) was used as top layer followed by B and C series fabrics, containing copper and silver-plated hybrid yarn. The EMSE performance in C and X band frequency range of single layer, double layer and triple layers in terms of scattering parameters S11(reflectance) & S21 (transmittance) in vertical and horizontal wave polarization was studied. It was found that number of layers, layer composition, orientation of metallic yarn, frequency and EM wave polarization have significant influence on overall electromagnetic shielding effectiveness.


The curriculum is a teaching and learning tool that needs to be developed in accordance with the existing developments in society. There are 3 kinds of paradigms in curriculum development, among others: 1. Diotomous paradigm, 2. Paradigm nikanisme, 3. Paradigm Organisem. Therefore, curriculum development is the process that determines how the curriculum will work. So in the preparation of curriculum development should consider the steps as follows: Formulation of Objectives; Define Content; Selecting Activities; And Formulate Evaluation. So in the preparation of curriculum development should consider the steps: 1) Formulation of Objectives, 2) Determining Content, 3) Selecting Activities, 4) Formulating Evaluation


This paper presents BlendNet, a neural network architecture employing a novel building block called Blend module, which relies on performing binary and fixed-point convolutions in its main and skip paths, respectively. There is a judicious deployment of batch normalizations on both main and skip paths inside the Blend module and in between consecutive Blend modules. This paper also presents a compiler for mapping various BlendNet models obtained by replacing some blocks/modules in various vision neural network models with BlendNet modules to FPGA devices with the goal of minimizing the end-to-end inference latency while achieving high output accuracy. BlendNet-20, derived from ResNet-20 trained on the CIFAR-10 dataset, achieves 88.0% classification accuracy (0.8% higher than the state-of-the-art binary neural network) while it only takes 0.38ms to process each image (1.4x faster than state-of-the-art). Similarly, our BlendMixer model trained on the CIFAR-10 dataset achieves 90.6% accuracy (1.59% less than full precision MLPMixer) while achieving a 3.5x reduction in the model size. Moreover, The reconfigurability of DSP blocks for performing 48-bit bitwise logic operations is utilized to achieve low-power FPGA implementation. Our measurements show that the proposed implementation yields 2.5x lower power consumption.


We investigate the effects of ram pressure stripping on gas-rich disc galaxies in the cluster environment. Ram pressure stripping principally affects the atomic gas in disc galaxies, stripping away outer disc gas to a truncation radius. We demonstrate that the drag force exerted on truncated gas discs is passed to the stellar disc, and surrounding dark matter through their mutual gravity. Using a toy model of ram pressure stripping, we show that this can drag a stellar disc and dark matter cusp off centre within its dark matter halo by several kiloparsecs. We present a simple analytical description of this process that predicts the drag force strength and its dependency on ram pressures and disc galaxy properties to first order. The motion of the disc can result in temporary deformation of the stellar disc. However, we demonstrate that the key source of stellar disc heating is the removal of the gas potential from within the disc. This can result in disc thickening by approximately a factor of 2 in gas-rich discs.


Innovative engineering and expeditious construction helped build a seven level intersection over a major gas pipeline and a geological fault, while service roads under the ramps were being expanded. The project is at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Sam Houston Tollway in Houston. In order to contend with settling problems that can result from the geological fault, the roadways passing over the fault were spanned with steel girders instead of concrete. This and other innovative engineering aspects are noted, including the eccentric-looking hammerhead-type columns in which the loads are carried off-center. An unusual solution for the problem of providing central support for access ramps while leaving room for the high-occupancy-vehicle lanes beneath them is also described. To speed construction the toll road authority offered $15,000 per-day incentive to the contractor to complete the project ahead of schedule.


The ecology of the Persian Squirrel, Sciurus anomalus, was studied in Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve, Lebanon. Trapping yielded very low trapping success (2 out of 572 trapping days), while camera trapping proved to be an efficient method to determine presence/absence of squirrels. The Persian Squirrel was found to feed on pine cones more than cedar cone. Association between feeding areas was established. Based on camera trapping, squirrels' activity began as early as 6:00 am and lasted until 18:00 pm. Peak activity was recorded between 9:00 am until 14:00 pm. An estimate of 1.04–1.82 squirrels per hectare was determined based on seed consumption and daily energy intake.


