added April 2018] As part of a revision to the SI expected to be approved later this year and to take effect in May 2019, the seven base units will be defined by giving fixed numerical values to seven "defining constants". The report shows how the definitions of all seven base units can be derived efficiently from the defining constants, with the result appearing as a table. The table's form makes evident a number of connections between the defining constants and the base units. Appendices show how the same methodology could have been used to define the same base units in the present SI, as well as the mathematics which underpins the methodology.


Previous observational studies using differing methodologies have yielded inconsistent results regarding the association between glycemic control and outcomes in diabetic patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We examined mortality predictability of A1C and random serum glucose over time in a contemporary cohort of 54,757 diabetic MHD patients (age 63 6 13 years, 51% men, 30% African Americans, 19% Hispanics). Adjusted all-cause death hazard ratio (HR) for baseline A1C increments of 8.0 – 8.9, 9.0 – 9.9, and $ 10%, compared with 7.0 – 7.9% (reference), was 1.06 (95% CI 1.01 – 1.12), 1.05 (0.99 – 1.12), and 1.19 (1.12 – 1.28), respectively, and for time-averaged A1C was 1.11 (1.05 – 1.16), 1.36 (1.27 – 1.45), and 1.59 (1.46 – 1.72). A symmet-ric increase in mortality also occurred with time-averaged A1C levels in the low range (6.0 – 6.9%, HR 1.05 [95% CI 1.01 – 1.08]; 5.0 – 5.9%, 1.08 [1.04 – 1.11], and # 5%, 1.35 [1.29 – 1.42]) compared with 7.0 – 7.9% in fully adjusted models. Adjusted all-cause death HR for time-averaged blood glucose 175 – 199, 200 – 249, 250 – 299, and $ 300 mg/dL, compared with 150 – 175 mg/dL (reference), was 1.03 (95% CI 0.99 – 1.07), 1.14 (1.10 – 1.19), 1.30 (1.23 – 1.37), and 1.66 (1.56 – 1.76), respectively. Hence, poor glycemic control (A1C $ 8% or serum glucose $ 200 mg/dL) appears to be associ- ated with high all-cause and cardiovascular death in MHD patients. Very low glycemic levels are also associated with high mortality risk. Diabetes 61:708 715, 2012 and A1C $ 6 and , 6%. We divided patients into eight a priori categories based upon ran-domly measured serum glucose values ( , 100, 100 to , 125, 125 to , 150, 150 to , 175, 175 to , 200, 200 to , 250, 250 to , 300, and $ 300 mg/dL) to examine the dose-response association between glucose categories and death risk. Finally, additional analyses were performed after dividing the population into two subgroups of glucose: $ 150 and , 150 mg/dL. Epidemiologic and statistical methods. Survival analyses with Cox proportional hazards regression with repeated quarterly measures were used to examine whether glycemic control predicted survival for up to 6 years of follow-up. The primary analysis examined the associations between baseline A1C and glucose and all-cause mortality, with cardiovascular mortality serving as a secondary outcome measure. We also performed exploratory analyses in subgroups of patients based on age, sex, race, dialysis vintage, serum albumin category ( # 3.8 or . 3.8 g/dL), and anemia (serum hemoglobin # 11 or . 11 g/dL and serum ferritin # 500 or . 500 ng/mL). We also performed exploratory analyses according to race. To analyze the predictive value of time-averaged A1C and glucose and assess the association between different laboratory and clinical parameters and A1C levels, logistic regression analyses were per- formed. For each analysis, including subgroup analyses, three models were examined:


Non-prescribed use of stimulant medications among college students, such as Ritalin, and Adderall, has become a public health concern. Expectancies, which are beliefs that individuals hold regarding the consequences of engaging in a particular behavior, are known to play a prominent role in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol and drug use. This study had two aims: (1) to determine if an expectancy challenge could reduce participants' academic performance expectancies related to non-prescribed use of stimulant mediations, and (2) to determine if change in expectancies mediates consumption of the drug. Seventy-eight undergraduate students were randomized to either the expectancy challenge (EC) condition, the psychoeducation (PE) condition, or the assessment-only (AO) condition. Results from two separate hierarchical linear models (HLM) indicated that there were no significant group differences between the EC and PE conditions with regards to change in expectancies (γslope = 0.19, t(43) = 1.97, p = 0.055) or consumption (γslope = 0.06, t(43) = 1.75, p = 0.09). When the two treatment conditions were combined, results from the HLM analyses found a significant effect of treatment over control for both expectancies (γslope = -0.25, t(76) = -3.64, p < 0.001) and consumption (γslope = -0.07, t(76) = -2.07, p = 0.04). The mediation analysis indicated a nonsignificant relationship between the mediating variable (i.e., change in academic expectancies) and the outcome variable (change in consumption; γslope = 0.0004, t(76) = 0.098, p = 0.992), indicating that mediation was not present. Due to an inferior placebo manipulation, the EC did not produce the anticipated results. However, results from the study suggest that the didactic component of the EC and PE conditions was effective in modifying expectancies and reducing


Abstract : This report describes the results of an Air Force Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) entitled Robust Architecture for Adaptive C2 Systems. The objective of this project was to demonstrate how the processing resources can be managed so that the AWACS operator would always receive the highest quality tracks possible especially during overloads to the processing subsystem or failure of a processor(s). Currently there is no way for the AWACS operator to designate tracks as being more or less important. Therefore, when anomalies occur such as overloads due to incoming sensor data, larger than the processors can handle, arbitrary changes occur on the operators console, i.e. important tracks may be lost and less important tracks remain. In this demonstration the operator can designate some tracks as being more important so that, if tracks must be lost due to overloads or loss of processing resources, the least important tracks are sacrificed. This mechanism provides a gracefully and rationally degrading capability to the operator and avoids arbitrary behavior on the part of the processing system.


The eigenwave dispersion of 8 mm 3-folded helical corrugation waveguide is simulated using CSL software. The electron beam 80 kV and main magnetic field 0.67 L are given by the eigenwave dispersion for Ka-band Gyro-LWL using helical waveguide. The beam-wave interaction procedure is simulated using a PIC code, in which LE11 and LE21 coupling mode transform and a right-rotating large-orbit electron bunch are obtained. The maximal output power is about 42.5 kW and the maximal gain is about 29.3 dB in 35 GHz. The 3 dB bandwidth is about 8.7% from 33 GHz to 35.8 GHz.


Kruglanski et al. (2000) demonstrated how two self-regulatory modes, locomotion and assessment, underlie most goal-directed activity: locomotors are inclined to engage in initiating and maintaining any goal-directed activity, whereas assessors tend to compare and select among alternative desired end-states. These two motivational components were thought as interdependent aspects and considered as trait or state, thus influencing individuals' life activities. Previous research has shown the association between these self-regulatory modes and many aspects of goal pursuit, such as procrastination, time management, academic achievement (e.g., Chernikova et al., 2016), as well as self-esteem, optimism, anxiety, etc. (Pierro et al., 2008; Shalev & Sulkowski, 2009). The present study sought to analyze the association between self-regulatory modes, perceived stress, and academic performance. 492 Italian students (Mage = 20.63, SD = 5.22; 62.4% females) completed a questionnaire composed of a Socio-anagraphic section, the Locomotion and Assessment Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale, during an exam session. Results revealed that the average marks were positively associated only to locomotion and that perceived stress was correlated negatively with locomotion and positively with assessment. Hence, the degree to which students perceived exams as stressful was determined by the way they regulated their goal-related activities. Consequently, developing specific strategies in academic environment could contribute to prevent the potential deleterious consequences of perceived stress. © 2017 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK


When Sugar Turns to Sh%&: Immediate Action Decision Making and Resilience in High Reliability Teams. (December 2011) Bradley Scott Wesner, B.A., Ball State University; M.A., Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. J. Kevin Barge Organizational scholars have long been interested in organizations which exemplify high reliability. While such organizational studies have provided valuable clues to the ways in which such organizations form and function, this paper argues that a more nuanced study of high reliability processes within team contexts is warranted. This study focuses on organizational teams which are faced with the challenges of maintaining high levels of reliability. Of particular interest is how teams manage adverse events which disrupt the team's process and how they make adaptations immediately to restore their functionality. In my dissertation, I: (1) explore the existing literature surrounding high reliability organization and resilience, (2) present a qualitative analysis of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams to explore and identify factors surrounding adaptation within the critical moment, and (3) discuss the implications of these factors in the theory and research surrounding high-reliability


1. Gupta N, Gupta A, Garg R, Bhalotra A, Kohli A, Bhadoria P. Attitude amongst resident doctors in the specialty of anaesthesiology towards conferences and workshops. Indian J Anaesth 2008;52:818-22 2. Wolpaw J, Toy S. Creation and evaluation of an anesthesiology and critical care podcast. J Educ Perioper Med 2018;20:E620. 3. Webster CS. Checklists, cognitive aids, and the future of patient safety. Br J Anaesth 2017;119:178-81. 4. Cho D, Cosimini M, Espinoza J. Podcasting in medical education: A review of the literature. Korean J Med Educ 2017;29:229-39. 5. Lin M, Thoma B, Trueger NS, Ankel F, Sherbino J, Chan T. Quality indicators for blogs and podcasts used in medical education: Modified Delphi consensus recommendations by an How to cite this article: Sukumar V. Introduction of anaesthesia podcasts in our system A pressing priority for the betterment of clinical practice. Indian J Anaesth 2021;65:265-7. © 2021 Indian Journal of Anaesthesia | Published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.


