Handbook of Pediatric Neuro-OphthalmologyVisual Development, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Pediatric PatientInvestigative Ophthalmology & Visual SciencePediatric Oculoplastic SurgeryWalsh and Hoyt's Clinical Neuro-ophthalmologyHow to Sit Your Body at WorkTaylor and Hoyt's Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus E-BookVision ResearchEuropean Conference on Eye Movements (2nd : 1983 : Nottingham, England)Education at the Intersection of Globalization and TechnologyThe Secrets in Their EyesEye Movement DisordersHow Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's PotentialNeuroanatomy of the Oculomotor SystemVisual Attention in ChildrenUnderstanding and Managing Vision DeficitsHuman Motor DevelopmentWillard and Spackman's Occupational TherapyDevelopmental Test of Visual-motor IntegrationConference Proceedings. The Future of Education. 8th EditionVision and LearningDeveloping Ocular Motor and Visual Perceptual SkillsNystagmus In Infancy and ChildhoodPediatric Neuro-OphthalmologyModels of the Visual SystemHelping Children Overcome Learning DifficultiesEyegames: Easy and Fun Visual ExercisesEye Guidance in Reading and Scene PerceptionLearn to Move, Moving Up!Diagnosis and Management of Ocular Motility DisordersPediatric Neuro-OphthalmologyVisual Perceptual Skill BuildingLow Vision RehabilitationVisual EcologyVisual DiscriminationFixing My GazeVision RehabilitationMaking Eye Health a Population Health ImperativeA Step Ahead: Movement Activities to Help Develop Children's Ability to LearnHuman Motor Development


Russian FEC takes leading positions in the field of oil and gas extraction, it is one of five major complexes in coal mining and power generation. Russia's fuel and energy sector is the largest energy complex in the world. This sector employs more than 2 million people, which produce more than 50 percent of the total GDP of the country. At the same time, small and medium enterprises can play a much more significant role in the development of the Russian economy, especially after the end of the recession and economic restructuring. The government needs to improve approaches in regulation of the sphere of small and medium-sized enterprises to develop their full potential. The authors analyze the measures which should be taken by the Government in order to stimulate the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Russian fuel and energy complex.


With the economic becomes globalization and integration. Animation is a high-tech industry. It contains some factors, such as capital-intensive, labor-intensive, technology-intensive and knowledge-intensive and so on. With the advantages of quick startup, expansion and strong, great space for development, as well as zero pollution, animation became the most important entertainment industry and can keep pace with videos and music.


Intein (INT) or internal protein is a self-cleavage splicing element used for the protein purification and simple bioseparation. INT in fused form to chitin binding domain (CBD) produce an affinity protein purification method for the recombinant proteins. On the other hand elastin-like protein (ELP) is a synthetic biopolymer consisting of the pentapeptide repeats of VPGXG (X is any amino acid except proline). ELP is a thermal responsive polypeptide and contains a reversible transition stage. For each ELP molecule a transition temperature (Tt) is determined so that aggregation can take place after temperature increases while it will solubilize after a decrease of temperature from Tt. The focus of this work is ELP-fused INT sequence design for simple purification of the recombinant protein. In this work ELP10 (150 bp) was synthesized and cloned into pBluescript. Then Elp60 (900 bp) was produced using recursive directional ligation (RDL) method. Finally, ELP60 was subcloned into pTXB1 (an INT-CBD expression vector) and ELP60 expression was confirmed using SDS-PAGE method. Additionally INT-ELP60 fusion proteins were purified using two sequential steps of inverse transition cycle (ITC). The data was shown; ELP60 was expressed and successfully purified in one step and non-chromatographic method. We propose that constructed pTX-INTELP can be used for simple and easy purification of the recombinant proteins.


The phenomenon of discredit of university students in seeking employment at present caused problems for the employer and the society.By using games theory,this paper analyzes the reasons for discredit of graduates' employmentseeking,proposes government countermeasures,such as the system construction,strengthening surveillance mechanism,and penalty to discredit;strengthening the education and the management graduate's good faith;optimizing credit environment.


No.1 and No.2 slab caster in Ningbo Iron Steel Co.,Ltd.is rebuilt in 2010 to increase the yield and accuracy of the caster.Mechanic system is substituted by servo-motored cylinder.Meanwhile,online mould width adjusting(MWA) control system is developed by Shanghai Baosight Software Co.,Ltd.Width and taper changing online in casting process is realized by adopting MWA curves algorithm.Curves presetting software is developed as well,reference for technologist to select proper parameters is provided.The application of MWA control system raises flexibility and operation rate,and ensures the steady manufacture for the slab caster.


