Royal Navy engineers are faced with the demanding responsibility of maintaining critical equipment to have high levels of reliability, availability, and performance under tight budget constraints. To avoid operating surprises, accurate assessment of equipment operating performance is needed to judge whether mission demands can be satisfied while maintenance costs are controlled. Large volumes of data about the health of complex system elements are generally available, and the amount of data is growing steadily. However, pulling together large amounts of current data from diverse sources across a system or an enterprise to create actionable intelligence is a challenge to the organization, from the plant engineer to the chief information officer. The foregoing requirements need to be carefully considered for effective naval asset performance management (APM). This paper considers the use of digital systems on naval platforms for APM to create a purposeful, predictive-analytic solution. It examines both the technology and engineering challenges and demonstrates how data analytics techniques are being used with successful outcomes. One solution is to use Similarity-Based Modelling (SBM) within an APM system as the technology foundation for development of predictive-analytic solutions to a broad spectrum of real-time modelling needs. Such a development, outlined in this paper, has focused on providing a platform-wide, equipment-agnostic industrial solution that can meet the needs of challenging naval applications and proven commercially in the energy and marine industries. The paper also considers, from a naval OEM perspective, the Maritime Support and the Exploitation Strategy which enables, equips and empowers the Support Enterprise through Digital Transformation.


A new species in the genus Planothidium is described, Planothidium bagualensis sp. nov., from rivers of the Rio Pardo hydrographical basin, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. This account is based on light and scanning electron microscopy. This rather common species was misidentified in previous studies conducted in Brazil as belonging to either a group of species related to Planothidium lanceolatum and its varieties, or Planothidium frequentissimum. The presence of a cavum ("hood") in the rapheless valve, however, clearly separates it from P. lanceolatum sensu stricto which has only a sinus ("rimmed depression"); the wider and longer cells of P. bagualensis , besides having ultrastructural differences, sets it apart from P. frequentissimum . Planothidium bagualensis is widely reported in freshwater environments of southern Brazil. The species reached up to 45% of relative abundance in epilithic samples from eutrophic lotic environments of the Rio Pardo hydrographical basin. Traditional weighted-averaging approaches (WA) were applied to model phosphates (P), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids and pH optima. P. bagualensis is formally described and the literature reviewed to delimitate its distribution. Published photomicrographs corresponding to Planothidium lanceolatum sensu stricto from South America were up to date only found in the Andean Cordillera (Chile and Bolivia), but until now this taxon has never been illustrated in Brazil.


Though perioperative outcome of beating heart surgery have been considered better than conventional methods, late results are still controversial especially in elderly patients. In this clinical trial we have compared early and late results of 71 aged cases operated either by beating or conventional methods. Preoperative risk factors of both groups were comparable except chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In perioperative parameters, conventional group had statistically significantly longer intensive care and hospital stay days. During late follow-up period mortality rates were comparable but functional capacity of conventional group were better. Perioperative merits and late outcomes of both techniques should be evaluated for decision of operative technique.


Sustainable development is a worldwide ideology for present and future social development. Since the concept emerged in 1987 from the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), much research has been done on sustainable development. Broadly, this is categorised into three areas - the concept and implications, options and approaches that are possible for its achievement, and unsustainable development in developing countries. However, there is little research on how successfully sustainable development is being achieved at a local or national level. We need a research framework for conducting empirical research on sustainable development. With such implications, this paper aims at developing a research framework for measuring empirically how successfully sustainable development is being achieved, and for measuring change in sustainable development between different points in time.


Concept of plastic wood and plastic wood furniture was summarized,categories of outdoor furniture in a narrow and broad sense were introduced respectively.Furniture of plastic wood composite materials is characterized by "leisure,natural and concise",dynamic loading is the major connection mode,and traditional mechanical connection is applied.Common damages of plastic wood composite materials and countermeasures were concluded,and corresponding resolutions were proposed in view of the existing problems of outdoor plastic wood composite furniture.


SUMMARY Scaling, that is, the change of response due to similarity preserving changes of the 'IZ(' of a physical system, is the most fundamental aspect of every physical theory, If III(' scaling is not understood, the phenomenon itself is not understood, The question of scaling of the failure of structures was studied already in the 16th dlld 17th centuries by Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei and the size effect in the fnilure of ropes was qualitatively explained in terms of strength randomness already in I h!' 17th century by Mariotte, In the 20th century, while the problem of scaling has played a central role in fluid mechanics, it has been largely neglected in solid mechanics lIutil about 1980, The reason is that the theories of structural failure that have prevailed for a long time exhibit no deterministic size effect, These are: (1) plasticity and other throries based on the concept of critical stress (strength) or critical strain, and (2) fracture mechanics applied to a critical flaw (crack) whose size at incipient failure is iwlependent of the structure size D and negligible in comparison to D, as is typical of most metal structures embrittled by fatigue, Therefore, the experimentally observed size effects were generally attributed to the Inlldomness of material strength, as mathematically described in 1938 by Weibull, and their study was relegated to the probabilists, However, even though this explanation i, realistic for metallic and other structures that fail at fracture initiation, before the , rack reaches macroscopic dimensions, it does not work for quasi brittle structures, 741


Abstract. In this paper, three examples for the application of PCC are presented, which exceed the well established use as restoration material and show the great innovation potential of these materials. The first example shows an innovative development of a polymer-modified self-compacting concrete (SPCC) for the restoration of vertical facing concrete surfaces. In the second example PCC was for the first time applied as construction concrete to a bridge building. The last instance describes the potential of the SPCC for special applications in mechanical engineering. A styrene acrylic ester dispersion and different sorts of cement were used. The polymer/cement-ratio varied from 0.05 to 0.10. The water/cement-ratio depended on the requirements of the different PCC. The essential laboratory and field tests as well as the results are described.


Abstract This paper deals with the Danish Child Welfare Law, which was passed in 1974 as part of an integrated welfare law aiming at decentralization of decision making in local government, and maximum citizen participation. The law provides for counselling, recommendations and injunctions in connection with counselling, appointment of personal guidance officers, and taking children into care. The greater part of decision making is made in co-operation with parents. The few cases of removal of a child from the home without parental consent are conducted under the auspices of the local council welfare committee, presided over by a judge. Parents are given access and must be heard. Parents have wide rights of appeal.


During the last years different studies are carried out into the costs of acute physical trauma. With aid of these studies total amounts on an aggregated level were calculated, for instance for all acute trauma caused by traffic accidents. However, there is a need for more differentiated data on the costs of trauma. This report presents the first phase in the development of a computerised model, by which continuously can be calculated what the direct medical costs are for acute physical trauma in the Netherlands, (in total, per category and per subcategory). In this phase it is determined which groups of patients should be considered, which elements of the costs should be taken into account, which information should be gathered, and which software should be developed.


Excessive use of poultry manure on croplands is likely to impact the quality of groundwater resources. A three year study was conducted on eight, 0.4 ha plots, and six, 2.1 m2 lysimeters, to determine the effect of poultry manure and nitrogen fertilizer applications on NO3-N leaching to shallow groundwater. Three application rates of N (168 kg-N/ha from urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer, 168 kg-N/ha and 336 kg-N/ha from poultry manure) were applied to field lysimeters and plots before planting corn (Zea mays L). Cornsoybean rotation was practiced in field plots while only corn was grown in lysimeters. No fertilizer or manure was applied to subplots where soybeans were grown. Subsurface drainage water samples were collected weekly and analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) during the study period (1998 – 2000). The results of the study indicate that poultry manure application rate of 168 kg-N/ha resulted in the lowest NO3-N concentration and loss with subsurface drainage water in comparison with similar application of commercial N fertilizer. Higher NO3-N concentrations and losses with drainage water were observed from lysimeters in comparison with field plots. Data on NO3-N concentrations in subsurface drain water clearly shows the effects of preferential flow immediately following heavy rainfall events.


Literature has suggested that consciousness of patients in vegetative state (VS) may be improved via music listening. However, studies which have empirically documented the link among music, vegetative state, and heart rate variability (HRV) are scant. Therefore, the purpose of the current work attempts to explore how music enhances VS patients with the recordings of HRV. The present work involved a single -case experiment, consisting of 42 sessions. The data analysis was conducted through C programming languages, MATLAB, and HRV analysis in order to find some specific patterns. Results of the study showed a medium level of consistence between the two variables of music and HRV. To conclude, this publication may be of importance in presenting some spec ific HRV pattern while letting VS patients listen music.


Part-time postgraduate education and full-time postgraduate education are complementary in function, and jointly improve China's degree and postgraduate education system. Since the implementation of the combined training of the two types of graduate students, part-time graduate education, especially the admissions process, has encountered some difficulties, which need to be resolved urgently, such as fewer applicants, lower initial admission rates, difficulty in adjusting admissions, and diverse student structure, etc. The main reason is that the social recognition of part-time graduate students is low, and the social stereotype of the dwarf status of part-time graduate students has not changed. In order to effectively solve the above problems and improve China's postgraduate education methods, specific suggestions are put forward.


The 25 samples of water quality in wetlands were surveyed at spring in 2005 in the small Sanjiang Plain. With application of organic pollution index and entrophication index, wetland water quality were assessed for the study area. Wetland water quality were mainly threatened by organic pollutants and eutrophication pollutants. Rivers and riparian wetlands had lower level pollution, and wetlands surrounded by agriculture land use suffered higher level pollution. Wetland size and surrounding land use had significant impacts on water quality of wetlands. Large areas of riparian wetlands played important roles in maintaining better water quality of rivers in the small Sanjiang Plain, China.