Recent literature has developed methods for localizing a low-dimensional vector $w$ from paired comparisons of the form " $w$ is closer to $\pmb{p}$ than $\pmb{q}$, " where $\pmb{p}$ and $q$ are selected from a fixed set of landmark points and $w$ does not change over time. In this work, we consider a time-varying extension of this problem, in which $w$ evolves according to some unknown dynamics model. We consider the task of actively selecting informative paired comparisons between landmark points to jointly estimate the state trajectory and identify the true dynamics model from a finite set of candidate models. Leveraging information-theoretic insights, we propose selecting pairs that simultaneously maximize information gain about both the trajectory and dynamics model, and propose a Bayesian method for tracking and system identification. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach with numerical simulations, showing that our method is able to jointly estimate the state trajectory and identify the correct dynamical model.


Changing the target number, non-linear measurement models and non-Gaussian noise faces a challenge to multi-target tracking problems which are factors affecting the accuracy, execution time and deciding the success of the method as well. In this paper, the authors present a method to solve these problems. Wherein, the motion of targets is represented in the mixed coordinate system 3D base on combining PHD (Probability Hypothesis Density) and JPDA (Joint Probability Data Association). This method can track multiple targets in the most general case, that is to change the target number, system model and measurement model which is non-linear as the noise is non-Gaussian. The result of this work can be applied to the real-time response system when the targets are moving in close distances with rapid maneuvering.


The distribution of the magnetic field on the solar surface is as yet unknown in detail, but of considerable importance for solar physics in general. We have observed two different solar regions, one containing a small pore, the other region comprising a network in the light of the Fe I λ6301.5 A and Fe I λ6302.5 A lines at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope of the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife, Spain) with the Gottingen Fabry-Perot Interferometer. By applying image reconstruction techniques to broad- and narrowband filtergrams we obtained continuum images, line core images, as well as line-of-sight velocity and magnetic field maps. We present scatter plots of the line core intensity vs. the Doppler velocity and the vertical component of the magnetic field, which reveal that the line core brightness is not a clear indicator for magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere. Furthermore, we estimate the swaying motion of flux tubes to be mostly smaller than 0'.'3 and thus in good agreement with the predictions of theoretical dynamic models. Finally, we show how the choice of the observed solar target influences the results and their interpretation. We claim that generalizations can mislead, and strongly depend on the presence or absence of solar (magnetic) features in the analyzed data.


The potential of HCCI combustion to reduce the internal combustion engines exhaust emissions, particularly NOX and soot emissions, and to delimit the application range of this technique as well as a detailed analysis of previous and current results of combustion chemistry, emission behaviors, the challenging facing this technique, and all controlling parameters including transient states are introduced. From HCCI combustion chemistry and emissions analysis it was found that, the heavy fuels displays two-stage heat release or two stage combustion process involving low temperature oxidation (LTO) stage followed by high temperature oxidation (HTO) stage separated by a time delay between them is attributed to negative temperature coefficient (NTC), the advantage of NOX emissions reduction from HCCI engine diminishing at high load condition, HC production is reduced with increasing the engine load, and the soot ejection is negligible during all operating conditions. Valve timing, compression ratio, inlet air temperature, and EGR show an advanced control on the HCCI combustion behaviors over a wide range of speed and load. The use of EGR in HCCI operation is limited at EGR-rates about 70% at this point the reaction rates and ignition timing are so much reduced and retarded, respectively, and leads to misfiring and production of HC-emissions. Homogenization of fuel, air, and recycled burnt gases prior to ignition in addition to the control of ignition and combustion timing, and heat release rates are obstructs that must be overcome in order to realize the advantages of HCCI engine in the future.


It is shown that asymmetry in R&D efficiency between firms is an important factor determining feasibility of the preemption and attrition scenarios in competitive R&D with time to build. Scenarios of attrition and preemption games are most likely to occur when competitors have similar R&D efficiencies. In case of largely asymmetric firms the games of attrition and preemption are very unlikely, thus the R&D duration choices of firms are determined by the actual trade-off between the benefits of earlier innovation and the costs of faster R&D project completion.


Price comparison services are being used by more and more internet users worldwide to compare prices of (online-)suppliers. The characteristics of price comparison services differ internationally. Not only are they different in the reference to their scope of work. Also with regard to the technical performance or the definition of the revenue concepts great differences have been assessed. In the course of this essay criteria for global price comparison services are elaborated which are then consulted in conclusion for the construction of development categories. After reviewing of a variety of international price comparison services it turns out that classic concepts don't suffice in assessing development standards. A new concept is established which serves the global market analysis for successful price comparison services and those striving for progress. 50 countries with altogether over 230 price comparison services are classified and prospects and potentials are worked out.


Abstract A multi-layer perceptron pattern classifier is defined for wavelet map interpretation and its application is described as a tool for mechanical fault detection. As a key step, an instantaneous scale distribution is introduced for quantifying pattern features. Instead of directly inspecting complicated wavelet patterns in time–scale domains with limited human experience and availability, automated classification of the localised features related to gear faults, therefore, can be implemented. The detail of constructing, training and testing the multi-layer perceptron based classifier has been described with application to a gearbox.


This paper presents a fast and accurate method to determine the available transfer capability. Ralston's method is used to predict the two trajectory points of voltage magnitude, power flow, and maximum generator rotor angle difference. Then, the cubic spline interpolation technique is used to accurately trace the P-V, P-S, or P- Δ𝛿 curves between two points of trajectory. The P-V, P-S and P- Δ𝛿 curves represent as the variations of voltage magnitude, power, flow and maximum generator rotor angle difference due to the increase of power transfer. The actual available transfer capability value is determined at the intersection point between the curve and the constraints limit. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by referring to the results of ATC for a case study of 2737-Polish system and 39-New England bus system. The proposed method gives satisfactorily accurate and fast computation of ATC as compared to recursive AC power flow method.


In the HERS trial, hormone therapy did not reduce the risk of coronary events. In post hoc analyses, treatment was associated with early harm and late benefit. According to one hypothesis, a risk factor may well distinguish a susceptible subgroup with early events associated with hormone therapy from a nonsusceptible subgroup who benefit from hormone therapy. In simulation studies, it appeared that only a susceptibility factor with a low prevalence (3–5%) and a high risk ratio (13–25-fold) can produce the pattern of risks seen in HERS. The number of candidate factors is likely to be small.


The highest efficiency for a single junction thin film solar cell has been achieved with a 22.6% efficient Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell.[1] To further enhance the efficiency of thin film solar cells, the fabrication of tandem structures is required. For any two terminal monolithic tandem structure, a tunnel junction between the top and bottom cells is required to guarantee the current flow through the total device. Usually this is achieved by stacking highly doped pand n-type transparent conductive oxides (TCO), which facilitates the recombination of majority carrries of opposite charges. When considering a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cell as the bottom cell, its front surface usually adopts a ZnO layer as the n-type TCO. Therefore, a p-type TCO is required to form the tunnel junction. However, few p-type TCO materials with practical properties have been reported. In this study, we investigated the application of SrCuSeF as a p-type TCO for the tunnel junction of thin film tandem solar cells. SrCuSeF has been reported to combine high p-type conductivity and high transparency.[2] To evaluate the tunnel structure resistance, the J-V curves of SrCuSeF, ZnO, and SrCuSeF/ZnO stack deposited on 800-μm-thick stainless substrates were measured. The thickness of the SrCuSeF film deposited by pulse laser deposition (PLD) method was approximately 30 nm. The thickness of the ZnO film deposited by MOCVD method was approximately 1.1 μm. The electrodes for SrCuSeF and ZnO films were evaporated Au and Al, respectively. The electrodes areas were delimitated by metal masks. Figure 1 shows the resistance distribution estimated from the J-V curves, which showed ohmic properties for all structures. The median resistance value for the SrCuSeF/stainless, ZnO/stainless, and SrCuSeF/ZnO/stainless samples were respectively 10.05, 11.95, and 15.41 mΩcm2. As the resistivity of the stainless substrate is very low, its resistance can be merely ignored. The resistance difference between ZnO/stainless and SrCuSeF/ZnO/stainless structures is approximately 3.5 mΩcm2. The resistance of the SrCuSeF/ZnO tunnel junction should be equal or lower than this value, which is sufficiently low for application to the tunnel junction of tandem structures. Therefore, it was confirmed that the SrCuSeF/ZnO stack shows ohmic properties and low resistance, making it a promising tunnel junction structure for thin film tandem solar cells.


Background: Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT), an autosomal recessive inherited platelet disorder, is a moderate to severe bleeding syndrome caused by the absence of platelet aggregation due to quantitative and/or qualitative deficiencies of the αIIbβ3 integrin. We recently identified 41 causative missense mutations of which 24 were novel in a large cohort of 76 GT families (Genoscope project). These mutations mainly localize to the headpiece region of the integrin that has been well studied but 4 mutations although extracellular were proximal to the plasma membrane. We therefore performed molecular modeling of these 4 mutations to obtain new insights into the structure of a poorly understood region of this unique receptor. Aim: To identify structures or conformations engaged in the stability of the integrin and which are important for maturation and expression. Results: Of the 4 novel selected mutations, 3 concerned the calf-2 domain of αIIb - Gly792Glu (G823E, nomenclature with leader sequence), Leu924Gln (L955Q) and Thr953Lys (T984K) and one the EGF-3 domain of β3 Gly540Asp (G566D). All of these mutations affected highly conserved amino acids and were predicted to be damaging by in silico analysis (SIFT, Polyphen). None influenced glycosylation or mRNA splicing. They were present either in a homozygous form (β3 G540D) or were heterozygous in association with an identified and proven null mutation. Three were associated with type I GT ( Conclusions: We show that 4 novel missense mutations in the extracellular membrane-proximal domains of αIIb and β3 cause conformational changes in domains that control the overall structure of the newly formed integrin. They show how the structure of both domains is under tight quality control and that precisely defined conformations are indispensable for αIIbβ3 maturation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


In 2019, the authors led a workshop at King's College London examining how to study 4chan and assess their association with the Alt-Right. Unbeknownst to the authors, a participant was a 4chan user and started a mid-workshop thread on its notorious /pol/ (politically incorrect) board. It gained significant attention. Reviewing it later, the authors realised that this parallel thread illustrates perfectly the challenges researching 4chan – and similar – communities. We conducted discourse analysis on this unique dataset, providing an alternative perspective to predominant anthropological and informatic approaches. Our analysis enhances understanding of 'free-extremist' communities such as 4chan in several ways. It assesses how the /pol/ community responds to observation and provides new insights into roles influencers might have in radicalising others. It illustrates the value of discourse analysis in evaluating users' associations with the Alt-Right. Finally, it proposes ways researchers can overcome the challenges faced when analysing such communities.