The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the pharmacotherapy regimens of the decompensated form of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and to evaluate its effectiveness, its compliance with clinical recommendations.Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 54 medical cards of patients with decompensated DM2 was conducted. The 1st group (n=24; 44%) included the patients who had a decrease in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by 50% or more in 3 months after hypoglycemic therapy; and the 2nd group (n=30; 56%) – the patients whose HbA1c level decreased by less than 50%.Results. A HbA1c level was 10.4% in the 1st group and 13.2% in the 2nd group (р<0.001). However, the target levels of venous blood plasma glucose and HbA1c were not achieved in any of the patient groups. The total number of the drugs prescribed to the patients ranged from 4 (in 25% (n=6) and 10% (n=3) cases in the 1st and the 2nd groups, respectively) to 8 (in 12.5% (n=3) and 20% (n=6) cases in the 1st and the 2nd, groups, respectively). However, in a number of cases some violations of clinical recommendations were recorded: the prescription to the obese patients of insulin drugs, the administration of sulfonylureas derivatives to patients with a history of cardiovascular diseases of the atherosclerotic origin, but modern hypoglycemic drugs with proven benefits in reducing cardiovascular risks were rarely prescribed.Conclusion. The tactics of pharmacotherapy in the patients with a decompensated form of DM2 does not fully comply with the approved clinical guidelines, which requires the effectiveness of treatment optimization of this medically and socially significant pathology.


SUMMARY

We present results of Monte Carlo simulations of elastic radiative transfer theory, especially in the range of strong forward scattering. Simulations were done for several types of continuous random media in a full space model. We show that fluctuation strength and correlation length are not resolvable in the strong forward scattering regime, but combinations of these parameters related to the transport mean free path (TMFP) can be obtained. From the frequency dependence of the TMFP we also obtain the type of the random medium. As an example, we invert local data from a crustal event for scattering parameters and show which parameters are resolvable in the strong forward scattering regime.


preparatory work has been done, but the main labor is left to the future. Prof. Gray published " Statistics of the Flora of the Northern U. S.," in Amzerican Y'ournal of Science and AI-is, I 856, which will promote the cause for that part of the country. Dr. J. G. Cooper published a good article on the distribution of the forests and trees of North America, in Smithsonian Report for 1858. As only the woody plantsare here accounted for, the limits drawn cannot be intended as to separate botanical districts in general. Even for the forest plants the limitations admit of some corrections, but as a preliminary essay it is valuable.' Here this sketch must be concluded, for two reasons-I, the newest botanical literature is so extensive, and partly published in so many different periodicals, that a private library is not sufficient for a survey of the whole; 2, the number of botanists has increased so much throughout the country, as is shown by Cassino's Naturalist's Directory, that it is rather difficult o winnow the chaff from the wheat, and to avoid offence by neglecting a man whose merits are worthy of mention.


Computer Facial Recognition plays an important role in the Human-Machine's emotion communication. The article expatiates base process and realizing of facial recognition. We make some illustration for the definition of facial candidate range by the ways of Facial complex test and orientation of eyes and lip.


The thesis states about the research of the leader of the important poetic society "Li poetic organization" and his works "Ho-Ting Poems" during Japanese Colonial Rule. With the poems of Ho-Ting and the other literature documents ,we try to realize the life experience of Fu Hsi Chi for analyzing the content of "Ho-Ting Poems" and the spirit of Taiwan traditional literati further, during Japanese Colonial Rule. The first chapter "introduction" including the research motivation , method, reviews of related research documents and illustrates the constructs of the thesis. Chapter 2 introduces the life experience of the poet Fu Hsi Chi,illustrates his public career and literature activities, so as to realize the background of Fu for presenting the whole life during the time of the history about the traditional literati with knowledgeable Sinology. Chapter 3 mentions the author's contradiction and recognition between the native country and the new ruler, and the attitude toward the politic doghouse written in his works "Ho-Ting Poems" . Chapter 4 presents Fu's family and domestic life written in "Ho-Ting Poems" . Besides,we also mentions the friendship of Fu and the other literati. In Chapter 5,we try to find the author's view of sympathy on Taiwan locals in his works "Ho-Ting Poems" and observe the nature landscape, living of plebeian inhabitants and natural disasters during Japanese Colonial Rule. Chapter 6 concludes the previous chapters , states the accomplishments of Fu Hsi Chi and the value of "Ho-Ting Poems". All in all, the thesis explores the life experience of Fu Hsi Chi. Beside, presents the nature of Taiwan, the recognition and the modern time experiences of traditional literati . Also, we observe the parts of their roles during Japanese Colonial Rule for realizing and researching the traditional literati and their works


Aimed at the present situation of the experimental teaching for chemical major of our university,this paper put forward a brandnew idea concerning experimental teaching.It is concluded the expemerimental content,the exper- imental teaching method,stuent's capalicity of pracice evaluation,mark reassessment and experiment teachers team building.


