The Middle-East-Respiratory-Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a beta coronavirus. Camel is the primary source of MERS-CoV. The incubation period is up to 14 days. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the major source of reported cases. Case definition of MERS-CoV can be classified to person under investigation (PUI), probable case, presumptive confirmed case, and confirmed case. Transmission of MERS-CoV is mainly via droplets. Currently, there is no specific antiviral therapy for MERS-CoV infection, only infection precaution is effective. Larger clinical trials are needed to identify the effective antiviral therapy.


Norbert Wiener's Cybernetics was one of the most influential scientific books of the twentieth century. This article looks at the early French reception of cybernetics, using texts by Pierre de Latil, Georges-Théodule Guilbaud, and Albert Ducrocq to explore how its themes and ideas were mediated to a French audience. First, it shows how a process of 'domestication' took place, in which cybernetics was resituated within a wider French-European history of science, and in which the translation of some of its key terms ('control', 'feedback') resulted in a relatively more disseminated lexical field in the French language. The article then examines the representation of technology in the three texts, showing how their extensive work of definition, classification, and explanation of machine culture could be said to constitute a distinctively 'French' mediation of cybernetics, in many ways more systematic than that of Wiener's founding texts. While from the point of view of the history of ideas the informational–theoretical strand of cybernetics can be seen to feed directly into structuralism, it is argued that its operational strand, involving the mediation of a new technical culture, made an equally important contribution to subsequent thinking and debate about science and technology in post-war France.


An agent-based simulation model hierarchy emulating disease states and behaviors critical to progression of diabetes type 2 was designed and implemented in the DEVS framework. This model was built to approximately reproduce some essential findings that were previously reported for a rather complex model of diabetes progression. Our models are translations of basicelements of this previously reported system dynamics model of diabetes. The system dynamics model, which mimics diabetes progression over an aggregated US population, was disaggregated and reconstructed bottom-up at the individual (agent) level. Four levels of model complexity were defined in order to systematically evaluate which parameters are needed to mimic outputs of the system dynamics model. The four estimated models attempted to replicate stock counts representing disease states in the system dynamics model while estimating impacts of an elderliness factor, obesity factor and health-related behavioral parameters. Health-related behavior was modeled as a simple realization of the Theory of Planned Behavior, a joint function of individual attitude and diffusion of social norms that spread over each agent's social network. Although the most complex agent-based simulation model contained 31 adjustable parameters, all models were considerably less complex than the system dynamics model which required numerous time series inputs to make its predictions. All three elaborations of the baseline model provided significantly improved fits to the output of the system dynamics model, although behavioral factors appeared to contribute more than the elderliness factor. The results illustrate a promising approach to translate complex system dynamics models into agent-based model alternatives that are both conceptually simpler and capable of capturing main effects of complex local agent-agent interactions.


Hypoxia stimulates tumor angiogenesis by inducing the expression of angiogenic molecules. The negative regulators of this process, however, are not well understood. Here, we report that hypoxia induced the expression of insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐6 (IGFBP‐6), a tumor repressor, in human and rodent vascular endothelial cells (VECs) via a hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐mediated mechanism. Addition of human IGFBP‐6 to cultured human VECs inhibited angiogenesis in vitro. An IGFBP‐6 mutant with at least 10,000‐fold lower binding affinity for IGFs was an equally potent inhibitor of angiogenesis, suggesting that this action of IGFBP‐6 is IGF‐independent. The functional relationship between IGFBP‐6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a major hypoxia‐inducible angiogenic molecule, was examined. While VEGF alone increased angiogenesis in vitro, co‐incubation with IGFBP‐6 abolished VEGF‐stimulated angiogenesis. The in vivo role of IGFBP‐6 in angiogenesis was tested in flk1:GFP zebrafish embryos, which exhibit green fluorescence protein in developing vascular endothelium, permitting visualization of developing blood vessels. Injection of human IGFBP‐6 mRNA reduced the number of embryonic inter‐segmental blood vessels by ∼40%. This anti‐angiogenic activity is conserved in zebrafish because expression of zebrafish IGFBP‐6b had similar effects. To determine the anti‐angiogenic effect of IGFBP‐6 in a tumor model, human Rh30 rhabdomyosarcoma cells stably transfected with IGFBP‐6 were inoculated into athymic BALB/c nude mice. Vessel density was 52% lower in IGFBP‐6‐transfected xenografts than in vector control xenografts. These results suggest that the expression of IGFBP‐6 in VECs is up‐regulated by hypoxia and IGFBP‐6 inhibits angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.


Workstations of a computer network can be used to implement a parallel processing system. In this method the existing network equipment can be used without any extra hardware cost for parallel processing. The aim of this paper is the development of a fault tolerant parallel processing system on an Ethernet LAN with IBM PC workstations. One of the application of the above system is in medical image processing in a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), to be used in the hospitals. For example, if a group of ultrasound images are produced in a medical examination, a noise rejection filter program must be applied on all of the images. In this system, the client has a number of input files and executable ones. Each of the server workstations must load one of these input files and its related executable one. Then, it executes the loaded task and prepares the output file for the client. This system must be fault tolerant, because if a server crashes or is turned off by its user or an infinite loop error occurs, and so on, the client must detect the fault and prevent the system failure. If a software or hardware error is detected, the uncompleted task will be put on a wait state to be loaded by another server. The number of clients or servers is arbitrary and variable during the operation of the system. We have compared two fault tolerance approaches that can be used to design the above system: Watchdog timer and periodic signal transmission. Then, the Watchdog timer was selected in conjunction with a fault counting approach to be used in the parallel processing system. A shared data structure file in the file server's disk is used for communication between clients and servers. Each client uses this file for management of its tasks and monitoring of the operation progress. Finally, the experimental results of the system are presented.


This paper presents an efficient asynchronous protocol to compute RSA inverses with respect to a public RSA modulus N whose factorization is secret and shared among a group of parties. Given two numbers x and e, the protocol computes y such that ye≡x (mod N). A synchronous protocol for this task has been presented by Catalano, Gennaro, and Halevi (Eurocrypt 2000), but the standard approach for turning this into an asynchronous protocol would require a Byzantine-agreement sub-protocol. Our protocol adopts their approach, but exploits a feature of the problem in order to avoid the use of a Byzantine agreement primitive. Hence, it leads to efficient asynchronous protocols for threshold signatures and for Byzantine agreement based on the strong RSA assumption, without the use of random oracles.


Systems with the so‐called "additive" property are studied. This kind of system is an abstract in the language of systems theory of some useful structures in mathematics, such as topology. Some mapping properties between additive systems are given and open questions are posed.


The analysis of process of wear of ship internal combustion engine and methods of his modeling is carried out. The dependences for calculation of coefficient of friction with it's further application for calculation the speed of wear rate are presented, offered by professor L.I. Pogodaevym.


13 July 2017 Information Recovery in Dynamic Economic systems George Judge* ABSTRACT: To make predictions pertaining to the statistical equilibrium of a dynamic economic system, we investigate, from an ordinal point of view, a basis for extracting qualitative information from non-linear times ordered observations. In contrast to traditional system analysis, ordinal patterns are used to gain an insight into the underlying intrinsic information hidden in the dynamics of economic systems. When combined with information theoretic entropy based divergence methods this permits model free prediction of the ordinal accessible patterns-paths and a basis for quantifying the probability distribution associated with the statistical equilibrium of a dynamic economic system. Keywords: Adaptive behavior, Causal entropy maximization; Information Theoretic Methods; Minimum Power Divergence; Permutation Entropy; Statistical Equilibrium. JEL Classification: C1; C10; C24 *George G. Judge, Professor of ARE and the Graduate School, 207 Giannini Hall, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720 (e-mail: email@example.com). It is a pleasure to acknowledge the helpful comments of S. Berto Villas-Boas., G. Elliot, J. Lee, M. Phuong, H. Qian and A. Plastino.


My research examines the relationship between state liabilities, with a focus specifically on unfunded pension liabilities, and state borrowing costs. This study is also important for examining the market discipline hypothesis, which states that sovereign bonds' default risk premium can be used to discipline irresponsible sovereign borrowers. My study provides some hope that financial markets are providing discipline to states that incur unfunded pension liabilities. Investors consistently price in these unfunded liabilities in risk spreads, and in my regressions, pricing in unfunded pension liabilities even appears to be more consistent than pricing in debt. The results in this study suggest that, at least during non-crisis times, investors are treating unfunded liabilities as they would any other state debt. However, my qualitative research of both unfunded pension liabilities and deficits suggest that there are reasons for caution as well. My analysis finds that only at a time when both these fiscal issues become dire do state governments feel the need to respond to these liability issues. The nonlinearity of the credit supply curve may not provide enough incentive to curb these borrowers in the pre-crisis phase and may provide a disciplining effect only during a crisis. If high unfunded pension liability or deficit states are forced to deal with their problems during a crisis, this may lead to massive pension benefit and expenditure cuts that could severely hurt the citizens in these states.


The prime concern of this study is to probe the relationship between Islamic work ethics (IWE) and employee turnover intention (TI) with the mediation of organizational justice (OJ). Studying this relationship is significantly new in the corporate sector of Pakistan. A sample of 550 employees from the corporate sector of Pakistan was carried out. The results accumulated from the study indicated that Islamic work ethics can play a vital role in the development and progress of organizations as a remedy for modern organizational, social and cultural issues in corporate sector of Pakistan. A questionnaire containing 40 items was adopted. Middle and senior management staff of 32 corporate sector organizations from 10 cities of Pakistan are taken as participants. The results showed that the Islamic work ethics and turnover intention are negatively associated. The mediating effect of overall organizational justice has shown positive mediation between Islamic work ethics and turnover intention. The study concluded that the idea of IWE works as a remedy for the growing ethical crisis of corporate sector organizations of Pakistan which should be infused in organizational culture for sustainable organizational performance and growth.


