Introduction Every pregnancy and birth is unique, and despite this, few studies exist on the condition of pregnant women with mental disorders. Objectives This study analyzes the impact of prevalent mental disorders in pregnant women to determine which clinical or socio-demographic characteristics significantly impact pregnancy. Methods This retrospective and naturalistic cohort study is based on the medical records of 99 patients managed in a university hospital. All patients had an ICD-10 mental disorder (psychiatric and/or substance use disorders) diagnosed before pregnancy. Results Only 24.2% of the pregnant women had no adverse outcomes throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery. The remaining mothers had violence issues, and mothers with psychotrauma were likelier to have stillborn babies. Pregnant women with mental disorders were less keen to screen for Down's syndrome and more likely to have artificial delivery in case of comorbid drug addiction and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Anonymous birth and placement of newborns were related to substance abuse and pre-pregnancy AUD comorbidities or AUD alone before pregnancy. Besides, four clinical characteristics were found to be predictive of adverse pregnancy outcomes: young maternal age (β =-1,15,p<.03), late-term first contact with the maternity hospital (β=0.08, p<.02), advanced term of delivery (β=4.01, p<.03), and a history of psychiatric disorders associated with an AUD but without smoking before pregnancy (β =-1,07,p<.03). Despite all, pregnant women had a relatively sustained follow-up of their pregnancies. Conclusions Mental disorders have a negative impact on pregnancy. More studies should be promoted to raise the attention of professionals to manage and improve women's pregnancy and motherhood with psychiatric conditions. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This book is inspired by a vision of a seamless AsiaPacifi c region – with physical, economic and fi nancial integration and connectivity across borders facilitating the movement of people, goods, services, capital, knowledge and ideas. Infrastructure connectivity has the power to integrate economies by deepening trade, investment, business and fi nancial links. It can expand and strengthen regional production networks and supply chains of goods and services, thereby improving productivity and competitiveness; and stimulate economic activity, trade and investment. Good connecting infrastructure enables countries to benefi t from a better allocation of resources and a better provision of basic services. Growth can be made more inclusive if poorer groups and communities, particularly those in remote areas and small and landlocked countries, can share its benefi ts. Studies in several Asian developing countries have shown that the presence of basic infrastructure such as road transport and electricity are key factors in terms of helping people climb out of poverty. Despite recent progress, the quantity and quality of the region's infrastructure is generally lower than the global average and has not kept pace with the region's economic growth. The state of infrastructure is also not uniform across Asia – it varies from country to country and from region to region within a country. Rapid economic growth, increasing populations, urbanization and a rising middle class have gone hand in hand with the depletion and rising prices of resources, particularly energy, in several major developing countries. The result has been a visible strain on existing infrastructure facilities. In some countries, lack of maintenance of existing infrastructure further aggravates the situation. For example, poor maintenance of roads in India erodes as much as 40 000 km of rural roads and 10 000 km of secondary roads every year, causing economic losses of about US$7.65 billion per year (Dutta 2011). The weak infrastructure in Asia is also a constraint on the region's future competiveness and growth. Competitiveness in international trade has been the key factor in Asia's remarkable growth performances. Since


Using CO2 data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), it is found for the first time that the mid-tropospheric CO2 concentration is ~1 part per million by volume higher during dry years than wet years over the southwestern USA from June to September. The mid-tropospheric CO2 differences between dry and wet years are related to circulation and CO2 surface fluxes. During drought conditions, vertical pressure velocity from NCEP2 suggests that there is more rising air over most regions, which can help bring high surface concentrations of CO2 to the mid-troposphere. In addition to the circulation, there is more CO2 emitted from the biosphere to the atmosphere during droughts in some regions, which can contribute to higher concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. Results obtained from this study demonstrate the significant impact of droughts on atmospheric CO2 and therefore on a feedback cycle contributing to greenhouse gas warming. It can also help us better understand atmospheric CO2, which plays a critical role in our climate system.


Abstract The structural and physical properties of hydroxyapatite (HAP) with the substitution of Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca are studied. The changes in the HAP properties are studied by various methods of density functional theory calculations. The calculation of the lattice constants upon substitution of Sr/Ca in HAP compared with the experimental data shows similar increase in these parameters after substitution of Sr/Ca. The values of bulk modulus, band gap E g, and the work function Δϕ before and after both substitutions of Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca are calculated. The changes in piezoelectric properties upon Mg/Ca substitution are obtained.


Background. In developed countries more than 20% of children have atopic dermatitis (AD). Clinical guidelines unite in the recommendation to use moisturizers/emollients as therapy mainstay. Deeper understanding of AD pathogenesis stimulates development of new, therapeutic moisturizers. To such moisturizers belong ceramide-containing moisturizers, in particular foam for moisturizing and nourishing dry sensitive skin with ceramides and a cholesterol-phytosterol complex.
Aim. To study effects of foam for moisturizing and nourishing dry sensitive skin with ceramides and a cholesterol-phytosterol complex on the course mild to moderate severity AD.
Materials and methods. In this prospective cohort study 30 children 3 to 17 years of age with mild to moderate severity AD were enrolled. They applied moisturizing foam skin lesion, surrounding skin and dry skin areas for 4 weeks. For all participants severity of AD was scored with SOCARD, EASI, IGA, skin pH, moisture and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured and severity of itching and xerosis was elicited with visual analogue scale.
Results. Severity of AD in children who applied foam decreased on 22.8 score points with SCORAD, and on 3.1 points with EASI (for both indices p0.001). Skin moisture during treatment period increased (23.5% to baseline; p0.001), and TEWL decreased (for 5.45 g/hm2; p0.001); skin pH decreased 0.2 unit to normal values (р=0.002). It was found that skin moisture and TEWL correlate with AD severity so that less severe AD associated with moisture increase and TEWL decrease. As good and excellent rated foam smell 100% (95% CI 88.4100%) respondents, consistence 90% (95% CI 73.598.0%), and ease of use 97% (95% CI 82.899.9%) respondents.
Conclusion. Moisturizing foam with ceramides and a cholesterol-phytosterol complex might be used in AD therapy.


Objective: To compare the effect of two centesis methods of arteriovenous fisfula on complication incidence in hemodialysis patients.Methods: 52 hemodialysis patients were randomly divided into two groups,26 patients of observation group received centripetal artery fistula,the other 26 patients of control group were centrifugal.The complication rates of arteriovenous fistula and dialysis efficiency of two groups were compared.Results: The fistula complication rates of observation group patients was obviously lower than that of control group(P0.05),and there was no significant difference between two puncture groups(P0.05).Conclusion: The centripetal puncture can reduce the incidence of complications in fistula and ensure dialysis efficiency.


Abstract Drawing is frequently deficient in patients with aphasia (Bay 1962, Gainotti et al. 1983, Grossman 1988, Swindell et a1 1988, Kirk and Kertesz 1989). While copying may be preserved or only mildly impaired (Goldenberg et al. 19941, drawing of objects from memory frequently brings forward designs which are distorted, undifferentiated and devoid of crucial details. These distortions may render the depicted objects unrecognizable (Bay 1962, Gainotti et al. 1983). The disproportionate affection of drawing from memory as compared to drawing from a model distinguishes aphasic patients from patients with visuo-constructional disorders due to right-brain damage (Gainotti et al. 1983). It makes it unlikely that a defective apprehension of spatial relationships is the main reason for poor drawing in aphasia.


The incredible flexibility and specificity of the humoral immune response is dependent on the highly diverse repertoire of naïve and affinity-matured antibodies. Utilizing and understanding the power of this response requires high-throughput approaches. This thesis describes three projects that use recent advances in DNA sequencing and synthesis to develop and apply methods to probe the diversity of these responses at unprecedented depth. Chapter 2 describes a synthetic antibody library designed for high-throughput sequencing assisted selection which enables rapid in vitro selection of antibodies that bind specifically to a target of interest by bypassing the need for laborious single-clone screening for specific binding. Chapter 3 describes a high-throughput assay for detection of antibodies against all known human viruses using immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing of bacteriophage displaying a library of peptides tiling through the proteome of all known human viruses. And last, chapter 4 describes the use of immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing of both bacteriophage displayed peptides from the human peptidome and ribosome displayed proteins from the human proteome to identify a novel subclass of patients with scleroderma with autoantibodies against the minor spliceosome complex. The work described in this thesis will enhance our ability to study and exploit the properties of antibodies and the humoral immune response.


Objective To compare the difference between the DNA sequences of Microtus fortis and SD rats,non-permissive hosts of Schistosoma japonicum.Methods The DNAs were extracted from the liver tissues of M.fortis,SD rats,C57BL/6 mice and KM mice,respectively.The primers were designed according to the specific DNA sequences of M.fortis(GenBank accession number:AF277394),and PCR was carried out for amplifying the genome DNAs of M.fortis,SD rats,C57BL/6 mice and KM mice.Following the identification of agarose gel electrophoresis,the purified DNA fragments were cloned into the pGEM-T Easy vector for sequenceing.Results Two specific DNA fragments of around 520 bp were obtained for M.fortis and SD rats and they showed a high homology of 99% with each other.However,no fragments were observed of the PCR products of C57BL/6 and KM mice.Conclusion The specific DNA fragments of the two non-permissive hosts of S.japonicum(M.fortis and SD rats)show a high homology.