A tactile feedback vest was developed to provide sensory information to patients with balance disorders. The system was designed to detect levels of imbalance that are imperceptible to patients with balance deficit, and to provide intuitive and appreciable sensory feedback that allows for rapid balance correction. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based pneumatic actuators were clustered on the ventral, dorsal, left and right surfaces of the tactile vest to provide multi-directional sensory feedback. Two biaxial accelerometers were mounted near the shoulder to measure linear and angular acceleration of the upper torso, and a system controller that regulates communication between the sensors and actuators was developed. Actuator deflection was characterized to optimize tactile feedback. Average deflections of 2.6 mm and 7.1 mm were recorded with input pressures of 1.6 psi and 4.0 psi, respectively. In future studies, human perceptual testing will be performed to optimize the system for clinical use.


While software visualization has been widely used for navigation, its use for understanding has been much more limited. Software visualizations are expensive to develop, require large amounts of information that is often difficult to collect, and even then, are good only at addressing the specific task for which they were developed. Our work on software visualization in the Desert environment is aimed at making software visualization a viable approach to understanding. We do this by providing ready access to a variety of information about the system at hand, a range of high-quality, high-density visualizations, and a simple interface that lets the programmer rapidly create new software visualizations for understanding problems as they arise. In this paper we describe the approach we have taken.


It has been known that silymarin exhibits protective effects against chemical‐induced liver injury, but the underlying mechanism of its beneficial action remains unclear. We examined the silymarin‐induced changes in the metabolism of sulfur‐containing amino acids in association with its effects on antioxidant capacity of liver. Male mice were treated with silymarin (100 or 200 mg/kg, po) every 12 hr for a total of 3 doses. Hepatic methionine level was increased, but the activity and protein expression of methionine adenosyltransferase were decreased dose‐dependently in liver of the mice treated with silymarin. S‐Adenosylmethionine or homocysteine was not altered whereas cystathionine, cysteine and glutathione (GSH) were increased significantly. Betaine‐homocysteine methyltransferase and cysteine dioxygenase were down‐regulated, but cystathionine β‐synthase was induced. γ‐Glutamylcysteine synthetase was unchanged by silymarin treatment. Oxygen radical scavenging capacity of liver cytosol against peroxyl radical and peroxynitrite was increased, and hepatic lipid peroxidation was diminished in the silymarin‐treated mice. It is concluded that silymarin enhances hepatic GSH biosynthesis by elevating cysteine availability via increment in cysteine synthesis and inhibition of its catabolism to taurine, which may subsequently contribute to the antioxidant defense of liver.


This essay considers hypochondria not as a psychiatric diagnosis but as a hermeneutic position: a consequence of attending to the uncertainty of being an embodied human; an anxious skepticism; a resistance to reassurance based on an arguably too-close reading of body and self. Medicine commonly rejects such interpretation in order to reduce the potential proliferation of meaning to those signs it can interpret in diagnostically and therapeutically useful ways. I suggest that the literary model of close reading might helpfully illuminate interpretive anxiety as a problem facing both physician and patient, and I consider three ways that medicine might think about challenges to its hermeneutic security: pathologizing the uncertainty and "hating the hypochondriac" patient; attempting to override uncertainty with additional information; and, finally, imaginatively inhabiting the patient's anxiety and working within it, through the recognition that medicine itself is a hermeneutic and potentially hypochondriac enterprise.


A simple, sensitive and reproducible spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of Gemifloxacin (GEMI) in pure and dosage forms. It has absorption maximum at 343nm and obeys beer's law in the concentration range 2–20 μg mL-1.Results of analysis were validated statistically and by recovery studies.The apparent molar absorptivity and sandell's sensitivity were 1.3862 x 104 L mol-1 cm-1 and 2.809 x 10-2 μg cm-2, respectively. The slope and intercept of the equation of the regression line are 0.05370 and -0.00640 respectively. Correlation coefficient was found to be 0.999. This method is successfully employed for the determination of Gemifloxacin in pharmaceutical preparation.


As one of the core contents of company financial theory,dividend policy is a balance between reinvesting company's profits and returning investors.The dividend policy of our country's listed companies has such distinctive characteristics as that the phenomenon of non-dividend is common,the regularity of dividend form is not strong,and the dividend policy lacks stability and continuity,which leads to that the most persuasive signal theory and agency theory cannot explain the dividend policy of the listed companies in China.To solve this problem,the author advises: firstly,to broaden the financing channels and narrow the cost difference of different financing ways;secondly,to perfect legal laws and regulations and regulate the information disclosure of dividend distribution;thirdly,to reduce agency cost and keep steady cash dividend policy;and finally,to improve governance structure,and establish and perfect small shareholder interest protection mechanism.