The term 'environmental framework legislation' seems to be the new 'buzzword' in environmental management and governance discussions. The current trend is to introduce environmental framework legislation in order to ensure 'an integrated, ecosystem-orientated legal regime that permits a holistic view of the ecosystem, of the inter-relationships and inter-actions within it, and of the linkages in environmental stresses.' Framework legislation aims to define overarching and generic principles in terms of which sectoral-specific legislation is embedded, as well as to enhance co-operative environmental governance amongst fragmented line


Elastohydrodynamic lubrication is a form of hydrodynamic lubrication involving physical interaction between two contacting surfaces and liquid where elastic deformation of the contacting surfaces due to heavily loading applied will affect the elastohydrodynamic pressure and fluid film thickness significantly. In this paper, a line contact EHL is modeled through the cylinder contact to a flat surface to represent the application of roller bearing. This solution is limited to two dimensional line contact problem only, an infinite length of cylinder was used as physical modeling. The behavior of non-Newtonian fluid also was investigated using power law fluid model. Bearing speed is to be assumed in steady state and temperature is assumed constant. The bearing performance parameters such as pressure and film thickness of lubricated contacts are calculated using Newton-Raphson method.The results show that the peak pressure increases as the parameters such as velocity, load and material parameter were increases and the spike was found to shift to the center of roller. The film was almost flat at contact region and formed a dimple shape near the outlet flow. The value of pressure spike and minimum film thickness were smaller at lower speed and were increased during raising speed then the peak point was found to be shifted to center of roller.


Fluidized bed spray granulation is used to produce porous granular particles from suspensions, solutions, and melts. In this work, the drying of the spray and the drying of the particles in the fluidized bed are simulated using the Two Fluid Model (TFM) with the Eulerian-Eulerian approach. Using the wetted surfaces of the particle, the dust integration is implemented. The model is used to simulate the particle growth for a semi-batch fluidized bed spray granulation process.


The beam energy feedback system in Beijing electron positron collider II (BEPCII) linear accelerator consists of three parts. They are the beam energy measurement Input/Output Controller (BEM IOC), the Graphical User Interface (GUI) based on Qt platform and the phasing system. This article describes the implementation of this system and the online testing which has been passed on March 16th, 2016. By using this feedback system, the injection rate and the energy fluctuation of the injection beam has been improved a lot. Now this system is steady running in the control room of BEPCII linear accelerator.


This paper is focused on the new automated fire control system for artillery units PVNPG-14M, especially on interoperability and standards. Artillery units of the Army of the Czech Republic, reflecting the current global security neighbourhood, can be used outside the Czech Republic. The paper presents principles, evolution and functionality in the framework for the project through the establishment of strategic and conceptual context and the examination of Network Enabled Capability (NEC) activities and Interoperability Standards, makes proposals for engagement with NATO and coalition agencies, programs and projects, and offers starting point for project and moreover set up the new artillery full-automated system for fire control. The Czech Artillery units need to have intuitive system for mathematical computations what assures prediction capabilities for adequate fire support provision PVNPG-14M should be the best choice in current


INTRODUCTION: Skeletal muscle angiogenesis induced by aerobic exercise training (ET) is crucial in the improvement of the aerobic capacity. The endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) derived from bone marrow have been described for promoting both the vascular repair and angiogenesis. Although the role of the ET on the parameters of the EPC has been investigated, the effect of different volumes of ET on the EPC function in bone marrow, skeletal muscle metabolic alterations and capilarization are unknown. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that ET improves the EPC function in bone marrow, accompanied by an increase of skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and angiogenesis dependents of the increase of volume of ET. METHODS: Twenty one Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: sedentary control (SC), trained protocol 1 (T1) and trained protocol 2 (T2). T1: swimming training consisted of 60 min, 1x/day/10weeks, with 5% body weight load. T2 the same as T1 until 8th week, in the 9th week the rats trained 2x/day and in the 10th week 3x/day. RESULTS: ET promoted resting bradycardia, increase of exercise tolerance, peak oxygen uptake and citrate synthase enzyme activity in the T1 group, being these adaptative responses exacerbate in the P2 group, indicating that the aerobic condition was improved in this group. ET improved the EPC function of the bone marrow in T1, and the response was exacerbed in T2 group. In parallel, an increase in the number of capillaries dependent of ET volume was also observed. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the bone marrow as the main reservoir of EPC is influenced by different ET volume, possibly being responsible for the improvement of aerobic performance observed by higher endogenous EPC mobilization, active participants in the process of angiogenesis induced by ET.


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An analysis on the fundamental components of a partially integrated flywheel energy storage (FES) system was conducted. These components included the flywheel and supporting shaft (rotor); supporting bearings; motor/generator unit and containment structure. A set of key system design parameters were established to which the component properties were modelled from. The analysis included three-dimensional stresses exerted on the rotor, required containment structure thickness and bearing power losses for both active magnetic and mechanical contact types. The component models were applied to the existing designs from Hebner, Beno and Walls (2002), Jordan, Herbst and Hayes (2002) and Hearn et al (2007). The results from these comparisons found energy storage capacities in the near vicinity of the expected values with design stresses within material limitations. Justifications involving inaccurate modelling assumptions, material choices and the possibility of shafts with varied diameters were pinpointed for the discrepancies. An optimisation model including both a global heuristic and derivative-dependant local scheme was then developed to determine the design parameters values which achieved an energy storage capacity at an optimised system mass or cost. Specified bounds were set specific to the required design and constraints created from the modelled components. The transit bus FES system from Jordan, Herbst and Hayes (2002) was optimised for the purpose of validation and comparison. The mass-focussed optimisation returned a carbon fibre composite flywheel paired with a steel shaft, achieving a specific energy storage capacity of 12.06 Wh/kg at a specific power output of 860 W/kg. The optimiser was found to minimize both the flywheel height and angular velocity in an attempt to reduce the mass of the greatest contributing component: the containment structure. The cost-optimised model was achieved with an aluminium alloy flywheel paired with a steel shaft and returned a specific energy storage capacity and power output pair of 5.52 Wh/kg and 393.43 W/kg respectively, placing both designs in the expected FES performance bracket specified by Briat et al (2007). The lower steel shaft cost of $1/kg vs $2/kg for the aluminium alloy flywheel resulted in the optimiser increasing the size of the shaft to within specified bounds to reduce the requirement of the more expensive flywheel material.


We present optical, radio, and X-ray observations of a rapidly evolving transient SN2019wxt (PS19hgw), discovered during the search for an electromagnetic counterpart to the gravitational-wave (GW) trigger S191213g. Although S191213g was not confirmed as a significant GW event in the off-line analysis of LIGO-Virgo data, SN2019wxt remained an interesting transient due to its peculiar nature. The optical/near-infrared (NIR) light curve of SN2019wxt displayed a double-peaked structure evolving rapidly in a manner analogous to currently known ultrastripped supernovae (USSNe) candidates. This double-peaked structure suggests the presence of an extended envelope around the progenitor, best modeled with two components: (i) early-time shock-cooling emission and (ii) late-time radioactive 56Ni decay. We constrain the ejecta mass of SN2019wxt at M ej ≈ 0.20M ⊙, which indicates a significantly stripped progenitor that was possibly in a binary system. We also followed up SN2019wxt with long-term Chandra and Jansky Very Large Array observations spanning ∼260 days. We detected no definitive counterparts at the location of SN2019wxt in these long-term X-ray and radio observational campaigns. We establish the X-ray upper limit at 9.93 × 10−17 erg cm−2 s−1 and detect an excess radio emission from the region of SN2019wxt. However, there is little evidence for SN1993J- or GW170817-like variability of the radio flux over the course of our observations. A substantial host-galaxy contribution to the measured radio flux is likely. The discovery and early-time peak capture of SN2019wxt in optical/NIR observations during EMGW follow-up observations highlight the need for dedicated early, multiband photometric observations to identify USSNe.


The mono-2-ethyl phosphate salt is a kind of novel amphoteric surfactat.The choice and technology of the phosphation reagent were investigated.The effects of the feeding way of phosphoros pentoxide,the raw material ratio,the reaction temperature and time on the content of monoalkyl phosphate were studied.The optimum conditions of preparation were determined on the basis of experimental results.Firstly,the compound Ⅰ-were produced at the condition of catalyzing with inorganic acid at 160 ℃ for 4 h.Secondly,the compound Ⅱ--(aliphatic carbonnyloxo)ethylaminoethyl]monophosphate was obtained by the reaction Ⅰ and P2O5 at the mole ratio of 3/1.The reaction temperature was 140 ℃;the esterifying time was 5 h.Finally the production was got by neutralizing with KOH.The detecting of surface tension proved that the compound has superficial activity.They are characterised by fine antistatic,nice softness and less tendency to get yellowing of the treated fabric.Therefore they are very promising.


Although Korean archaeologists' interests were mainly concentrated in much older remains spanning from prehistoric to ancient ages, the remains from archaeological excavations for the tombs with lime-soil mixture barrier (LSMB) during Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) appear to give useful information for understanding Korean society several hundred year before. In this study, we will review herewith the brief history of adoption of tombs with LSMB as state burial system of Joseon Dynasty and report our accumulated data on various remains from the tombs with LSMB, including clothes, documents or even the best preserved mummies. Since our previous works on the tombs with LSBM could provide novel findings useful for understanding the society and people of Joseon Dynasty, the study on tombs with LSMB will continue to be performed with close collaboration of historians, archaeologists, and medical scientists in Korea.