The increase in global interdependence has fueled the need for multilateral problem‐solving efforts. Although the Cold War temporarily obstrvicted such efforts, its demise has paved the way for a renewed focus on international institutions. If international institutions continue to play a stronger role in global problem solving (and this is likely), it will be increasingly important for actors seeking political change to develop strategies that are effective at influencing these institutions. In other words, rather than follow the slogan of 1980s peace activists, "think globally, act locally," activists in the post‐Cold War era might be better advised to "think locally, act globally."


Rice includes over twenty wild species and two cultivated species Oryza sativa Linn, (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima Steud (African rice) (Nwapu 2003). It is the grain with second-highest worldwide production after maize. Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) has taken the pride of place in Africa over the traditional Oryza glaberrima and is being grown by farmers across the continent (Ng et al. 1988). SubSahara Africa, and West Africa is the leading producer and consumer of rice. West Africa accounts for 64.2% and 61.2% of total rice production and consumption in the sub-Sahara Africa, respectively. Nigeria is said to rank highest as the producer and consumer of rice in the sub-region with figures slightly above 50%. In Nigeria, the crop is very important in the food economy, and is the only crop that is cultivated in all agro-ecological zones from coastal swamp to Sahel. The annual average consumption of the stable for an average Nigerian is as high as 24.8 kg of rice, which represent 9% of the total calorie intake.


Recent work on the heat-shock protein Hsp90 by Rutherford and Lindquist (1998) has been included among the pieces of evidence taken to show the essential role of developmental processes in evolution; Hsp90 acts as a buffer against phenotypic variation, allowing genotypic variation to build. When the buffering capacity of Hsp90 is altered (e.g., in nature, by mutation or environmental stress), the genetic variation is "revealed," manifesting itself as phenotypic variation. This phenomenon raises questions about the genetic variation before and after what I will call a "revelation event": Is it neutral, nearly neutral, or non-neutral (i.e., strongly deleterious or strongly advantageous)? Moreover, what kinds of evolutionary processes do we take to be at work? Rutherford and Lindquist (1998) focus on the implications of non-neutral variation and selection. Later works by Queitsch, Sangster, and Lindquist (2002) and Sangster, Lindquist, and Queitsch (2004) raise the possibility that Hsp90 buffering may play the role that was played by drift in Sewall Wright's shifting balance model, permitting transition from one adaptive peak to another. However, Ohta (2002) suggests that much of this variation may be nearly neutral, which in turn, would imply a strong role for drift as well as selection. The primary goal of this article is to illuminate the alternative scenarios and the processes operating in each. At the end, I raise the possibility of a synthesis between EvoDevo and nearly neutral evolution.


New routes have been developed for the practical syntheses of dl-Muscone(1) employing cyclopentadecanone(2) as the starting material. In this experiment, addition of bromine to cyclopentadecanone in dried E. Ether solution with a trace of as the catalyst were produced 2-bromocyclopentadecanone(3). This process was enhanced formation of regioselective enolate anion at position. 2-Bromocyclopentadecanone was put into -LiBr-DMF solution at 140∼150, were produced trans- and cis-2-cyclopentadecen-1-one(4) mixture. Other by-products were reduced by control of reaction temperature and time. Trans- and cis-2-cyclopentadecen-1-one(4) mixture was directly put into dried E. Ether solvent and induce to react dropwise with complex, all of them got into 1,4-addition, dl-Muscone (1) was formed as the result. Conculsion, through three steps procedure from cyclopentadecanone(2) to dl-Muscone(1), the pure dl-Muscone was obtained with the high proportion of 85%, and synthetic cost was able to be much lower than any other conventional methods as there were no chemical separating steps.


The present invention is directed to seed oil compositions that can be used for cooking and frying applications. These oil compositions of the present invention have advantageous stability characteristics. In some embodiments, the oil compositions have a low concentration of E-linolenic acid.


Objectives: We report here on the experience with continuous jejunal levodopa infusion in 13 German parkinsonian patients who have motor and nonmotor complications despite individually optimized oral treatment. The tolerability, efficacy, and the need for dose adjustment of levodopa infusion were followed-up prospectively. Thereby, we describe clinically relevant details for how to successfully initiate and handle this new treatment strategy. Methods: Thirteen patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD) who have motor fluctuations and dyskinesia were switched off their conventional PD medication to continuous levodopa infusion and followed-up within a maximum period of 12 months. Results: Time in "off" represented a mean of 50% (±14; n = 13) of awake time before levodopa infusion and was reduced to a mean of 11% (±9; n = 11) of awake time after 6 months. Time in "on with disabling dyskinesias" represented a mean of 17% (±15; n = 13) of awake time before levodopa infusion and was reduced to a mean of 3% (±6; n= 11) of awake time after 6 months, thereby increasing the time in good "on" state. A positive effect on nonmotor symptoms (anxiety, sleep disturbances) was also observed. In most cases, dose adjustment was required within the first 6 months (predominantly after months 1-3). The therapy was safe and effective. However, problems with the technical device were common. Conclusions: Continuous jejunal levodopa infusion is an effective and feasible alternative treatment option for patients with advanced PD who can cope with and tolerate the device.


Glyoxylic acid is seen as a promising candidate to replace formaldehyde as reducing agent in electroless Cu baths. For deposition on ruthenium, the anodic reaction of glyoxylic acid has been evaluated and compared to formaldehyde using linear sweep voltammetry. Significant differences were observed for the deposition of copper on ruthenium. First of all, a faster nucleation was inferred from open-circuit potential measurements, which is beneficial as it reduces the total process time. Secondary, we found 2,2 (cid:2) bipyridyl worked as stabilizer and brightener in this glyoxylic acid-based electroless bath. Thirdly, the purity of the copper films improved when 2,2 (cid:2) bipyridyl was present in the solution. Using the optimized composition, we demonstrate a conformal Cu seed layer deposition ( ∼ 100 nm) inside high aspect ratio (16.7) through-Si vias. This work shows the feasibility for electroless Cu seeding in a through-Si via metallization sequence.


Textured patterns on living organisms (hereafter referred to as biological textures), which are typified by human fingerprints or cattle muzzle patterns, have features that differ according to the individual organism, and it is well known that these biological textures can be used for identification. However, the pattern structure of cattle muzzle patterns, for example, is more complex than that of human fingerprints, and since the structure features are changed or deformed during the growing stage, these pattern structures cannot be skillfully recognized by using a technique like the one used for conventional fingerprint comparison. In this paper, the authors propose a new recognition technique that is applicable even to biological textures with these kinds of growing deformations. Specifically, they focus on cattle muzzle patterns as an example of a biological texture and select graph matching based on a horizontal search as the basic strategy to create this new recognition technique consisting of a technique for determining a pair of Hough-transformed search-starting cycles and a muzzle pattern recognition method that improves search efficiency by incorporating processing for merging non-searched cycles. The authors performed evaluation experiments to verify the effectiveness of the proposed technique and obtained good results. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 87(5): 54–66, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20076


A highway bridge hinge is a very important element in bridge design. It releases thermal stresses that may be developed in the superstructure or the substructure of a bridge. A common industry practice in formulating a hinge along a steel bridge is to cope the top or bottom flanges of I beams. The cut, if not properly designed, can result in high stress concentrations around sharp corner of the cut. In this paper, the stress concentration effect at the hinge was studied and a low stress highway bridge hinge configuration is recommended for use.


This chapter briefly traces the thread that leads from the novel to the film. A valid criticism of the production perspective employed is that it tends to "ignore the meaning of culture productions" and that "[d]educing meaning from reading texts is not part of the perspective". This is pertinent to an analysis of the relationship between the production of new religious movement (NRM) literature and a 'spiritual' film, especially with reference to the "intertextuality" that is the focus of adaptation theory (Leitch 2008: 63). To mitigate the consequences of this theoretical blind-spot, an initial reconnaissance of Ouspensky's literary production is briefly canvassed. Then how the novel was 'created, distributed, evaluated, taught, and preserved' is addressed and which enables the examination of Osokin's textual meaning. The chapter concludes by examining the problematic notion of 'orthodoxy' in a NRM and the accompanying paradox of quantitative marginality but qualitative impact. Keywords:adaptation theory; culture productions; Groundhog Day; intertextuality; Ivan Osokin; new religious movement (NRM) literature; Ouspensky


Chronic disease may leads to other life threatening health complications like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease that diminished quality of life. This paper points out the importance of social interaction and smart space integration in existing CDSS for chronic diseases. Social interaction allows the patients to interact with system, through this continuous learning and digesting patient experience, our CDSS becomes intelligent and dynamically enhanced. Smart spaces automatically provide new knowledge and construct the behavioral profile by monitoring the daily life activities. Through these features, patients can get continuous relevant recommendations from the system, so they can get a chance to improve their health condition which in terms keeping on their quality of life. It also helps the health practitioners in better decision making about medication and living patterns.