Providing a signal transmission circuit, the signal transmission circuit even at a low voltage power supply and the case of fast operation, it can be stably operated. A signal transmission circuit comprising a multi-stage circuit in each stage sequentially outputs a pulse voltage according to the drive pulse. Each stage circuit comprises: a drive pulse, electrode outputs a pulse voltage to the source of the output transistor T12, the bootstrap capacitor C1 connected between the gate and source of the output transistor, for charging the first bootstrap capacitor charging transistor T11, T13 of the first and second discharge transistors for discharging the charge of the bootstrap capacitor and T14, and the logic circuit (i) each of the driving pulses for the other stages of the circuit, turning on the first and second discharge transistor, and (ii) the charge transistor gate signal, first and second discharge transistor is turned off.


OBJECTIVE: We describe here 6 cases (4 members from two families and two sporadic cases) that presented with parkinsonism and associated lipomatosis.
 BACKGROUND: Identification of new syndromes are very important in identifying new disease entities.
 DESIGN/METHODS: Genetic analysis for POLG, common mitochonodrial mutations, LRRK2, Parkin, PINK1, DJ1, and known genes causing lipomatosis has been excluded. Muscle biopsy was normal.
 RESULTS: Family 1:This 57 year-old lady of Indian origin developed rest-tremor and stiffness at the age of 49. She had a good response to dopamine agonists but developed psychosis and was switched to levodopa. She developed severe dyskinesias.Her brother and his daughter developed a similar clinical picture with young onset PD and multiple lipomas. MRI and muscle biopsy were normal. Biopsy of the lipomas showed angiolipomas.Family 2:This 78 year-old man of Indian origin developed a right-sided rest tremor at the age of 65. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and had initially good response to levodopa. Two years after onset he also developed urinary problems. He has hearing loss since childhood. In his family history, his father had lipomas, one sister has hearing loss, and two siblings have dementia but is unknown if they also have lipomas. His MRI and muscle biopsy were normal.Sporadic cases 1 and 2: Both cases of Indian origin developed typical rest-tremor and difficulties walking at the age of 65. Both showed good response to levodopa, normal MRI and had no family history of parkinsonism and/or lipomatosis. On examination, they had both multiple lipomas but normal muscle biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Here we present a case series of patients of Indian origin with parkinsonism and associated lipomatosis. Extensive genetic analysis revealed no known mutations. We wish to highlight this phenotype as it may represent a new entity.
 Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Sheerin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wood has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bhatia has received personal compensation for activities with UCB Pharma, Novartis, and Ipsen as a speaker.


In a HAc-NaAc buffer solution at pH 4.5,aluminum(III) reacts with DBC-arsenazo to form a complex with mole ratio [n(Al~(3+)):n(R)] of 1 to 2.The maximum absorbption wavelength and(apparent) molar absorptivity of the complex are 622 nm and 4.89 10~(3) L/(mol·cm),respectively.(Beer's) law is obeyed in the range of 0 to 1.0 μg/mL of aluminum concentration.The method was used to determine trace amount of aluminum in sodium carbonate with satisfactory results.


SummarySeasonal patterns of fruit development of young and mature `Bellamy' navel orange trees were measured from mid November to late July. Growth of whole fruit, expressed as fresh or dry weight, was best described by a fourparameter logistic curve (R2>0.99). The fresh weight growth curves of fruit from young and mature trees were not significantly different. Dry weights and fresh weights were linearly correlated (R2>0.99). The relationship between relative growth rate (RGR) of whole fruit and time was best described by two linear regressions (R2>0.98, 0.92, respectively). The two linear phases of RGR did not correspond to ontogenic phases of fruit development as described by Bain (1958). Increases in whole fruit and pulp radii, and whole fruit, pulp, rind and albedo volume during fruit development followed single sigmoidal patterns (four parameter logistic function, R2 >0.99). Relative changes in the volume of the structural parts of the fruit were small during Stage III of fruit development. Diurnal v...