Objective To investigate the effect of family nursing intervention on infant brain injury rehabili-tation therapy. Methods 102 cases of brain injury infants were randomly divided into observation group(32 cases),intervention group(38 cases) and control group (32 eases), respectively. The patients in observation group received routine treatment, while those in intervention group received family nursing intervention based on routine treatment.The children in control group whose parents refused the comprehensive rehabilitation therapy. All subjects were as-sessed by Gesell test before and after rehabilitation treatment. Results Compared with the control group patients, all indicators in the observation group and the intervention group were significantly improved. There were also signifi-cant differences between observation group and the intervention group( P < 0.01 ). Conclusion Family nursing in-tervention can significantly improve the effect on infant brain injury rehabilitation therapy.

Key words:
Family nursing;  Brain injuries;  Rehabilitation;  Infant, newborn


Aim: A case control study to compare the clinical profile of chronic obstructive lung diseases patients in acute exacerbations and stable COPD with age and sex matched controls and to compare the various parameters and its relation in terms of outcome in patient with COPD stable and acute exacerbations with age and sex matched controls. Methodology: It includes 60 cases of stable and exacerbation COPD patients each and 60 controls. COPD diagnosed according to GOLD guidelines. Mean platelet volume and high sensitive Creactive protein was measured in COPD patients. Results: The MPV in the controls, stable cases group and for exacerbation group was 9.48±1.46, 8.26±0.58 and 8.21±0.46 fl respectively. The mean platelet volume of the stable cases those with FEV1 less than 30% had a mean platelet volume of 7.72±0.44 fl, and those within FEV1 30-50% and 50-80% had mean of MPV as 8.08±0.30 fl and 8.67±0.49 fl respectively. The mean platelet volume of the exacerbation cases those with FEV1 less than 30% had a mean platelet volume of 7.56±0.35 fl, and those within FEV1 30-50% and 50-80% had mean of MPV as 8.09±0.41 fl and 8.4±0.20 fl respectively. The p value for this comparison was observed to be 0.9301 which is non-significant Conclusion: Mean platelet volume is easily accessible low cost marker. The present study shows that a decrease of mean platelet volume occurs when COPD exacerbation inflammatory processes occur. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 26-02-2018 Date of acceptance: 15-03-2018 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This study aims to describe and explain the application of caning in Aceh in terms of human rights. Since the issuance of the legal instrument of Aceh Qanun Number 6 of 2014 there have been pros and cons in the community regarding this punishment. This research method uses normative or doctrinal, the data collection process is carried out by reviewing literature that is relevant to the problems written by the author. The result of this research is that the caning punishment in Aceh cannot be said to violate human rights. Because in its implementation it is very concerned about the safety aspect for convicts of whipping. In contrast to imprisonment, the caning sentence after the execution process of the convict can immediately return to normal activities and caning can teach the community not to commit violations.


The design of signals is an important part of satellite navigation systems.The compatibility of Compass system's signals is analyzed by comparing with other satellite navigation systems such as GPS and Galileo in this paper.Parts of performances are simulated in the worst receiving conditions of Compass signals when Galileo's authority signals power is enhanced.


The main purpose of the study is to find the effects of weight training on physical fitness components of CBSE school students. For the purpose of the study 30 students were selected randomly from School of Scholars, Amravati. Age of the subjects ranged from 13 to 15 years. All the subjects were having four day weight training program. A specific weight training programme was conducted for the duration of seven weeks. The following physical fitness components were selected for the studypull ups, sit ups, 50 yard dash, shuttle run, standing broad jump and 600 yard run/walk. A pre and post physical fitness test were conducted before and after the training programme. For analyzing the data, mean, Standard deviation and t-test were computed by means of Microsoft Excel 2007. The standard authorise beginners weight training programme was adopted for this paper. In the beginners training programme beginners need to run slow and concentrate on the basic exercises and avoid over training at any cost. If you are underweight then just run 3-4 days a week and if you are overweight then add cardios 2-3 time a week after exercise. The data collected on 30 subjects before and after Seven week training program of weight training on physical fitness variables were analyzed by using the 't' test. The result of the effect of seven weeks weight training program had shows improved performance with regard to pull-ups, sit-ups and standing broad jumps components, which is significant.


The genus Macrohynnis was described by Förster (1856) without any included species. The first included species or the type species of the genus, M. lepidus, was described by Mayr (1904) from Förster's collection. Two other species have been described from Europe: M. rufiventer Kieffer, 1908 and M. fragilis (Nixon, 1957) as Cinelaptus fragilis. The Holarctic species were revised by Macek (1997). He synonymized M. rufiventer with M. lepidus and gave the world distribution of M. lepidus: Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Canada and USA. He described a new Holarctic species M. ferrugineus Macek from the Czech Republic, Austria, Canada (most records) and USA. Macrohynnis fragilis is very rare and according to Nixon (1957) and Macek (1997) altogether five females have been reported from Austria, Slovakia and Ireland. The three European species are rare and seldom collected. For instance, when Wolter Hellén (1964) treated the Finnish belytine fauna on the basis of 4500 specimens, he did not find the genus Macrohynnis from Finland. Two species have been reported from N. Europe: M. fragilis from Sweden (Landin 1971) and M. lepidus from Finland (Macek 1997). Author VV found the first specimen of M. fragilis in 1963 from eastern Finland. In this paper we treat the distinguishing taxonomic characters of the species and summarize what is known about the species of the genus in Finland and North Europe.


The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire world. The industry experienced a significant downturn. Unprecedented global travel restrictions and government instructions to stay at home are causing the most significant disruption to the global economy. Many hotel employees have been laid off both formally and informally in the current pandemic situation. It results in people losing their income. This study aims to analyze the strategies used by human resources in the tourism sector, especially hospitality, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to survive in the middle. This study uses an approach using descriptive analysis. Informants who previously worked in the tourism sector and made Covid-19 adapt and implement various strategies simultaneously to survive and be resilient during the pandemic. The methods used to collect data are questionnaires and interviews. The analysis in this study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method. The research findings reveal the dominance of the strategies adopted by key informants. Entrepreneurial orientation, motivation and effort are the most prominent approaches in an active strategy to solve problems. Former hoteliers gain resilience to survive during the pandemic by empowering skills from past work experience in star hotels and conducting retraining programs through government policies. Human resources in the tourism sector are expected to foster social-based entrepreneurship or opportunities and needs-based entrepreneurship so that businesses remain stable in the future.


Music in any culture is composed of 12 notes in an octave. It has been found that, the effect is pleasing, if the notes are related to each other by simple ratios like 3/4, 4/3 etc. However, this necessitates unequal distance between successive notes. That makes transposition difficult. The Western instruments makers evolved scale called equi-tempered scale, in which note frequencies are in geometric progression, whereas Indian classical music emphasizes on purity of notes. An octave is divided into 22 intervals called shrutis (microtones) in Indian classical music. In this paper we present analysis of some recorded samples to find out the exact frequencies of shrutis.


Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(OFDM) is an effective transmission scheme for coping with the impairment,such as co-channel interference,serve multi-path-fading and impulsive parasitic noise.However,a major bottleneck of OFDM system is the high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio(PAPR) of the OFDM signal,which would cause the inter-modulation distortion and the system performance degradation.How to effectively reduce PAPR of input OFDM signal of the amplifier thus becomes an important issue,which is necessarily to be addressed in OFDM systems.So,an improved PTS algorithm is proposed.


365Background: Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a lethal disease subset with median overall survival of less than 1 year from time of detection. The treatment strategy against NEPC is not yet established. Some clinical trials are ongoing now. Recently, clinical trial (RADIIANT4) showed that treatment with everolimus was associated with significant improvement in survival in patients with progressive lung or gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. And FDA approved new indication for everolimus for progressive, nonfunctional GI and lung neuroendocrine tumors last year. In this study we tried to introduce everolimus against pathologically proven NEPC and investigated the clinical outcomes of this agent. Methods: Total of seven cases were included in this study. All cases were proven the existence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer pathologically. Everolimus (10mg/d) were introduced into all cases. We investigated the neuroendocrine tumor markers (neuron-specific enolase: NSE, and pro-gastrin-releasing...


This paper reports on the findings from a doctoral study examining critical thinking in Nursing practice in New Zealand.
The term 'critical thinking' has conflicting definitions in Nursing, For some, it is an analytical linear problem solving approach within defined parameters, while for others it demands an engagement with underpinning theoretical and philosophical influences. Critical thinking is, however, considered crucial and essential for Nurses to determine what knowledge to use, what care to provide, and how
to decide the best way to deliver this care (Alfaro-LeFevre, 2009; Benner, Hughes & Sutphen, 2008; Brunt, 2005; Distler, 2007; Fesler-Birch, 2005; Martin, 2002; Profetto-McGrath, 2005; Scheffer,& Rubenfeld 2006; Simpson & Courtney, 2002). Yet, exactly what is required when Nurses critically think
is not clearly articulated within Nursing theory and practice. The study identifies assumptions about critical thinking within Nursing theory and clinical practice, and the way in which a number of discourses position and influence Nurses' professional identities. These findings have international relevance for the Nursing profession and indeed other health professionals. The expectation that
critical thinking should be the ultimate aim of any higher education endeavour highlights this (Moore, 2011).


The first example of the title reaction using air as an economical oxidant and Tms-CN as cyanide source is reported.