Aim Of Study : To correlate Serum Total Ig-E, Absolute Eosinophil Count (AEC) and eosinophils in nasal and pharyngeal smear in the patients
with allergic rhino-sinusitis .
Objectives:
Ÿ To determine the serum total Ig-E level in patients with Allergic Rhino-sinusitis
Ÿ To determine the absolute eosinophil count (AEC) in patients with Allergic Rhino- sinusitis
Ÿ To study eosinophils in Nasal and pharyngeal smear in the patients with Allergic Rhino-sinusitis
Ÿ To correlate all the above three parameters in patients with Allergic Rhinosinusitis
Results : The mean age was 30.63± 10.08 years consisting of 42 females and 38 males. In majority of the subjects the signs and symptoms were
sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal blockage and itching of the ear. Among the 80 subjects 19 of them had deviated nasal septum and hypertrophy of
turbinate's. Half of the subjects reported secretions in the nasal cavity.
1. In the study the mean Ig E levels was 560.58± 361.74 (UI/l).
2. Mean absolute eosinophil count was 558.46± 459.28 (cells/mcL).
3. Smear for eosinophil was positive in only 4 subjects.
There was no statistical difference when the IgE levels were compared with the smear. All the four patients with smear positive for eosinophil had
elevated AEC which statistically signicant (p=0.01). a moderately strong positive correlation was seen between Ig E levels and eosinophil count.
Conclusion: Both NSE and Ig-E had strong relationships with the disease's severity. A straightforward procedure with a strong association to the
severity of the clinical score is nasal smear cytology, which should be utilized frequently. Measuring serum Ig E levels will improve diagnostic
value, increase the accuracy


Based on the idea of presenting a proposal for management development ESE Santa Monica Hospital Dosquebradas municipality in the department of Risaralda to generate the aimed efficiency improvement and the flexibility to change and
integral steering group through various psychological tests in order to appreciate
and lead to a better development of their activities, taking into account the requirements for State Social Enterprises are increasing in terms of quality, service and efficiency and need to have a competitive advantage in the development of this paper degradation was due Perform a 360 ° ESE management team dela Dosquebradas Santa Monica Hospital to detect as they look and how users see
and other officials from managerial competencies. Also identified by the Management Skills sicotecnicas tests and determined the adjustment of employee profiles to those required for good performance on each of the charges of the
management team by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the team currently leads the ESE Santa Monica Hospital Dosquebradas township by
valuation skills tests, 360 test and psychometric tests in order to determine the best instruments for management development plan that may lead to institutional improvement and better health service delivery from good management governance and management.


Background  Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is available for the treatment of various skin tumours and other skin diseases. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induces DNA damage, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) (6‐4) photoproducts (6‐4PP) and 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG), all of which are carcinogenic for the skin. However, effects of PDT on DNA damage and carcinogenesis are unclear.


...................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 1.1 Background of the Study ........................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Concept of Corporate and Global Branding ........................................................... 1 1.1.2 Determinants of Consumer Purchase Process ........................................................ 2 1.1.3 Types of Business Buying Decision Behavior ....................................................... 3 1.1.4 Detergents Industry in Kenya ................................................................................. 4 1.2 Research Problem ...................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Research Objectives .................................................................................................. 6 1.4 Value of the Research ............................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................ 8 2.


Abdominal cocoon (AC) is a rare condition, that leading to acute or chronic small bowel obstruction, characterized by a total or partial encapsulation of the small bowel by a fibrous membrane or sac-like cocoon, sometimes colon, uterus or accessories are encased in. The disease is characterized as either primary or secondary to other causes. The main reported clinical manifestations of AC are acute/subacute complete/partial intestinal obstruction and abdominal mass.[1] Here, we report a rare case of AC presenting as umbilical hernia, and to our knowledge, it is only a few cases of this entity have been reported previously. Even though preoperative diagnosis of AC is difficult and normally laparotomy is the main solution, in our case, we chose the method which combines laparoscopy with open surgery, it solved patient problem quickly and efficiently, and that further confirmed laparoscopic surgery has great significance in diagnosis and treatment of AC.

A 40-year-old male presented to our department complaining periumbilical mass and abdominal pain. He had a clinical history of gradually increased mass in the umbilicus region for 2 years without pain, but recently he felt colicky abdominal pain over the past 2 months, which occurred mostly around the umbilicus. The symptom came along with abdominal distension, vomiting, belching, sour regurgitation, constipation, and body gas reduction. The patient had inguinal hernia repair operation at 2-year-old, and he had no other special medical history, such as peritonitis, tuberculosis, or chronical drug intake. His general physical examination revealed a chronic face and mild emaciation. Local abdomen examination revealed a distended abdomen, mild tenderness, and rigidity in the whole abdomen while bowel sound was normal. A tender round-shapes lump was inspected and palpated in the supraumbilical region which was approximately 4 cm in diameter. The rectal examination was normal. Routine laboratory studies demonstrated no abnormalities. His enteroscope result came up normal, X-ray of the abdomen showed intestinal obstruction [Figure 1]. B-ultrasonic wave revealed a hypoechoic periumbilical abdominal mass referred to umbilical hernia. Computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated umbilical hernia and an incomplete low small bowel obstruction without clear cause. Moreover, part of the bowel wall became thickening: A possible inflammatory lesions and pelvic effusion were involved as shown in Figure 2. He was suspected with an umbilical hernia and partial intestinal obstruction. Laparoscopic exploration was performed after a complete preoperative preparation. Using laparoscope, we found that small bowel was covered with a dense whitish fibrous sheath, which gave the appearance of a cocoon. Hence, the clear diagnosis was AC. We then moved to laparotomy, that omentum majus absent had been detected, the entire small intestine was wrapped by a tubular white capsule to about one meter localization [Figure 3], small mesentery and colon have the similar lesions, to a lesser degree. The coated surface was smooth and easy to separate from the intestinal wall, there was film adhesion seen in the apart small intestine [Figure 4]. We gradually stripped the coated membrane, released the small intestine, to make sure the small intestine regained its normal anatomy status and location, and we did appendicectomy at the same time that appendix was obvious fibrosis, umbilical hernia repair was carried out in the end. The excision's appearance looked like milky white, cocoon-like fibrillar connective tissue [Figure 5]. Before closing the abdominal wall, we injected medical sodium hyaluronate gel to prevent postoperative recurrence of adhesions in the abdominal cavity. The patient had a comprehensive symptomatic treatment after the operation. The peeled-off membrane was studied histopathologically and revealed dysplasia of the dense fiber membrane, a chronic nonspecific inflammatory reaction and chronic appendicitis [Figure 6]. Eleven days after the operation, the patient recovered well and discharged from the hospital.

Figure 1

X-ray plain abdominal imaging revealed intestinal obstruction.

Figure 2

Computed tomography shows umbilical hernia and an incomplete low small bowel obstruction, part of the bowel wall became thickening, and pelvic effusion.

Figure 3

Intraoperative photographs show the encapsulated small bowel segments with a dense fibrous layer.

Figure 4

Intraoperative photographs show the film adhesion in the apart small intestine.

Figure 5

The excision's appearance.

Figure 6

(a) Histological examination showed the dysplasia of the dense fiber membrane, a chronic nonspecific inflammatory reaction and (b) showed chronic appendicitis.

Abdominal cocoon was first observed by Owtschinnikow in 1907, who called it as peritonitis chronica fibrosa incapsulata at that time, first described and named by Singapore researchers Foo et al. in 1978. The etiology and pathogenesis are still unknown, it is considered as a form of chronic irritation and inflammation. There are two types of AC – primary or idiopathic, and secondary. The primary form of the disease is more common and has been described mostly in young adolescent females from the tropical and subtropical countries, but also males, premenopausal females, and children can be affected in this condition. However, the exact stimulus for the inflammatory reaction is unknown. The secondary form has been reported in associated with a history of previous abdominal surgery or peritonitis, prolonged use of practolol, chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, intraperitoneal instillation of drugs, sarcoidosis, SLE, liver cirrhosis, hysteromyomas, ovarian endometriotic cyst or tumor, and tuberculous etiology.[2,3] For this patient, although he underwent inguinal hernia surgery at a young age that was not enough to induce inflammation after so many years making peritoneal fibrin extensive sheep and forming capsular parcel causing AC, but with omentum majus absent, the cause of this case considered as congenital factors. Our patient hospitalized by umbilical hernia with small intestinal obstruction, with suspicion we finally diagnosed him with AC. It is really rare that AC presented as umbilical hernia. We inferred that this patient is a primary AC patient; it follows that congenital AC, which may not be a single disease, but could cause other organs hypogenesis or diseases, such as umbilical hernia, etc. The signs and symptoms are not just presented as intestinal obstruction which needs to be investigated seriously.

Although there are no specific clinical symptoms, and lack of specific preoperative examination demonstration, preoperative diagnosis of AC is still possible. It needs to rely on the current imaging examination which is very useful for diagnosis and differential diagnosis, such as B-ultrasound wave, CT, gastrointestinal imaging. CT is very helpful for AC, in our case preoperative CT showed bowel wall thickening and small-bowel obstruction, this can be highly suspected as AC. If CT shows thick enhancing membrane surrounded the bowel, forming a saclike structure or a cocoon, the diagnosis of AC can be confirmed.[4]

Surgery is the most fundamental way to solve this problem, careful dissection, and excision of the thick/thin sac-like membrane to release the small intestine leads to complete recovery. Some cases have been reported using laparoscopic examination to handle it,[5] from our case, we can see that laparoscopy can easily check out of AC, it further illustrates laparoscopic surgery is really a worthwhile method for the diagnosis of AC. Thus, total laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of AC, may prolong the postoperative intestinal recovery time, because of the increasing operation time and a large number of pneumoperitoneum stimulation. In our case, we combined laparoscopy with open surgery to cure the patient, rapid diagnosis at first, and then quickly and efficiently remove the patient's pain; this combination method is worth promoting. We performed appendectomy in our case; it can avoid the patient to develop acute appendicitis in the future to increase the chance of re-operation. In our opinion, an incidental appendectomy is recommended with or without appendix lesions. We injected some prevent or reduce intestinal adhesion material to the abdominal cavity before abdominal closing, hoping that this material can work out to prevent membrane reproduce but does it really work? We cannot make a precise answer since AC has a low incidence, and we do not have a good amount of clinical samples to do statistical analysis and comparison to confirm the result. It is a significant research, which can make contributions to AC patient in future. Our patient received a comprehensive treatment postoperation, he reviews regularly since hospital discharge for more than 1 year, and no symptoms recur.