Dyes represent major environmental concerns since their presence in aqueous effluents posed a threat to the ecological system. This work is focused on developing a sustainable photo‐Fenton strategy for efficient Levafix Blue oxidation. Nanostructured magnetite as the precursor of the oxidation technique has been synthesized via a simple co‐precipitation technique. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to characterize the samples. The experimental dye removal data revealed that almost complete dye removal (99.9%) was attained at pH 3.0 using 800 and 40 mg/L of H2O2 and magnetite reagents, respectively within 30‐min of irradiation time. The process follows the first‐order reaction model with endothermic and non‐spontaneous oxidation reaction in nature with a low activation energy barrier of 14.29 kJ/mol. Finally, the experimental data reveals that magnetite could be easily recovered and recycled up to six treatment cycles with a removal efficiency of 71% confirms the process sustainability.


On 21 May 2006, Greek Cypriots went to the polls to elect a new parliament. Held every five years, the elections for the 56-seat House of Representatives have relatively little importance in terms of governance inasmuch as the Republic of Cyprus operates under a presidential system. Nevertheless, they generate considerable attention and are strongly contested by the political parties. This is largely because they are seen to be an important test of support ahead of presidential elections, which normally follow less than two years later, and play a part in determining the relative weight of the parties in any subsequent coalition administration. On this occasion, despite efforts to widen the debate at the start of the campaign to include a range of domestic matters, the central topic of debate was the Cyprus Issue. However, rather than focus on ways in which to restart reunification talks, attention was instead centred on the 24 April 2004 referendum, in which a UN-sponsored agreement – the Annan Plan – was rejected by 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots. Indeed, such was the intensity of the debate over the issue that the polls ultimately came to be seen as tantamount to a second referendum.


A soil column method was used to analyse the characteristics of the movement and transformation of potassium (K) in a latosol. The internal temperature was maintained at 28 to 30 °C. The distances moved by the added K were 50 to 100 mm after 7 and 28 d, respectively. Potassium moved faster within 7 d during the incubation time of 28 d. The concentrations of water-extractable K, and exchangeable K, had significant negative linear relationships with distance from fertiliser placement in the region of K movement. In incubation time, water-extractable K and exchangeable K had significant effects on the concentration distributions for fertiliser micro-sites, but had no significant effects on non-exchangeable K. Most of K was still in an available form at fertiliser micro-sites after moving into the soil except that 4.22% to 11.19% of all applied K was fixed by soil.


Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in economic growth in Indonesia, both in terms of job creation and contribution to Indonesia's GDP. One of the five industries that contributes the highest to Indonesia's GDP is the textile and apparel industry. However, most of the businesses in this industry have not considered sustainability strategies due to challenges in measuring the sustainability of their business. Based on that, this research aims to design performance measurements and strategies to be carried out by enterprises to determine their performance, conditions, and business position in the industry. The method applied in this research is the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) method to gain weighting of each performance indicator used to measure the successful achievement of sustainability. This study succeeded in providing a design of performance indicators & six main business strategy recommendations that exist in each of the key performance indicators and have been measured in one of the clothing service businesses in Indonesia based on sustainability aspects which include economic, environmental, and social. All business strategy recommendations on each of the key performance indicators are prioritized based on the weights for each key performance indicator.


ABSTRACT Pronouns, particularly gendered pronouns, convey how apocalyptic futures are understood for differently positioned subjects. The "we" is not always about embracing a commons but can also be about extending exclusions. Drawing from social linguistics and the concept of shifters, science and technology studies and the ideas of symmetry, asymmetry, as well as the author's ethnographic research at two orangutan rehabilitation centers on Borneo in present day Malaysia, this paper highlights the power of pronouns in imagining whose lives are at risk or endangered in a pending apocalypse, including the present Sixth Age of Extinction and popular fears about the end of the world.


A reliable procedure for constructing a bicyclo[5.3.0]deca-1,7-dien-9-one ring system by rhodium-catalyzed Pauson-Khand reaction (PKR) of allenynes with a sulfonyl group has been developed. Investigation of the rhodium-catalyzed PKR on 19 examples of 1,2-nonadien-8-yne derivatives demonstrated that (i) acceptable yields could be consistently achieved through the proper choice of the rhodium catalyst ([RhCl(CO)(2)](2) or [RhCl(CO)dppp](2)) depending on the starting allenyne and that (ii) an ester functionality as well as hydroxy and siloxy groups could be tolerated in this rhodium-catalyzed PKR.


The E2A gene products, E12 and E47, are critical regulators of B cell development. However, it remains elusive whether E12 and E47 have overlapping and/or distinct functions during B lymphopoiesis. We have generated mice deficient for either E12 or E47 and examined their roles in B cell maturation. We show that E47 is essential for developmental progression at the prepro–B cell stage, whereas E12 is dispensable for early B cell development, commitment, and maintenance. In contrast, both E12 and E47 play critical roles in pre–B and immature B cells to promote immunoglobulin λ (Igλ) germline transcription as well as Igλ VJ gene rearrangement. Furthermore, we show that E12 as well as E47 is required to promote receptor editing upon exposure to self-antigen. We demonstrate that increasing levels of E12 and E47 act to induce Igλ germline transcription, promote trimethylated lysine 4 on histone 3 (H3) as well as H3 acetylation across the Jλ region, and activate Igλ VJ gene rearrangement. We propose that in the pre–B and immature B cell compartments, gradients of E12 and E47 activities are established to mechanistically regulate the sequential rearrangement of the Ig light chain genes.


Pb-free ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12-CaBi4Ti4O15 (BIT-CBT) ceramics were manufactured using a solid-state reaction method. Structural analysis by using X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of a second phase of Bi2Ti2O7, and the surface depth X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that this phase existed only on the surface. This second phase appears to have been caused by the volatilization of Bi ions at high sintering temperatures. For resolution of the issue of volatilization of Bi ions and manufacture of BIT-CBT ceramics with a single phase, Bi2O3 powder was added to the BIT-CBT mixture, and a powder-bed method, in which pellets were covered with BIT-CBT powder, was used to manufacture the ceramic. The piezoelectric coefficient of the single-phase BIT-CBT ceramics was 12.4 pC/N while the residual polarization and the coercive electric field were 11.3 μC/cm2, and 125 kV/cm, respectively. The results suggest that single-phase BIT-CBT ceramics are suitable for the manufacture of elements incorporating these electrical characteristics.


'Automatism' is the legal term for involuntariness. It concerns the fundamental principle of criminal law that no conduct can constitute a criminal offence unless it is done voluntarily. Being a creation of the twentieth century, the term is not used in the Malaysian Penal Code, which is largely a reproduction of the Indian Penal Code 1860. Nonetheless, present day judges and legal practitioners working in Malaysia have seen fit to recognise a plea of automatism by relying on the Penal Code provision on unsoundness of mind and on common law pronouncements. Although there are as yet no Singapore cases on automatism, it is merely a matter of time before our courts will have to consider the plea, on which occasion, the Malaysian cases will undoubtedly be studied closely. The Malaysian Federal Court decision in Abdul Razak is the latest of a very small number of Malaysian cases in which the plea of automatism has been raised. While its rarity alone makes this decision worthy of comment, the court's handling of several aspects of the plea leaves much to be desired. This comment will suggest how these aspects could be better dealt with by a court when the next opportunity arises.


Two types of fluorene-based copolymers, with 1-phenylisoquinoline-iridium complexes incorporated into the polyfluorene main chain by either embedding (P1 and P2) or end-capping (P3) manners via ancillary ligand β-diketonate were synthesized by the Suzuki polycondensation reaction and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, elemental analysis, and GPC. The electrochemical investigation reveals that the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the monomeric iridium complexes fall within those of the parent polyfluorene, implying that the iridium complexes in the polymers could function as traps for both electrons and holes under electrical excitation. The different connection manners between the iridium complex and polyfluorene backbone have a significant effect on their photophysical and electroluminescent properties. The absorption spectra of P1−P3 are mostly characteristic of the polyfluorene backbone. The PL spectra of P1 and P2 are dominated by emission from the iridium complex at 625 nm, whereas for P3 the emission a...