In order to predict the variations of the channel ionic resistance with time, we follow the framework proposed by Taylor and Aris to analyze our results. We consider here a channel of radius R, length L, and the diffusion coefficient of the salt in the solution is D. Solving the Navier-Stokes equation for a cylindrical channel, under the assumption of no-slip boundary condition, the velocity profile reads:


The response of steady-state fluorescence (Fs) to irradiance in apple (Malus pumila Mill. cv.Tengmu No.1/Malus hupehensis Rehd.) leaf increased and decreased at light levels below and above 400mmol.m-2.s-1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), respectively, while the light-adapted maximalfluorescence (Fm') and minimal fluorescence (Fo') decreased constantly with the increasing PPFD, andthe closure of photosystem Ⅱ reaction center (PSⅡ RC) increased continuously, reflected by thechlorophyll fluorescence parameter of (Fs-Fo')/(Fm'-Fo'). These facts indicated that decrease of Fsabove 400 mmol.m-2.s-1 PPFD was not caused by closure of PSⅡ RC, but was mainly resulted from theprocess of light transfer from light-harvesting complexⅡ (LHCⅡ) to PSⅡ RC. In the presence of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), an inhibitor of photosynthetic state transition, Fs kept on increasing in apple leaf atlight levels from 400 to 700 mmol.m-2.s-1, which was the photosynthetic saturation irradiance of appleleaves. In addition, Fs still increased at light levels over 700 mmol.m-2.s-1 in apple leaf pre-treated withdithiothreitol (DTT), an inhibitor of xanthophyll cycle. These changes showed that state transition andxanthophyll cycle caused a decrease of Fs in apple leaf at light levels below and above the photosyntheticsaturation irradiance, respectively. When apple leaf was pre-treated with NEM, the PSⅡ apparent rate ofphotochemical reaction (P-rate) and photochemical quenching (qP) decreased significantly in the lightrange of 600-800 mmol.m-2.s-1, but the non-photochemical quenching (qN) existed a small increase at600-800 mmol.m-2.s-1 and a decrease above 800 mmol.m-2.s-1. These phenomena suggested that statetransition was mainly a photochemical and a non-photochemical process in apple leaf responding to lightlower and higher than photosynthetic saturation irradiance, respectively.


Purpose: To estimate the absorbed dose for a range of settings of CT topograms and scans to determine the best technique for node localization in breast lymphoscintigraphy while minimizing the dose to the patient. Method and Materials: This study was performed with an anthropomorphic thorax phantom on a Symbia‐T6® SPECT/CT to produce mechanically registered datasets [Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Hoffman Estates IL]. The data included a SPECT, anterior and lateral topograms, a CT, and static anterior and lateral emission scintigrams. CT topograms and scans were acquired at 80, 110, and 130 kVp with varied mAs settings to compare the quality of the images and dose estimates for lower dose settings. Scintigram and SPECT scans were fused to each topogram and CT, respectively, to allow for qualitative comparison of localization. Exposure measurements for topograms were acquired using an ion chamber at isocenter, and entrance skin doses were estimated for the CT topograms. A CTDI body phantom was used to acquire data for estimation of effective dose for the CT scans.Results: The skin dose for a CT topogram ranges from 0.089 mGy to 0.235 mGy, and the effective dose for the CT scan ranges from 0.308 mSv (lowest dose settings) to 5.265 mSv (clinical scan setting). Qualitative comparison showed the 80 kVp, 20 mA topogram and 110 kVp, 10 mAs CT to be sufficient for localization. The skin dose is 0.089 uSv and the effective dose is 0.392 uSv for these techniques, respectively. Conclusion: The absorbed dose to the patient can be substantially reduced for CT topograms and CTs that are to be used for localization. These do not have to be of diagnostic quality in order to provide enough anatomical information to localize the sentinel nodes in breast lymphoscintigraphy. Conflict of Interest: Research sponsored by Siemens Medical Solutions USA.


In 2013, Chris Date published a book about the view update problem in the context of the Relational Model. He presented several detailed examples of different varieties of view updates and characterised their behaviour, in the process deriving a set of principles for updating views based on the notion of information equivalence of view schemas. In this paper we discuss work in progress that examines how Date's operational definition of information equivalence can be formally characterised using Hull's concept of relative information capacity. As a proof of concept, we use an extension of Miller's schema intension graph formalism to model the information equivalence of Date's restriction view example.


We consider the following game between a questioner and a responder, first proposed by Ulam [9]. (A variation of this game was independently proposed by Renyi, see [5].) Both Renyi and Ulam were motivated by questions arising from communication over noisy channels. The responder thinks of an integer x ∈ {1, . . . , n} and the questioner must determine x by asking questions whose answer is 'Yes' or 'No'. The responder is allowed to lie at most k times during the game. Let qk(n) be the maximum number of questions needed by the questioner, under an optimal strategy, to determine x under these rules. In particular, Ulam asked for the value of q1(10) (as this is related to the well-known 'twenty questions' game). It follows from an observation of Berlekamp [1] that q1(10) ≥ 25 and


Complex mechanical behaviours are generally met in macroscopically homogeneous media as effects of inelastic responses or as results of unconventional material properties, which are postulated or due to structural systems at the meso/micro-scale. Examples are strain localization due to plasticity or damage and metamaterials exhibiting negative Poisson's ratios resulting from special porous, eventually buckling, sub-structures. In this work, through ad hoc conceived mechanical paradigms, we show that several non-standard behaviours can be obtained simultaneously by accounting for kinematical discontinuities, without invoking inelastic laws or initial voids. By allowing mutual sliding among rigid tesserae connected by pre-stressed hyperelastic links, we find several unusual kinematics such as localized shear modes and tensile buckling-induced instabilities, leading to deck-of-cards deformations—uncapturable with classical continuum models—and unprecedented 'bulky' auxeticity emerging from a densely packed, geometrically symmetrical ensemble of discrete units that deform in a chiral way. Finally, after providing some analytical solutions and inequalities of mechanical interest, we pass to the limit of an infinite number of tesserae of infinitesimal size, thus transiting from discrete to continuum, without the need to introduce characteristic lengths. In the light of the theory of structured deformations, this result demonstrates that the proposed architectured material is nothing else than the first biaxial paradigm of structured continuum—a body that projects, at the macroscopic scale, geometrical changes and disarrangements occurring at the level of its sub-macroscopic elements.


*1 Plant Engineering & Design Unit, Engineering Department, Plant Engineering Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. *2 Vice President, MHIEC Environment (Beijing) Co., Ltd. *3 Chief Staff Manager, New Product Development Unit, Technology Department, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. *4 Manager, Maintenance Technology & Engineering Unit, Maintenance Service Operation Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. *5 Chief Staff Manager, Plant Engineering & Design Unit, Engineering Department, Plant Engineering Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. Development and Actual Operation of Sludge Dryer for High Viscosity Sludge


The occurrence, induction, or inhibition of preferential enrichment is described for four new analogous racemic ammonium sulfonates. Racemic [2-[4-(2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropoxy)phenylcarbamoyl]ethyl]trimethylammonium p-nitrobenzenesulfonate [(±)-1a] showed preferential enrichment in EtOH, but the efficiency was modest. The deposited crystals were an α1-form or a mixture of the α1-form and a new μ-form, depending on the solvent used. The terminal p-fluorophenoxy analogue (±)-1b showed more efficient preferential enrichment in EtOH, followed by the exclusive deposition of the α1-form crystals. On the other hand, (±)-[2-[4-(2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropoxy)phenylcarbamoyl]ethyl]trimethylammonium p-toluenesulfonate [(±)-2a] failed to show preferential enrichment in any solvent to give the μ-form deposited crystals exclusively, whereas the terminal p-fluorophenoxy analogue (±)-2b showed very efficient preferential enrichment in EtOH, accompanied by the exclusive deposition of the α1-form crystals. Addition of the α1-f...


We are among the scientists objecting to the eco-certification of Ross Sea Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), as described by E. Stokstad in his News Focus story "Behind the eco-label, a debate over Antarctic toothfish" (24 September, p. 1596). The public perceives a certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to mean an environmentally friendly fishery, not one characterized by the "dearth of key data" as indicated in the article.


Petra in southern Jordan was an important political and commercial center in Classical Antiquity. The urban origins date to ca. 3rd c. BCE, and the city flourished during the Nabataean period, when the Petra valley became the location of spectacular monuments. In 106 CE, Petra and the Nabataean Kingdom were annexed by the Roman Empire and the city became the most prominent center of Roman Arabia. On May 19, 363, Petra was struck by a disastrous earthquake, from which it never fully recovered. During Late Antiquity, Petra was the capital of the Byzantine province Palaestina Salutaris/Tertia and the seat of the Christian metropolitan see. The 6th c. is particularly illuminated through the Petra Papyri, a corpus of Byzantine Greek documents, but the city is not mentioned in post-6th-c. sources. Archaeological data indicate that, by the mid-7th c., large parts of the Petra valley were abandoned, and urban existence had ended everywhere by the 8th c. (if not earlier), although a Christian population still inhabited the valley at the time of the Crusades.


This article presents a theoretical summary of the source code static analysis, its definition, uses and applications, how static analysis is performed, their intermediate representation formats, models and most common analysis techniques, ends up presenting a set of free and freely available downloadable static analysis tools, academic software tools developed by scientists during their research work (The paper is written in Brazillian Portuguese).