A method of extracting net intensities for the element peaks in an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrum based on Bayes Theorem will be reviewed and discussed. The method has several advantages, among them that the total counts are preserved and that the a priori information is incorporated in a natural manner. These make it, for example, less sensitive to errors in the peak position, widths, and alpha/beta ratios. However, there are also disadvantages. The preservation of total counts means that spurious peaks, such as those from crystallite diffraction, will have their counts included in one or more of the element peaks. We present the results of applying a Bayesian deconvolution method to several XRF spectra and compare them to conventional methods. The spectra are selected to illustrate both the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Errors introduced by variations in the functions used to model the peak shapes are investigated. Quantitative comparisons are also made by using the net intensities from each method in standardless analysis.


This paper proposes a general methodology on the topic of diagnostic and localization of noise source within the area of one transformer station based on G3–PLC technology in the Cenelec–A band (36–91 kHz). Different noise types and noise sources common for Narrowband-Power Line Communication (NB–PLC) are described together with the character of the measured communication channel - the cable between the junction box and the transformer station. Description of various measurement and analysis approaches is included. Present noise was evaluated by the drop of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), by the measurement of data loss during the file transfer and by the spectral analysis of the power line with the spectrum analyzer and with the PLC analyzer. This article reveals a significant noise source that prevented the communication of hundreds of smart meters with the data concentrator (DC) located at the transformer station. The authors also propose a set of 4 mitigation solutions for this non-standard situation ordered by the time difficulty of implementation to this PLC network.


The potential feasibility of peanut hull particle for removal of cationic dyes (methylene blue) from aqueous solution was investigated. The effects of various experimental parameters were examined and optimal experimental conditions were decided. The peanut hulls was characterized by using XRF, FTIR and SEM. FITR analysis showed that there were carbonyl and hydroxyl groups on the surface of the adsorbent which improve its surface for adsorption and contain capillaries tubes showed by SEM analysis. The equilibrium adsorption data of methylene blue on peanut hulls were analyzed using Langmuir, Tempkin and Freundlich models. The isothermal data for biosorption fitted the Langmuir, Freundlich and Tempkin model as R values showed. The kinetic data were analyzed using the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic models. According to these models, the rate constants were calculated for different initial dye concentrations. The biosorption processes conformed to the pseudo-second-order according to R value. Also Intraparticle diffusion for peanut hulls were studied .The results in this study indicated that peanut hulls was an attractive candidate for removing cationic dye from dye


Energy-limited devices and connectivity in complicated environments are two main challenges for Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled mobile networks, especially when IoT devices are distributed in a disaster area. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) is emerging as a promising technique to tackle the above problems. In this article, we establish an emergency communications framework of UAV-enabled SWIPT for IoT networks, where the disaster scenarios are classified into three cases, namely, dense areas, wide areas and emergency areas. First, to realize wireless power transfer for IoT devices in dense areas, a UAV-enabled wireless power transfer system is considered where a UAV acts as a wireless charger and delivers energy to a set of energy receivers. Then, a joint trajectory planning and resource scheduling scheme for a multi-UAVs system is discussed to provide wireless services for IoT devices in wide areas. Furthermore, an intelligent prediction mechanism is designed to predict service requirements (i.e., data transmission and battery charging) of the devices in emergency areas, and accordingly, a dynamic path planning scheme is established to improve the energy efficiency (EE) of the system. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the above schemes. Finally, potential research directions and challenges are also discussed.


In this paper, we propose a broadband analog predistortion (APD) linearizer using two-path architecture based on tunable diodes to provide independent control of phase and gain responses for optimal distortion compensation for Ka band power amplifier (PA). The proposed APD architecture achieves superior intermodulation distortion (IMD3) and drain efficiency improvements for broadband power amplifier at millimeter-wave frequency. A class AB power amplifier cascaded with this linearizer, excited by a 5M two-tone signal, there is 11.5-22.6dB improvement in the third order of intermodulation distortion (IMD3) in the full band of 27-31GHz. The drain efficiency of amplifier improves from 3.47% to 9.89% at 1dB compression output power.