Diffusion in gases, liquids, and solids has been studied widely for more than a century [1]. Porous materials are of considerable practical importance in catalytic and separation processes mainly due to their high specific area and size selective adsorption [2].Zeolites are a class of crystalline porous materials with a uniform micro pore size. Understanding of properties of hydrocarbons inside zeolite is important in chemical industry and petrochemical .Interesting insight into chemical aspects of separation ,ion exchange, adsorption, diffusion within zeolite have been obtained by molecular simulation method such as MD


.................................................................................................................................. iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 5 Historical Background: The Colonization of Palestine .............................................................. 6 The Study of Palestine .............................................................................................................. 12 Literature Review: Atomization in European History .............................................................. 14 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 22 CHAPTER 2: APARTNESS AS STRUCTURE THROUGH DISCOURSE AND ACTION .... 24 "Civilization" and the "Primitive" ............................................................................................ 25 The Nation ................................................................................................................................ 28 Evidence of Discursive Division Pre-State: Books, Films, and Maps ...................................... 33 CHAPTER 3: COLONIZING LAND, BODIES, AND SOULS: ISRAEL'S ATOMIZATION OF PALESTINE AND PALESTINIANS .......................................................................................... 43 Containment and Isolation ........................................................................................................ 46 "Calculated Starvation" ............................................................................................................ 48 Maiming and Debilitation ......................................................................................................... 55 Colonizing the Soul................................................................................................................... 64 Discipline and the Individual ................................................................................................ 65 Atomization of Palestinian Prisoners .................................................................................... 67 Atomization beyond the Prison ............................................................................................. 70 The Palestinian Soul is the Culture of Palestinians .............................................................. 72 Violence, Dispossession, Atomization, and Discipline as Historical and Present.................... 75 CONCLUSION: ATOMIZATION AND SOLIDARITY ............................................................ 83 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 85 CURRICULUM VITAE ............................................................................................................... 90


PURPOSE: An antibacterial composition prepared using plants is provided to have superior antibacterial activity with safety and fewer side effects, and to be used in pharmaceutical products, cleaning agents, or cosmetic materials. CONSTITUTION: An antibacterial pharmaceutical composition contains one or more plant extracts or fractions thereof. The plant extracts are prepared using plants selected from the group consisting of Kalimeris yomena Kitam, Agrimonia pilosa L., rhein, Nardostachys chinensis Batalin, Hydnocarpi semen, Desmodium caudatum, and Kochiae fructus. The composition further contains a common antibacterial agent. The antibacterial agent is selected from the group consisting of penicillins, quinolones, tetracyclines, cephalosporins, and macrolides.


Observing for, documenting, and improving implementation integrity are critical components of effective intervention services in schools. Without them, students may not receive effective intervention, and systems-level models of intervention service-delivery may never be properly evaluated or realize its potential. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a comprehensive set of materials and procedures for observing interventionists' use of a structured reading program. We examined the following research questions: (a) do direct observations of an interventionist using the program correspond with his or her self-report of implementation integrity; (b) do direct observations of an interventionist correspond with permanent products that are generated from the intervention; and (c) did the observation and feedback procedures result in interventionists using the program more successfully? Primary findings showed that the observation and feedback procedures were effective in producing strong implementation integrity among the interventionists, self-report of implementation integrity was highly accurate, and permanent products (though used properly) do not seem to correspond well with overall measures of implementation integrity.


Ready availability of abortion is not a solution to all 1 the problems of women in the United States, but it is much more important to the liberation of American women, particular young American women, than many people seem to realize. Consider the options of the pregnant high school junior. If she marries, her immediate ability to continue school will depend on the financial resources of her and her new husband's parents and their willingness to support the young family. And what if the new marriage does not go well? With only 3 years of high school education, if she wants to leave her husband and support herself, what kind of a job will she be able to get? Will she be able to find a job which will provide enough for living expenses for her and her child and for adequate day care too while she is away working?


The purpose of this research was to analyze the production method of a membrane of silica nanoparticles from an economic perspective. Silica nanoparticles are synthesized using a coprecipitation method. Briefly, the process consists of immersion, heating, precipitation, washing and drying, and packaging. The parameters used for economic analysis are gross profit margin (GPM), internal rate return (IRR), payback period (PBP), cumulative net present value (CNPV), break-even point (BEP), and profitability index (PI). The production of this ultrafiltration nano-silica membrane can be done by varying the amount of initial sand from 6 to 14 kg. The production of ultrafiltration nano-silica membranes can be produced in both domestic and micro-scale industries. To get a very good profit, economic analysis shows the minimum amount of sand used should be more than six kg. This study is very important because the production of ultrafiltration nano-silica membranes have a high potential in the field of economics and will encourage further investigation for the possibility of industrial production of these ultrafiltration nano silica membranes.


Abstract Background and study aims Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is a well-known quality indicator (QI) for colonoscopy. It is, however, difficult to evaluate ADR during practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the number of endoscopically detected polyps as a QI for colonoscopy. Patients and methods This was a retrospective single-center cohort study of 5,190 consecutive patients who underwent colonoscopy from January 2015 to May 2016. Among these patients, we ultimately enrolled 1,937 patients for initial colonoscopy. We evaluated QIs including bowel preparation, cecum intubation time, withdrawal time, number of endoscopically detected polyps, ADR and advanced neoplasia detection rate (ANDR) Results The mean number of endoscopically detected polyps, ADR and ANDR were 1.5 ± 2.3 (95 % confidence interval (CI)1.4 – 1.6), 38.6 % (95 % CI 36.5-40.8), and 18.3 % (95 % CI 16.6 – 20.1), respectively. ADR and ANDR increased with the number of endoscopically detected polyps, but the correlation reached a plateau at five or more polyps. We divided the patients into three groups based on the number of polyps (1 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 or more). Logistic regression analysis adjusted by age and sex revealed that presence of a large number of polyps was a strong predictor of advanced neoplasia (odds ratio: 3.1 [95 % CI 2.2 – 4.3] for 3 to 4 polyps and 7.9 [95 % CI 5.4 – 11.8] for 5 or more polyps when using the presence of 1 or 2 polyps as a reference). Conclusion The number of endoscopically detected polyps can predict risk of advanced neoplasia and may thus be a new QI for colonoscopy.


Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) is an efficient method to perform frequency conversion of laser sources in temporal regimes ranging from CW to femtosecond pulses. Solid-state materials have been extensively used as Raman media due to their high values of Raman-gain coefficients, robustness, and compactness [1] , [2] . However, the peak power must be kept below the critical power in order to avoid self-focusing and beam collapse. In addition, increasing the energy and bandwidth of the pump pulses in SRS schemes leads to competition with other nonlinear processes such as self-phase modulation and continuum generation. Recently, multipass cells (MPC) have been used to perform nonlinear optics at high pulse energies while mitigating the effect of self-focusing and maintaining the input beam's spatial properties [3] . So far, these schemes have been extensively used to perform temporal compression and recently spectral compression [4] . MPC schemes are known for their capabilities to provide long interaction length in a nonlinear medium while distributing the nonlinearities over several passes in a bulk or gas medium, therefore mitigating possible spatio-temporal couplings often observed in solid-state single pass schemes. In this work, we report the use of a MPC including a slab of KGW to perform Raman conversion of femtosecond pulses stretched to durations of 10 – 30 ps.


Double-quantum NMR is a useful way to obtain spectra of quadrupolar nuclei (/sup 2/D, /sup 14/N, ...) in solids. This allows measurements of the chemical shifts for these nuclear spins. The theory of Hartmann-Hahn cross polarization between I=1/2 and such S=1 spins is discussed. Particular attention is drawn to the cross polarization of the double-quantum transition. The thermodynamics and the dynamics of the process are evoked in detail using a fictitious spin-1/2 formalism. The spin S=1 Hamiltonian can always be factored into two commuting parts (independent thermodynamic reservoirs), one of which behaves as a fictitious spin 1/2 which is cross polarized with the I=1/2 spins. Modified Hartmann-Hahn conditions emerge from the theory, and the dependence of cross-polarization times T/sub I/S on rf intensity and frequency for spin locking and adiabatic demagnetization in the rotating-frame experiments are calculated. Measurements on the /sup 1/H-/sup 2/D double resonance in dilute solid benzene-d/sub 1/ are reported, verifying the predictions and indicating that cross polarization provides a sensitive means of detecting the /sup 2/D double-quantum transition. Values are reported for the thermodynamic parameters and cross-polarization times as a consequence. Three possible versions of double-resonance detection of double-quantum spectra are possible: direct detection of the cross-polarizedmore » double-quantum decay, indirect detection of the frequency spectrum following Hartmann and Hahn, and indirect detection of the free-induction decay following Mansfield and Grannell.« less


Background In many countries, the quest to ensure that the poor have access to quality health care and benefit from services and other related interventions remains a priority. Globally, it has been shown that the poor hardly benefit from health interventions even when they are provided for free. Government spending on health care has the potential to increase access for the poorest populations, in addition to promoting income cross-subsidisation, particularly in settings where it is administratively difficult to implement cash transfer in a large scale. Despite this recognition, the extent to which health spending benefits the poor remains unexplored in many countries. Although health system financing debates have shifted from targeting to universality, it remains important to ensure that deliberate efforts are directed towards ensuring that the poor benefit from universal health systems, particularly because they often have high need for care as compared to the rich. This study reviews literature on the distribution of government health spending in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and high income countries. It also demonstrates the extent to which patterns reflect health financing systems in the different regions.


The utility model relates to the field of fry pans, in particular to a fry pan with the temperature calling function, which solves the problem of the prior art that the temperature of a fry pan is difficult to master. Color changeable temperature indication sheets are arranged on the handle of the fry pan and comprise a 100 DEG C color changeable temperature indication sheet, a 150 DEG C color changeable temperature indication sheet and a 180 DEG C color changeable temperature indication sheet, a 180 DEG C minitype temperature switch is further included, the 180 DEG C color changeable temperature indication sheet is mounted on the 180 DEG C minitype temperature switch, and the 180 DEG C minitype temperature switch is connected to a circuit in which a buzzer is positioned. When the temperature reaches 180 DEG C, the buzzer calls for 10 seconds. By adopting the fry pan with the temperature calling function, the dish frying temperature can be controlled, and the delicious dishes can be fried as required; moreover, the cooking is performed under the temperature, no oil fume is caused, and fewer vitamins are lost.