The main objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of group narrative therapy and play therapy on inhibiting impulsivity, reducing aggression and increasing interpersonal relations. The research methodology was a quasi-experimental approach. The study population consisted of primary school parentless boys in Welfare Centers in the city of Rasht. The sample in this study included 30 primary school parentless male children (7-11 years old) who had been diagnosed with aggressive behaviors disorders, lack of interpersonal relationships and inability to control impulses, by the consultants of welfare centers in Rasht. Using the available sampling method, the sampled members were randomly divided into three 10-subject groups of experimental narrative therapy group, experimental play therapy group and the control group. The research tools included overt and relational aggression questionnaire for primary school children, Hershfield impulsivity scale and children self-efficacy scale in interpersonal relationships with peers. The results showed that both treatment methods, namely group narrative therapy and play therapy are effective in inhibiting impulsivity, reducing aggression and increasing interpersonal relations at the level of (P < 0.01). Separately compared based on the results, we can conclude that the play therapy method is a more effective approach regarding the variables of impulsivity and aggression in comparison with the narrative therapy, while these two treatment methods are not statistically significant on variable of interpersonal relations. The group play therapy method can be used to reduce aggression and impulsive behaviors.


It is not only in science that abstraction is found as a method of dealing with the world, and we may profitably begin by showing its wide use in ordinary practical life.


FIELD: household chemical goods. SUBSTANCE: composition contains peroxide bleaching substance, liquid hydrophobic bleaching activator, and surfactant: polyhydroxyfatty acid amide of general formula R 2 -C(O)-N(R 1 )-Z, in which R 1 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4 )-hydrocarbyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, or 2- hydroxypropyl; R 2 is (C 5 -C 31 )-hydrocarbyl; and Z is linear polyhydroxyhydrocarbyl with at least 3 hydroxyl groups or its alkoxylated derivative. Composition can be made in the form of emulsion or microemulsion. Composition is applied on fabric in undiluted form before washing. EFFECT: improved spot-removing characteristics with no loss in bleaching properties. 17 cl, 1 tbl


Human CD69+CCR5+ T cells in mucosal tissues are poised to maintain barrier immunity in healthy and inflamed tissues. Tissue-resident T cells evade eviction CCR5 antagonism, explored in various disease settings, does not appear to disrupt barrier immunity. Woodward Davis et al. examined human oral mucosa to characterize CCR5+ T cells in healthy and inflamed tissues. These cells were present below the epithelia and accumulated during inflammation. They had a range of phenotypes, including TH1, TH17, and regulatory cells. Rectal biopsies from a clinical trial using a CCR5 antagonist revealed that CCR5+ T cells were retained even during treatment. These data show that tissue residency may not be perturbed by CCR5 antagonism, allowing barrier immunity to remain intact. CCR5 is thought to play a central role in orchestrating migration of cells in response to inflammation. CCR5 antagonists can reduce inflammatory disease processes, which has led to an increased interest in using CCR5 antagonists in a wide range of inflammation-driven diseases. Paradoxically, these antagonists appear to function without negatively affecting host immunity at barrier sites. We reasoned that the resolution to this paradox may lie in the CCR5+ T cell populations that permanently reside in tissues. We used a single-cell analysis approach to examine the human CCR5+ T cell compartment in the blood, healthy, and inflamed mucosal tissues to resolve these seemingly contradictory observations. We found that 65% of the CD4 tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cell compartment expressed CCR5. These CCR5+ TRM cells were enriched in and near the epithelial layer and not only limited to TH1-type cells but also contained a large TH17-producing and a stable regulatory T cell population. The CCR5+ TRM compartment was stably maintained even in inflamed tissues including the preservation of TH17 and regulatory T cell populations. Further, using tissues from the CHARM-03 clinical trial, we found that CCR5+ TRM are preserved in human mucosal tissue during treatment with the CCR5 antagonist Maraviroc. Our data suggest that the human CCR5+ TRM compartment is functionally and spatially equipped to maintain barrier immunity even in the absence of CCR5-mediated, de novo T cell recruitment from the periphery.


This chapter explores the widespread phenomenon of semantic secularization. An example of an ideologically-neutral semantic secularization is visible in the transition of the meaning for the English word cell from 'monk's living place' to become instead 'autonomous self-replicating unit from which tissues of the body are formed'. The main focus of this chapter, however, is on secularizations involving ideological what I call 'lexical engineering', as exemplified by deliberate, subversive processes of extreme semantic shifting, pejoration, amelioration, trivialization, and allusion. An example of such transvaluation, the transition of semantic value, is [bəloˈri:t]. In Mishnaic Hebrew this term means 'Mohawk, an upright strip of hair that runs across the crown of the head from the forehead to the nape of the neck', a distinctive of the abominable pagan and not to be touched by the Jewish barber. But, defying religious values as well as negating the Diaspora (where Jews by and large had tidy hair), secular Socialist Zionists use blorít with the meaning 'forelock, hair above the forehead', which becomes one of the defining characteristics of the 'Sabra' ('prickly pear' a metaphor for a native Israeli)—as if proposing that the 'new Jew' is a pagan. In line with the prediction made by Gershom Scholem in his famous letter to Franz Rosenzweig (Bekenntnis über unsere Sprache, 1926), some ultra-orthodox Jews have tried to launch a 'lexical vendetta': using secularized terms as dormant agents, as a shortcut to religious concepts, thus trying to convince secular Jews to go back to their religious roots.


Objective: To study the clinical efficacy of ultrared radiation in patients with herpes zoster.Methods: 100 patients with herpes zoster were stbdivided into two random group of observed gorup and the control. The routine methods with ultrared radiation were used in the observed group, the routine methods used in the control group.Results: The time and durations of relieving pain, removing herpes and turning eschar are sign-ificantly shorter in the observed group. Conclusions: The ultrared radiation used in patients with herpes zoster can udeuce pain, improve the herpes absorbing and shorten the durations of treatment.


This article presents a review of the book "A Better Way to Think About Business: How Personal Integrity Leads to Corporate Success," by Robert C. Solomon.


: With the rapid development of social economy, smart grid construction has received more and more attention. The use of advanced power electronics technology will continue to strengthen power grid technology, so as to better ensure the stability of power supply, further increase energy conservation and emission reduction technologies, and ensure the effective use of resources. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on strengthening research, and it is necessary to strengthen the use of advanced power electronics technology in power grids. This paper mainly analyzes the demand for power electronics technology in smart grids, and focuses on the analysis and research of advanced power electronics technologies in smart grids. The application of various advanced power electronic technologies in smart grids is analyzed in this paper.


This paper is concerned with a much neglected area of environmental and geographical education research- the student experience of environmental teaching and learning. Based in the context of an ongoing research project into the teaching and learning of people-environment issues in English secondary school geography classrooms, this paper explores the ways in which two students are experiencing the curriculum within one particular lesson and how their views of this lesson relate to those of their teacher. The scope of the paper is both methodological and substantive. Using the data from the project's first case study, it discusses the development of the analytical procedures undertaken so far, as well as considering the preliminary findings that have emerged from these in relation to the overall research questions. The issues raised by the reported work, it is argued, have important implications for geographical/environmental education research- in particular, the need for more work to be grounded in the ...


Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are one of the recent trends in energy storage systems due to their promising properties, the high abundance of sodium in the Earth's crust, and their low cost. However, the commercialization process of SIBs is in the early stages of development because of some challenges related to electrodes and electrolytes. Electrolytes are vital components of secondary batteries because they determine anode/cathode performance; energy density; operating conditions (electrochemical stability window, open circuit voltage, current rate, etc.); cyclic properties; electrochemical, thermal, mechanical, and dimensional stability; safety level; and the service life of the system. The performance of the battery is based on the structural, morphological, electrical, and electrochemical properties of the electrolytes. In this review, electrolytes used for SIBs are classified according to their state and material, including liquid, quasi-solid, solid, and hybrid, and recent advances in electrolyte research have been presented by considering their contributions and limitations. Additionally, future trends and recent cutting-edge research are highlighted.


Mountain areas, in a normal ecosystemic context as the analyzed region
from the European Romanian Carpathians, offer healthier solutions through different agronomical
practices and solutions designed for the production of functional food. The paper approaches a
chain formed by mountain functional food – agronomic practices – mountain products commerce,
the purpose being the development of the entire mountain products value chain from an area focusing
on the matrix "from the farm to the fork". The paper analyzes highly consumed mountain products
with functional food roles Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Cucumis sativus, Capsicum, and
Solanum lycopersicum.

The paper analyzed highly consumed mountain products with functional food roles, namely Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Cucumis sativus, Capsicum, and Solanum lycopersicum.

The research highlights the importance of vegetable mountain products as a functional
food in the current hunger and environment contexts, in a more and more polluted world.

The experimental, clinical, and agronomical research, together with the production territorial
profile, show that mountain products present high qualitative valences comparatively with
low-land areas or with reference values given by USDA.

According to macro-nutritional and micro-nutritional analysis – lipids-fats, saturated fatty
acids, protein, cyanocobalamin (B12), ergocalciferol (D2), cholecalciferol (D3), iron and calcium
– Allium sativum dominates the mountain product's top with a functional food role. Instead
of this, mountain producers prefer to cultivate mountain products with a higher income horizon.

According to macro-nutritional and micro-nutritional analysis – lipids-fats, saturated fatty acids, protein, cyanocobalamin (B12), ergocalciferol (D2), cholecalciferol (D3), iron and calcium – Allium sativum dominates the mountain product's top with a functional food role. Instead of this, mountain producers prefer to cultivate mountain products with a higher income horizon.

Functional food represents an imperative in a more polluted world. Being less polluted
than other ecosystems, the mountain area offers healthier agricultural products and requires
notable investments, together with more involved agronomy.

Functional food represents an imperative in a more polluted world. Being less polluted than other ecosystems, the mountain area requires special investments, together with more involved agronomy.


The time‐dependent Smoluchowski equation with a Coulomb potential is solved analytically for a general boundary condition, and expressions for the distribution function, reaction rate, and survival probability are given. The expressions are evaluated numerically and the long‐time behavior is derived. The theoretical results apply to experiments involving ion recombination without an electric field (or where there is a time delay in the application of the field), to scavenging experiments, and to fluorescence quenching.