Aim To evaluate the effect of adrenomedullin and tumour necrosis factor-αvariation in the coronary circulation in coronary heart disease patients during percutaneous coronary intervention on restenosis. Methods Blood samples of 70 patients with coronary heart disease were obtained from both the coronary sinus and femoral artery before and after angioplasty, immediately after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Plasma adrenomedullin, tumour necrosis factor-αlevels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Coronary angiography was performed again at 6 months after percutaneous coronary intervention or having evidents of myocardial ischemia. Results Restenosis occurred in 21.4% (15/70) of patients. Before percutaneous coronary intervention, the adrenomedullin, tumour necrosis factor-αlevels in coronary sinus were no significant differences in patients with or without restenosis. However, adrenomedullin and tumour necrosis factor-αlevels after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with restenosis (40.1±1.1 pg/L and 15.0±0.4 pg/L) were higher than those without restenosis (35.8±1.6 pg/L and 10.6±0.4 pg/L, all P0.01). Conclusions There was a high incidence of restenosis in patients with a increasing adrenomedullin、 tumour necrosis factor-αlevels in coronary sinus after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. It shows that adrenomedullin、tumour necrosis factor-αlevels in coronary sinus after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty have a close relationship with restenosis and may become clinical prognostic indicator of estimating restenosis.


Background and Aim: Evidence indicates statins seem to improve outcomes in cirrhotic patients. Systematic review and meta-analysis are performed to evaluate the effect and safety of statins in the setting of cirrhosis. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception through January 2018 to identify comparative studies evaluating the role of statins in cirrhosis. Pooled risk estimates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random effects model. Results: Eight studies (4 retrospective cohort studies and 4 randomized controlled trials) involving 3,966 cirrhotic patients were included. Statin use was associated with 56% lower risk of progression to decompensated cirrhosis (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.36–0.54) and 47% lower risk of mortality (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.47–0.61). Subgroup analyses showed that these results were generally consistent regardless of study design, etiology of cirrhosis, stage of cirrhosis, follow-up time, method of identifying cirrhosis. For initial variceal bleeding, pooled RR was 0.48 (0.35–0.67). For ascites, pooled RR was 0.66 (0.45–0.99). For portal hypertension, using statins could increase the HVPG response rate, pooled RR was 2.61(1.03–6.62). For hepatocellular carcinoma, pooled RR was 0.47(0.36–0.63). For any adverse event and serious adverse events, using statins was almost equivalent to nonusers, pooled RR was 1.06 (0.50-2.25) and 0.77 (0.31–1.95). Conclusions: Statin use may be associated with reduced risk of hepatic decompensation and mortality in cirrhosis with well tolerated. Additionally, statin use appears to decrease portal hypertension and reduce the risk of initial variceal bleeding, ascites and hepatocellular carcinoma. Further RCTs will be required to confirm our findings.


This work is intended to investigate whether or not there is the emergence of a new managerial posture concerning client treatment, due to the utilization of a Customer Relationship Management System (CRM). It is justified by the absence of studies that attempt to evaluate the manager role with that kind of support, regarded as the main agent in a technology-based organizational change. It also seeks to detail manager actions, the identification of new work processes, the evaluation of improvements in client relationship, and the identification of advantages for the company with the use of CRM. The research took place during a deep case study of a company that is, at the same time, user and supplier of technology, and is implementing a CRM system whose main users are regional managers. To produce the research, interviews with the managers were realized, with questions elaborated from the literature revision, in the areas of organizational change, relationship marketing, information technology, and client relationship management. The content analysis technique was utilized for the collected data examination. Significant results were established about the potentiality of the system use, which requires processes changes, and that, apparently, involve a new managerial posture, more pro-active regarding customer service and contact, making possible a more effective management and a better planning of activities.


The couple stresses theory is more precise than the classical mechanics of continuous media in theory, when the mechanical behavior of the materials with microstructure is investigated. The properties of interpolation of nodal data, ease of imposing essential boundary conditions, and the computational efficiency are some of the most important advantages of natural element method based on the non-Sibsonian interpolation over the meshless method based on the moving least squares approximants. Accurate imposition of essential boundary conditions is accomplished directly by constructing vector of the displacement field by using non-Sibsonian interpolation method, which are based on the Voronoi diagram and its dual Delaunay tessellation. The discrete control equations of natural element method are developed by utilizing the generalized variational principle of elastic theory and combining the natural element method with the couple stress theory. Numerical example shows the significant advantages of the present method.


The characteristics of institutional investors are that they hold massive funds and possess investment expertise; therefore, these investors are expected to have an influence on corporate governance. This study explores the supervising effect of active and passive institutional investors on company's earnings management in Taiwan, and whether the supervising effect differs between family and non family-controlled companies or not. The empirical results show that institutional investors are significantly related to earnings management in both family and non family-controlled companies. Moreover, active investors have more impact on earnings management than passive ones in family-controlled companies. Institutional investors, especially active investors, have been shown to have significant governance effect; therefore, companies are encouraged to attract institutional investors to enhance corporate governance.