Abstract In this note, we study the inverse operator (−Δp) − 1ofp-Lapalcian on a bounded domain Ω ⊂ Rn. We show that (−Δp) − 1:W − 1, p′(Ω) → W1, p0(Ω) is Holder continuous and is a compact operator fromV(q, s)toW1, p0(Ω), s ∈ (0, p′), q > p∗ the conjugate of critical Sobolev exponent. As an application, we study existence of positive solutions of two nonlinear elliptic equations.


Inert gas ion thruster technology offers the greatest potential for providing high specific impulse, low thrust, electric propulsion on large, Earth orbital spacecraft. The development of a thruster module that can be operated on xenon or argon propellant to produce 0.2 N of thrust at a specific impulse of 3000 sec with xenon propellant and at 6000 sec with argon propellant is described. The 30 cm diameter, laboratory model thruster is considered to be scalable to produce 0.5 N thrust. A high efficiency ring cusp discharge chamber was used to achieve an overall thruster efficiency of 77% with xenon propellant and 66% with argon propellant. Measurements were performed to identify ion production and loss processes and to define critical design criteria (at least on a preliminary basis).


In this paper, we give a constant $C$ in \cite[Theorem 1.2]{sha2014bounding}
by using an explicit Baker's inequality, hence we have an explicit bound of the
integral points on modular curves.


In this study, a new fuzzy robust backstepping controller with estimation is proposed for the control of a robot manipulator. Backstepping control is preferred because the Lyapunov function that is used in stability analysis and the feedback control law that is used for control purpose are defined systematically during controller design. Fuzzy logic units are designed to update the gains of the backstepping controller. Then, the proposed controller is applied to a robot manipulator that is to track a trajectory in a three-dimensional space while it is subjected to external disturbances and parameter variations. The numerical results demonstrate and verify the successful performance of the proposed controller.


Objective To investigate the correlation of the expression of Jagged-1 and Jagged-2 in villus and placenta with that of CD56+NK in decidua. Methods The clinical data of 42 cases with abortion during pregnancy and 30 cases with normal cesarean delivery admitted in our hospital from March 2013 to February 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Jagged-1, Jagged-2 and CD56+NK were detected by immunohistochemical method. Results The expression of Jagged-1 of placenta group was higher than that of villus group, but the expression of Jagged-2 was lower than that of villus group. The expression of Jagged-1, Jagged-2,CD56+ of spontaneous abortion group was lower than that of artificial abortion group; CD56+NK cell was positively correlated with the expression level of Jagged-1 and Jagged-2 positive cells in villus, the differences were statistically significant(r=0.91,0.95,P0.05). Conclusion Both Jagged-1 and Jagged-2 might involve in the NK cell phenotypic changes, thereby affecting the pregnancy outcome, and forming the tolerance of pregnancy immune.


Five systems of sciences of human settlements are adopted in this paper. The research objects are Malong site of Cangshan Mountain, Nanzhao Taihe City site, Dali Ancient City, Xizhou Ancient Village, Shuanglang Ancient Town and Jinsuo Island Village. All the research objects are near the Erhai Lake region and they are traditional settlements with different historical periods. The natural, human, social, residential and supportive systems of traditional settlements are analyzed as well. The environmental and ecological view of complying with nature, the social and economic view of emphasizing development and the cultural and technical view of embodying characteristics of traditional settlements in Erhai Lake region are also concluded. This paper offers theoretical references for the sustainable development of traditional human settlements.


Atoms (and molecules) with a well-suited energy level structure can be rendered transparent to a light beam they would usually absorb by the presence of a "control" laser beam. This "electromagnetically induced transparency" (EIT) [1] can be understood as a consequence of quantum interference of different excitation pathways of the atom by the probing beam. Strong optical dispersion concomitant with the narrow transparency window can induce large—and tunable—group delay for the probe laser. This effect has been used to slow and even store light pulses in atomic vapors.


Dichocarpum wuchuanense S. Z. He, a new species from Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated. This taxon belongs to sect. Dichocarpum based on its non-tumescent torus during fruiting. The new species resembles D. hypoglaucum from which it differs by its slender and longer rhizome, 3(‒5)-foliolate abaxially non-pruinose and smaller seeds. A histological examination, palynology and seed microscopic structures are provided along with detailed habitat and distribution data. An analysis of the nrDNA ITS sequences of D. wuchuanense supports its recognition as a taxonomic entity distinct from D. hypoglaucum . The taxonomic affinities of the new species are briefly discussed.


Abstract. We use a forward Lagrangian trajectory model to diagnose
mechanisms that produce the water vapor seasonal cycle observed by the Microwave
Limb Sounder (MLS) and reproduced by the Goddard Earth Observing System
Chemistry-Climate Model (GEOSCCM) in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL). We
confirm in both the MLS and GEOSCCM that the seasonal cycle of water vapor
entering the stratosphere is primarily determined by the seasonal cycle of
TTL temperatures. However, we find that the seasonal cycle of temperature
predicts a smaller seasonal cycle of TTL water vapor between 10 and 40 ∘  N than observed by MLS or simulated by the GEOSCCM. Our
analysis of the GEOSCCM shows that including evaporation of convective ice
in the trajectory model increases both the simulated maximum value of the
100 hPa 10–40 ∘  N water vapor seasonal cycle and the seasonal-cycle amplitude. We conclude that the moistening
effect from convective ice evaporation in the TTL plays a key role
in regulating and maintaining the seasonal cycle of water vapor in the TTL. Most of
the convective moistening in the 10–40 ∘  N range comes
from convective ice evaporation occurring at the same latitudes. A small
contribution to the moistening comes from convective ice evaporation
occurring between 10 ∘  S and 10 ∘  N. Within the 10–40 ∘  N band, the Asian monsoon region is the most important
region for convective moistening by ice evaporation during boreal summer and
autumn.


The first step in planning to open a new hospital is selecting the location. Because this selection requires optimizing a number of criteria, multi-criteria decision making is applied. For this, quantitative data achieved from either survey or expert opinions are needed. In this study, four experts' evaluations have been taken into consideration for determining the location of a new hospital in Ankara. The evaluations are not presented as quantitative data and include subjective opinions. Thus, fuzzy logic is adapted to known multi-criteria decision methods. In this study, expert opinions are presented as fuzzy numbers thereafter "Fuzzy AHP" is used. Determining the optimal location for a hospital in Ankara is aimed by using this method.


The response of a Kaplan hydraulic turbine to load perturbations is explored by considering the case of a singlehydraulicunitconnectedto an equivalent system.


. Orchard floor vegetation competes with peach trees for water and nutrients and may harbor pathogens and insects. Tree growth, fruit yield, and fruit size can be optimized through management of vegetation in the tree row and irrigation. Under-tree vegetation-free strip widths (0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, 3.0, and 3.6 m) and irrigation were studied in years four through eight of a young peach orchard to determine their effects on peach tree growth and fruit yield, harvest maturity, and fruit size. Immature fruit samples were collected during thinning in years four through six to determine the effect of the treatments on the incidence of hemipteran (catfacing) insect damage. Trunk cross- sectional area (TCSA), as a measure of tree growth, increased with increasing vegetation-free strip width; trees grown in the 3.6-m vegetation-free strip had TCSAs 2.2 times greater, on average, than trees grown in the 0-m vegetation-free strip. TCSA also increased with irrigation; trees grown with irrigation had TCSAs 1.2 times greater, on average, than trees grown without irrigation. Yield increased with increasing vegetation-free strip width, from 9.6 kg per tree in the 0-m plot to 26.5 kg per tree in the 3.6-m plot in year four, to 24.3 kg per tree in the 0-m plot and 39.6 kg per tree in the 3.6-m plot in year eight, for a total yield over years 4–8 per tree of 100 kg in the 0-m plot compared with 210 kg per tree in the 3.6-m plot. Yield, average fruit weight, and average fruit diameter increased with irrigation in three of 5 years; the other 2 years had higher than average rainfall reducing the need for supplemental irrigation.


When should a given operational phenomenology be deemed to admit of a classical explanation? When it can be realized in a generalized-noncontextual ontological model. The case for answering the question in this fashion has been made in many previous works, and motivates research on the notion of generalized noncontextuality. Many criticisms and concerns have been raised, however, regarding the definition of this notion and of the possibility of testing it experimentally. In this work, we respond to some of the most common of these objections. One such objection is that the existence of a classical record of which laboratory procedure was actually performed in each run of an experiment implies that the operational equivalence relations that are a necessary ingredient of any proof of the failure of noncontextuality do not hold, and consequently that conclusions of nonclassicality based on these equivalences are mistaken. We explain why this concern in unfounded. Our response affords the opportunity for us to clarify certain facts about generalized noncontextuality, such as the possibility of having proofs of its failure based on a consideration of the subsystem structure of composite systems. Similarly, through our responses to each of the other objections, we elucidate some under-appreciated facts about the notion of generalized noncontextuality and experimental tests thereof.