Embodied awareness is the pervasive, multimodal self-awareness that is thought to form the foundation of emotion. This awareness was recently proposed to rely on the anterior insular cortex (AIC) comparing expected and actual bodily signals arising in prefrontal and sensory cortices. To investigate this possibility in the somatosensory domain, we measured brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging while healthy participants discriminated tactile stimuli in a roving oddball design. Dynamic Causal Modelling revealed that unexpected stimuli increased the strength of forward connections in a caudal to rostral ascending hierarchy from thalamic and somatosensory regions towards insula, cingulate and prefrontal cortices, consistent with hierarchical predictive coding. Within this feed-forward flow of neural coupling, the AIC increased both forwards and backwards connections with prefrontal and somatosensory cortex, supporting a comparator role. Further, we found that greater prefrontal to AIC connectivity predicted subjective ratings of stimulus discrimination difficulty. These results are interpreted in light of embodied predictive coding, suggesting that the AIC coordinates global cortical processing of tactile changes to support body awareness. PeerJ PrePrints | https://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1203v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 1 Jul 2015, publ: 1 Jul 2015 P re P rin ts Evidence for Embodied Predictive Coding 2 INTRODUCTION The sense of self and experience of emotion are known to rely on highly multimodal interactions between interoceptive, somatosensory and proprioceptive signals, as well as prior beliefs about the causes of these sensations (Gallagher 2005; Brown et al. 2013). Recently, predictive coding has been used to explain how these interactions produce embodied and emotional awareness (Apps and Tsakiris 2013; Seth 2013). One key prediction is that the anterior insula cortex (AIC) acts as a comparator between incoming bodily sensations and the brain's prior beliefs. In this paper we test this hypothesis in the somatosensory domain, using dynamic causal modelling (DCM). Somatosensation underlies the conscious body-image that underpins body-ownership and action agency (Serino and Haggard 2010) and has recently been shown to rely on hierarchical Bayesian inferences (Auksztulewicz et al. 2012; Ostwald et al. 2012). The AIC is richly interconnected with the posterior insula and somatosensory cortex (Cerliani et al. 2012; Chang et al. 2012), and anticipates the sensory and affective consequences of touch (Lovero et al. 2009). Probabilistic hierarchical inferences involving the AIC and cingulate cortex are thought to support interoception (Seth et al. 2011), pain analgesia (Büchel et al. 2014), and somatosensation (Ostwald et al. 2012). The AIC in particular is thought to integrate these modalities to create a multimodal self-model (Apps and Tsakiris 2013; Gu et al. 2013) that underpins dynamic cognitive control (Ullsperger et al. 2010) and embodied self-awareness (Gallagher 2005). Further evidence comes from findings linking AIC activations to body-state prediction errors, for example in the case of gustatory conflict (O'Doherty et al. 2002), unexpected painful stimulation (Seymour et al. 2005; Keltner et al. 2006), or during false heart rate-feedback (Critchley et al. 2004). Little is currently known about how the AIC communicates tactile prediction errors throughout the cortical hierarchy. Delineating the impact of somatosensory changes on insula responses is thus critical for understanding embodied perception. To address these issues, we adapted a roving somatosensory oddball task (RSOT) for use during fMRI scanning. Sensory oddball or deviance responses in the brain have been strongly linked to prediction error minimization, and the RSOT has previously been shown to elicit prediction errors in somatosensory and cingulate cortex. An advantage of the RSOT over standard oddball designs is the ability to control for stimulus-specific effects, as all stimuli (e.g. high and low intensity) serves as both deviant and standard. We thus used DCM for fMRI to investigate PeerJ PrePrints | https://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1203v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 1 Jul 2015, publ: 1 Jul 2015 P re P rin ts Evidence for Embodied Predictive Coding 3 the causal impact of unexpected somatosensory stimuli on effective neural connectivity between the AIC and other structures. We reasoned that if the AIC acts as a bodily comparator, deviance should increase both ingoing connections from sensory and thalamic areas and outgoing connections to prefrontal and cingulate cortex. We further expected to observe an overall pattern of increased forward-driving connectivity throughout a hierarchy of subcortical and cortical regions in response to deviancy, consistent with a hierarchical predictive coding account of somatosensory awareness. Finally, if top-down expectations underlie bodily awareness (Seth et al. 2011; Apps and Tsakiris 2013), we predicted that participants with the strongest modulation of backwards connections from the prefrontal cortex to the AIC would rate somatosensory deviants as easier to detect. METHOD Participants Thirty-eight healthy participants (16 males) were recruited from Aarhus University and the surrounding community. Inclusion criteria specified that all participants were between the ages of 21-45 years, right handed, free from medications with contraindications for the BOLD signal (psychiatric, blood pressure or heart medication, etc.), physically and mentally healthy, and meeting standard MRI safety inclusion criteria (lack of claustrophobia, metallic implants, etc.). All participants gave verbal consent and visited the MRI laboratory at Aarhus University Hospital for approximately 2 hours in total, and received a 300 DKK (approx. €40) participation reimbursement. All experimental procedures were conducted with approval from the local ethics committee (De Videnskabsetiske Komitéer for Region Midtjylland) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. 