Data on the response behaviour of seals (crabeater, leopard and Ross) and penguins (Adélie and emperor) to helicopter surveys over the pack ice off East Antarctica are presented. The surveys involved Sikorsky S76 helicopters flying at altitude 130 m and speed 90 knots along straight-line transects. The relative frequency of alert and movement behaviours by seal and penguin groups decreased with distance out to 800 m from the flight path. Penguin groups were more likely to show a movement response than seals at all distances. The perpendicular distances moved relative to the flight path were small (maximum 20 m, mean ≤ 3 m, for both seal and penguin groups) relative to the width of the area searched (800 m), and there was no evidence that response movement resulted in a spiked detection histogram. Observers were more likely to feel confident in identifying seal and penguin species if the animals responded to the helicopter by changing the body posture or moving. In this application of aerial survey, the response behaviour elicited by the passing helicopter was considered to be beneficial from a technical perspective, and the disturbance caused to the surveyed populations negligible from an ethical perspective.


By bringing to light sources of error in the formulation of both actual and proposed policy, and by helping us to deal with the critical problem of allocative efficiency, externalities theory provides guidance to the practitioner. Part II of this book explores some of the more concrete policy issues to which the analysis can be applied; in doing so, it deals with several topics that have not been the subject of much formal analysis. But before coming to these applications, we first reexamine the theoretical underpinnings of the analysis. We shall argue in Part I that a number of widely held views about the theory of externalities are unfounded. The analysis also points out several (frequently undetected) booby traps that threaten the unwary in the use of the theory and have significant implications for policy. We have not tried in this book to provide a comprehensive review of the externalities literature. Because we are interested primarily in materials relevant to the pressing problems attributable to externalities, we have deliberately avoided some of the theoretical issues that have received a great deal of attention. More will be said about these omissions later in this chapter. Outline of Part I In Chapter 3, we introduce our treatment of externalities with a nontechnical discussion of the issues and a preview of the major results from the formal analysis. We begin with a definition of externalities and then proceed to some important distinctions among various classes of externalities; here, we differentiate between "technological" and "pecuniary" externalities and those of the "public" and "private" varieties.


The present study aims to investigate the aspects of sport structure in Iran. Literature review, Delphi method, and a researcher developed questionnaire were used to fulfill the research objective.at the first stage, 10 faculty members of sport management participated in Delphi study. At the second stage 302 the researcher developed questionnaire distributed among staff and operational managers in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, managers of executive board in the National Olympic Committee, heads of federations, experts in NOC and the faculty members. The results showed that in terms of the importance, sports for all, training sport, championship sport and professional sport are in the priority of sport structure in Iran, and in designing the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan of Iran, none of the four aspects of sport structures have properly been taken into account.


Adoption of IoT in industrial applications results in huge volumes of data to be processed. By leveraging edge computing and agent based system architecture, autonomous decisions can be made at edge with locally available data without relying on the cloud. An important aspect to consider while designing smart edge systems is the architecture that enables local intelligence and real-time analytics. This paper proposes an architectural approach that combines the key aspects of edge computing and intelligent agents and presents experiment results using a Proof of Concept (PoC) on condition monitoring of distribution transformers in an industrial setting.


4,624,711 1 1/1986 Styron .......................... 106/DIG. 4,741,782 5/1988 Styron ................................... 106/97 Primary Examiner-Olik Chaudhuri Assistant Examiner-Andrew Griffis Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William J. Daniel 57) ABSTRACT A synthetic Class C fly ash results from a substantially homogeneous blend of about 40-60% by weight of a Class F fly ash and about 60-40% by weight of cement kiln dust (CKD). This new fly ash can replace about 25-50% by weight of portland cement in conventional formulations with coarse and fine aggregate for making general purpose concrete and particularly ready-mix concrete with comparable compressive strength and like properties.


Carolyn M. Elliott is Director, American Studies Research Centre, Osmania University Campus, Hyderabad 500 007. A seventh grade textbook in Indian history makes a perplexing pair of observations about the position of women in the Vijayanagar empire of 17th century south India. It states that,'In the Vijayanagar Empire, women occupied a high position in society. They played an active role in the political, social and literary life of the country', followed in the next paragraph by a statement that,'Sati was very common'. Assuming this juxtaposition is more than an editorial mistake, it raises many questions about the meaning of freedom for women in the mind of the text author. How can one say that the ending of one's life because one's social role as wife is over, even if done voluntarily, represents a high position? Is personal freedom available only when one is protected by a male? Can this be called freedom? The narratives in this collection provide insights on many important issues such as this one. Most of these narratives were written for a work-


This session provides an overview of various strategies and online resources that help faculty members stay current in their respective teaching disciplines. Social media tools as well as additional assets are explored. Participants gain an understanding of what a Personal Learning Network (PLN) is and why it can be beneficial to their teaching and learning. A variety of technologies are identified to help build, modify, and interact with a PLN.


Guedes-Sobrinho, D. Ab initio Study of the Ligands and Temperature Effects on the Stability and Meta-stability of Metallic Nanoclusters. 2017. 283p. Tese (Doutorado em Físico-Química) Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, 2017. Transition metal nanoclusters (TM) with dimensions of ∼1,0 nm have attracted great interest in various technological applications such as microelectronics, optics, magnetic devices and mainly as nanocatalysts. In this way, the morphology of these systems is a fundamental factor for optimization of performance in these applications, considering the direct relationship between the physicochemical properties and the atomic structure of the nanocluster determined by the ambient conditions (temperature and adsorbed molecules). In this sense, in view of the limitations on the precision of the experimental characterization techniques currently available, especially in nanometric dimensions, the use of computational calculations using first principles methods (ab initio) and based on the density functional theory is indispensable. Thus, in this work, the effects of binders and temperatures on the structural, electronic properties, stability and metastability of TM nanoclusters were investigated. (i) In this way, the (PH3)n and (SH2)n ligands effects with gradual saturation at n = 1, 6, 12 and 18 adsorbed onto nanoclusters Pt55 and Au55 with icosahedral (ICO), cuboctahedron (CUB), and distorted reduced core (DRC) structures were studied at 0 K. In the gas phase, the DRC structures with 7 and 9 atoms in the core region are 5,34 eV (Pt55) and 2,20 eV (Au55) more stable than ICO model with symmetry Ih with 13 atoms in core. The results showed that there is a strong compression of the cationic core by the anionic surface induced by interactions of Coulomb (core+-surface−), leading to collapse and stress reduction of the symmetrical structures from the reduction of the number of atoms in the core region. However, the stability of the ICO structure increases with increasing Number of molecules adsorbed, so that DRC and ICO become approximately degenerated in energy in < 0,5 eV. In addition, ligands on the anionic surface reduces the transfer of charges between core+surface−, contributing to the reduction of interactions of Coulomb and, consequently, alleviating the internal stress of the ICO. Similar result was obtained using triphenylphosphine (PPh3) as large ligands, in which the long carbon chains add side interactions between the ligands. (ii) PtnCo(55− n) binares nanoclusters at 0 K showed a high stability across the range of compositions, indicating a direct correlation between stability and homogeneous distribution of Pt and Co atoms forming the nanoalloys with ICO structure. However, under a saturated atmosphere of adsorbed CO ligands, the stability of the nanoaaloys decreases (increases) to compositions with large amounts of Pt (Co). Analyzes have shown that under the effects of adsorption the compositions remain with ICO configuration, except for Pt42Co13 (Co@Pt as core@shell in gas-phase), where Co molecules displace the Co atoms to the surface, and then inducing an amorphization process for a structure formed with Pt atoms occupying the core. To investigate the temperature effects on the stability and metastability of Au nanoclusters and clusters by using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, medium size nanoclusters of Au25, Au38, and Au40 were used in gas-phase and clusters of Au13 under different saturated atmospheres of CO. (iii) It has been observed that at temperatures of 300, 400, 500, and 600 K, the nanoclusters exhibit dynamic structures for the core-surface regions with cationic tetrahedral (4 atoms) or T-bipyramidal (5 atoms) cores weakly bound to the flexible anionic surface. A statistical approach using a dimensionality reduction algorithm for two-dimensional Euclidean space representation, called sketch-map, was proposed as a new language to analyze the free energy surface (FES) of the systems calculated on the approximation of multistate Bennet acceptance-ratio. The FES was used as a qualitative analysis of the stable and metastable configurations under the effect of temperature, indicating the preferred regions of the configurational space of each nanocluster investigated. (iv) By including the effects of ligands and temperatures on Au13 clusters, it was observed that at high temperatures the Au13 clusters in gas-phase tend to have more open configurations with less bond length relative to three-dimensional structures. On the other hand, the saturation of the environment with CO ligands restricts the mobility of the atoms in Au13 clusters, favoring the sampling of three-dimensional structures even at temperatures relatively high. The charge population analysis showed a high concentration of electrons in the O atoms, so that the strong cationic character of the Au13 clusters leads to increased atomic coordination, contributing to the stabilization of the more three-dimensional.


An experimental simulation of an actual steam-water geothermal well based on field data obtained in New Zealand is carried out in a two-phase flow facility using dichlorotetrafluoroethane, known commercially as refrigerant 114. The simulation of steam-water flow is accomplished by a similarity theory which is achieved by using appropriate dimensionless numbers; namely, the Mach, Froude, and Reynolds numbers at the flashing front. The theory is used to scale the flow properties from that of water to that of refrigerant 114 in the two-phase region, and permits the prediction of steam-water characteristics in a flowing well, under much reduced pressure and temperature levels. Two experimental series were conducted to confront the similarity theory with actual measurements from a flowing well with significant noncondensable gases. Experimental results using refrigerant 114 indicate that the pressure distribution along the pipe can be predicted accurately in the two-phase region of a geothermal well.