Two new hydronaphthoquinones, aggregatins E and F (1 and 2, resp.) were isolated from the tubers of Sinningia aggregata (Ker‐Gawl.) Wiehler (Gesneriaceae), along with twelve known compounds aggregatin D (3), tectoquinone (4), 1‐hydroxy‐2‐methylanthraquinone (5), icosyl ferulate (6), pustuline (7), 1,6‐dihydroxy‐2‐methylanthranquinone (8), 6‐hydroxy‐2‐methylanthraquinone (9), 7‐hydroxy‐2‐methylanthraquinone (10), tyrosol (11), halleridone (12), calceolarioside B (13), and cornoside (14). All compounds were identified by analysis of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Compounds 3, 4, and 10 had already been reported in this species. Compounds 2 and 3 were evaluated against several tumor cell lines, but only 3 exhibited activities against UACC‐62, 786‐0 and OVCAR‐3 cell lines, with IC50 values of 12.3, 12.8 and 0.3 μg/ml, respectively, without toxic effects on non‐cancer cell line HaCat (human keratinocyte).


Based on the regularity between spark advance angle and idling speed, the method of idling speed controlling through spark advance angle combined with neural network CMAC(Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller) controller is proposed. The experimental study on the idling speed stability was conducted in a LPG-fueled single cylinder spark ignition engine. The results showed that the adjustment by spark advance angle on the idling speed was notable, thus, CMAC controller is an effective approach for controlling engine idling speed.


The author reflects on the need to include pregnant and lactating women in medical research and clinical trials Topics include how the medical sector missed an opportunity for not including said women in research for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), and the U S National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications on the basis of race, ethnicity, and sex/gender


Semen exosomes (SE) inhibit HIV infection. However, the effect of SE on cell activation and inflammation remains unknown. We characterized the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HIV‐uninfected and antiretroviral therapy‐suppressed HIV‐infected (HIV+) subjects to SE. Quiescent PBMCs or T‐cell receptor (TCR)‐activated PBMCs from HIV− and HIV+ donors were stimulated with SE in the presence/absence of ex vivo HIV infection. In HIV‐infected PBMCs, SE did not reactivate HIV, did not induce lymphoblast development, nor increase CD69+/CD25+ numbers. Furthermore, SE inhibited de novo HIV infection without altering cell activation. SE also asynchronously downregulated HIV‐inducible IL1β, IL8, and TNFα and upregulated CXCL10. These data suggest that SE inhibits HIV infection and production of HIV‐induced proinflammatory cytokines while preserving lymphocyte activation.


This study is carried out to develope the use of Jaksulcha in chosun times by analysing Korea Chosun history books, Chosun-wangjo-silrok. As a result, Jaksulcha as Korean traditional tea's name played a role of official gift for foreign official visiter from China, Japan and a some kinds of duty as ...


This research investigates if code switching is used in a first elementary school class, in a bilingual context and if it constitutes a cultural responsive pedagogic strategy . With that purpose, classroom activities were both video and audio taped, regularly, once a week, during the period of one semester. The classes are made up of three main moments: initial sharing time activities, activities developed at the tables and final sharing time activities. This analysis of interaction reveals the occurrence of code switching with the main function of maintaining the course of interaction (Auer, 1988) which is then interpreted as a strategy of cultural responsive pedagogy (Bortoni-Ricardo e Dettoni, 2001), giving voice and opportunity as well as welcoming the children who are from a different linguistic reality in which the use of German predominates, in contrast to the obligation of using Portuguese in the school. Key words: interaction, code switching, cultural responsive pedagogy.


Considerable progress has been made in recent years towards a more rational conception of maintenance. In this respect, much more importance has been attached to a comprehensive economic approach of the problem taking account of all costs involved in road usage (construction, maintenance, as well as costs to road users). The highlights outlined in this paper are dealing with: (1) continuous and permanent supervision of the road network by means of high yield measuring apparatus, completed with photographic and visual inspections; (2) aids to decision-making, such as the elaboration of a road data bank and the choice of a consistent system of standards; (3) decision-making on the basis of a management system which permits a realistic evaluation of needs and control of the use of resources; (4) problems involved in some maintenance techniques. Particular aspects of the maintenance of unpaved roads and engineering structures are also examined. In the field of unpaved road maintenance, the activities of an OECD working group are pointed out. (TRRL)


Abstract : The visible spectra, color data and output powers from standard Navy red, green and yellow signal flares are presented. The spectra were taken under essentially identical conditions on actual in-service Navy devices. The dominant emissions accounting for the output power in the flares are from the molecular bands of the alkaline earth oxides, hydroxides and chlorides in the red and green flares and from atomic sodium in the yellow flare.


Since its creation in 2017, RASTA's collaborative research platform has continued to evolve and grow, promoting evidence use, enhancing coordination across a range of partners, and strengthening analytical skills of young Indian researchers to advance family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH). With a large body of research guided by questions developed in close collaboration with decision makers from government and other key stakeholders, RASTA has helped to fill critical evidence gaps and inform program, policy, and investment decisions, including around adolescent health and FP/RH access in the context of COVID-19.


filled with images. These forms are the mechanisms for industrial design, communication, and resource monitoring&dquo; (p. 249). The collected articles in Contextual Media offer something of interest for a wide variety of readers. The development of hypermedia, multimedia, and multimodal communication technologies promises to substantially affect the future of business, education, recreation, and communication. Anyone interested in understanding more about currently available technological applications or about the future of communication in the 21 st century will find Contextual Media both thought-provoking and educational.


ABSTRACT Digital and electronic publishing models offer the promise of revolutionary change in the way scholarly publications are created, accessed, and shared. However, real change in the scholarly communication system has lagged behind the availability of new publishing models for scholars. This paper describes some of the current trends in library acquisitions of electronic resources, as well as trends in scholar adoption of new publishing models. The author also suggests some strategies that libraries and universities might employ to accelerate a shift to a more open, effective means of sharing the results of research and scholarship.


The aim of the paper is to identify and assess the relationships between personal and job resources with employees' affective commitment. The study was conducted on a sample that included 101 participants, selected from different Telecommunication companies. Personal and job resources, as variables, through their one-dimensional nature, were considered as independent variables, while affective commitment was recognized as dependent variables. Results have shown that personal and job resources have significant relationship with employees' affective commitment.


In the last twenty years, the rule of law has undergone a revival in legal, academic, business, military, and development spheres. Yet we lack a clear understanding of the distinct forms the rule of law takes, and how and why they vary across states and over time. This study indicates one way to operationalize rule of law for analytic purposes while respecting the nonlinear combinations of rule of law's multiple dimensions. The results imply rule of law is not all of a piece and is likely to take only a handful of fairly predictable forms. Analyzing profiles of rule of law in the 1990s suggests five main typologies: Full Rule of Law, Incomplete Rule of Law, Peaceful Unrule of Law, Unstable Lawlessness, and Violent Unrule of Law. Finally, this essay encourages debates about the conceptualization, measurement, and types of rule of law similar to those found in the literature on democracy. Finally, this essay encourages debates about the conceptualization, measurement, and types of rule of law similar to those found in the literature on democracy.


By applying the theory and method of landscape ecolog y,this paper analy ses the status quo and design connotation of the landscape ecology,and promoted some suggestions on the construction of urban landscape ecology of Fuzhou city.


Simple Summary This study focused on the relationship between microRNA-23a/b-3p and genes involved in human spermatogenesis, with the aim of understanding how this microRNA targets these genes and how it affects male fertility. Through computational prediction and experimental assays, we identified specific genes that are targeted by microRNA-23a/b-3p. By intentionally modifying the binding sites of microRNA-23a/b-3p in these genes, we confirmed the direct targeting. To validate their findings, we analyzed sperm samples from men with low sperm count and motility compared to a control group. The results revealed that the men with fertility issues had lower expression levels of the target genes. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between basic semen parameters and the reduced expression levels of the target genes. This indicates that microRNA-23a/b-3p plays a significant role in spermatogenesis by regulating the expression of target genes associated with male fertility problems, and it also has an impact on basic semen parameters. Overall, this study provides important insights into the involvement of microRNA-23a/b-3p in spermatogenesis and its potential influence on male fertility. Abstract The expression levels of various genes involved in human spermatogenesis are influenced by microRNAs (miRNAs), specifically microRNA-23a/b-3p. While certain genes are essential for spermatogenesis and male germ cell function, the regulation of their expression remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether microRNA-23a/b-3p targets genes involved in spermatogenesis and the impact of this targeting on the expression levels of these genes in males with impaired fertility. In-silico prediction and dual-luciferase assays were used to determine the potential connections between microRNA-23a/b-3p overexpression and reduced expression levels of 16 target genes. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was conducted on 41 oligoasthenozoospermic men receiving infertility treatment and 41 age-matched normozoospermic individuals to verify the lower expression level of target genes. By employing dual-luciferase assays, microRNA-23a-3p was found to directly target eight genes, namely NOL4, SOX6, GOLGA6C, PCDHA9, G2E3, ZNF695, CEP41, and RGPD1, while microRNA-23b-3p directly targeted three genes, namely SOX6, GOLGA6C, and ZNF695. The intentional alteration of the microRNA-23a/b binding site within the 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of the eight genes resulted in the loss of responsiveness to microRNA-23a/b-3p. This confirmed that NOL4, SOX6, GOLGA6C, PCDHA9, and CEP41 are direct targets for microRNA-23a-3p, while NOL4, SOX6, and PCDHA9 are direct targets for microRNA-23b-3p. The sperm samples of oligoasthenozoospermic men had lower expression levels of target genes than age-matched normozoospermic men. Correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between basic semen parameters and lower expression levels of target genes. The study suggests that microRNA-23a/b-3p plays a significant role in spermatogenesis by controlling the expression of target genes linked to males with impaired fertility and has an impact on basic semen parameters.