Here are the experiences of this case: (1) Fully imaging examinations should be done for unknown reason intestinal obstruction patients, like CT, abdominal plain film, barium meal, etc. If coated disease discovered, there is AC, and it should be highly suspected if bowel becomes thicker; (2) Laparoscopy could be a better method for discovery. We should resect thick membrane to remove the obstruction, along with appendicectomy; (3) In postoperative period, use various means to stop adhesions happening again.


Effective recovery of unconventional oil reserves necessitates development of enhanced oil recovery techniques such as polymer flooding. The study investigated the model of polymer flooding with effects of adsorption and water salinity. The model takes into account six components that include elements of the classic black oil model. These components are polymer, salt, water, dead oil, dry gas and dissolved gas. Solution of the problem is obtained by finite volume method on unstructured Voronoi grid using fully implicit scheme and the Newton's method. To compare several different grid configurations numerical simulation of polymer flooding is performed. The oil rates obtained by a hexagonal locally refined Voronoi grid are shown to be more accurate than the oil rates obtained by a rectangular grid with the same number of cells. The latter effect is caused by high solution accuracy near the wells due to the local grid refinement. Minimization of the grid orientation effect caused by the hexagonal pattern is also demonstrated. However, in the inter-well regions with large Voronoi cells flood front tends to flatten and the water breakthrough moment is smoothed.


February 26-March 1, 2003. 40th Annual International Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America, Chicago, IL.The largest conference of its kind in the United States, the LDA meeting encompasses all aspects of learning disabilities. More than 240 sessions and workshops will address the needs of individuals with learning disabilities, parents, and professionals. For more information, call (888) 300-6710, or email: email@example.com.


The paper,starting from the concept of enculturation and taking the spreading of ancient Roman musical culture as a clue,analyses the enculturation of ancient Roman music and the driving forces,thus exploring the function and mechanism of cultural diversity and correlation between enculturation,social changes and cultural tradition.


The current research examines the transformation of the rural and urban landscape during the Ottoman Period across modern Greek territory and the relationship between those changes and the cultural as well as political perceptions of the Ottoman elites, from roughly 1400 to 1800. The study embraces the view of the importance of the landscape as a crucial factor in the birth and development of civilizations and it attempts to confirm this view by projecting it in intentional examples of organization of the built space in Greece, focusing, as already mentioned, on the Ottoman period. Those aforementioned examples highlight the influence of the political and cultural trends in the Ottoman court on specific landscape formations, which reflect the social structure of the Ottoman Empire and constitute at the same time, the spatial inscription of all political decisions. The methodology adopted in this research with regards to the exploration of the relationship between the building units and the natural surroundings in the selected case studies is based on the theoretical investigation of the cultural background of the Ottomans and their association to the Byzantine heritage, supplemented by in situ research in thoroughly selected case studies across Greece. The results of this combined methodological toolset attested to the fact that the Ottomans, through the use of spatial and cultural elements deriving either from their oriental background or from the local established ones, altered the spatial qualities of their surroundings in a way that the emerging political ideologies, the financial power, and the imperial glory of the Ottomans were manifested into the landscape.


An approach to identify interpretable fuzzy models from data is proposed.Interpretabil- ity,which is one of the most important features of fuzzy models,is analyzed first.The number of fuzzy rules is determined by fuzzy cluster validity indices.A modified fuzzy clustering algorithm, combined with the least square method,is used to identify the initial fuzzy model.An orthogonal least square algorithm and a method of merging similar fuzzy sets are then used to remove the re- dundancy of the fuzzy model and improve its interpretability.Next,in order to attain high accuracy, while preserving interpretability,a constrained Levenberg-Marquardt method is utilized to optimize the precision of the fuzzy model.Finally,the proposed approach is applied to a PH neutralization process,and the results show its validity.


Synthetic coumarins are a class of compounds with promising biological functions. The structure of the 4-hydroxycoumarin derivative, 3-(1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)amino) ethylidene) chroman-2,4-dione, and its corresponding Pd complex, are described in this contribution. Inter- and intramolecular interactions governing stability were analyzed by the Natural Bond Orbital and Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules approaches. The antimicrobial activity towards several microorganisms was assessed and differences in activity towards Escherichia coli DNA Gyrase B enzyme were investigated by molecular docking.


soldiers—over 6,900 contractors compared to 6,500 U.S. military deaths. In the United States, contractor bodies are recorded on different accounting ledgers than U.S. soldiers, and fallen foreign contractors are sometimes not counted at all. This shell game would not be considered necessary if Vietnam was viewed as a victory, a good war worth its costs. Espiritu, despite her analysis of the good refugee/good refuge narrative's recuperative powers, nevertheless says that it is vulnerable: ''I believe that the interweaving threads that cover up the traumas of war 'are not so tightly woven that [they] cannot come undone''' (p. 142). She spares no country and no political ideology in searching for untold stories or uncounted Vietnamese deaths. South Vietnam's army (ARVN) had 200,000 killed. To Espiritu, they have become ''ghost soldiers,'' sensed but not seen. In Vietnam, the victorious communist forces bulldozed ARVN cemeteries and monuments, while in the United States, state and local governments repeatedly neglected ARVN soldiers when designing memorials. Both countries practice what she calls ''organized forgetting . . . the state is eager to control the cultural production of war memories'' (p. 108). Vietnamese refugees rarely fit into the robotic ''model minority'' narrative. They suffer from poverty, marginality, and chronic identity problems, while at the same time they resist their oppression from militarism. Some create new forms of public war memorials on the internet—Espiritu's uncle, an ARVN colonel executed after Saigon fell, finds honor there. Others search for hope and meaning in shopping centers like the Eden Center complex in Virginia, where the older generation can see street signs named after their heroes and reminisce, while the young stock up on ethnic foods. Each story helps create an index of ''the ongoing costs of war'' (p. 164). On April 3, 2009, Linh Phat Voong, a Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant, killed thirteen people at an immigrant services center in Binghamton, New York, and then shot himself. Voong's father spent years in a reeducation camp, and Voong never adapted to life in the United States. Dismissed by the news media as a madman, Espiritu sees him as a militarized refugee, a war casualty, as were his victims. It's a lesson readily applicable to other wars. Only one folk hero emerged from Iraq, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Kyle's memoir, American Sniper (2012), sold over 1.2 million copies. On February 3, 2013, a disturbed military veteran shot and killed Kyle and a colleague at a Dallas-area gun range. Their bodies need to be counted among the Iraq war dead, too. Espiritu's last sentence reads, ''We need to see, and then do something with, the endings that are never over'' (p. 188).


Dengue presents a wide clinical spectrum including asymptomatic dengue fever (DF) or severe forms, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Early symptoms of DHF are similar to those of non-life-threatening DF. Severe symptoms manifest after 3-5 days of fever, which can be life threatening due to lack of proper medications and inability to distinguish severe cases during the early stages. Early prediction of severe dengue in patients with no warning signs who may later develop severe infection is very important for proper disease management to alleviate DHF related complications and mortality. Due to the role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and remarkable stability of microRNA, altered expression of microRNA was evaluated to explore clinically relevant biomarkers.The relative expression of microRNA hsa-let-7e, hsa-miR-30b-5p, hsa-miR-30e-3p, hsa-miR-33a, and hsa-miR-150-5p and several putative target genes in peripheral blood cells (PBC) collected from 20 DF and 20 DHF positive patients within four days from fever onset was evaluated by qRT-PCR. hsa-miR-150-5p showed significant (P<0.05) up regulation in PBC of DHF patients compared to DF patients during the acute phase of infection. Expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) was significantly (P<0.05) down regulated indicating that genes involved in epigenetic regulation are also differentially expressed in DHF patients during the early stage of infection.Differential expression of microRNA miR-150-5p and the putative target gene EZH2 may serve as reliable biomarkers of disease severity during early stages of dengue infection.Severe dengue cannot be distinguished from dengue fever during the early stages of infection based on the clinical symptoms. A diagnosis is only made after the patient is presented with severe manifestations such as plasma leakage and hemorrhage. During a dengue outbreak, this leads to high occupancy of hospital beds. However, only a small percentage of patients present with severe symptoms and the others do not require medical care at a hospital. Therefore, early prognosis of severe manifestations could reduce dengue related mortality by identifying the patients who will benefit from hospitalization and early intervention. We demonstrate that severe dengue in Sri Lankan patients is associated with increased expression of miRNA miR150 and decreased expression of EZH2 during the early stages of infection when none of the patients showed symptoms of developing severe manifestations at later stages of infection.


We introduce the new notion of Bianchi-convex sets, a generalization of convex sets of algebraic curvature tensors inspired by the second Bianchi identity. It turns out that Hamilton's maximum principle for the Ricci flow can be generalized for Bianchi-convex sets.


The utility model relates to a production device for controlling chytrid fungus pollution in haematococcus pluvialis. The production device comprises a first-stage photobioreactor and a second-stage photobioreactor, wherein the second-stage photobioreactor is connected with a heat exchanger through a pipeline, the input end of the heat exchanger is connected with a condenser through the pipeline, the output end of the heat exchanger is connected with an absorber through the pipeline, the input end of the absorber is connected with a generator through the pipeline and a solution pump, the output end of the absorber is connected with the generator through the pipeline and a throttling valve, the output end of the generator is connected with the condenser through the pipeline, the input end of the generator is connected with a water tank through the pipeline, and the water tank is connected with smoke gas with waste heat through a residual heat recovery device. The principle is that residual heat in the smoke gas of a factory is mainly utilized for providing energy, and the production device is of a temperature control device for reducing the temperature of a haematococcus pluvialis solution, and can save fuel cost, improve economic benefits, enhance the competitiveness of an enterprise, greatly reduce the emission of waste gas and harmful gas and protect the environment.