In view of the large energy consumption of the regeneration process in the chemical absorption decarburization process, on the basis of the enrichment classification flow process, the nanoscale ceramic film is used as a new heat exchanger between the enriched liquid and the regeneration gas. The porous ceramic film is capable of coupling thermal-mass transfer to effectively recover part of the water vapor and the heat carried in the regeneration gas, so as to reduce the regenerative energy consumption of the system. The effects of parameters such as regeneration temperature, flow rate, molar fraction of water vapor, and MEA enrichment temperature, flow rate, and MEA concentration of shunt on the hydrothermal recovery effect of ceramic membranes of different pore sizes and lengths were studied by using the heat recovery flux and water recovery rate as the indicators. The results show that the hydrothermal recovery performance of the ceramic membrane increases with the increase of MEA enrichment flow, but decreases significantly with the increase of the enrichment temperature. At the same time, with the increase of regenerative gas velocity and the molar fraction of water vapor in the regenerative gas, the heat recovery flux will increase. The heat recovery performance of the 10 nm ceramic membrane is better than that of the 20 nm ceramic membrane.


This multicenter, open‐label study evaluated the effects of multiple doses of peginterferon alfa‐2b on the steady‐state pharmacokinetics of methadone in 20 adults with hepatitis C virus infection who were enrolled in a methadone maintenance program. All subjects received peginterferon alfa‐2b 1.5 μg/kg/wk for 4 weeks and maintained their normal methadone regimen. Serial blood samples were collected immediately before the first and after the fourth peginterferon alfa‐2b dose (day 23). At day 23, exposure to the active methadone R‐enantiomer increased by approximately 15% following administration of peginterferon alfa‐2b, with 90% confidence intervals just outside the bioequivalence criteria (range, 80%–125%). Similar increases in exposure (Cmax, AUC0–24, and AUClast) were observed with S‐methadone and total methadone. Peginterferon alfa‐2b was well tolerated. Peginterferon alfa‐2b is associated with minor increases in exposure to methadone in individuals with hepatitis C virus infection; however, these increases are unlikely to be clinically meaningful and are not associated with any safety concerns.


In computer graphics, highlights capture much of the appearance of light reflection off a surface. They are generally limited to pre-defined models (e.g., Phong, Blinn) or to measured data. In this paper, we introduce new tools and a corresponding highlight model to provide computer graphics artists a more expressive approach to design highlights. For each defined light key-direction, the artist simply sketches and paints the main highlight features (shape, intensity, and color) on a plane oriented perpendicularly to the reflected direction. For other light-and-view configurations, our system smoothly blends the different user-defined highlights. Based on GPU abilities, our solution allows real-time editing and feedback. We illustrate our approach with a wide range of highlights, with complex shapes and varying colors. This solution also demonstrates the simplicity of introduced tools. 1. Motivation 3D modeling is generally decomposed in three components: geometry, animation, and appearance (i.e., lighting behavior). Over the years, and with an increasing interest since the publication of Teddy [IMT99], simple sketch-based interfaces have been proposed for geometry modeling and more recently, for animation (e.g., [TBvdP04]). This research in intuitive modeling has only recently emerged for the design of lighting behavior (e.g., [OMSI07, TABI07]), but is still in its early stages. Over all possible lighting effects, some of the most noticeable are highlights: they play an important role in the final appearance of an object, providing the user with convincing materials. Unfortunately, a highlight is a complex 4D function that depends on both light and view directions. Therefore , in a creative and artistic context, edition and creation of plausible highlights are still challenging tasks. Currently, most systems rely on the selection over pre-defined shading models (such as Phong shading) and the modification of † { pacanows | granier | schlick }@labri.fr ‡ firstname.lastname@example.com (a) (b) (c) Figure 1: Three different styles of highlight obtained with different systems. (a) BRDF-Shop Physic based highlight, (b) Anjyo [AWB06] cartoon based highlight, and (c) example of highlight obtained with our system. their intrinsic parameters: the user's choice and freedom is thus limited. Recent approaches extend the modeling freedom by using a painting approach: a user creates and edits highlights by painting (cf. Figure1a) the expected result on a sphere [CPK06]. This approach is still limited by the underlying analytical models. In this paper, we present an intuitive and flexible system for highlight design. Our system allows the user to specify


Abstract Cold metal transfer (CMT) welding is a promising process to improve the mechanical characteristics of the hard to weld 7075-T6 aluminium alloy owing to its unique advantages in contrast to conventional metal inert gas welding process. The welded joints, using ER5356, were identified and characterised by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Mechanical properties were measured by tensile and hardness tests. Results indicate that CMT provides better joint tensile strength and ductility compared to metal inert gas welding. The softness in the heat affected zone was very low, but a big hardness gap was recognised in the welded metal compared to base metal. The joint had mechanical property coefficients of 77%, 60% and 69% for yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation respectively.


In many developing countries, families have been partners in the care of persons with mental disorders for over five decades. This was so even when the rest of the world looked at families as a cause of mental disorders (1-4).

One of the first community studies in a developing country was carried out at Chandigarh, India, under the leadership of N. Wig (5). This study focussed on 'attempts to meet the needs of a group of chronic schizophrenics in the community'. The setting was the Modecate Clinic and the team consisted of a psychiatric nurse, one psychiatric social worker, and two psychiatrists. In this study, 30 of the persons suffering from chronic schizophrenia attending the special clinic were evaluated in detail for their symptoms and social functioning. Further efforts were made to provide required help to the ill individuals and the families. Interventions consisted of regular home visits, family counselling, marital counselling, contact with social welfare agencies and providing an understanding about the illness. All the families were visited at home periodically. These home visits became a source of support to the family. The visits were utilised to share the caring skills with the family members.

Another important study of this period was initiated at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore by Pai and Kapur (6-10). In this study, two similar groups of schizophrenic patients (27 each), undergoing two treatment modalities, namely hospital admission and home treatment through a nurse, were compared for the outcome in terms of symptoms, social dysfunction, burden on the family, cost of treatment and outcome at the end of 6 months. The hospital group patients were admitted to the psychiatric wards and treated in a routine manner (average hospital stay was 6 weeks). The home care group remained in their homes. A nurse trained in patient follow-up and counselling visited the home regularly for the purpose of patient assessment and treatment. The frequency of the visits were determined by the severity of the illness and the level of anxiety expressed by the family. The two groups "were comparable and the differences in outcome could be safely attributed to the differences in the two systems of delivery of care". The home treatment through a visiting nurse gave a better clinical outcome and social functioning of the patient and greatly reduced the burden on the families. This treatment modality was also more economical.

A follow-up study was made of this group of patients after two years. 37 of the 54 patients could be contacted. It was observed that the home care group of patients had maintained significantly better clinical status than the controls and had been admitted less often (9). However, in terms of social dysfunction and burden on the family, the benefits of initial home care disappeared.

In a subsequent study, the focus of family care by visiting nurses was patients with a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia (11). Two groups received the routine out-patient care and home care respectively. Each group had 32 patients and the duration of follow-up was two years. The two-year follow-up assessment showed that the home care group maintained better clinical status, as well as a better level of social functioning, but the differences were not statistically significant. Only two of the home care group were admitted to hospital over two years in comparison to 8 patients in routine care. The authors concluded that a home care service seems to offer a viable alternative mode of follow-up care for the chronically mentally ill population. Moreover, it may be possible to prevent repeated hospitalisations for these patients and offer them a better chance of long-term community adjustment.

During the latter part of 1980s, as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative study on 'Determinants of outcome of severe mental disorders', a substudy focussed on the specific cross-cultural aspects of expressed emotions (EE). The Chandigarh centre was under the leadership of N. Wig. In this comparison, two samples of relatives of first-contact patients with schizophrenia from Aarhus (Denmark) and Chandigarh (India) were assessed for the EE and their relationship with outcome. The training of the investigators from different cultures was satisfactory and it was found that the rating of critical comments could be transferred satisfactorily from English to Hindi (12,13). The Danish sample consisted of 28 patients, while the Indian sample consisted of 78 patients from the urban and rural areas.

56% of Chandigarh relatives made no critical comments at all, compared with 29% of Aarhus relatives and 28% of British relatives. While 16% of the British relatives scored 15 or more, no Chandigarh relative made more than 14 critical comments. The mean number of critical comments made by Indian urban relatives was 2.42, compared with only 0.58 for Indian rural relatives, and 8.4 for the British sample. In the Indian sample, warmth was likely to be associated with high criticism as well as low criticism, whereas in the English and Danish samples warmth was much more likely to accompany low criticism. The proportion of families categorised as high-EE was 54% in English and Danish samples as compared to 30% in the urban and 8% in the rural Indian samples. The author concluded: "The starting point for further studies could well be the major difference in distribution of EE components between the urban and rural relatives. The possible insights afforded by this line of enquiry could contribute to therapeutic endeavours to alter the emotional environment in high-EE homes".

In a subsequent report, Leff et al (14,15) followed up 86% of the above group of patients at the end of two years. In contrast to the one year findings, the global EE index at initial interview did not predict relapse of schizophrenia over the next two years. However, there was a significant association between initial hostility and subsequent relapse.

In view of the association of high EE and family attitude with the course and outcome of schizophrenia, and the known better outcome of schizophrenia in India (as well as other developing countries), the failure to follow up the above leads is unfortunate. This is an area for urgent attention by professionals.

During the recent years a number of investigators have studied in more details the family life of the persons with schizophrenic illness and factors associated with family care. These studies offer new understanding as well as potential avenues for further work.