This paper seeks to determine whether the BRICS group has lived up to the expectations that their influence in international economic governance will increase. Stellar economic performance and the resulting well-being are important factors that may cause this influence to grow. However, there has been increasing recognition that welfare does not depend merely on income but on a broader set of indicators as exemplified by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BRICS may increase their influence through their achievements on the social front and their soft power. Using simple statistical methods to examine their macroeconomic performance the paper found that only China and India had done well and lived up to the initial expectations. The social achievements of the BRICS have also been limited. The BRICS have sought to translate their dissatisfaction with the IMF and the World Bank into establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) to provide loans for infrastructure projects and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) to cover the needs for financing balance of payments deficits. The paper examines the working of these organizations to find out if they have been successful in meeting their objectives. The results of the analysis allows us to conclude that the NDB has been successful, unlike CRA, which proved to be ineffective.


Bismuth-and phosphorus-containing catalyst supports, naphtha reforming method using the manufacturing method and a catalyst in a naphtha reforming catalyst, the support and the catalyst prepared from the support.


Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and attitude of Saudi senior dental students in diagnosing and management of common oral lesions. Materials and Methods: An electronic self-administered questionnaire comprising of 22 close-ended questions related to clinical cases was used in this study. Eighteen questions were for assessing students' knowledge and four questions for assessing their attitude, interest and source of information in diagnosing and management of common oral lesions. Data of 53 female students were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill, USA). Results: The students' response rate was 92%. A 94% of the students were able to correctly diagnose the clinical cases and 78.5% of them were able to correctly manage them. Most students (61.22%) rated their knowledge as moderate, while 30.61% considered it to be little, and 8.16% rated it as high. Regarding students' interest to treating oral lesions in the future, vast majority (59.18%) expressed the little interest while 26.53% were very interested and 14.29% were not interested. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated adequate knowledge of senior female dental students at King Saud University in diagnosing and managing common oral lesions. On the other hand, majority of students showed little interest towards oral medicine clinics. This finding highlights the need to establish appropriate educational strategies to increase student enthusiasm


The entrepreneurial pitch plays an integral role in attracting financial capital for a new venture. Notably, previous research has shown that (1) female entrepreneurs are often subjected to discriminatory practices when applying for external capital and (2) entrepreneurs' communication skills and personal attributes influence investor decision making. Building on these findings, this study explores how business angels perceive (masculine and feminine) nonverbal communication cues in entrepreneurial pitches. This study thus makes use of a mixed method approach in which entrepreneurial pitches are firstly coded and analysed according to a number of stereotypically masculine and feminine nonverbal communication factors. Subsequently, the influence of these factors on business angels' perceptions are tested during semi-structured interviews. Resultingly, this research reveals that the pitch content, structure and aim have the initial impact on a business angel's perception. In addition, it finds that the manner in which an entrepreneur expresses their demeanour critically influences the overall pitch evaluation. This study concludes that confidence has the largest impact on the perception of nonverbal communication. Specifically, the findings suggest that a confident communication style is more likely to be evaluated as masculine and positive, whereas a lack of confidence is perceived more negatively and associated with femininity. (Less)


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are very widespread environmental contaminants, due to their formation during the incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic material. They are found in air, water, soils and sediments, generally at trace levels except near their sources. Tobacco smoke contains high concentrations of PAHs. They are present in some foods and in a few pharmaceutical products that are applied to the skin. Occupational exposure to PAHs in several work environments can lead to body burdens among exposed workers that are considerably higher than those in the general population. In particular, industrial processes that involve the pyrolysis or combustion of coal and the production and use of coal-derived products are major sources of PAHs and are the focus of this monograph.


The community data system, a form of scientific collaboratory, represents a virtual community of researchers whose goal is to aggregate and standardize information across a broad domain with the goal of furthering scientific progress. Research has commonly debated the extent to which communities like these tend to achieve success via the resources that specific network structures provide or whether resources simply attract to larger and/or more developed communities. Thus, we examined the relationships between structure (i.e., centrality, defined as the average importance or influence of members of a community), demography (i.e., community age and size), and community success. Using multilevel modeling for change, we analyzed 41 communities that comprise the Open Biological and Biomedical Foundry, a community data system developing standardized ontologies of biological and biomedical terms and relationships to be used by scientists. Supportive of our hypotheses, we found that measures of centrality decrea...