Often the unknown covariance structure of a stationary, dependent, Gaussian error sequence can be simply parametrised. The error sequence can either be directly observed or observed only through a random sequence containing a deterministic regression model. The method of scoring is used here, in conjunction with recursive estimation techniques, to effect the maximum likelihood estimation of the covariance parameters. Sequences of recursive residuals, useful in model diagnostics and data analysis, are obtained in the estimation procedure.


Lean Thinking and its principles as prescribed by Womack and Jones have been successfully applied to manufacturing and operations environments, and associated case studies and research literature have been published extensively. The same cannot be said for Lean application to the new product introduction (NPI) or development processes. The aim of this paper is to describe the application of the Womack and Jones principles of Lean Thinking to the NPI process (from concept development to detailed design through to customer delivery). While techniques such as concurrent engineering (or concurrent product development) have been implemented and have been quite successful in improving NPI, there is still a shortfall in the expected or desired improvements to NPI. This shortfall we believe can be bridged through the application of Lean Thinking to NPI; in particular, the five lean principles proposed by Womack and Jones. The five Lean principles are briefly 'specify value', 'identify the value stream and eliminate waste', 'make the value flow', 'let the customer pull the process', and 'pursue perfection'. In this paper each principle is defined and characterized within the context of NPI. The work presented was developed on the Society of British Aerospace Companies' UK Lean Aerospace Initiative involving 40 aerospace companies of all sizes from across the UK. Two case studies from the industry are also presented to demonstrate aspects of Lean application in NPI (in particular, in product design and development). The paper concludes by summarizing the key methods and tools that enable Lean in NPI, and by discussing the key adjustments required to the manufacturing/operations definitions of waste and value to accommodate the demands of effective and efficient NPI.


India is an agrarian country and more than 60 percent of population depends on the agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture is the main source of income for major part of country's population. Crops ranging from medicinal to cereal are produced in India. Owing to continuous requirement of increase in production and in-order to maintain balance between demand and supply, it is imperative that crop damage is minimized. This gave rise to demand for various technologies for crop monitoring. These include identification dry or wet field, insect attack, weed or fungal infestation or weather related damages. Continuous monitoring by an individual is not possible and to reduce this burden diversified real time monitoring systems have been developed to do the job. This paper presents a generalized system model for crop monitoring, the proposed model consist of Raspberry pi, Arduino mega 2560, Zigbee and sensors such as temperature sensor, soil moisture sensor and Humidity sensor. Further it also summarizes various crop monitoring techniques that have evolved during last decade. Keywords— Wireless Sensors,Arduino,Raspberry Pi,Zigbee. Precision Crop Monitoring For Sugarcane And Corn 290  Corn: It is one of the most important cereal crop and contributes a lot to food security in most of the developing countries. Corn is one of the most functional crop accomaditing under varied agro-climatic conditions. Corn has an ability for being cultivated in variety of soils ranging from loamy sand to clay loam. In India after rice and wheat, Corn is emerging as the third most important crop.owing to increase in demand in poultry, livestock sectors etc. To meet these demands, enhancement in corn production is a big challenge in the era of climate change. Corn shares 9% of the total agriculture production in India.The Major states producing Corn are: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. Figure 1: Major Crops in India Figure 2: System Model Figure 2 depicts generalized block diagram for crop health monitoring. The proposed system model consists of a Control unit (Arduino mega 2560) interfaced with three sensors i.e. Temperature sensor, Soil moisture sensor and Humidity sensor. Sensor interfaced with Arduino Mega 2560 interprets the values sensed by the three sensors using optimized algorithms already burnt in Arduino Board. The data collected is transferred using ZigBee to Central Processing Unit ( Raspberry pi(model B)). Readings are monitored and displayed on Raspberry pi board's display panel; so that optimum measures can be taken on divergence from ideal values, required for healthy growth of crop. The ideal temperature for healthy growth is 37 0 . DHT22 is used to monitor parameters humidity and temperature and EDC-274921 is used monitor soil moisture. CPU apart from monitoring ideal conditions for healthy growth, CPU also keeps a track on diseases that might infect the crop, this is Control Unit


Pessaries with clindamycin phosphate as active component were prepared by moulding. Glycerol-gelatin basis was used as the hydrophilic basis. The pessaries were made with and without the surface-active agent Tween 80 as an excipient. The content of clindamycin phosphate in all samples was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based on the calibration curve of clindamycin phosphate standard solution. The clindamycin phosphate content in the glycerol-gelatin pessaries with or without Tween 80 was optimal. Preparation of extemporaneous (magistral) medicines provides personalization of therapy and the possibility of selection of the most appropriate basis for the specific active substance, which also influences the effectiveness of the therapy. The active substance content in the magistral preparations is not subject to veri-fication in the everyday pharmacy practice. However, by validating the technological process of manufacture and by controlling the quality of the obtained preparations, the choice of the basis in the magistral medicine preparation can be optimized. In this manner, the guidelines for the galenic preparation, including pessaries, can be given to ensure their optimal therapeutic effect.


Presence of anti-citrullinated polypeptide antibodies (ACPA) is one risk factor of bone erosion of the joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, bone absorption in the whole body is still not clarified in a longitudinal study.The aim of this study is to clarify effects of ACPA on bone mineral density (BMD) decrease using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in patient with RA using retrospective longitudinal cohort study.Patient with RA who were measured BMD in lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (TH) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at first consultation (baseline) and were treated for more than five years, were recruited. Follow-up started at BMD measurement and continued until the development of the first fracture or censoring at death, loss to follow-up or end of the study. Every patients have been followed up with monitoring of SDAI and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) at every another to three months. Sharp/van der Heijde Score (SHS) was measured at baseline and every another year thereafter. BMD were measured every six months. Relationship between BMD and candidate risk factors including ACPA positivity and serum titer level, and other variants for BMD loss were evaluated statistically using linear regression analysis. Evaluations were performed for the absolute value of BMD and Z-score at baseline, mean value of these during follow-up, and change from baseline. Change of Z-score during follow-up was also compared between groups what classified according to ACPA positivity (ACPA positive/negative group).A total of 222 patients were recruited including 17 male (7.7%) and 205 female (92.3%). The mean age of the patients was 69.2 years old. Mean disease duration at baseline and follow-up length after baseline were 6.4 and 63.3 months, respectively. Mean SDAI score, HAQ score and SHS at baseline were 22.2, 0.516, and 6.6, respectively. The mean ACPA level and positive rate were 202.1 and 77.5%, respectively.Higher ACPA titer level correlated significantly low BMD and Z-score in TH (p<0.05), whereas ACPA positivity significantly correlated with low Z-score in LS and TH during follow-up using univariate models (p<0.05). The ACPA positivity also correlated with decrease of Z-score in both LS and TH using univariate models (p<0.05), whereas no significant correlation demonstrated using multivariate model.Change of Z-score in the ACPA positive group was significantly lower than in the ACPA negative group despite no significant difference of disease activity between the two groups demonstrated (p<0.05) (Table 1).Table 1.Comparison of the two groupsparametersACPA-positive (n=172)ACPA-negative (n=50)p-valuefemale (%)91.396.50.10at baselineage (year-old)65.471.3<0.001disease duration (months)7.74.6<0.001RF (IU/L)138.3 (197.1)21.5 (49.3)<0.001SDAI26.3 (24.0)21.0 (17.8)<0.05HAQ0.496 (0.618)0.553 (0.639)0.48SHS8.4 (8.2)3.5 (5.0)<0.001BMD in LS (g/cm2)0.825 (0.167)0.849 (0.156)0.23BMD in H (g/cm2)0.700 (0.140)0.710 (0.132)0.75Z-score in LS-0.246 (1.300)0.123 (1.392)<0.05Z-score in TH-0.062 (1.034)0.261 (1.020)<0.05at follow-upfollow-up length (months)64.865.40.65SDAI4.5 (3.1)5.1 (4.4)0.22HAQ0.495 (0.616)0.516 (0.544)0.32SHS8.1 (8.2)3.4 (4.8)<0.001BMD in LS (g/cm2)0.839 (0.171)0.870 (0.165)0.16BMD in TH (g/cm2)0.710 (0.118)0.713 (0.115)0.99Z-score in LS-0.008 (1.361)0.368 (1.426)<0.05Z-score in TH0.129 (0.902)0.396 (0.891)0.11anti-osteoporotic drug administered, ever (%)73.469.80.72GCS administered, ever (%)35.832.90.68The values are presented as mean (SD) unless indicated otherwise.Statistically significant within 0.05 are shown as bold styles.Presence of ACPA potentially have an independent risk of BMD decrease. Its action affects regardless gender and age.None declared


Copper-catalyzed electrochemical selective cage B-H oxygenation of o-carboranes has been achieved for the first time. Under constant electric current (4.0 mA) at room temperature, copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of carboranyl amides with lithium phenolates results in the formation of B(4,5)-diphenolated-o-carboranes via direct B-H activation, whereas the use of lithium tert-butoxide affords B(4)-monooxygenated products. This reaction does not require any additional chemical oxidants and generates H2 and lithium salt as by-products. The control experiments indicate that a high valent Cu(III) species is likely in-volved in the reaction process.


We have shown that in situ tip self-heating by the emitted electron current can be used to make the current-voltage characteristics of microfabricated field emitter tips nearly identical to one another. The resulting improved emission uniformity could make it possible to realize the full potential of field-emission cathodes to produce current densities of the order of 10/sup 3/-10/sup 4/ amps/cm/sup 2/ averaged over the area occupied by an array.