Sharma et al (16) compared 78 patients living in the community with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in Liverpool, UK and 60 patients from the rural areas near Bangalore, India. In Liverpool only 20% were ever married as compared to 90% in Bangalore sample. Less than half of the patients were living with the family in Liverpool, while all but one patient in Bangalore were living with the family. Very few patients in Liverpool were employed. Inpatient treatment was common in Liverpool while it was rare in Bangalore. Illicit drug use was seen in 22% of Liverpool patients as compared to 2% in Bangalore. The authors conclude that "Bangalore patients were more socially integrated than Liverpool patients, who appeared socially marginalised".

During the 1990s, the movement to develop programmes for family members has been initiated in India. These include family education, family intervention, formation of self-help groups and greater support to families to become partners in care (17).

The focus of family interventions, to date, has been to build a relationship with caregivers based on understanding and empathy, focussing on the strengths of caregivers and assisting them to identify community resources, interventions to promote medication compliance, interventions to promote early identification of relapse and swift resolution of the crises, guiding families to reduce social and personal disability, guiding families to reframe expectations and moderate the affect in the home environment, guiding families to improve vocational functioning of the patient, emotional support to caregivers and development of self-help groups for mutual support and networking among families.

The need of the families to take up this important role is at three levels. Firstly, families need support from the professionals to acquire the skills of care, respite care and crisis support in emergencies, as well as emotional support to meet their own needs and to maintain the cohesion of the families. Secondly, the state should support families financially to offset the caring responsibility of the families and help them to form self-help groups. Thirdly, professionals have to change their attitudes and practices to develop a true partnership with the families and make the experiences of the family an essential part of the programme and policy development. Developing countries have an unique opportunity to build mental health programmes on the strengths of families.

The issues relating to the families empowerment are: growing urbanisation of India; breaking down of the traditional joint and extended families; increasing numbers of nuclear families; single parent families; families with working parents; families in distress due to economic deprivation, social marginalisation, alcohol dependence, chronic illnesses; growing numbers of elderly persons and families of mentally ill with elderly caregivers; increasing influence of mass media in shaping the aspirations of young people and family life.


"This is Munich all over again!": Such comparisons between a present situation and a past one (i.e. a historical analogy) are common in public and political discourses. Historical analogies were used for centuries but have received increased interest in the last 50 years from scholars in political science, history, and psychology. Despite existing interdisciplinary exchanges, it remains difficult to identify the variables involved in the phenomenon as different methodologies and conceptualizations are used. Hence, we review part of this voluminous literature and suggest that the various effects related to the use of historical analogies can be grouped under four independent and non-mutually exclusive categories: representing a current situation, defining the roles of current actors, making decisions, and persuading others of a message. We conclude by acknowledging the limits of this current conceptualization and emphasizing its potential as a useful heuristic tool to organize findings in a way that makes them readable across various fields.


"In this vibrant world only one thing is eternal and that is change" so keeping velocity with ever changing environment is always be a prerequisite and challenge for business world in several areas of management including human resource management, as it is necessary for business houses to choose job-fit personality for sustainable growth and development. Keeping these views in mind; researcher identified the need of competency mapping in various business areas and conducted a survey on competency mapping in Banking sector, special reference to staff in HDFC Banks in Kannur District. Competencies are components of a job which are reflected in behavior that is apparent in a work place. The common element most frequently mentioned are knowledge, skills, abilities, aptitudes, personal suitability behavior and impact on performance at work. The main emphasis of organizations has begun to believe in excelling and not in competing. The competency mapping affects the existing competencies of employees. Therefore, the paper attempts to measure the role of competency mapping in the efficient performance of the employees at middle level and determine various functional areas, where the competency mapping can proved beneficial. The research of study based on primary data collected by the mean of questionnaire from the different branches of HDFC BANK, located at different place in Kannur District . Similarly, the result of study prove that, the competency mapping is necessary for the performance and future growth of bank because the growth and development of every business is based on the efficient and satisfied working staff.


Thrombocytopenia has been a major problem in the treatment of patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation or chemotherapy for cancer. Thrombopoietin, the hormone thought to stimulate the produc...


We present experimental studies of the noise performance of a prototype heterodyne SIS receiver operating at wavelengths of about 1mm. The receiver employs different 4-12GHz intermediate frequency amplification chain configurations: a standalone low noise amplifier (LNA), the LNA cascading with a cryogenic isolator, and a low noise balanced amplifier. From our experiments and measurements, we could conclude that the latter configuration demonstrates the best broadband noise performance. In fact, the receiver equipped with the balanced LNA does not have noticeable noise degradation caused by the IF hybrids of the balanced LNA scheme. Moreover, our results indicate that even broader IF bandwidth of the receivers could be prospectively reached using balanced LNAs in the IF amplification chain.


The article discusses the comparison of the mineralogical and technological properties of minerals and the whole copper-nickel ore manifestations of the "Blizhneye" and "Dal'neye" Bugrovskaya area. According to the results of the study, rock-forming and secondary minerals of ore-bearing rocks were established. Characterized sulfide minerals and their associations. In general, the complexity of ores, including precious metal mineralization, was noted. According to the obtained mineralogical data, possible methods of ore enrichment are predicted.


Most of us tend to regard those who differ from us in their educational ideas as wrong. But in fields as complex as educational theory or literacy instruction, it seems more appropriate to see ideas as incomplete or out of balance than as wrong. People often argue heatedly about educational issues when a more objective view would show that they were in major agreement with only a minor part of the issue in contention. Part of the problem is caused by the way in which we focus on one aspect of a field to the apparent if temporary exclusion of other aspects. While this may be regrettable in some ways, it also seems to be a necessary condition for making an impact. Who could deny the gains made by the feminist movement, and who could doubt that the militancy of some leaders in the movement was necessary to obtain any hearing at all from either gender?


Two separate studies were madewithregard togenerator neutral grounding practices. Oneoftheserelates todistribution transformer withsecondary resistor typeofgrounding andspecifically astothe applicability ofL-Nrated transformers. Thesecondinvestigation relates particularly to resonantgrounding andtotheeffect ofdeparturesfromrated frequency whichoccurduring suchoperations as loadrejection, startup andshutdown on thetransient voltages which may exist. Thestudies were basedinlarge measure on theresults fromtwo investigations on theTransient NetworkAnalyzer (TNA)regarding overvoltages duetointermittent ground faults.


A customer-oriented enterprise must satisfy various customer needs if it is to stay competitive. Unexpected needs often demand rapid development of a product or solution, which may pose various challenges, one of which is the management of supplier involvement in such projects. In a case company environment, this study reviews and analyses the effect of supplier involvement in both a new product and a rapid development project on the three fundamental metrics of product development success: costs, quality and development time. The results indicate that the challenges relate mainly to lack of communication and coordination and to increased product development speed, which can lead to rising costs, quality defects and late component deliveries. Against this, suppliers often possess valuable expertise that may prove beneficial in terms of product quality and product development time.


The frantic rush during the last six or seven years to improve our educational system on all levels has resulted in strong pressures for changes in curriculum and instruction in all subjects. At first, the elementary and high schools were the primary object of attack. To try to help improve instruction in English, the government established Project English, a program which called for the establishment of curriculum centers at various places around the country. Project English also supports individual research projects. In 1962 the College Entrance Examination Board provided numerous Summer Institutes for teachers of secondary school English. Most of the effort in these two programs has been directed toward improvement in elementary and secondary English instruction, perhaps because it was felt that the needs were greater at these levels than at the college level or perhaps because of the lack of interest on the part of college English departments to conduct research.


The use of superplasticizer in the manufacture of self-compacting concrete is graduallymore common. Each type of superplasticizer available in the market has differentcompositions, causing differences in dosage requirement. Also, superplasticizer affectthe fresh and hardened properties of concrete. In this experimental study the effect ofdifferent dosage of superplasticizer (SP) on fresh properties of self-compactinglightweight concrete (SCLC) containing coarse aggregate pumice were studied by usingfive different percentages for (SP) (1%, 1.3%, 1.5%, 1.7% and 2%) of the binderweight. (SCLCs) were produced with constant binder content of 550 kg/m 3 and at awater-to-binder ratio of 0.26. 20% of portland cement was replaced with fly ash byweight. The workability of SCLCs was quantitatively evaluated by slump flow time anddiameter, V-funnel flow time, and L-box height ratio. Moreover, compressive strengthof hardened SCLCs was measured at 28 days by using compression machine andRebound hammer test. The results show that with the increase of (SP) dosage in theconcrete mixture, the flowability increased. However, there is an optimum value of (SP).The increase of (SP) dosage is accompanied by decreasing of T 500 slump flow and V-funnel time until it reaches the optimum level. Nevertheless, excessive use of (SP) leadto increase of slump flow diameter.


abstract:We study infinite time blow-up phenomenon for the half-harmonic map flow $$ \casesno{ u_t=-(-\Delta)^{{1\over 2}}u+\bigg({1\over 2\pi}\int_{\Bbb{R}}{|u(x)-u(s)|^2\over |x-s|^2}ds\bigg)u&\quad {\rm in}\ \Bbb{R}\times(0,\infty),\cr u(\cdot,0)=u_0&\quad {\rm in}\ \Bbb{R}, } $$ for a smooth function $u:\Bbb{R}\times [0,\infty)\to\Bbb{S}^1$. Let $q_1,\ldots,q_k$ be distinct points in $\Bbb{R}$, there exist a smooth initial datum $u_0$ and smooth functions $\xi_j(t)\to q_j$, $0<\mu_j(t)\to 0$, as $t\to+\infty$, $j=1,\ldots,k$, such that there exists a smooth solution $u_q$ of Problem (0.1) of the form $$ u_q=\omega_\infty+\sum_{j=1}^k\Bigg(\omega\bigg({x-\xi_j(t)\over \mu_j(t)}\bigg)-\omega_\infty\Bigg)+\theta(x,t), $$ where $\omega$ is the canonical least energy half-harmonic map, $\omega_\infty=\big({0\atop 1}\big)$, $\theta(x,t)\to 0$ as $t\to+\infty$, uniformly away from the points $q_j$. In addition, the parameter functions $\mu_j(t)$ decay to $0$ exponentially.