Uranium resource is the basic resources for the development of nuclear industry and strategic resources for the development of nuclear energy, which is also an important factor to realize the sustainable development of nuclear power. More than 1000× uranium resource exists in seawater than in terrestrial ores. With the demand on nuclear electricity increasing in the coming decades, extracting uranium from seawater is the most promising and feasible solution to the shortage of conventional uranium resources. Extracting uranium from seawater, as a comprehensive and practical event, meet several great challenges. Firstly, the uranyl ions concentration in seawater is ultralow (3.3 μg/L), and the concentration of coexisting ions is much higher than uranyl ions. Secondly, the high salinity or ionic strength, the temperature and the specific pH value in seawater is usually stable. Thirdly, biofouling and flowing water may influence the physical and chemical properties of the adsorbents, which also reduces the reusing rate of the adsorbents. So the core of research on extracting uranium from seawater is searching and preparation for adsorbents with high efficiency, selectivity, durability and reusability. The adsorbents contains inorganic adsorbents and polymeric adsorbents. Inorganic adsorbents like metal oxides and MOFs, perform high surface area and adsorption rate in low pH value, but cannot be widely used in real seawater. Polymeric adsorbents like poly(amidoxime) is widely used in recent researches, they perform well in selectivity, adsorption capacity and durability. Polymeric adsorbents are mainly prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). In this paper, the research advances on extracting uranium from seawater in China is introduced on uranium adsorbents, adsorption mechanism and marine tests. Although extracting uranium from seawater is widely paid attention to since 1960s, there are still countless problems to solve. Firstly, the mechanism research on extracting uranium from seawater is usually simplified because there are too many complex factors in seawater. Secondly, the current preparation methods are still much too complicated, so the materials' costs are still very high. Thirdly, there is no specific standard for the evaluation of the adsorbents, which is bad for the optimization of uranium adsorbents. Fourthly, the marine environment factors, like seawater temperature and seawater velocity, may influence the adsorption process. Finally, the engineering of marine tests needs more experience to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency. Only by solving the above problems, can the goal of extracting uranium from seawater be achieved. Firstly, establish a database to improve the depth and systematic of theoretical research, so that we can grasp the methods to design a new adsorbent with high properties. Secondly, introduce new preparation methods, new device and new materials to the extracting uranium from seawater area. Thirdly, build a public testing platform and develop standardized methods to evaluate the performance of the uranium adsorbents. Fourthly, investigate the influence of marine environment factors on adsorbents performance in real seawater. Finally, attempt more marine tests for the optimization of the adsorbents and extracting devices to reduce the costs. So that the engineering of extracting uranium from seawater can finally achieved in the future.


This article presents the philosophical perspective on death based on the Vedantic worldview from India within a psychological frame of reference of the transactional analysis concept of the Cultural Parent. A model of ego states of a spiritually integrated person is described as an antithesis to fear of death. The Vedantic concepts of brahman, atma, yoga, karma, dharma, and satchidananda, which form the basis of an explanation of the Vedantic view of death, are explained. The implications of such a worldview on the practice of transactional analysts are also briefly discussed.


To evaluate the effect of five consecutive phenylene units on the properties of anion conductive polymer membranes, a series of quaternized copolymers (QP-QAF) composed of quinquephenylene and fluorene groups functionalized with pendant hexyltrimethylammonium groups were designed and synthesized. Precursor copolymers, QP-AF, with controllable copolymer compositions were synthesized by Yamamoto coupling reaction as high molecular weights. Quaternization of QP-AF using dimethyl sulfate followed by solution casting provided bendable and tough QP-QAF membranes with the ion exchange capacity (IEC) ranging from 0.80 to 2.78 mequiv g–1. The QP-QAF membranes contained phase-separated morphology due to the hydrophilic/hydrophobic differences in the components as confirmed by TEM images. High hydroxide ion conductivity (up to 134 mS cm–1 in water at 80 °C) was obtained with the membrane (IEC = 2.25 mequiv g–1). The membranes were stable in strongly alkaline conditions (∼4 M KOH at 80 °C) for 1000 h. An H2/O2 alkali...


The relationship between chaos and cryptography makes it natural to employ chaotic systems to design new cryptosystems. It is based on the facts that chaotic signals are usually noise-like and chaotic systems are very sensitive to initial conditions. Their sensitivity to initial conditions and their spreading out of trajectories over the whole interval seems to be a model that satisfies the classic Shannon requirements of confusion and diffusion (Shannon, 1949). From 1989 onwards, many different chaotic encryption systems have been proposed. The most celebrated cryptosystems based on the ergodicity property of ABSTRACT


Cubic-phase zirconia nanoparticles modified with univalent surface cations have been prepared through a low-temperature solvothermal method. The obtained products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The surface of the nanoparticles has also been modified by divalent and trivalent cations, such as Mg2+ and Al3+, via ion exchange. The surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy and surface photocurrent (SPC) spectroscopy measurements show that the surface cations on nanoscaled ZrO2 exert significant influence on the generation of charge carriers and the transportation of the generated charge carriers between nanoparticles. The effect of surface cations on the photoelectric conversion properties of the zirconia nanoparticles has been elucidated on the basis of theoretical calculation.


Research on teachers' professional practices to facilitate equity and social justice has often focused on pedagogical approaches or dispositions aligned with this aim. Less attention has been given to how interactions with material contexts, tools, or resources can also contribute towards such a purpose. This article reports on a study that sought to investigate the ways material resources served as a vehicle to promote social change and educational equity in a culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood classroom. The study reports on objects from the classroom of Valentina, a mid-career Latina preschool teacher in an urban context. Data sources were multiple observations of Valentina's teaching, audio-recorded and transcribed interviews, lesson plans, and reflections on her practice. Employing a new materialist theoretical lens, analysis suggests that the micropolitics of classroom activity reflect inter/intra-actions with myriad tools (i.e., objects) with the agentic capacities to advance educational equity. Classroom objects were chiefly employed to promote student learning. Nonetheless, they were also repurposed, both by Valentina and by her students, in ways that highlighted the objects' agentic capacities. Recommendations for future research on objects are provided.


Abstract:  Limited information is available on racial offending patterns of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs). This study used a 30‐year U.S. Supplementary Homicide Reports sample of SHOs arrested in single‐victim situations (N = 3745). The analysis strength was used to determine whether the findings yielded meaningful patterns for offender profiling. Several important findings emerged for the juvenile offenders. Juvenile White SHOs were likely to target victims with whom they shared a mutual relationship. In contrast, Black juveniles were equally likely to murder strangers and those with whom they had prior and familial relationships. Notably, no juvenile Black SHOs were arrested for murdering intimate partners. Juvenile White SHOs were twice as likely to use edged weapons as their Black counterparts. Black juveniles, conversely, were more likely than White juveniles to use personal weapons. Beyond these findings, known victim–offender relationships and weapon used may not have significant utility for investigators in identifying the SHO race, even after controlling for offender age. Limitations and future directions are discussed.


Transgenic and gene-targeting techniques usingmice are increasingly common tools in the study of human gene function and investigating human genetic diseases in the mouse represents a tremendous chance to understand the physiopathology and to propose some therapeutic approaches for human patients. Spontaneous and induced-mouse mutations are also a critical resource in the characterization of previously uncloned genes of biological importance, and the analysis of phenotypic differences between strains has become important in dissecting the effects of genetic background or as a tool in quantitative trait locus analysis. Mice share almost their whole genome with humans so that less than 1% of the genes of both genomes do not share any homology and homologous genes are found as conserved syntenic regions in preserved order and relative orientation (Waterston et al. 2002). Finally, mouse genetics offers a large panel of techniques allowing very precise genomic manipulation (van der Weyden et al. 2002). The scientific community now faces the Phenomic Era. Genetically modified mice will be created for all known genes so that the in vivo information on gene function will spread out enormously. This will speed up the development of objective and standardized criteria and new, cost-effective, high-throughput phenotyping tools and methods to assess specific components of nervous system function and complex behaviors in the laboratory mouse. This supplement on Mouse Models in Neuroscience Research presents parts of the work carried out in Spain by researchers studying animal models in neuroscience research at the molecular, biochemical, pharmacological, anatomical and functional levels to test hypotheses associated with human neurological disorders. The four papers are examples of very different uses of mice and discuss neurobiological, molecular, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches to very different biological problems. The papers presented are good examples of the validity and importance of mouse models for neuroscience research as tools for functional gene identification as well as providing new and unique altered phenotypes for physiological and behavioral research.


Abstract:Soon after China reportedly achieved the goal of poverty alleviation in most regions ahead of schedule, a campaign of "follow-up check" of the deviations in policy implementation became a key task for local governments from 2019 to 2020. A case study of town H in province M during the "follow-up check" period revealed that local governments at various levels enjoy different authorities in goal setting, inspection, and incentive provision. However, the campaign-styled "follow-up checks" cannot meaningfully overcome the problem of inefficient governance. As the work of poverty alleviation comes to an end, local governments are under time pressure to solve protracted problems, uncertain about whether the higher-level government over them will exercise its authority in inspection and job acceptance. Local governments tend to displace the original goal with new and additional work targets to ensure successful acceptance of their jobs by the upper-level government. This study observes the practice of "follow-up checks" of poverty alleviation and provides an explanation for different governmental behavior taken in campaign-styled governance.