With the growing complexity of document contents and the significant increase of domain knowledge, it is difficult for knowledge receivers to understand specific domain knowledge. However, traditional knowledge extraction schemes usually provide complete documents to knowledge receivers and much time is required for knowledge receivers to acquire domain knowledge. The concept of component-based knowledge is to divide documents into several knowledge components corresponding to more specific domains, which can be used to reduce the time required for the knowledge receivers to search the specific domain knowledge. Moreover, since the figures and tables in a document usually contain the important implicit knowledge expressed within the document, the aim of this research is to extract the knowledge components from documents (e.g. industry yearbooks) on the basis of figures and tables. In this research, a knowledge component extraction model with two algorithms, namely the keyword mapping algorithm and sentence mapping algorithm, is developed. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology, a web-based knowledge component extraction system is also established based on the proposed model. Furthermore, Taiwan Logistics Yearbooks are applied as examples to evaluate the proposed model. The verification results show that the developed system is a high-performance knowledge component extraction system. As a whole, this research provides an approach for knowledge receivers to efficiently and accurately acquire domain knowledge.


A surface integral equation method with multibranch Rao–Wilton–Glisson (MB-RWG) basis functions for scattering from dielectric objects is proposed based on the electric and magnetic current combined field integral equations (JMCFIE). The MB-RWGs are defined at the boundaries between dense and coarse meshes and can keep the current continuity. Thus, the JMCFIE with MB-RWGs allows different surfaces of the dielectric models to be independently discretized by triangles with different sizes. Compared with the conventional JMCFIE, the JMCFIE with MB-RWGs increases the flexibility of mesh generation, which is attractive for multiscale dielectric models. Furthermore, the iterative convergence of JMCFIE with MB-RWGs is similar to that of conventional JMCFIE. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method.


Martin Sauvage's book La brique et sa mise en oeuvre en Mesopotamie des origines a l'epoque achemenide (1998) provided a comprehensive survey of brick in Ancient Mesopotamia. It measured the size of bricks and showed how they changed in format, looked at mortar types and bonding patterns at different sites and traced the use of fired bricks and sun-dried bricks. The Indus Civilisation flourished about the same time but no similar study has ever been carried out on its brickwork. This research aims to provide just such a study. The world today is facing depleting energy resources. For a country like Pakistan the case is even worse, where the gap between generation and consumption is constantly rising. Therefore, it is needed to efficiently utilize the scarce energy resources. Thus, the architects should pay attention to design and build such constructions that consume comparatively lesser amount of energy. The much acclaimed solution is the constructions of eco buildings. This research dresses the said issue.


J Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967) was the pampered, precocious elder son of wealthy German-Jewish parents. He attended the Ethical Culture Society school in New York City, graduated from Harvard, and then spent an unhappy year doing experimental physics in Britain at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. In 1926 he moved to Germany, where he blossomed as a theorist learning the new quantum physics. On the continent, Oppenheimer (or Oppie, Oppy or Opje as he would be variously called) got to know Paul Dirac and I I Rabi. Just before his 23rd birthday, he secured his doctorate as a Wunderkind with the future Nobelist Max Born at Gottingen.


Needs of contents recommendation technologies are increasing as the number of the media content on TV and Internet is increased. For the precise recommendation, researches on collaborative filtering recommendation system are increasing. But these researches have problems in scalability and cold-start. To solve these problems, this paper proposes the recommendation system based on user's content consumption according to watching time pattern and objects of interest. For this, we extract objects of interest from 259 media contents and 157 users and then calculate preference scores. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system comparison tests are done with the results of the existing collaborative filtering systems.


The objectives of the research are to describe: 1) the teachers' discipline
improvement program at SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta; 2) the teachers'
discipline improvement program implementation at SD Negeri Cengklik
Surakarta; 3) results and follow up of the teachers' discipline improvement
program implementation at SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta, and 4) the supporting
and inhibiting factors in teachers' discipline improvement program
implementation at SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta.
The type of the research is a qualitative research. The design of the
researh is ethnographical design. The research was undertaken at SD Negeri
Cengklik Surakarta. The data collecting method is done using observation, indepth
interview, and document techniques. The data analysis is done using
interactive model consists of three main components, namely data reduction, data
display, and verification.
The research concludes that: 1) the teachers' discipline improvement
program at SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta was settled based on need analysis. The
teachers' discipline program are in the form of teachers' discipline improvement
through direction, guidance, and development and supervision stimulus or
motivation; 2) the teachers' discipline improvement program implementation at
SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta done in 4 (four) strategies, namely: a) the principal
provide direction, b) the principal provide guidance, c) the principal provide
development stimulus and suervision, and d) the principal provide reward; 3)
results and follow up of the teachers' discipline improvement program
implementation at SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta effect the teachers' assessment
and school achievement, and 4) the supporting factors in teachers' discipline
improvement program implementation at SD Negeri Cengklik Surakarta cover
motivation and support provided by the principal and teachers' enthusiasm to
improve their self disciplin, and the principal's model. The inhibiting factors in
teachers' discipline improvement program implementation at SD Negeri Cengklik
Surakarta cover internal problems from the teachers themselves, namely teachers'
laziness and possible personal matter experienced by the teachers.


An object of the present invention is to provide a flame-retardant resin composition that is formed by melting mixture including components (A), (B), (C), and (D). In the mixture, based on the total content of components (A), (B), (C), and (D), the component (A), which a is polyphenylene ether, in a content of 10 % by weight or more but less than 45 % by weight, a component (B), which is a hydrogenated copolymer principally comprising an aromatic vinyl monomer unit and a conjugated diene monomer unit, in a content of 20 % by weight or more, a component (C), which is a styrene resin and/or olefin resin, in a content of 0 % by weight or more, and a component (D), which is a metal phosphinate, in a content ( ) of 2 % by weight or more. The component (B) comprises a polymer block (B1) with the aromatic vinyl monomer unit as content and a hydrogenated ethylene block (B2) mainly comprising an aromatic vinyl monomer unit and a conjugated diene monomer unit, the an aromatic vinyl monomer unit in the B2 is by mass of 20% to 95%.


The carbides U3Si2C2 and U20Si16C3 have been prepared in well crystallized form from the elemental components by arc-melting and subsequent annealing slightly below the melting point in a high-frequency furnace. The crystal structure of U3Si2C2, previously reported with the composition 'U3Si2C3', was determined from single-crystal X-ray data and refined to a residual of R= 0.026 for 236 structure factors and 12 variable parameters. It is of a new type with tetragonal symmetry: I4/mmm, a= 357.35(5) pm, c= 1888.2(3) pm, V= 0.2411 nm3, Z= 2. The uranium and silicon atoms form a distorted body-centred cubic arrangement. The carbon atoms are on octahedral interstitial sites with five uranium and one silicon neighbours. The Si—C bond distance of 193(2) pm corresponds to a single bond. The compound may therefore be written as (3U4+)12+(2SiC6–)12–. The crystal structure of U20Si16C3 is confirmed by a refinement from single-crystal diffractometer data: P6/mmm, a= 1037.7(2) pm, c= 800.5(1) pm, Z= 1, R= 0.036 for 199 F values and 24 variables. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate spin–glass behaviour and a strongly temperature-dependent paramagnetism for U3Si2C2 and U20Si16C3, respectively. Both compounds are metallic conductors.


in resisting the south-easterly thrust to which these structures are due, and that it has even operated in the formation of the phyllites of the " Llanberis slate zone," while it has sheltered the region to the north-west from cleavage and intrusion. The western district, being less affected and not possessing a resisting mass, has lagged behind the eastern, so that faulting and dynamic changes in the diabases have taken place about the junction region of Tremadoc. The foci of the main eruptions bear a relation to this thrust, and are found along a line to the south-east of, and parallel to, the Llyn Padarn ridge, indicating that the thrusting had begun before the vulcanicity. The eruptive material, if of intermediate character to begin with, seems to have segregated before eruption occurred, so that the lavas are of acid character; the diabases on the other hand, owing to their density, were intruded as sills at lower levels, possibly in part during the main vulcanicity, but also and chiefly after the surface flows ceased ; still later and lower are found the ultrabasic intrusions. In this work we have a very large amount of observation and inference which will form a most useful groundwork when the district is studied minutely and mapped in detail, and then only can its deeper and more complicated problems be unravelled.—W. VV. W.


Microcalorimetric, infrared spectroscopic, and reaction kinetics measurements are combined with quantum-chemical calculations based on density-functional theory to investigate the selective reduction of acetic acid, methyl acetate, and ethyl acetate over silica-supported copper catalysts. Experimental values for initial heats of dissociative adsorption of methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, acetaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol on silica-supported copper are estimated to be 124, 130, 130, 128, and 140 kJ mol−1, respectively. These values are in agreement with adsorption energies predicted from DFT calculations using Cu13 clusters. Experimental values of activation energies for the dissociation of acetic acid, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and acetaldehyde on copper are estimated to be 83, 67, 62, and 75 kJ mol−1, respectively. Results from DFT calculations also indicate that the activation energy for dissociation decreases from acetic acid to methyl acetate to ethyl acetate. The rate of reduction of n-alkyl acetates appears to be determined by the dissociative adsorption of these molecules and by the hydrogenation of surface acyl species.


The work "Decision-making system of the European Union", launched in Portuguese in 2011, offers Brazilian and Latin American readers a current, pragmatic and critical view of the functioning of European integration. Translated from French (Le fonctionnement de l'Union europeenne, Editions de l'Universite de Bruxelles, 2011, also to be published in English by Palgrave Macmillan), the work is the result of years of research and teaching by authors in the field of european studies. Conceived mainly for teaching purposes, the book should interest professors, undergraduate and graduate students who seek a historical and political panorama of the ups and downs of the most studied regional experience to date.


There has been considerable discussion over the years about what design research is. I have never believed that this was a particularly fruitful debate (although I have entered into it myself at times) - we should just get on with it. I made this point in the launch issue, hoping the journal would be a valuable outlet for design research of all kinds. This volume illustrates that this is occurring - we are publishing papers which report design research in a number of ways, with the emphasis this time on user research.