This chapter—which is informed by cultural geographers' concern for 'recuperating the spatial practices' that may be detected within literary texts—discusses an architecture of 'situated objects' across literary texts that were produced as part of the Victorian Arthurian revival. It investigates the extent to which Arthurian objects are exoticized and rendered part of fantastical (and actual) landscapes (taking issue with 'thing theory'). It also considers how in some Arthurian literary reworkings, the Arthurian artefact may not obviously return at all, or be recycled as `ordinary', in a more familiar, domesticized setting. The chapter argues that Victorian Arthurian texts become an assemblage of codified objects, with those objects referencing and reinterpreting earlier sources of the Arthurian legend, whilst also pointing to complex social change and material cultural encounters.


The issue of corruption has led to loss of confidence in Nigeria by its citizens at home and abroad due to the activities of fraudsters, corrupt public officials and mis-governance by our leaders. On the international scene, Nigeria has been blacklisted as a slate in which integrity and transparency are alien and where no transactions occur without greasing palms. Others are over concentration of resource at the centre and a culture of unregulated informal economy, inefficient contract awards, inadequate enforcement of existing law, absence of the rule of law and a culture of preferential treatment in the conduct of government business. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Corruption Commission (EFCC) were established by the present administration to combat corruption at various levels. It is lamentable to observe that in spite of these strategies in place, little or no success has been achieved in that direction. The main objectives of the study are to identify the causes of corruption and their effects on Nigerian society; to analyse the role of the various Strategic Agencies on Anti-corruption and the impact of their existence. The method adopted for the study is the historical and observational method. Related literatures on corruption and government strategies are also utilized for the study. The findings of the study are that the existing Anti-Corruption Agencies are trying their best to curb corruption in Nigeria but that greediness and political instability are some of the primary causes of corruption. Government's lack of will to indict some past and present public office holders, inadequate and ineffective legislation on corruption are responsible for the high level of corruption in Nigeria today It is recommended that in fighting corruption, Nigeria requires good and virtuous leaders who are honest with integrity, discipline and trustworthy, creation of employment, upgrading of Nigeria police amongst others. Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 4 () 2007: pp.212-234


The dispersed effects and related mechanisms of various dispersants in Al2O3 slurry were discussed. The results indicate that the relative molecular mass, structure-shape and addtive amounts of the dispersants have important effects on the rheology of Al2O3 slurry. The isoelectric point of Al2O3 slurry decreases from 8.3 to 4.7 with adding rate increment of PAA dispersants, the optimal range of additive amount is 0.5%~0.8% (mass fraction). The slurry has high dispersivity and stability using polyelectrolyte dispersants with high relative molecular mass. For the dispersants with less relative molecular mass, the optimal range of addtive amount is more broad (0.5%~2.0%) (mass fraction) and the viscosity of the slurry changes less with the adding rate change of the dispersants.


Leif Svanström, now professor emeritus of social medicine at the Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden, has devoted his entire professional career to social medicine and the theory and practice of safety research. He is still very active in efforts to disseminate the Safe Community innovation globally. Supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Leif has managed to build an international network that encourages countries and their local government authorities to work more systematically with safety as an integral part of operations at the municipal level. The work is guided by a population perspective, interdisciplinary research collaboration and a socialmedical analysis of health and equality. It has contributed to a reduction both in fatalities and in injuries requiring health care. To achieve this, Leif has certainly made great use of his renowned working capacity and organisational skills, and his belief in the opportunities offered by team-working. His exceptional and sustained contributions to the field were recognised in 1998 by the American Public Health Association (APHA) with the International Distinguished Career Award:


It is standard fare in political science or political economy to characterize the nature of political and economic systems in the aftermath of some critical juncture – such as the "postwar era," the "post-Cold War era," "postSeptember 11," and the like. Analyses that highlight these critical junctures all face the same questions: do we know yet whether this juncture was in fact critical? Even if it was, has enough time passed for us to undertake a valid assessment of the shape of the world in its aftermath? Skeptics of hasty assessments may recall Zhou En-Lai's famous response to Henry Kissinger's question about the meaning of the French Revolution nearly two hundred years on – "It is too soon to tell." In pursuing an analysis of a new form of trade and commercial relationships that takes as its starting point the continued debility of the multilateral institutions and processes of trade cooperation, we are surely tempting the fate of those who attempt to slice a loaf of bread that is only halfbaked. And surely the GATT/WTO regime has proved durable, surviving many past threats to its primacy in international commercial cooperation, whether from protectionism or regionalism. Yet although we take the failure of WTO talks in Seattle in 1999 (and subsequent lack of progress in the Doha Round) as our critical juncture, we are not assuming that interregionalism, or regionalism, or bilateralism, or any other type of –ism, will replace multilateralism. Rather, we ask whether, in a world in which the WTO still operates but perhaps ceases to evolve in a meaningful way, interregionalism will emerge as a viable alternative form of institutionalized economic integration. We hope that, by this point, the reader will agree with us that at least an initial assessment of post-Seattle interregionalism has been justified, and that there is much to be learned from the experience of EU-centered interregionalism to date. At the outset of this volume, we introduced a number of variables and hypotheses that we considered to be the most likely potential explanations


PURPOSE
To present a case of improvement of ocular motility in a patient with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) with Coenzyme Q10.

METHODS
Coenzyme Q10 300 mg daily was given for three years with a three-day trial period of 200 mg daily after one year. Ocular ductions were measured by synoptophore.

RESULTS
Ocular ductions improved with treatment with Coenzyme Q10.

CONCLUSION
Coenzyme Q10, is effective in limiting the severity of ophthalmoplegia in this case.


Copyright: © 2021 Wood EE, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Humans are within the rare 5% of mammal species that have paternal investment [1]. The quantity and quality of paternal investment is facultative on environmental and social context [1-3]. Because paternal investment is facultative in nature, father presence is not necessarily critical for survival [4-6]. However, the presence and involvement of the father can provide sociocompetitive advantages, and indicate valuable information about the safety and predictability of the environment that can have many downstream effects on development and health [7,8]. The safety and predictability of the environment is particularly critical in early childhood during the calibration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) and can shape sensitivity to stressors as children age, as discussed below [9-13]. Because fathers are shown to provide unique context to environmental conditions that are important for shaping mental and physical health, more research is needed examining the role of fathers on child development outcomes to provide better accuracy in predicting developmental trajectories [7].


The enzymatic manifestation of the sodium pump is the Na+, K+-ATPase. This enzyme, found in all mammaliancell membranes, is necessary for proper cellular function since it helps to preserve the ionic gradients across the cell membrane and thus the membrane potential and osmotic equilibrium of the cell. This review aims to inform thereader about the molecular regulation of the sodium pump expression and function, as well as providinginsight on the role of the sodium pump as an ion regulator and a signaling protein in mammalian cells.


In the research field of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation there is increased focus on the improvement of physical human–robot interaction by means of high-performance actuator technologies and dedicated control strategies. In this context we propose a combination of lightweight, intrinsically compliant, high-torque actuators (pleated pneumatic artificial muscles) with safe and adaptable guidance along a target trajectory by means of proxy-based sliding mode control. We developed a powered knee exoskeleton (KNEXO) to evaluate these concepts. In addition to the trajectory-based controller a torque controller was implemented with a view to minimizing the interaction during unassisted walking. First, various treadmill walking experiments were performed with unimpaired subjects wearing KNEXO to evaluate the performance of the proposed controllers. Test results confirm the ability of KNEXO to display low actuator torques in unassisted mode and to provide safe, adaptable guidance in assisted mode. Subsequently, a multiple sclerosis patient participated in a series of pilot experiments. Provided there was some patient-specific controller tuning KNEXO was found to effectively support and compliantly guide the subject's knee.


A variety of methods and algorithms have recently been employed in the analysis of gene expression data, including reverse-engineering and knowledge-based pathway modeling, semantic gene similarity, network analysis and clustering. These methods and algorithms address different subparts of the same overall challenge and need to be applied in combination to address predictive genomic analysis as a whole. In this paper, we present an integrated approach to predictive genomic analysis that achieves this objective and describe an application of the approach to the study of neuroprotection in stroke.


The use of the term " risk ratio " is incorrect throughout the manuscript. The correct term should be " rate ratio. " Reference 1. access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


Metastasis to the skeleton occurs in approximately 75% of patients with advanced breast cancer. It is the cause of much morbidity and decreased quality of life in these patients.