Two trials were undertaken for the purpose of evaluating leucaena ( Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.) as a green manure in a Dark-Red Latosol under "cerrado" vegetation in the municipality of Goiânia, Goias, Brazil. In the first trial, the green manure was seeded with spacing of 2, 3, 4 and 5 meters between rows, with 30 seeds/m. An analysis of growth showed an increase in the production of dry matter/ha and in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium, per sample, as spacing decreased. In the second trial, beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were planted between the rows of leucena, after pruning of lateral shoots, leaving only the main stalk cut at a height of 1.5 m. Treatments consisted of the incorporation or non-incorporation of the leucena, combined with nitrogen (30 k/ha of N) or phosphorus (120 k/ha of P 2 O 5 ) or nitrogen + phosphorus. The incorporation of leucena in the soil alone resulted in a production of beans equivalent to that of the treatments which received chemical fertilization.


Abstract The recalibration of the sunspot number series has established a new standard version for sunspot time series that requires updating of prior results based on the calibration. These recent sunspot number corrections mean a change in the results of the previous correlational studies of ISSN with geomagnetic indices, such as the aa-index. In this paper, we investigate the correlation between the old and new sunspot numbers ISSN and SN and their relationship with the aa index through time series, using the methods of Echer et. al (2004), Verma & Trippathi (2016), Stamper et. al (1996), and Feynman (1982).


Objective To evaluate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) and myocardial infarction in Chinese population. Methods CBM, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang technological periodical full-text databases from January, 2000 to May, 2013 were electronically searched to identify case-control studies on the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of MTHFR C667T and myocardial infarction, according to the including criteria and excluding criteria of artcles. The data were quantitatively analyzed by RevMan 5.0 software after assessing the quality of included studies. Results Eight case-control studies were selected for Meta-analysis based on including and excluding criteria of articles,which included 803 cases with myocardial infarction and 1 287 controls. The results of meta-analysis showed that the risk of myocardial infarction in subjects with T allele of MTHFR gene was significantly higher than that in subjects with C allele of MTHFR gene(OR=1.55, 95%CI: 1.17-2.06), the OR values in subjects with genotype TT and CC were 1.71(95%CI: 1.22-2.39)and 0.53(95%CI: 0.43-0.66), respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results of present meta-analysis were reliable and no significant publication bias was found. Conclusion The genetic polymorphism of MTHFR C667T could be associated with myocardial infarction in Chinese population, T allele may elevate the risk of myocardial infarction.


Segmental duplications (also termed 'fenestrations') of the fetal anterior cerebral artery are a relatively rare anomaly. Their occurrence was studied in 200 fetuses at 20–40 wk gestational age. Duplications were found in 21 of the 200 fetuses, i.e. 10.5%. In 2 fetuses, i.e. 1%, the duplications were bilateral. In 1 case, i.e. 0.5%, 2 duplications were found on the left anterior cerebral artery. There were 15 segmental duplications on the left anterior cerebral artery, i.e. 62.5% of all duplications, and 9 on the right, i.e. 37.5%. The duplications were located in the distal part of the A1 segment in 45.7%, at the level of the anterior communicating artery (A1–A2) in 37.7%, and in the initial part of the A2 segment in 16.6%. The duplications had 4 different forms namely oviform, fissured, triangular and punctate.


Pacchigi (Izutsu Kazuyuki, 2004) was a hit film that adapted the story of a Japanese youth translating and covering a North Korean ballad, Imjin River, in 1960s Kyoto. The song is at the centre of both the film's plot and the broader constellation of media texts that circulated around the film, promoting and commenting on the story, inviting the viewer to unpack the dense network of pop cultural citations contained in the film, and hence dispersing and augmenting the film's narration. Pacchigi is then both a transmedia brand or franchise, and an adaptation with a historical setting. This article asks what effects transmedia narration has on the Pacchigi franchise's approach to history and adaptation; what happens, in other words, when 'transmedia storytelling' becomes transmedia history telling. Because the source it is adapting is itself a tale of adaptation, Pacchigi is able, as a number of other films have, to reflexively comment on its own intertextuality, to enter into a relationship with its sources that Gérard Genette calls 'metatextual'. The dense intertextuality of the Pacchigi franchise, in denying any one of its component parts the status of a definitive telling, and encouraging spectators to engage in its game of citation-hunting, attempts a mode of history telling that is dialogical and reflexive.


BACKGROUND
Assessment of quality of life is of central importance in palliative care to understand patients' needs and improve their treatment. However, due to the severely compromised state of health of the severely ill or dying patients, the possibility of an adequate assessment with longer questionnaires is limited.

OBJECTIVE
Investigation of the criterion-oriented validity of a single item to measure quality of life in palliative care patients.

DESIGN
In a cross-sectional study, correlations of the single item with established questionnaires were analyzed.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING
At Malteser Hospital Bonn and Bonn University Hospital, 72 palliative patients, mainly suffering from cancer, were investigated.

MEASUREMENTS
Clinical symptoms were measured by the Minimal Documentation System (MIDOS) and quality of life was assessed by the single item "How satisfied are you currently with your physical and emotional well-being?" on a 7-point scale as well as by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and the Palliative Outcome Scale (POS).

RESULTS
Seventy-one of 72 patients filled in the single item and the POS, 64 patients the FACT-G. There was a high correlation between the assessment of quality of life by the single item and the FACT-G (r = 0.695, p < 0.01) as well as the POS (r = -0.630, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
The study confirms the criterion-oriented validity of the single item to measure quality of life in palliative care patients. This can be seen as a first step to validate this economic instrument. Future studies should focus on the analysis of further psychometric aspects (e.g., reliability, sensitivity to change) of the single item.


The nucleation rates exceeding 10 35 m -3 s -1 were determined in molecular dynamics simulations at 300K to 600K for the freezing of molten (RbCl) 108 clusters. The estimated solid liquid interfacial free energy was expressed as σ sl ∝ T 1 4 in terms of the classical theory of homogeneous nucleation. The estimated diffuse interface thickness was about 0 195nm, interfacial free energy σ sl ∝ T 0 97 , in terms of the diffuse interface theory of Granasy. No obvious difference was found between the two theories and both of them succeeded in reproducing nucleation rates in the temperature range of simulations. Studies to higher temperature ranges will be helpful in judging these two theories because the difference in predicted nucleation rate from them becomes clearer.


This chapter aims to create a unified model capturing and generalising the different arrays of preliminary knowledge management (KM) implementation success factors in the telecommunication industry based on the studies conducted on this sector in Malaysia. The literature and empirical evidence suggest that to become the leading global market players in the new knowledge society, telecommunication organizations are required to have the integration of an effective KM process which consists of construction, embodiment, and deployment. These processes must be supported by five preliminary success factors (clear business strategy; flexible organizational culture; a committed KM Team; and effective implementation of K Audit and K Map) and effective KM strategies, that is, a knowledge sharing culture and a human network, leadership, a wide range of new technological opportunities and increased commitment to measurement.


Breast cancer is a significant cause of death among women worldwide. Medicinal plant extracts with large amounts of polyphenolic compounds, which are antioxidants, can have an important role in cancer prevention. The purpose of this study is to test in vitro the antiproliferative activities of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of selected Chinese medicinal plants against three human breast cancer cell lines [MCF-7 (luminal A); HCC1954 (HER2+); Hs578t (triple negative)] and one normal cell line [MCF-10A]. The ethanolic extracts of Polygonum cuspidatum, Rheum officinale, Eucomia ulmoides, Lysinachia christinae, Rhizoma Alpinae, Sarcandra glabre, Scutellaria baicalensis, Smilax glabra and Atractyloides macrocephala showed potent anti-cancer activity with little or no toxicity to normal cells. The apoptosis test was carried out for one of the active plant extract (S. baicalensis) and the results were found to be very significant. The plant extracts investigated in this study have significant anticancer activity against the breast cancer cell lines tested. Further investigation is required to isolate and elucidate the structure of the compounds responsible for the observed activity.


Time underlies many interesting human behaviors. Thus, the question of how to represent time in connectionist models is critical. One approach is to represent time implicitly by its effects on processing rather than explicitly (as in a spatial representation). Memory is the primary processing of man through time.Many studies have focused on the memory of architecture. The "Art of Memory" written by Frances Yates (1966). This classic study of how people learned to retain vast stores of knowledge before the invention of the printed page, Frances traced the art of memory from its treatment by Greek orators, through its Gothic transformations in the Middle Ages, to the occult forms it took in the Renaissance, and finally to its use in the seventeenth century. This study was the first to relate the art of memory to the history of Architecture and culture as a whole was revolutionary when it first appeared and continued to mesmerize readers with those clear insights.In another word, he described how people used architecture to help their memories. (Architecture can bring back a lot of memories). The aim of this study is to focus on the relationship between our individual memories and architecture and if there is a continuous familiarity of the place within our minds, presents as an inextricably bound. Keywords: Architecture, Spatial representation, Memory, Encoding Images, Retrieval Images.