8 participants in total were excluded from preliminary data analysis one for excessive motion during scanning, 6 for extremely poor behavioral performance (see Roving Somatosensory Oddball Task for further details), and one for failure to acquire pulse regressors. The final sample for the fMRI analysis included 30 participants (14 males) with a mean age of 24.5 years (SD = 3.2). Roving Somatosensory Oddball Task PeerJ PrePrints | https://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1203v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 1 Jul 2015, publ: 1 Jul 2015 P re P rin ts Evidence for Embodied Predictive Coding 4 To manipulate tactile probability while controlling for stimulus intensity and attention, we utilized a Roving Somatosensory Oddball Task (RSOT) in which trains of stimuli randomly switch between high and low intensity after a variable number of repetitions (Garrido et al. 2008; Ostwald et al. 2012). In the present study, stimuli were delivered in trains of 3-7 repetitions. Stimuli consisted of single electrical pulses of 50 μs duration and 2000 ms interstimulus interval. Following each repetitive train, stimuli switched between low or high intensity trials, where low intensity trials corresponded to a single pulse at twice the perceptual threshold, and high intensity trials consisted of two pulses identical to the single delivered in rapid succession (100 ms interstimulus interval). This paradigm has been repeatedly shown to elicit sensory prediction errors (Garrido et al. 2008, 2009; Lieder et al. 2013), with deviant trials selectively increasing the strength of forward-driving neural connectivity (Dietz et al. 2014) and eliciting Bayesian surprise in somatosensory and cingulate cortices (Ostwald et al. 2012). This stimulation protocol resulted in a sensation of a mild tickle or vibration that was not reported as painful by any participant. The first stimulus of each new train was modelled as the "deviant", and the third repetition following the deviant as the "standard". The number of repetitions between each switch was randomly sampled from a normal distribution over possible repetition numbers (i.e., between 3 and 7), generating an unpredictable uniform stimulus sequence. Participants received a total of 158 deviant and 640 repetition stimuli (of which 158 stimuli were selected as standard). All stimuli were delivered to the median nerve of the left forearm using two MR-safe ECG electrodes placed approximately 2.5 cm apart and a constant current stimulator (DeMeTec, Langgoens, Germany). See Figure 1 for an overview of the experimental set-up and sample stimulus train. After placement in the scanner, participants' individual perceptual thresholds were determined using an adaptive staircase procedure prior to scanning. The staircase consisted of a one-up/three-down procedure, where step size was reduced every two reversals until reaching a total of 8 reversals. The sensory threshold was thus calculated by averaging the stimulus intensities corresponding to the 8 reversals. Stimuli for the subsequent oddball task were then delivered at twice this sensory threshold, eliciting a mild touch sensation. After thresholding, participants completed a short practice version of the oddball task, and continued to the main experiment after indicating that the task instructions were fully understood. All participants completed approximately 30 minutes of the RSOT during fMRI acquisition. PeerJ PrePrints | https://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1203v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 1 Jul 2015, publ: 1 Jul 2015 P re P rin ts Evidence for Embodied Predictive Coding 5 Pilot investigation with this stimulation protocol revealed that as intended, the double stimulation was perceived as slightly more intense than single trials. To control attention, participants were instructed to silently count all stimuli switches throughout the entire task durat


Abstract : Round Robin No. 29 of the ORKING Group on Analytical Chemistry (ICRPC) was conducted for the purpose of evaluating two assay methods for elemental aluminum and a method for measuring average particle diameter. Interlaboratory agreement was not obtained in any of the test methods, although intralaboratory agreement was good. The reason for this disagreement is unclear, but a need for calibration standards and closer supervision of round robins is indicated. No basis for changing specification methods was established. (Author)


Human resources management is one of the main tasks of chief executive offices. The issue of staff loyalty formation as one of the most significant factors of human recourses management that has a great impact on organizational performance is an actual problem of management nowadays especially in the circumstances of unstable external environment. The relevance of this problem is caused by the absence of clear definition for staff loyalty. Author depicts the examples of staff loyalty formation and improvement in international companies. Authors also describe cause-and-effect relations between employee commitment and the major factors of company's performance. The article presents the results of the analysis of the main approaches to the definition of staff loyalty, background for high employee commitment formation and the study of organizational loyalty in different cultures as well.