Jeanette Hanford's article "Ne",: Pre~sures ?n Family Life" in the January 1969 Issue IS de~cnp tive of social changes that have been dramatically apparent on the West Coast. Weare seeing an increasing number of parents, adolescents, and young adults who are being seriously affec~ed by the rapid social and political changes taking place. College and high school campuses ~ave been the meeting ground of youth p~s~llng to. be permitted more adult status in decision making and older groups equally determined to retain control over the rate and direction of change. A major impetus for this confrontat!on .has come from the youth of disad~antaged mmonty g:o~ps who are rejecting theIr customary submlss!veness and demanding the right to self-determination. The youth of other groups, including t~e "established," have joined forces to express their wish to promote a revolution of human awareness and responsibility. '" Something very healthy u.nderhes this conflI~t, despite the turmoil resulting from a certain amount of regressive hostility in some student protests and the reactions of conservatives. Gradual movement toward a willingness by both "haves" and "have-nots" to work together to resolve the problems conf:onting our society. ~s likely to occur, though It may be at a snail s pace. The paternalistic-governin~ .aspects of our society are not adequately sensitive or responsive to the needs of the deprived and "unestablished," and it will take time for low status groups to develop genuine self-respect. The political effects of these vast changes are being felt at all levels of government. And the performance of current administ:ations will d!rectly influence the extent to which the turmoil becomes more destructive or more fruitful. If the groups struggling for .g:eat~r e9uality. ~re not permitted greater participation in d~clSlon making, there is the prospect. of more VIOlent, "revolutionary" movements. It IS to be hoped that the federal state and local governments will , , h di be able to provide opportunities for t e ISadvantaged to take constructive action to fulfill their wish for greater self-reliance. As Miss Hanford notes, these broader struggles parallel and affect the strug~les taking pl~ce in many families. Similarly, family problems Influence in a collective fashion, what happens on the la:ger social scale. C~rrendy, !ll~ny social workers are involved m examimng ways whereby social structures may be changed. ~om: of them are protesting that efforts to h~lp individuals and families are wasteful. But It would be a serious error for our profession to become so institution-oriented on an abstract level that it loses the vitality of its humanistic commitment to individuality. . . Large numbers of individuals and families are going to have serious problems rega~dless of improved social conditions. To provIde. the kind of skilled staff training and expenence needed, schools of social work must not be tempted to contract their casework, group work, and community organization programs", ~he temptation to do so is great, si~ce the tralr:mg now provided is expensive an.d. ~Ime consu1?l1.ng. Impatience with the acquisition of clinical skiUs is understandable because they are demanding and difficult. But the need. for these skills requires that schools and ager:cles b~c~me more committed to providing quality trainmg. d " This may involve a move towa~ more specialty" training rather than a contmuance of the effort to make all training "generic." Social workers like to function as change agents. The articles in the Jan'!ary issue are timely in that they lend perspective to the current problems produced by change. Perhap~ we shaU be able to deal with these problems in a reasonably effective fashion.


Is Edward Said just a humanist, pure and simple; or is he a lit- erary humanist? What role do Said's literary-critical expertise and sensibility play in the shaping of his humanistic imagination? What indeed are the differences between Edward Said the speciWc practi- tioner of literary taste and analysis, and the humanist Said who Wnds in "literature" and "literary style" a point of entry into the worldli- ness of the world? In which site is Said the "generalist" and critically conscious organic intellectual, and in which is he the expert practi- tioner of a professionally cultivated and sustained erudition? How does Said's "purposelessly purposive" passion for literature turn into the means toward a humanist end? When it comes to thinking through the literature-worldliness nexus, is Said a theoretical thinker or an instrumental interventionist; or would he disallow even such a dis- tinction? My purpose in this essay is to examine the many subtle ways in which Said resorts to the ambivalence of literature—i.e., "lit- erature" that is both of the world and the result of rigorous shaping and generic styling—in his two-pronged recuperation of humanism, from the high-theory tout court antihumanists as well as from the status quo humanists. I begin with an interesting anecdote that Said reports and com- ments on in the introductory chapter of his book The World, the Text, and the Critic.


Introduction: A retinal funduscopic examination by detecting retinal arteriolar spasm might aid in determining whether immediate delivery of the baby is required to revert the preeclamptic state and prevent an adverse maternal and foetal outcome. The focus of the current study is to find out the frequency and spectrum of fundal changes in 100 cases of PIH and to deduce any association between the retinal changes and blood pressure, proteinuria, severity of PIH, maternal age, gravidity and gestational age, so that we could engineer a more efficient and systematic approach towards PIH to ensure maternal and fetal well-being. Aims: 1) To evaluate the frequency and spectrum of retinal fundus changes in Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension 2) To assess relationship of hypertensive retinopathy with maternal gravidity, severity of PIH and blood pressure in PIH. Methodology: Hundred patients with PIH were studied in a one year, cross-sectional, hospital-based study. Detailed ocular examination was done and results were analyzed. ChiSquare, ANOVA and Student T-test were used for statistical analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: 44% of patients were primigravida and 59% had gestational age > 32 weeks. 53% had severe preeclampsia and 14% had eclampsia. Grade I hypertensive retinopathy was found in 53% patients. Occurrence of retinopathy was significantly higher in primigravida group (84%) and patients with both systolic and diastolic hypertension (84.44%). Conclusions: This study shows that with increasing severity of PIH, chances of development of more severe grade of retinopathy increase. Frequency of occurrence of retinopathy is higher in primigravidae and in patients having both systolic and diastolic hypertension. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values in patients with retinopathy are significantly higher than those in patients without retinopathy. Mean blood urea and serum uric acid values increase significantly as the severity of PIH increases. Key-words: PIH, Hypertensive Retinopathy, Proteinuria, Blood Urea, Serum Uric acid. *Correspondence to: Dr. Neha Pathak, E-251, Udai Path, Shyam Nagar, Sodala, Ajmer Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.


Objective
To explore the relationship between alcohol consumption and new-onset cholelithiasis.

Methods
The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The data of 77 755 participants who participated health examination at the Kailuan General Hospital, Kailuan Linxi Hospital, Kailuan Zhaogezhuang Hospital, Kailuan Tangjiazhuang Hospital, Kailuan Fan′gezhuang Hospital, Kailuan Lyujiatuo Hospital, Kailuan Jinggezhuang Hospital, Kailuan Linnancang Hospital, Kailuan Qianjiaying Hospital, Kailuan Majiagou Hospital and Kailuan Branch Hospital from June 2006 to December 2015 were collected. According to definition of alcohol consumption from literature, all the 77 755 participants were allocated into the 5 groups, including 50 695 with never drinking in the never group, 3 154 with alcohol withdrawal time≥1 year in the past group, 12 410 with light drinking in the light group, 1 606 with moderate drinking in the moderate group and 9 890 with heavy drinking in the heavy group. All participants received the same-order health examinations by the fixed team of doctors in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 at the same place. Epidemiological investigation, anthropometric parameters and biochemical indicators were collected. Observation indicators: (1) comparisons of clinical characteristics among the 5 groups; (2) incidence of cholelithiasis; (3) risk factors analysis affecting new-onset cholelithiasis; (4) comparisons of the fitting degree of alcohol consumption on new-onset cholelithiasis model. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as ±s, and comparisons among groups were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA. The pairwise comparison and homogeneity of variance were done using the least significance difference (LSD) test. Heterogeneity of variance was analyzed by the Dunnett′s T3 test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (Q), and comparisons among groups were analyzed using the rank sum test. Comparisons of count data were analyzed using chi-square test. The cumulative incidence of new-onset cholelithiasis was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and comparisons of incidences among groups were done by the Log-rank test. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of different intakes of alcohol on new-onset cholelithiasis were estimated by the COX proportional hazards regression models. The fitting degree of alcohol consumption on new-onset cholelithiasis model was calculated by the likelihood ratio test and akaike information criterion (AIC).

Results
(1) Comparisons of clinical characteristics among the 5 groups: male, age, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and waistline and cases with diabetes, hypertension, smoking and physical exercise were respectively 33 406, (51±12)years, (130±21)mmHg (1mmHg=0.133 kPa), (83±12)mmHg, (25±4)kg/m2, (4.93±1.13)mmol/L, 1.26 mmol/L (0.90-1.88 mmol/L), (5.5±1.7)mmol/L, (86±10) cm, 4 538, 21 773, 5 873, 6 140 in the never group and 3 077, (56±12)years, (134±22)mmHg, (85±12)mmHg, (25±3)kg/m2, (4.93±1.21)mmol/L, 1.29 mmol/L (0.91-1.90 mmol/L), (5.6±1.8)mmol/L, (89±9)cm, 420, 1 652, 856, 856 in the past group and 11 859, (46±12)years, (127±19)mmHg, (82±11)mmHg, (25±3)kg/m2, (4.89±1.15)mmol/L, 1.30 mmol/L (0.89-2.01 mmol/L), (5.4±1.4)mmol/L, (87±9)cm, 891, 4 294, 2 186, 2 186 in the light group and 1 585, (58±11)years, (134±22)mmHg, (84±11)mmHg, (25±3)kg/m2, (5.06±1.21)mmol/L, 1.23 mmol/L (0.85-1.82 mmol/L), (5.5±1.7)mmol/L, (88±9)cm, 159, 762, 591, 591 in the moderate group and 9 868, (52±9)years, (135±21)mmHg, (86±12)mmHg, (25±3)kg/m2, (5.18±1.21)mmol/L, 1.36 mmol/L (0.92-2.19 mmol/L), (5.5±1.5)mmol/L, (88±9)cm, 819, 4 900, 2 183, 2 183 in the heavy group, showing statistically significant differences among groups [χ2=9 989.71, F=869.28, F=254.13, 195.97, 27.52, 112.63, H(χ2)=154.09, F=11.92, 63.37, χ2=128.17, 656.31, 23 561.80, 656.31, P 0.05). (3) Risk factors analysis affecting new-onset cholelithiasis: results of COX proportional hazards regression models showed that risks of new-onset cholelithiasis in the light, moderate and heavy groups were reduced compared with never group after adjustment of gender, age, TC, TG, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and physical exercise (HR=0.88, 0.82, 0.73, 95%CI: 0.79-0.98, 0.76-0.89, 0.64-0.83, P<0.05). (4) Comparisons of the fitting degree of alcohol consumption on new-onset cholelithiasis model: multivariate model was constructed after adding risk factors of gender, age, BMI, TG, TC, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and physical exercise, and -2Log L and AIC were 76 331.83 and 76 353.83 for the multivariate model. Then drinking variable was added into multivariate model, and the -2Log L and AIC of the multivariate model+ drinking model were 76 307.86 and 76 337.86, respectively, with statistically significant differences (χ2=23.97, P<0.05).