Dark channel prior (DCP) has advantages in image enhancement and image haze removal and is explored to detect highway visibility according to the physical relationship between transmittance and extinction coefficient. However, there are three major error sources in calculating transmittance. The first is that sky regions do not satisfy the assumptions of DCP algorithm. So the optimization algorithms combined with region growing and coefficient correction method are proposed. When extracting atmospheric brightness, different values lead to the second error. Therefore, according to different visibility conditions, a multimode classification method is designed. Image blocky effect causes the third error. Then guided image filtering is introduced to obtain accurate transmittance of each pixel of image. Next, according to the definition meteorological optical visual range and the relationship between transmittance and extinction coefficient of Lambert-Beer's Law, accurate visibility value can be calculated. A comparative experimental system including visibility detector and video camera was set up to verify the accuracy of these optimization algorithms. Finally, a large number of highway section videos were selected to test the validity of DCP method in different models. The results indicate that these detection visibility methods are feasible and reliable for the smooth operation of highways.


Abstract Multibeam imaging sonars have considerable potential for use in fisheries surveys because the video-like images are easy to interpret, and they contain information about fish size, shape, ...


Abstract Regular physical activity throughout life contributes to optimized mental, social, and physical health of individuals. Yet, a significant ratio of the global population does not meet WHO's recommended levels of physical activity (WHO, 2022). Promoting physical activity is particularly important among people with chronic diseases, as those longterm noncommunicable conditions are the world's leading cause of mortality and represent an increasing burden on healthcare systems, economic development, and wellbeing of a large proportion of the population, particularly those aged 50 or above. When a chronic disease is first identified, the health care sector is generally well organized to provide healthcare management of the condition itself, but there isn't a consistent approach to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle as people move back into community settings. Promoting physical activity as part of routine patient care is a particularly important approach for reaching the least active people, and those living with (or at risk of) chronic disease. Although many healthcare professional believe they should play a role in supporting people to be more active there are barriers to doing so in terms of time and know-how. To overcome those barriers, programmes have been developed to bridge health care into community settings with a common goal to optimise the adoption and maintenance of physical activity longterm. These programmes are very diverse according to their location (in- or out- of hospital), their duration, the type and frequency of activity proposed, the level of education of the coaches, or the individual characteristics of each participant. The studies presented in this symposium explore then the effectiveness of physical activity programmes amongst people with chronic diseases. These explorations are carried out using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, in order to identify as accurately as possible the ins and outs of successful and meaningful support. Holistic consideration of the people's pathway to an active lifestyle is explored in those studies, embracing particularly the concept of physical literacy.


We consider decay of supercurrent via phase slips in a discrete one-dimensional superconductor (a chain of nodes connected by superconducting links), aiming to explain the experimentally observed power-3/2 scaling of the activation barrier in nanowires at currents close to the critical. We find that, in this discrete model, the power-3/2 scaling holds for both long and short wires even in the presence of bulk superconducting leads, despite the suppression of thermal fluctuations at the ends. We also consider decay via tunneling (quantum phase slips), which becomes important at low temperatures. We find numerically the relevant Euclidean solutions (periodic instantons) and determine the scaling of the tunneling exponent near the critical current. The scaling law is power 5/4, different from that of the thermal activation exponent.


Urban development has altered the natural way in which stormwater run-off finds its way back to creeks, rivers and Lake Ontario. During wet weather events, stormwater (in the form of rain or snow melt) travels along our streets collecting dirt, oil, grease and other pollutants before entering our sewer systems. This has lead to degraded water quality conditions and erosion in our streams. Therefore, this Environmental Assessment will focus on opportunities to provide enhancement of water quality and stream bank erosion control for the drainage from these two existing stormwater outfalls. A Public Information Centre (PIC) will be held to provide background information on the study and to identify the various alternative solutions that have been considered. Representatives from the Town of Whitby and the consultant team will be present at the PIC to answer questions and to discuss the study. The PIC is scheduled for:


This chapter is primarily devoted to a discussion of asymptotics when the size of a sample tends to infinity. Nowadays it is customary to study the asymptotics via a filtering model thanks to the equivalence principle, which basically says that under certain conditions an asymptotic result proved for a filtering model also holds for corresponding density, regression, and spectral density models. Thus, we begin this chapter with an introduction to a filtering model, which is also interesting on its own merits and is of primary interest in many applications including communication systems and econometrics. Both the cases of large noise (which is equivalent to small sample sizes) and small noise (which is equivalent to large sample sizes) are discussed in detail, and all the main asymptotic results are proved. As a result, sifting through some mathematics, especially in Sections 7.1, 7.3 and 7.4, is required. This effort will be rewarded by understanding methods for finding asymptotically sharp and rate optimal estimates for functions and their derivatives. Section 7.4 discusses methods of adaptive estimation. The multivariate case is considered in Section 7.5. All other sections are devoted to special topics.


Objective Our aim was to prospectively assess bowel preparation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to determine the impact of disease-related factors on preparation efficacy because few studies have addressed this issue. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected from a cohort of patients with IBD enrolled at a tertiary center in Bucharest, Romania. Patients were evaluated every 12 months, with each study visit including collection of clinical, biological, and endoscopic data. We reviewed 348 colonoscopies from 169 consecutive patients prospectively followed for a median length of 2 (0–6) years. Results The median total Boston score and median score per bowel segment in our cohort were optimal at 6 (range 0–9) and 2 (maximum 3), respectively. There was no difference in bowel preparation between patients with endoscopic activity and patients with mucosal healing (median total Boston score 6). Disease- and patient-related parameters did not influence the quality of bowel preparation. Conclusions The quality of bowel preparation in patients with IBD was optimal for our cohort, and disease-related parameters did not significantly influence preparation efficacy.


Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici was recovered from 63% of 731 winter wheat plants collected randomly from six sites where wheat had been grown in monoculture for the previous 7–22 years. Typical take-all was not evident at the time the plants were collected. The fungus was isolated by a baiting method without regard to the presence of take-all on the plants. Isolates from fields under short-term wheat cultivation (3 years or less after a break crop) were obtained by plating directly from infected roots of plants with typical take-all. Virulent isolates comprised 89 and 99% of those collected from long- and short-term wheat cultivation respectively. There was also only a slight difference in the proportions of virulent isolates among monoascosporic subcultures from the two groups of isolates. There was thus little evidence that, during prolonged wheat cultivation, declining virulence in the population of G. graminis var. tritici could account for the absence of take-all.


The invention discloses a remote speech control system used in a construction machinery. The system is connected with a master controller of the construction machinery. The system comprises a speech reception device which receives speech signals and converts the received speech signals into analog electrical signals; a wireless signal transmitter installation transmits the analog electrical signals to a wireless signal reception device at the far end which converts the analog electrical signals into digital signals; a speech recognition device searches speech simulation signals corresponding to the digital signals in a built-in database; a control command reforming unit searches and transmits control commands corresponding to the speech imitation signals to the master controller of the construction machinery. The invention also discloses a remote speech control method used in the construction machinery. The remote speech control system and the method thereof are used for realizing the speech control on the construction machinery.


This article focuses on the concrete and symbolic process of construction, self-identification and self-presentation of U.S.-America as a "material" nation, a self-identification elaborated, albeit seldom by using this term, through the emphasis on its "exceptional" system of production, distribution, and consumption between the turn of the century and the immediate aftermath of WWI. It weaves together three, so far separate, streams of research such as the one on the American system of manufacturing, that on the emergence of modern patterns of distribution and consumption, and the literature on the sustained efforts at "exporting" abroad the "American dream". It charts the evolution of the business practices and of the rhetoric used to forge the notion of "material nation," the actors involved, the implications this had for the process of real and imagined nation-making and for the different social and cultural segments comprising the nation.


Utilizing a cluster sampling design to maximize representativeness, we look at the health effects of acculturation and acculturation stressors among 1,001 adult migrant farmworkers in Fresno, California. Using self-ratings of mental and physical health as well as the CES-D depression scale, we find that the amount of time one spends in the United States, the level of English-language usage, as well as the intensity of acculturation stresses that one reports, are all related to declines in health. In addition, acculturation stress has more deleterious effects on self-rated health (both physical and mental) among the more highly acculturated.


The philosophical musings of this educator, in a moment of pondering the murder of a former student possibly at the hands of another former student, demands an examination of the dynamic, reciprocal, and reflexive process involved in building resilience, and increasing positive outcomes for adolescent students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). My reflexive and explorative modes of inquiry within the confines of established practices in literature, seek to derail a trajectory of limited options, outcomes, and tragic circumstances as experienced by my former students. A comprehensive understanding of fundamental components of programming is a necessary basis for my retrospective journey that calls for change in entrenched patterns of thought. As a teacher for adolescent students with EBD in a restrictive setting for nineteen years, I cannot help but ask myself, what, if anything could have changed the course of these two students' lives? In the time between first hearing of my former student's murder, and the subsequent search for and arrest of my other former student, I began an introspective journey through the process of reflexive analysis to share my own personal and professional experiences. Upon hearing of these tragedies, my thoughts and feelings went immediately to sorrow, disbelief, blame, and hopelessness. Sorrow for both students and their families and disbelief knowing one of my students fell victim to such a tragedy (while another one of my students may have possibly been the perpetrator). I blamed myself: what did I not do? What did I miss? I felt hopelessness: Did anything I did even matter? At this point, I reached out to my colleagues and administrators, resulting in the following comments: "You can't help them all," "I knew he had it in him," "I saw it all along," "I knew he would hurt someone one day," "He is crazy," "He is a sociopath," "Why are you so sensitive?" "Didn't you see it?" "You are only a teacher, not a parent, not a friend, you can only do what you can do." Amidst these comments and my own vacillating thoughts and emotions, I began to question the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of systemic programing that might elicit this mindset. The profound and prophetic words of my colleagues and administrators underscore the basis of philosophical and theoretical ideology that impedes progress and growth. These words also push students on a trajectory of limited options and outcomes. The horrific events of my former students' lives and resultant disclosure of these perceptions and attitudes propelled me to examine and call for a change in the nature of educational programming. At this juncture, I am forced to reflect upon philosophical and theoretical ideology that advocates the use of one-size fits all, evidence-based practices. These practices were engrained components of my teacher training, professional development, and systemic constructs. They purport the benefit of such practices as the only means necessary for ameliorating a trajectory of diminished student outcomes. In my search for answers regarding my two former students, and the recollection of wise words of another former student when discussing her own life journey, I became cognizant of my own evolutionary shift in philosophical and theoretical perspectives as a basis for teaching in restrictive settings. Several years after a student was unexpectedly removed from my program, she asked me, "Why didn't you try harder?" This triggered me to initially become defensive and later ponder her probing question. As her teacher, I felt I worked hard to save her from more abuse and break the barriers she had built to receive the help that our program offered: which included supportive staff, intensive individual and group therapy, and social emotional learning. She had suffered an unimaginable amount of sexual, physical, and mental abuse and had extreme acting out behaviors. For the two years she was in my program this student had made much progress. …