Objective
To summarize the lung HRCT findings of lung Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in children.

Methods
A total of 54 children with lung LCH pathologically proved in our institute from September 2006 to December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were subdivided into two subgroups, diffuse type (n=29) and localized type (n=25). In addition, 32 children with LCH but without pulmonary infiltration were selected as control group. HRCT findings of 54 LCH with lung involvement were reviewed and analyzed for distribution pattern. The age of onset, illness duration and pulmonary function were compared between the lung LCH group and the control group. The differences of HRCT findings in LCH patients between diffuse type and localized type were compared with χ2 test. The differences on the onset age, illness duration and pulmonary function between the LCH group with lung involvement and control group were compared with non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney U Test) . The differences of pulmonary function between the LCH group with lung involvement and control group were compared with Fisher exact probability test.

Results
The signs of pulmonary LCH on HRCT included lobular hyperinflation (n=26), interlobular septa thickening (n=11), cystic lesions (n=11), ground-glass opacity (n=10), nodules (n=9), and centrilobular nodules (n=6). The signs presented in 21, 8, 7, 9, 4 and 6 cases in diffuse type group respectively and 5, 3, 4, 1, 5, 0 in localized type group. Among them, lobular hyperinflation, ground-glass opacity and centrilobular nodules were more prevalent in the diffuse group. The difference was statistically significant (χ2=14.77, 2.01, 0.55, 4.84, 0.06 and 3.91, P 0.05) and pulmonary function between two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusions
Lobular hyperinflation, ground glass opacity and centrilobular nodules are the most common manifestations in LCH patients with lung involvement and the distribution is mostly diffuse. Nodules, cystic lesions and interlobular septa thickening may exist. Several signs may coexist simultaneously. Younger children with LCH are more vulnerable to lung involvement.

Key words:
Child; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-cell; Tomography, X-ray computed


The transverse-electromagnetic (TEM) propagation constants for extremely low frequency (ELF) daytime propagation in the earth-ionosphere waveguide have been calculated for frequencies of 5-2000 Hz. The recently developed theory of Greifinger and Greifinger and the Wait very low frequency (VLF) exponential ionospheric-conductivity profile have been used in the analysis. It is shown that the resulting values of ELF attenuation rate, phase velocity, and ionospheric-reflection height are in excellent agreement with the measured data.


Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia (HOB), identify hospital-level predictors, and to evaluate the feasibility of an HOB metric. Methods: We analyzed 9,202,650 admissions from 267 hospitals during 2015–2020. An HOB event was defined as the first positive blood-culture pathogen on day 3 of admission or later. We used the generalized linear model method via negative binomial regression to identify variables and risk markers for HOB. Standardized infection ratios (SIRs) were calculated based on 2 risk-adjusted models: a simple model using descriptive variables and a complex model using descriptive variables plus additional measures of blood-culture testing practices. Performance of each model was compared against the unadjusted rate of HOB. Results: Overall median rate of HOB per 100 admissions was 0.124 (interquartile range, 0.00–0.22). Facility-level predictors included bed size, sex, ICU admissions, community-onset (CO) blood culture testing intensity, and hospital-onset (HO) testing intensity, and prevalence (all P < .001). In the complex model, CO bacteremia prevalence, HO testing intensity, and HO testing prevalence were the predictors most associated with HOB. The complex model demonstrated better model performance; 55% of hospitals that ranked in the highest quartile based on their raw rate shifted to a lower quartile when the SIR from the complex model was applied. Conclusions: Hospital descriptors, aggregate patient characteristics, community bacteremia and/or fungemia burden, and clinical blood-culture testing practices influence rates of HOB. Benchmarking an HOB metric is feasible and should endeavor to include both facility and clinical variables.


The quantitative analysis of ethylene (or propylene) in the commercially important ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers has been the subject of considerable research. Although NMR is the most useful method, it does present certain problems such as solubility and cost. IR is therefore still preferred from the industrial point of view. In IR, most of the work has been done on high-ethylene-content EP copolymers, with the use of conventional grating spectrophotometers. The two IR regions usually employed are at 1460–1380 and 1160–720 cm−1, and these have been studied for blends of homopolymers ranging from 0–100 wt % polyethylene (PE) and for random copolymers containing 42–66.7 wt % PE. The analyses are based on measurements of the ratios of absorbances at 1380–1460 and 1160–720 cm−1, as well as the ratios of peak areas for the two IR regions. Difficulties arise when one is attempting to accurately measure absorbance or peak area ratios at the two extremes of the concentration ranges.


This paper concerns itself with the synthesizing and confirming of the main molecular: trans 9, 10 diphenyl 9, 10 dihydro 9, 10 penanthrenediol, which is of chela shape. The crystal structure, determined by X ray diffraction, belongs to the monoclinic system, space group P2 1. The unit cell parameters are: a=1.446 7(3) nm , b=0.949 7(2) nm , c=1.487 2(3) nm , β=112.75(3)°,Z=2, V=1.884 4(9)nm 3.


Purpose This study evaluated the efficacy of alveolar ridge preservation methods with and without primary wound closure and the relationship between histometric and micro-computed tomographic (CT) data. Materials and Methods Porcine hydroxyapatite with polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was implanted into a canine extraction socket. The density of the total mineralized tissue, remaining hydroxyapatite, and new bone was analyzed by histometry and micro-CT. The statistical association between these methods was evaluated. Results Histometry and micro-CT showed that the group which underwent alveolar preservation without primary wound closure had significantly higher new bone density than the group with primary wound closure (P<0.05). However, there was no significant association between the data from histometry and micro-CT analysis. Conclusion These results suggest that alveolar ridge preservation without primary wound closure enhanced new bone formation more effectively than that with primary wound closure. Further investigation is needed with respect to the comparison of histometry and micro-CT analysis.


Introduction The reported incidence of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after lumbar fusion ranges from 8 to > 100%, average 27%. Another literature review reported that 5.2 to 18.5% of patients required surgery for adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion surgery. Posterior dynamic stabilization systems may prevent the development and progression of ASD after surgery. Hybrid dynamic stabilization with posterior spinal fusion, or "Topping-off surgery," is applied in patients with preoperative adjacent segment degeneration. The objective of this approach is to protect the degenerative adjacent segment from progressing. Efficacy of this procedure is debated. The objective of this study was to evaluate intervertebral disk changes of the dynamically stabilized spine segment in patients receiving single-level intervertebral fusion and adjacent segment dynamic stabilization using the Isobar (Alphatec Spine, Inc.) semirigid dynamic stabilization system. Materials and Methods Twenty-seven patients with confirmed degenerative disk disease were enrolled in a retrospective study. Patients received single level intervertebral fusion and dynamic stabilization of the adjacent level using the Isobar semi-rigid dynamic stabilization system. Patient outcomes were evaluated by visual analogue scale for pain (VAS) and Chinese version of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Intervertebral space ratio (IVS) and range of motion (ROM) were measured on plain radiographs. MRI relative gray-scale values of the central bright area of discs were analyzed by Image J software. Results Of the 27 patients, 16 were male and 11 were female. Ages ranged from 31 to 65 years (average 47 years). Average duration of surgery was 213 (SD = 52) minutes and average blood loss was 225 mL (SD = 105). The average follow-up time was 27 months, ranging from 24 to 40 months. There was no significant change in relative gray-scale value of adjacent disc between preoperative and two year follow-up (23.98 ± 8.86 and 22.22 ± 6.25, respectively, p = 0.46). Relative gray-scale values of first cephalic adjacent disc were reduced at 2 years follow-up compared with baseline (28.63 ± 8.35 and 32.54 ± 10.75, respectively, p = 0.06). Significant difference was found in relative gray-scale value of second cephalic adjacent disc between baseline and 2-year follow-up (35.51 ± 8.15 and 29.29 ± 7.56, respectively, p < 0.01). The inter-vertebral space (IVS) of index level was maintained after the surgery (Table 1). There was no statistical difference between the IVS before the surgery and final follow-up (p = 0.33). The range of motion (ROM) of the adjacent level was reduced from 6.91 ± 3.14 preoperatively to 2.46 ± 1.03 degrees at the final follow-up (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the index level ROM among any of the follow-up times. VAS and ODI scores significantly improved preoperatively to final follow-up (VAS: 6.12 ± 0.80 and 1.65 ± 0.69, respectively, p = < 0.01; ODI: 54.91 ± 10.96 and 14.61 ± 3.88, respectively, p = <0.01). One patient received a debridement due to wound infection after operation, but the fixation system and interbody cage were not removed. This patient recovered well after the debridement. At the 2-year follow-up, one patient had two screw fractures at S1 level and another patient had two screws loosen. Conclusion Dynamic stabilization of the level adjacent to the fused level using the Isobar TTL Semi-rigid Spinal System seems to prevent progression of degenerative changes in the stabilized spine segment and is associated with favorable patient outcomes. Disclosure of Interest Q. Zhou: Conflict with Third Military Medical University, AO International R. Shi: None declared B. Kopjar: Conflict with AO Foundation, Smith & Nephew, Cerapedics H. Wang: None declared D. Chen: None declared H. Li: None declared N. Di: None declared F. Luo: None declared F. Dai: None declared J. Xu: None declared


CPU scheduler is a very important key concept in operating system which affects scheduling objectives and criteria. Choosing or modifying scheduling policy for running threads depends on predefined and specific objectives and criteria. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of thread weight readjustment scheduler (TWRS) for multithreaded processes in multitasking operating systems from the view point of throughput. TWRS is a proportional share CPU scheduler designed for scheduling multithreaded processes. In this work, we make change kernel performance significantly by modifying just few key parameters. We propose TWRS which preallocates certain amount of CPU time to each thread of the multi-threaded processes. The scheduler was implemented and evaluated under specific hardware and software environment. According to our evaluation results, our scheduler is promising to optimize some scheduling criteria.