Objective\ In order to investigate the expression regulation of thyrotrophin\|releasing hormone(TRH) and TRH receptor (TRH\|R) in rat testis, and their function in production and development. Methods\ Total RNA of rat testis was used as template. The oligonucleotide primers were designed from the sequence of rat hypothalamus prepro(pp)TRH and pituitary TRH\|R cDNA for Reverse transcription\|polymerase chain reaction (RT\|PCR). Specific fragments of ppTRH and TRH\|R cDNA were cloned and sequenced. Results\ DNA sequence analysis indicated that cDNA sequences of ppTRH and TRH\|R from rat testis were consistent with those of hypothalamus ppTRH and pituitary TRH\|R cDNA. Conclusions\ It is the first time to acquire the cDNA cloning of ppTRH and TRH\|R from rat testis by RT\|PCR.


The application of reverse osmosis system in painting industry and several condense water treatment of reverse osmosis system technology which used broadly in home and abroad were briefly introduced.The recycling using situation of the condense water in reverse osmosis system was introduced,the status was analyzed and the recycling using of the condense water was proposed too.


from Hebrew Abstract from Hebrew Children with ASD often experience difficulties in sensory integration and modulation that affect their quality of life and their participation in daily activities. These children are often referred to occupational therapy for intervention targeting their sensory difficulties. The most common interventions are Ayres' sensory integration (SI) and sensory-based intervention (SBI). The broad use of these interventions raises the question whether there is a sufficient evidence-base as to their efficacy. This article reviews research carried out over the last two decades that examined the treatment effect of these interventions on the behavior, performance and participation of children with ASD that exhibit sensory difficulties. While this literature review found adequate evidence in the research that supports the use of SI intervention, despite some methodological limitations, there is not enough support for the use of SBI-based treatments. There is some support for SBI-based treatment such as, massage and vestibular stimulation, but further research is required for most SBI interventions to establish their efficacy. The article includes a discussion section of the literature review findings and provides some practical suggestions and recommendations for the use of these interventions in the school system and in the clinic.


We report U-Pb zircon geochronology results for one metavolcanic and one metaplutonic rock sample from the Mount Hayes A-6 Quadrangle of central Alaska. These samples are representative of rock units assigned to the Clearwater terrane of Jones and others (1987), a sequence of greenschist-grade metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of poorly constrained age and tectonic origin. Our results indicate a crystallization age of 277.33 +/- 11.84 Ma for a felsic metavolcanic rock, and a 268.05 +/- 11.64 Ma crystallization age for a granitic metaplutonic unit intruding the former.


Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the major mineral constituent of bones and teeth. It has been well documented that HAP nanoparticles can significantly increase the biocompatibility and bioactivity of man-made biomaterials. Since last decade, the HAP nanoparticles have increasingly been in demand and extensive efforts have been devoted to develop many synthetic routes to synthesis it. Several investigations have also been made to determine how critical properties viz. crystallite size, shape, phase purity, mechanical strength of HAP can be effectively controlled by varying the processing parameters. With such a wide spectrum of methods available for the preparation of HAP nanoparticles, choosing a specific procedure to synthesize a optimum quality powder can be laborious. Hence, in our present investigation we try to evaluate the Hydroxyapatite crystals synthesized through three different methodologies. The methodologies adopted were hydrothermal, microwave and precipitation methods. The calcium and phosphorus precursors were chosen with molar ratio of 1: 0.6 to achieve the synthetic bone apatite. The prepared samples with different synthetic methods were characterized using XRD, SEM, EDX and FTIR to ascertain the crystalline size, phase structure, morphology, stoichiometric Ca/P ratio and the functional groups. KeywordsBiomaterial, Hydroxyapatite, Nanoparticles


A 19-year-old man with no medical history was involved in a motorcycle accident with chest trauma and rapid deceleration. No injury was apparent initially, but 3 weeks later, he developed dyspnea and was referred to our echocardiography unit for assessment of a new 4/6 systolic heart murmur. 2D echocardiography (Figure 1) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) …


This book offers an analysis of a range of different British and American television series from the 1950s to the present day. Three broad categories are used to organize the analysis: "human nature" ("Bonanza", "The Untouchables", "The Invaders", "Star Trek"); "pop" ("The Prisoner", "The Avengers", "The Man from UNCLE", "Mission: Impossible") and the police series ("Hawaii 5.O", "Starsky and Hutch", "Kojak", "Miami Vice"). The emphasis is on the discussion of underlying ideological strategy and the text seeks to establish television criticism as a form of interpretative explanation whilst coming to terms with the historical determination of each series. The book is aimed at students and teachers in the field of cultural, media and communication studies, as well as avid followers of television series.