Hardware memory caches improve memory access speed by taking advantage of the temporal and spatial locality common to most memory references. By assuming that access patterns exhibit these localities, hardware designers can optimize caches design, creating systems in which more than 95% of memory references in an average program need not access main memory. Exceptions occur in which caches display alternative access patterns which are not efficiently processed by the cache. Read-once memory accesses are one such exception. This exception occurs during multimedia playback and distributed scientific computation internode communication. It results in unnecessary cache pollution and increased cache conflict misses. We introduce a theoretical modification to the cache called noTime which enables a read-once mode for the on chip cache. This mode disables those cache functions designed to take advantage of temporal locality, while preserving the spatial locality advantages offered by the cache. We examine the effect of simulated read-once memory accesses on the performance of a standard computer, and the performance of noTime in the same environment. We present results supporting the viability of noTime as a means to improve performance in most situations involving read-once memory accesses. Acknowledgements My work on this thesis would not have been possible without the help of one person. Thanks first and foremost to my advisor, Jim Teresco. His encouragement and guidance throughout the year have been invaluable. Thanks to the all the CS faculty for their feedback, and especially to Duane Bailey, and Tom Murtagh for their advice on this project. Thanks to Mary Bailey for her help whenever I needed anything. Thanks to Shimon Rura for his support and encouragement in the lab all year, and Brent Yorgey for his feedback. Also thanks to Rachelle Hassan and Adam Ain for coming to support me at every opportunity. Thanks to all those that made the lab a great place to work, especially all the WSO guys. Finally, thank you to my family for their continued love and support: Dad, Mom, Carolyn, Adam and Becca.


Public hospitals take on responsibility of service for people's health.Loss,produced by policy in the process of medical service provided by public hospitals,should obtain compensation leading by government.However,government hasn't hold orientation and standard well on public hospitals compensation all time since more than half century.Trace it to its cause,oriented warp of compensation policy is one of important factors.Compensation policy determines orientation,standard,content,mode and so on,which is benchmark of the establishment and perfect of compensation mechanism.Thus it is necessary to retrospect and evaluate evolvement and efficiency in different periods of public hospitals compensation policy for construct scientific compensation policy to make public hospitals progress constantly.


Growth in cylindrical plant cells may occur either at the tip of apical cells or along the side walls of apical and subapical cells. In ceils elongating by tip growth, extension and primary wall synthesis are localized at the apical tip of the cell (1). Calls such as fungaI hyphae (2, 3), pollen tubes (4), and root hairs (5, 6) elongate in this way In the case of cells whose side walls grow, cellular elongation (7, 8) and wall synthesis (9) occur throughout the cells' length The pattern of cell elongation is correlated with the ultrastructure of the cell wall. For exampIe, in the wails of tip-growing cells, the polysaccharide microfibrils (often cellulosic in nature) are randomly arranged and are not rearranged during growth (11). On the other hand, in ceils whose side walls elongate, microfibrils in the wails are arrayed in a nonrandom fashion. Here, microfibrils are laid down next to the cytoplasm in a predominantly transverse ormntation and become reoriented longitudinally during growth; this pattern of growth has been called multinet growth (i1). Because microfibnllar arrangement is correlated with growth pattern, wall ultrastrneture has been used to predict the growth patterns of cells whose growth pattern is difficult to measure directly (10, 11). Although patterns of ceil elongation have been studied in fungi, green algae, and higher plants, no one has yet determined the way in which red algal ceils grow. Some reasons why these organisms may have been overlooked in such studies include their small cell size, relatively slow growth rates, and the difficulty of growing them under laboratory conditions While cell elongation patterns have not been directly investigated


To improve the motion precision and torque output of an omnidirectional microrobot, a virtual coil method was adopted. This virtual coil instead of mechanical structure control method is designed to overcome the restricts of MEMS process, increase the torque output of electromagnetic micromotor and realize the microrobot motion precision control. The results show that the microrobot is more powerful and can be applied in many fields.


The substitution reactions of oxaliplatin with Cl~- have been studied by high performance liquid chromatograph in neutral and acid aqueous solution.The experimental results show that under the condition ofCl - 0L-OHP 0 the reactions of oxaliplatin with Cl - are first order in both oxaliplatin a nd Cl - ,which have advantage over other reactions.In this paper,the p ossible mechanism has been proposed.From it,the rate law r=(K Cl k 5 ' +K 1 ' k 3 )Cl - L-OHPis deduced,which is in perfect agreement with the experiment results.Wh en excess acid is added to the systems,the reactions o f oxaliplatin with Cl - are accelerated by H + and the observed rate constants k obs are nonlinearly increased with the i mprovement ofH +orCl -.However,the rates of the reactions still follow to the first order dependence on L-OHP.In 0.9%NaCl solution,the pseu do-first-order rate constant k obs is3.6×10 -4 min -1 ,which determines that it takes less one hour for 1%~2%of oxaliplatin reacting with Cl - .As a result,the physiological saline so lution should not be used to dissolve or dilute the complex in clinical.


The article is devoted to the development of military education in the period of the military reform in Russia. The designed and tested model of educational process to develop missile officers' military and professional qualities of aerospace university students is presented in the article. It is shown how a pedagogical model, based on the synthesis of military and civil, in our case, aerospace education, makes it possible to complement and develop these educational systems and thereupon to improve the training quality of missile officers and aerospace industry specialists.


In this paper an algebraic system of the new type is proposed (namely, a vectorial lattice). This algebraic system is a lattice for the language of Aristotle's syllogistic and as well as a lattice for the language of Vasiľev's syllogistic. A lattice for the language of Aristotle's syllogistic is called a vectorial lattice on \cap-semilattice and a lattice for the language of Vasiľev's syllogistic is called a vectorial lattice on closure \cap-semilattice. These constructions are introduced for the first time.


We report trigonometric parallax measurements of masers in the massive star-forming complex W43 from Very Long Baseline Array observations as part of the Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy Survey. Based on measurements of three 12 GHz methanol maser sources (G029.86−00.04, G029.95−00.01, and G031.28+00.06) and one 22 GHz water maser source (G031.58+00.07) toward W43, we derived a distance of kpc to W43. By associating the masers with CO molecular clouds, and associating the clouds kinematically with CO longitude–velocity spiral features, we assign W43 to the Scutum spiral arm, close to the near end of the Galactic bar. The peculiar motion of W43 is about 20 km s−1 toward the Galactic Center and is very likely induced by the gravitational attraction of the bar.


Tidal flats have important roles in a coastal ecosystem as a habitat for benthic infaunal species, including commercial bivalves, and as a feeding ground for migratory species of fish and birds. Migratory species have a significant effect on the infaunal species abundance by predation. Therefore, it is important to know the type of migratory species and how often they appear on the flat. It is also important to know the abundance of commercially available and/or endangered migratory fish species (e.g., the Japanese eel). We tried to observe the migratory species on the tidal flats by using time-lapse still, infrared video, and network cameras to understand their dynamics. Commercially available cameras and hand-made underwater camera housing were used to reduce the equipment cost as low as possible. These camera observations could reveal the species composition of fish, presence of the Japanese eel, and appearance of ducks during winter on tidal flats. However, comparing the spatio-temporal difference in their abundance is difficult because underwater visibility differed among sites, and bio-fouling to the camera housing disturb the long term observation. Further impovements, such as the area estimation of the captured image and anti-bio-fouling mechanisms, are required in the future research to monitor the abundance of migratory species in tidal flats.


Objective To analyze the outcomes of radiotherapy for keloids by high energy electron beams and the factors influencing the treatment outcome.Methods From Jan 1998 to Jun 2012,846lesions in 578 patients received radiotherapy.The median age is 29 years old (range 5-80 years old).There are 841 lesions with postoperative radiotherapy and 39 lesions with skin-grafting.656 lesions treated within 1 day after operations.The max diameter of 348 keloids are > 5 cm.We used 6 MeV and 7 MeV electron-beam radiation therapy.The total dose ranging from 16-18 Gy/2f (interval 1 week).Treatment fields including entire keloid scars,and any suture/puncture holes with a 1 cm-margin around the lesion were used.The skin grafting patients need radiotherapy after the flap survived (about 10-15 days after the operation).The median follow-up period was 36 months (range 8-185 months).Results There are 736 (87.0%) of 846 lesions with radiotherapy effective.Other 89 (10.5%) lesions relapse in 4-33 months (median 12 months).21 lesions were of no avail.The univarate analysis shows that keloids length,keloids location,skin-grafting,interval between operations and irradiations are the influencing factors of outcomes (P =0.007,0.000,0.000,0.001).The multivariate analysis shows that keloids location and skin-grafting remained statistically significant differences (P =0.001,0.001).Most of the recurrence cases are large and bent scars.Conclusions High-energy electron-beam radiotherapy for keloids can receive good outcomes.Treatment fields flat is very important for electron-beam radiotherapy.

Key words:
Keloids/radiotherapy;  Radiotherapy, electron-beam;  Treatment outcome


INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. COR PULMONALE describes the
enlargement and failure of the right ventricle of the heart as a response to increased vascular resistance or increased pulmonary artery pressure.
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, hypercapnia, respiratory acidosis and pulmonary vascular remodeling in COPD can cause an increase in
right ventricular (RV) after load, which in turn, results in RVfailure leading to COR PULMONALE
AIM:The purpose of the study is to compare the ABG pattern in patients of COPD with or without COR PULMONALE.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Medicine of DMCH, Laheriasarai,
Bihar. The study was conducted with duration of 2 years. Atotal of 100 patients admitted as a case of COPD with or without COR PULMONALE.
The patients were put into two subgroups, COPD with and without COR PULMONALE.
RESULT: The mean duration was 10.17 years and 9.20 years respectively in patients with and without COR PULMONALE. There was no
statistically signicant difference regarding mean duration of disease (p value =0.304). Mean CAT score was 16.59 ± 6.26 and mean mMRC was
3.19± 0.45 in COPD patients with COR PULMONALE group. Mean CAT score was 14.06 ± 4.46 and mean mMRC was 3.10 ± 0.44 in COPD
patients without COR PULMONALE group. We found no signicant difference among these variables between groups. Although COR
PULMONALE patients had higher CATscore and mMRC score, the difference was not signicant (p value = >0.05).
CONCLUSION:ABG ANALYSIS should be recommended for all patients of COPD with or without COR PULMONALE to assess the degree of
hypoxemia, hypercapnea, respiratory acidosis and also, we can identify individuals who need more close monitoring and intensive treatment.