is article focuses on the ways Will Self's novel e Book of Dave (2006) evokes and problematises the constraining and constructive dimensions of what Wesley Kort labelled "scriptures", i.e., of special-status, but non-transcendent texts. In Self's novel, scriptures display both their coercive/destructive and supportive/preserving potential, released, as I want to argue, when scripture's partiality is (respectively) forgotten or remembered. Making the role of memory pivotal for the functioning of scripture (and drawing on Charles E. Scott's conceptualisation of memory's complexities), the article claims that scriptures can be positively transformational when they are kept afloat, i.e., when they are guarded against oblivion but also maintained in a mercurial state.


In this paper we have demonstrated simultaneous transmission and magnification of subwavelength field distributions in the microwave regime using a wire medium slab (see Ikonen et al. (2007) for more details). The structure consists of an array of metal wires, and the separation between adjacent wires is radially enlarged. We were able to numerically demonstrate transmission of the near field distribution of a complex-shaped source over a distance corresponding roughly to 3lambda, together with magnification of the distribution by a factor of three. Simulation results showing the operation of the slab at several frequencies deviating from the operational frequency have been presented and analyzed. In addition to the magnification effect the proposed slab could be utilized in the opposite way: electrically large source distributions can be decreased by simply placing the source in front of the larger slab interface. In this case the source distribution is canalized across the slab, and the characteristic dimensions of the distribution are simultaneously decreased by a certain factor.


Background  Loss‐of‐function mutations in the Kazal‐type serine protease inhibitor, LEKTI, encoded by the SPINK5 gene cause the rare autosomal recessive skin disease Netherton syndrome (NS). G1258A polymorphism in SPINK5 may be associated with atopic dermatitis, which shares several clinical features with NS.


It is reported that the Goos{H(cid:127)anchen (GH) shift of both TE and TM light beams totally re(cid:13)ected from a dielectric interfacecan be greatlyenhanced by a dielectricthin(cid:12)lmwithout changing the propertyof totalinternalre(cid:13)ection. Numerical simulations con(cid:12)rm the theoretical analysis and show that the enhanced GH shift can be as large as the width of the beam for beam's width up to 820 times of the wavelength. This may stimulate investigations in other areas of physics and may lead to interesting applications in optical devices. The enhancement of the GH shift is accompanied by the enhancement of the intensity of the decaying (cid:12)eld in the optically thin medium and of the propagating (cid:12)eld inside the (cid:12)lm. totally lateral geometri-cal


The salts and sodium contents in two experimental plots (MOLLIC USTIFLUVENTICS, FRANCOSA CARBONATICA MIXTA ISOHIPERTERMICA) cultivated with sugar cane were studied. The first plot (T1) was irrigated for more than 10 years with non-treated wastewaters (R1) and the second plot (T2) with groundwater (S1). During the study period (from July 1997 to June 1998) 200 soil samples were taken by means of a systematic soil survey in each experimental plot, corresponding to 4 sampling points and 5 depths. The two irrigation water sources showed average values of ECr of 2,1 dS m-1 and 3,0 dS m-1, and SARo of 10,8 and 6,9, respectively. The soils of the experimental plots showed average values of ECe of 1,0 dS m-1 and 2,0 dS m-1, ESP of 5,9 and 2,3; and SAR of 5,1 and 2,4, respectively. Neither study soil showed risks of salinization and sodification during the research period. Statistical analysis sho- wed significant differences in ECe and SAR between the two treatments (T1 and T2), and the interaction factor treatment x depth was only significant for ECe. Crop yields of the two plots (T1 and T2) were not affected, moreover the yields obtained (175 t ha-1 and 162 t ha-1, respectively) were greater than average


As usual at this time, we bid farewell to some regular contributors and welcome others. Both our Fiction reviewers, Douglas Hill and Helen Hoy, withdrew last year, and their places are taken by Michael F. Dixon and Mark Levene, both of the University of Toronto. We also say farewell to Sandra Djwa, who has written the Poetry round-up for several years, first alone, then in collaboration with Ronald B. Hatch. This year Professor Hatch has gallantly agreed to continue single-handed. There are also changes in the Quebecois contributors. Jacques Michon has given up the Romans section, and his place is taken by Pierre Hebert of the University of Toronto, and in Poesie Caroline Bayard has taken her bow and is succeeded by Robert Yergeau of the College universitaire de Hearst. Regrettably, Gilles Girard did not send us his essay on Theatre this year or advise us in advance that he could not. We are sincerely grateful to all those who have assisted so expertly in the past, and look forward with confidence to our association with the newcomers. Changes are also taking place in UTQ at the editorial level. B.-Z. Shek has been associate editor since 1976, and stepped down a few months ago. His contribution to the journal has been invaluable, and he has been especially active in the organization of 'Letters in Canada.' His place is taken by L.E. Doucette, whose name appears on the masthead of this issue for the first time; he has already established himself as a tower of strength. Finally, this will be the last issue of UTQ to appear under my editorship. My successor will be T.H. Adamowski, and I cannot imagine the journal in more capable hands. (WJK)


Traditional agricultural practice and progressive improved technical implementation made our food system not only self-sufficient but also a potential food surplus source. But continuous application of such latest techniques is damaging our ecosystem as well as become the reason for farmers' debt. Excessive application of agro-chemicals has become the major reason behind soil and water pollution. In order to ameliorate such irreversible damage adaptation of a modern farming technique named Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) has been found to be effective. The word 'budget' represents as credit and expenditures and 'Zero Budget' refers to without any expenses or purchasing any input. 'Natural farming' means farming naturally by avoiding synthetic chemicals. This ZBNF is initiated by Indian agriculturist Subhash Palekar. ZBNF is based on soil mulching to conserve soil moisture, use of natural organic manures and pesticides, etc. Cultural practices like crop rotation, application of green manures and compost, biological and cultural pest management are the key ingredient in ZBNF. ZBNF found ecologically sustainable and an effective tool to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) as well as cost-effective as it made farmers debt free.


Background: The feasibility of anatomical lobectomy in patients with bronchial carcinoma in an area of severe heterogeneous emphysema whose respiratory reserve is outside operability guidelines has previously been confirmed. A review was undertaken to determine whether this approach is justified by long-term survival. Methods: A single surgeon's 8 year experience of 118 consecutive patients (74 men) of median age 70 years (range 45–84) who underwent upper lobectomy for pathological stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was reviewed. The preoperative characteristics, perioperative course and survival of the 27 cases with severe heterogeneous emphysema of apical distribution and a predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 s (ppoFEV1) of <40% (lobarLVRS group) were compared with the remaining 91 cases with a ppoFEV1 of >40% (control group). Results: Postoperative mortality was 1 of 27 in the lobarLVRS group and 2 of 91 in the control group (p = NS). Five-year survival in the lobarLVRS group was 35% compared with 65% in the control group without concomitant severe emphysema (p = 0.001), although rates of tumour recurrence were similar. Conclusions: Long-term survival after lobarLVRS for stage I lung cancer is limited by physiological rather than oncological factors. However, outcomes are still better than those reported for any other modality of treatment in this group of high-risk patients. This finding justifies the decision to offer lobectomy in these selected cases.


Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings Category: F/M Fandom: Hunger Games Trilogy Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games Series All Media Types, The Hunger Games (Movies) Relationship: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark Character: Gale Hawthorne, Primrose Mellark, Peeta's Mother, Katniss's Father Additional Tags: Role Reversal, Alternate Universe Canon Divergence Stats: Published: 2015-11-18 Words: 6365


Recent advances in networking, robotics and computer technology allow real-time diagnosis, consultation, and education by using images obtained through remote microscopy. This paper presents a new approach in telepathology, the image guided decision support (IGDS) system, which integrates components for both remote microscope control and decision support. Using the micro-controller component the physician can command a robotic microscope from a distance, obtain high-quality images to be used in the diagnosis, and authorize other users to visualize the same images. The image understanding-based decision support component of the system locates, retrieves and displays cases which exhibit morphological profiles consistent to the case in question and suggests the most likely diagnosis based on majority logic. The IGDS system has a natural man-machine interface containing engines for speech recognition and voice feedback.