Conclusion
Alcohol consumption is an independent protective factor for new-onset cholelithiasis, and the risk of cholelithiasis is decreased with increasing alcohol intake.

Key words:
Cholelithiasis, new onset; Gall stone; Drinking; Incidence; Predictive power; Epidemiology method


To validate a hypothesis that prostate cancer can be detected non‐invasively by a simple and reliable assay by targeting genomic VPAC receptors expressed on malignant prostate cancer cells shed in voided urine.


Managing transient temperature of power semiconductor devices induced by power pulses is a challenge to thermal design in power electronic packaging. Due to the limited thermal capacity, the extra heat generated by overload current cannot be absorbed immediately, leading to junction temperature rising beyond the limit and thermal breakdown of the device. Integrating phase change material (PCM) into the packed power devices can be effective to suppress the junction temperature surges by making use of the latent heat. In this paper, the PCM-integrated packaging of a press-pack IGBT device is proposed, and the thermal buffering effect of PCMs is analyzed using both finite element analyses and experiments. It is shown that as the dissipation of extra heat is absorbed by the PCM, the junction temperature rise is significantly reduced during power pulses. The proposed packaging structure contributes to improve the short-term overcurrent capability of press-pack IGBT-based devices and the corresponding gridconnected converters in many grid scenarios.


Summary: This study compares the maternal, obstetrical, labour and pregnancy outcome characteristics of 2,412 breech‐presenting births with 17,946 vertex‐presenting births. Mothers of babies presenting as breeches were significantly more likely to have had a previous miscarriage, an obstetric complication, a threatened miscarriage or threatened labour during the current pregnancy, or Caesarean section than mothers of babies with vertex presentation. The babies presenting as breeches had significantly more neonatal morbidity and perinatal mortality. They showed higher rates of suspected intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, low birth‐weight, low Apgar scores and congenital anomalies. The overall perinatal mortality for breech presentations was almost 9 times higher than for vertex presentations. Unconditional multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, even after adjusting for low birth‐weight and the presence of congenital anomalies, breech presentation still showed a statistically significant association with perinatal death.


FIELD: electrical engineering; electrochemical methods for acting upon active material of lead battery plates. SUBSTANCE: proposed method that involves conversion of vehicle recuperative braking energy into useful electrochemical transforms in battery plate active material includes generation of return-current pulse whose length is independent of charge current pulse length and whose energy is then returned to battery terminals in the form of additional charge pulse during intervals between charge current pulses provided volumetric efficiency is other than unity. EFFECT: enhanced effectiveness of energy conversion. 2 cl, 1 dwg


In this paper, the backward error of periodic invariant subspaces for regular periodic pairs is defined and its explicit expression is derived. In particular, we also present the expression of the backward error of generalized invariant subspaces for the regular matrix pair. The results are illustrated by two numerical examples.


It has been reported that a unique polytype transformation (6H→4H) in the sintering process of SiC ceramics with BeO addition was observed by means of analytical electron microscopy, in which α-SiC powder was used as a starting material. In this report, the sintering process of β-SiC was investigated. It was expected that the transformation would occur more remarkably in β-SiC powder than in α-SiC because there exists α β to α transformation in the sintering process. SiC powders with and without addition of BeO, AlN and B+C were prepared to study the effects of additives on the transformation. Sintered SiC bodies were hot-pressed at 1850°, 1950°, 2050° and 2200°C, and the structural changes were examined by means of X-ray diffraction and analytical electron microscopy. The results are summarized as follows. Without additives, grain growth was observed. However, the β to α transformation did not occur up to 2050°C. With additives, the transformation occurred at a temperatures dependent on the additives. With addition of BeO or AlN, α rapid β to α (4H) transformation occurred between 1850° and 1950°C. The transformation with B+C addition occurred above 2050°C and 6H polytype dominated. The different transformation temperatures might be responsible for the difference in polytypes after the transformation. The 4H structure formed in the presence of BeO or AlN was stable even at 2200°C.


Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839) is recorded for the first time in New Zealand. Viable adult M. pygmaeus were collected in the field in Auckland, in 2007, indicating that the species had already established itself in this country. The biology of M. pygmaeus is briefly discussed in the light of its potential economic benefits to growers of vegetable crops affected by whitefly (Aleyrodidae). The adults and nymphs are described and illustrated. An updated key to the genera and species of Bryocorinae in New Zealand is provided.


• Embroidery Machine Basic Supplies • Basic Sewing Supplies • Jumbo Hoop (or your largest embroidery hoop) • OESD Premier Collection Magic In the Air # B81016 (Design Studio – Platinum 8) • 1/3 Yard Green Print for Border • 3⁄4 Yards Red/Green Print for Backing • 1 Red Fat Quarter for Appliqué • 1 Light Green Fat Quarter for Appliqué • 1 Medium Green Fat Quarter for Appliqué • 1 Dark Green Fat Quarter for Appliqué • 1 Leaf Green Fat Quarter for Appliqué • 1 1⁄2 Yards Black for Background and Binding • 1/8 Yard Red and White Stripe for Binding Accent • 1 Fat Quarter of Gold • One 4 by 4 Square of White • Cotton batting approx 27" by 32" • OESD Ultra Clean and Tear stabilizer • OESD Appliqué Fuse and Fix for appliqués • Isacord Embroidery Threads: 0015, 0020, 0811, 0922, 1725, 1902, 1903, 1912, 5324 6043 • Organ Embroidery Needles, size 80/12 • Construction Thread • Paper Scissors • 7 x 14 or 7 x 24 Nifty Notions "Cut for the Cure" Ruler


Nearly 200 years after his birth in 1809, and nearly 150 years after the publication of his groundbreaking book The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin remains a controversial figure in science and society. But how much does today's student really know about Darwin and his times? This A-to-Z reference work provides users with an understanding of the intellectual, social, and material world in which Darwin lived. This culture profoundly influenced Darwin's work in biology and geology, in general, and his theory of natural selection, in particular. Understanding this period and Darwin's life and times is essential for understanding the development of evolution and biology. In essence, this encyclopedia will cover everything that made Darwin one of the most influential figures of the last 150 years. All Things Darwin covers all the important ideas, voyages, people, and things that influenced the life and work of Charles Darwin and, through him, the subsequent history of science and society. In addition, the volume includes entries on people and ideas that Darwin's work influenced.


Abstract Inspired by the prominent adhesion capability of gecko foot-hair, micro/nano-pillar array has been fabricated and widely explored as biomimetic dry adhesives. Pillars with graded material along their length have been proved to have great advantage in simultaneously raising adhesion and reducing clusterisation, yet the design of the graded micropillars lacks theoretical and quantitative guides. In this work, we first derived the theoretical expressions of critical aspect ratio and effective elastic modulus for graded micropillars composed of rigid bases and soft tips. Then, a Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) was constructed to simulate the lateral collapse of the two-step-graded micropillars with epoxy resin and polyurethane (typical materials adopted in the reported experiments) as the base and tip materials, respectively. Combining the numerical results and the theoretical ones, we found that when the length ratio of the rigid base to the micropillar increases, the ability of the pillars to resist structural collapse enhances (i.e., the critical aspect ratio raises), while the adhesion strength reduces (i.e., the effective elastic modulus increases). Considering the tradeoff between the structural stability and the adhesion strength, we found an optimum value of ∼0.65 for the length ratio of the rigid base to the whole micropillar. Our study establishes theoretical models for the critical aspect ratio and effective elastic modulus for the graded micropillars and provides quantitative guides to the design and optimization of bioinspired dry adhesives.


Mark Thomas

After winning the silver gilt medal and "best in category" for her Breakthrough Breast Cancer garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015, garden designer Ruth Willmott returns this year with a variation on the theme. "Through the Microscope" is inspired by the work of …


Pulses theft crimes via SMS are a proof of lack of consumers' right protection currently in lndonesia. The poor protection of telecommunication services consumers is agued as a result of indecisive regulations that has caused the right of consumers is prone to be violated. The writer of this essay sfafed that modern telecommunication industry and the existing regulation shoutd properly consider the consumer's rights and put it as an important paft in telecommunication business. Therefore, the witer mentions that there is an urgent need to comprehensively review the existing regulation to help avoid the consumers from further financial losses from any form of pulse theft


BACKGROUND
Fluorescent-guided techniques in vascular neurosurgery can be demonstrated via black and white indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA). Multispectral imaging (MFL) is a new method, which overlaps fluorescence with the white light and provides a fluorescent white light augmented reality image to the surgeon.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate (a) whether MFL can enhance the visualization of the blood-flow with simultaneous visualization of the anatomic structures and (b) if MFL can ergonomically improve the microvascular surgical treatment compared to ICG-VA.

METHODS
A digital imaging of the blood flow after intravenous injection of ICG on 7 pigs was performed in real time under white light, standard fluorescence, and MFL. The blood flow was interrupted with a surgical clip, demonstrating the blockage of the blood flow. We prospectively included 30 patients with vascular deformities. The vasculature was visualized on the microscope's monitor and through the microscope's eyepiece.

RESULTS
In the animal experiment, the visualization of the anatomy and the blood flow under MFL produced high resolution images. The occlusion of blood vessels demonstrated sufficiently the blockage of tissue perfusion and its reperfusion after clip removal. During all 30 surgical cases, the MFL technique and the direct delivery of the pseudo-colored image through the eyepiece allowed for enhanced anatomic and dynamic data.

CONCLUSION
MFL was shown to be superior to the classic ICG-VA, delivering enhanced data and notably improving the workflow due to the simultaneous and precise white light visualization of the blood flow and the surrounding anatomic structures.