From early to mid-April 1975, the South Vietnamese 18th Division, defending the strategic road junction of Xuan Loc northeast of Saigon, held off massive attacks by an entire North Vietnamese Army corps engaged in a surprise assault to overrun Saigon and quickly end the war. Enduring extremely heavy fighting, they stopped the communist offensive before being ordered to retreat and help defend Saigon. While communist forces were guilty of over-confidence, the 18th Division's superb performance was largely the result of the combat skills, prior planning, and inspirational leadership of their commander, Brigadier General Le Minh Dao, who demonstrated that even in South Vietnam's darkest hour, the much-maligned soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam would fight when led by able officers.


The complex permittivity measurement of ferroelectric thin film is discussed in this paper. Considering the small thickness of ferroelectric thin film, the CPW (coplanar waveguide) with material under test (MUT) deposited on the Al2O3 is used as measurement configuration. The propagation constant is calculated and the complex permittivity of the MUT is extracted from effective permittivity by using SVR (support vector regression) method. The results show that the errors of both real part and imaginary part of the permittivity (ε′r and ε′′r ) are less than 1%.


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According to the China national programme of economic and social development, by 2000 the standard of living of Chinese people will have been fairly welloff. In order to accomplish the goal, the government has comprised the population development in the national social economic development programme. Family planning (FP) work will contribute to the general goal of social economy and development. Reform and open policy and establishment of socialist market economy sys


IN THIS brief paper, I shall touch upon a few of the many trends in food distribution during this war period. Let us note at the outset that no new form of food distribution is evolving as a result of this war. The First World War gave a tremendous impetus to chain stores, at that time a comparatively new form of distribution, that permanently changed the character of the food distributing machinery. No similar change is coming about during this war. If anything, the old and the tried systems have strengthened their positions. But in detail this big clumsy machinery of food distribution is undergoing many changes, and I shall try to summarize the principal trends.


In the past 20 years,major development has been made in horizontal drilling and production technologies applied to domestic onshore and offshore areas.How to reliably calculate the production rate by horizontal drilling process is becoming an important task to reservoir engineers.There are four methods widely applied at home and abroad at present: Joshi's method,Borisov's method,Giger's method and Renard-Dupuy's method.This paper presents a new method for it proposed by Prof.Yuanqian Chen.Under homogeneous conditions,satisfactory results can be all given by these methods.In anisotropic conditions,Joshi had given two modified methods which were widely used,but this study indicates that such modified methods have no basis from theoretic derivation,so the results are not correct.Adding theoretic analysis and derivation,this paper presents Joshi's production rate formula for horizontal well in anisotropic reservoir.Meanwhile,anisotropic corrections for other methods are made correspondingly,including calculations of different factors influencing individual productivity.Case study shows that the method proposed in this paper is proper and effective.


In this study we review the species of lizards in the genus Mesalina (Lacertidae) and present a new key for their identification. We also obtained five photos of each species from the British Museum of Natural History that illustrate the dorsal, lateral (right and left), and ventral views of the head and the femoral pores of each species. The papers with the original descriptions of each species were reviewed and used in preparation of the key. Some remarks about the habitat, natural history, updated distribution map and previous taxonomic changes are explained.


Abstract. Net radiation (Rn) is a critical variable in estimating energy balance and evapotranspiration by remote sensing techniques on a regional scale. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of estimated and measured instantaneous solar radiation (Rg) and the atmospheric correction of surface temperature by Landsat 8 images on the estimated surface Rn in northern Pantanal. Rn and meteorological factors were measured on a floodplain and on two nonflooded areas in northern Pantanal. Rg was estimated by models proposed by Zillman et al. (RgZillman) and Allen et al. (RgAllen). Surface temperature was corrected by atmospheric and emissivity effects. Annual and seasonal averages of solar radiation were not different among the experimental sites. The floodplain area featured higher net radiation than both nonflooded areas. Instantaneous Rninst estimated by measured Rg and with RgAllen were not different from measured Rninst. Rninst estimated by surface temperature was, on average, 5.7% higher, with a 22% error lower than Rninst estimated with brightness temperature. The current study highlights the possibility of estimating Rninst by RgAllen and the need for correcting the effect of the atmosphere and surface emissivity to estimate surface temperature and Rninst.


The effect of backwash rate and backwash duration on the quality of water produced by sand filters has been investigated on a plant scale. The best water quality was produced following backwash rates of 16.7 gpm per sq ft in filters with sand of effective size of 0.64 mm, even though the average sand expansion was only 17%. This observation is supported by a theoretical evaluation of the forces acting on the sand during backwash. Therefore, the early idea that 50% expansion is required for good backwashing is not supported by this research. With coarser sands being more widely used today (1966), this will mean savings in cost of backwash piping, equipment, and in filter underdrain systems. It was observed that the turbidity of the backwash water alone is not a valid indicator of the cleanliness of the sand.


Objective To study the protection of diferent selenium level to rats with chronic fluorosis.Methods 96 SD rats were randomly separated to 4 groups,100 mg/L fluorosis was added in drinking water in three tested groups.At the same time,there are two tested were supplemented selenium in fodder ,the amount ofselenium was 2mg/kg and 3 mg/kg.Rats' weight was tested every week,the amount of drinking water and diet,the excretion of urine and the contents urine fluorosis were tendentionsly surveyed every month to four months and then ,intake and excretion of fluorosis were calculated perday the contents of selenium in urine was measured in the 1th,4th month.The cases of dental fluororsis was surveyed every month.In the 4th month, the cases of skeletal fluorosis and pathological change of skeletal were surveyed.Results Fluorosis absorption increased and fluorosis excretion/fluorosis absorption rate increased and concentrition of urine fluorosis significantly increased in the early period of experiment.The cases of dental fluorosis and skeletal Huorosis decreased, Pathological materials showed that trabeculae of skeleton tissue are even in thickness or thinness (in diameter), and arrayed in order. At the same time,state of eating and drinking improved ,the weight rose and the amount of urine excretion highed.The effect said in front rose obviously in the group of 3.06 mg/kg selenium supplemented compared with the 2.12 mg/kg selenium supplemented group.Conclusions Selenium can antagon fluorosis.When the amount of selenium supplemented in fodder is below 3 mg/kg,the effect of antagonism strengthens with the amount of selenium increasing.


On Greenland, the largest island in the world, life begins and ends at the ice edge. This thin rim of ice—hikup hinaa in Greenlandic, an Inuit language— defines the line between life and death for humans and for many other species, including the polar bear. The bear is known in East Greenland as Tornassuk, the master of helpful spirits. Now Tornassuk is the one that needs help. In a photo sent around the world, a polar bear is pictured alone on an ice floe. The stranded bear has become the icon of global warming. If sea ice continues to melt at its current rate, two-thirds of the world's 20,000–25,000 polar bears could disappear by 2050. But the bear faces a more immediate threat—one that has received much less attention. Ursus maritimus, the apex predator of arctic realms, is itself shrinking. The cause is pollutants from industrialized cities. These agents of death—from mercury to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) to DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)— have made their way to the Arctic on winds and in waters and, through bioaccumulation up the food chain, into the bears' bodies. The news is especially sobering; the Arctic was one of the last places still free of chemical contaminants when Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring 50 years ago. According to Carson, the Inuit people At its most recent meeting, the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which comprises the world's leading polar bear scientists, singled out contaminants as a leading threat to the future of the polar bear. As sea ice continues to melt and evaporate, what will happen to pollutants that were once locked in a deep freeze? The answer may signal the last days of the polar bear. in Alaska, for example, were free of pesticide contamination; their diet included polar bears, among other large mammals. In Greenland and elsewhere along the Arctic Circle, researchers are taking samples of polar bear skin and fat and examining bear skulls collected over several decades. They are finding that the more recent a polar bear skull, the smaller it is. The process, say biologists, is happening so fast it might be evolution, fast-tracked.


This paper presents an overview of the work undertaken by Rolls-Royce to introduce Hot Isostatically Pressed (HIP) components into Pressurised Water Reactor plant, and also results of non-destructive and destructive examinations of a thick-walled pressure vessel. It presents the work from a design justification/manufacturing quality assurance perspective, rather than from a pure metallurgical perspective. Although the HIP process is not new, it was new in its application to Rolls-Royce designed nuclear reactor plant. As a consequence, Rolls-Royce has implemented an evolving, staged approach, starting with HIP bonding of solid valve seats into small bore valve pressure boundaries. This was followed by powder HIP consolidation of leak-limited, thin-walled toroids, and has culminated in the powder HIP consolidation of thick-walled components. The paper provides an overview of each of these stages and the approach taken with respect to justification. Mechanical testing and metallurgical examination results of sample material taken from different sections of a thick-walled component are presented. A full range of test results is provided covering, as examples: tensile, charpy and sensitization susceptibility. Differences in weldability between the HIPed and the previous forged form are also documented. The paper describes the benefits that Rolls-Royce has realised so far through the introduction of HIPed component. Structural integrity benefits are described, such as improved grain structure, mechanical properties, and ultrasonic inspection. Project-based benefits are also described, such as provision of an alternative strategic sourcing route, cost and lead-time reductions.© 2010 ASME


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative central nervous system (CNS) disease of unknown aetiology. The main biochemical disturbance of PD is hypofunction of dopaminergic nigrostriatal system in the basal ganglia. 123I-Ioflupane (DaTSCAN®) is a widely used radiopharmaceutical which consists of few cocaine derivates that selectively bind to the dopamine neurotransmitters (DAT). For the purpose of an adequate and early treatment of patients with PD, the possibility of precise and early differentiation of PD from essential tremor (ET), which is not characterized by the dopaminergic neuron, has been estimated using 123I-Ioflupane brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and combination of visual method and semiquantitative analysis of normalized activity ratio between striatum and occipital cortex. In the Clinical Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Protection the binding of DaTSCAN® (125-135 MBq) in 134 patients with clinically uncertain PD (58 male and 76 female, median 67, interquartile range 58-72 years) was investigated. Differentiation between PD and ET was based on visual interpretation and quantification of distribution of 123I-Ioflupane accumulation within regions of interest (ROI) of basal ganglia, nucleus caudatus and putamen (3-4 h p.i., 128x128 matrix, 64x30 s, 360°, LEHR parallel collimator, filtered back-projection). Results: Reduced striatal dopamine transmitters' (DAT) density was detected in 64 PD patients. Normal distribution of presinaptic dopaminergic neurons in the striatum had 70 patients with ET. Normalized activity ratio between the striatum and occipital cortex in PD patients was 0.85 (0.44-1.3) and 2.44 (1.78-3.1) in ET patients. The accumulation of 123I-Ioflupane in patients with PD was significantly reduced compared to the ET patients (in the striatum p = 5.8x10-32, in putamen p = 1.7x10-36, in caudate of advanced PD stadium p = 1.3x10-27). In the striatum, putamen, and caudate (for all p < 10-17, nonparametric ANOVA) of the PD patients accumulation of 123I-Ioflupane is progressively reducing with the advancing of PD. 123I-Ioflupane brain SPECT is a reliable and sensitive biomarker of nigrostriatal neuronal integrity in vivo that is an important addition to the clinical practice, thus enabling an early introduction of neuroprotective therapy.


The main application of photography in the nineteenth century was portraiture. This photographic practice was not immune, however, to the desire to symbolically construct an idea of a civilized Brazilian nation. Several ambiguities are thus implicated in the assumption that photography is a faithful witness. Realism would assume a fictional tone in photographic studios attempting to develop the image of a country that is civilized according to European standards. Thus, the fashionable practice at the time was not representing the nation stricto sensu but using the representation to make the nation an allegorical element.


Chapter 1. Introduction Part I. Descriptive Statistics - Seeing Clearly with Data Chapter 2. Describing Nominal and Ordinal Data Chapter 3. Describing Interval and Ratio Data - I Chapter 4. Describing Interval and Ratio Data - II Part II. Computer Assisted Statistical Analysis Chapter 5. Using SPSS Part III. Inferential Statistics - Thinking Clearly about Data Chapter 6. The Logic of Inferential Statistics Chapter 7. Finding Differences with Nominal Data - I Chapter 8. Finding Differences with Nominal Data - II Chapter 9. Finding Differences with Interval and Ratio Data - I Chapter 10. Finding Differences with Interval and Ratio Data - II Chapter 11. Finding Differences with Interval/Ratio Data - III Chapter 12. Finding Differences with Interval/Ratio Data - IV Chapter 13. Finding Differences with Interval/Ratio Data - V Chapter 14. Identifying Associations with Nominal and Interval/Ratio Data Chapter 15. Identifying Associations with Interval/Ratio Data Chapter 16. Congratulations - The Big Picture and Next Steps Appendix I. Kruskal - Wallis H Test Appendix II. Spearman r Correlation Appendix III. Multiple Regression Appendix IV. An Introduction to Power Analysis - Finding Minimum Appropriate Sample Sizes Appendix V. Statistical Symbols Used in this Book Appendix VI. Definitional Equations and, Where Appropriate, Their Computational Equation Equivalents Appendix VII. Inferential Statistical Procedures and Their Measures of Effect Size Appendix VIII. Glossary of Terms Appendix IX. Answers to Chapter Problems Appendix X. Statistical Tables Appendix XI. Overview Table for the Book


This study was carried out to investigate gender influence on balance performance of apparently healthy elderly using the Sharpened Romberg Test (SRT) for static balance and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) for dynamic balance assessments. One hundred and three (103) apparently healthy male and 100  apparently healthy female elderly subjects of age ranging from 60 to 74 years participated in this study. They had no history of neurologicaldeficits, postural hypotension, orthopaedics conditions or injury to the back and / or upper and lower extremities within the past five years.Descriptive statistics of range, means and standard deviation were used to analyze the physical characteristics and each of the two tests. The independent t-test was used to compare the balance performances in elderly males and females. The results showed that males performed significantly higher than females in FRT: ( 31.46 ± 12.34) and (24.00 ± 10.73) respectively. Males performed significantly higher than females in SRT in eyes opened (58.51 ± 4.43)and (56.58 ± 6.03) and eyes closed: (46.98 ± 14.89) and (42.59 ± 14.70) performances respectively. It was concluded that males performed significantly better than females in both static and dynamic balance performances.


Congestion on urban and freeway networks has become a major problem, leading to increased travel times and reduced traffic safety. In order to suggest traffic management solutions to improve the tr ...


In 2013, the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) published a Practical Guide on the use of non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) Guide on the use of new oral anticoagulants in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. EHRA practical guide on the use of new oral anticoagulants in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: executive summary. The document received widespread interest, not only from cardiologists but also from neurolo-gists, geriatricians, and general practitioners, as became evident from the distribution of .350 000 copies of its pocket version (the EHRA Key Message Booklet) worldwide. Since 2013, numerous new studies have appeared on different aspects of NOAC therapy in AF patients. Therefore , EHRA updated the Practical Guide, including new information but also providing balanced guiding in the many areas where prospective Updated European Heart Rhythm Association Practical Guide on the use of non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. data are still lacking. The outline of the original guide that addressed 15 clinical scenarios has been preserved, but all chapters have been rewritten. Main changes in the Update comprise a discussion on the definition of 'non-valvular AF' and eligibility for NOAC therapy, inclusion of finalized information on the recently approved edoxaban, tailored dosing information dependent on concomitant drugs, and/or clinical characteristics , an expanded chapter on neurologic scenarios (ischaemic stroke or intracranial haemorrhage under NOAC), an updated anticoa-gulation card and more specifics on start-up and follow-up issues. There are also many new flow charts, like on appropriate switching between anticoagulants (VKA to NOAC or vice versa), default scenarios for acute management of coronary interventions, step-down schemes for long-term combined antiplatelet-anticoagulant management in coronary heart disease, management of bleeding, and cardioversion under NOAC therapy. The Updated Guide is available in full in EP Europace Guide on the use of non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.


Arguably, international finance is one of the most exciting areas in economics. The development of international finance is influenced and shaped, at least in part, by the continuing process of globalization and integration. In the last 25 years the profession has witnessed the proliferation of both theoretical models and empirical analyses in international finance. The analysis of both new and existing issues has benefited from increasingly elaborate modelling techniques and sophisticated empirical tools.


With current tools and technology, someone who has physical access to a chip can extract the detailed layout of the integrated circuit (IC). By using advanced visual imaging techniques, reverse engineering can reveal details that are meant to be kept secret, such as a secure protocol or novel implementation that offers a competitive advantage. A promising solution to defend against reverse engineering attacks is IC camouflaging. In this work, we propose a new camouflaging technique based on the threshold voltage of the transistors. We refer to these cells as threshold dependent camouflaged cells. Our work differs from current commercial solutions in that the latter use look-alike cells, with the assumption that it is difficult for the reverse engineer to identify the cell's functionality. Yet, if a structural distinction between cells exists, then these are still vulnerable, especially as reverse engineers use more advanced and precise techniques. On the other hand, the proposed threshold dependent standard cells are structurally identical regardless of the cells' functionality. Detailed circuit simulations of our proposed threshold dependent camouflaged cells demonstrate that they can be used to cost-effectively and robustly camouflage large netlists. Corner analysis of process, temperature, and supply voltage (PVT) variations show that our cells operate as expected over all PVT corners simulated.


Problems related to care coordination are identified as challenges to the organization of health systems. In order to improve coordination, it is necessary to invest in interventions that promote collaboration between levels of care. The study analyzes factors influencing the implementation of the intervention joint meetings between levels of care, guided by participatory action research to improve clinical coordination from the perspective of actors involved in a public health care network in Brazil.

 Qualitative descriptive-interpretative study carried out in the health network of a municipality in the northeast of Brazil. Ten interviews were conducted to managers and health professionals, members of local steering committee and focus group with primary care physicians and specialists participating in the intervention. Thematic content analysis was used; it generated categories from theoretical and emerging frameworks.

 The willingness of professionals and management support to participate of the intervention process emerge as fundamental factors. However, they are influenced by factors of the system, such as electoral period and management change and these reflected on the slowdown and instability in implementation process. In the health network, turnover of professionals and low trust between primary and specialized care were evidenced as challenges. However, the proactive role of local steering committee, driven by participatory strategy for development of the intervention, promoted reflections and decisions agreed between professionals and managers. This rebounded on adjustments to strengthen the intervention and improvements on knowledge and collaboration between levels.

 analysis of factors contributes to reflection on changes in the context, adaptation of intervention over time and importance of the role of professionals. Such understanding becomes essential for sustainability and improvement of care coordination.

 Knowledge about factors that influence implementation of an intervention guided by participatory action research contributes to the development of strategies aimed at its sustainability. Contextual factors that hamper improvements implementation to coordination of care can be overcome through participatory strategies mobilizing health professionals and managers.