Intense pulsed light (IPL) Quantum SR systems are high-intensity light sources, which emit polychromatic light. Unlike laser systems, these flashlamps work with noncoherent light in a broad wavelength spectrum of 560-1200 nm. IPL Quantum SR has been effective for the treatment of photoaging skin as a nonablative method. Three patients with photoaged skin were treated with fifth full-face treatments at 3-4 week intervals using IPL Quantum SR. The cut-off filters of 560 nm and integrated contact cooling system were utilized for treatments. After the last treatments, the patients showed the overall improvement in clinical appearance, reduction in pigmentation and telangiectasia and fine wrinkle with smoothening of skin textures. Histological evaluations showed new collagen production after treatment.Full-face photorejuvenation using IPL Quantum SR can be an effective treatment modality for photoaged skin. We report herein IPL photorejuvenation is safe and effective in skin rejuvenation.


Wind power plants generally locate in relatively remote places,like hills,coastal areas and islands,in which wind driven generators are apart far from each other.The use of wire transmission makes network layout and route complex,which also needs to spend plenty of manpower and material resources on equipment maintenance and upkeep.As a result,wire less transmission becomes a feasible method in status detection and fault diagnosis system for wind driven generator.According to condition monitoring requirements of the wind generator,a high rate and low cost wireless transmission mode for wind genera tors is presented in this paper.The hardware composition and design of software database for the monitoring system are elaborated.High stability and fast transmission rate improve instantaneity and validity of the monitoring system.


This study describes an aspect of school-based management that previously has been ignored. Drawing on concepts from an institutional theory of organizations, this study describes the actors who shaped and promoted school-based management in the national arena, their interests, and the network that linked them. Three categories of actors are identified: policy actors, teachers union actors, and academic actors. The most prominent actors were often organizations rather than individuals. The actors shared two overarching goals: to improve the effectiveness of public schools and enhance the professional status of teachers. The actors were linked by an informal network; that is, they were loosely organized. These and other findings suggest that school-based management was at least partially the product of the institutional environment in which schools and school districts operated.


In recent times DSGE models came more and more into the focus of forecasters and showed promising forecast performances for the short term. We contribute to the existing literature by analyzing the forecast power of a DSGE model including endogenous growth for the medium run. Instead of only calibrating the model we apply a mixture of calibrating and estimating using Bayesian estimation methods. As forecasting benchmarks we take the Smets-Wouters model (2007) and a VAR model. The evaluation of the forecast errors shows that the Medium-Term model outperforms the Smets-Wouters model with respect to some key macroeconomic variables in the medium run. Compared to the VAR model the Medium-Term model forecast performance is competitive. These results show that the forecast ability of DSGE models is also valid for the medium term.


This study discusses "Student Satisfaction Analysis on Teaching and Learning Activities in Informatics Engineering Program University of Mataram Using Importance Performance Analysis Method". Students are required to fill out a teaching and learning questionnaire from all courses. The questionnaire consisted of questions relating to teaching and learning activities. Students give perceptual value and expectation value on every questionnaire question. Then the relationship between perceptual value and expectation value is analyzed using Importance Performance Analysis method. From the analysis results can be known which variables should be prioritized for improvement and which variables are excessive and does not require priority.


Glucocorticoid hormones play an important role in fetal lung maturation. It is unknown how they interact with changes in O2 tension, which play an important role in converting the lung from a fluid-secreting to a fluid-absorbing organ at birth. Airspace fluid absorption arises from active transepithelial Na+ transport with the amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na channel (ENaC), consisting of α, β, and γ subunits, representing the rate-limiting step under nonpathologic conditions. We investigated the individual and combined effects of dexamethasone (DEX) and PO2 on αENaC mRNA levels, rate of αENaC protein synthesis, and amiloride-sensitive short-circuit current in primary cultures of rat fetal distal lung epithelial cells. DEX significantly induced αENaC mRNA in fetal (3%) and postnatal (21%) O2, but increases in αENaC protein synthesis and function occurred only when epithelia were grown under a postnatal PO2. Sucrose density gradient analyses showed that DEX treatment of cells cultured at 3% O2 decreased t...


ELENA is a compact ring for cooling and further deceleration of 5.3 MeV antiprotons delivered by the CERN Antiproton Decelerator (AD) down to 100 keV. Because of the long AD cycle of 100 s, it is foreseen to use a source for protons and H with a kinetic energy of 100 keV for commissioning and start-ups. The source, designed to provide 0.2 to 2.0µs pulses with 3× 10 7 ions, is based on a proven multicusp volume source used at the COSY/Julich injector cyclotron. The source and its auxiliaries were refurbished, upgraded to+/ 100 keV operation at the Forschungszentrum Julich and have been set in operation at CERN in April 2015 for first tests of new equipments.


The performance of integrated navigation systems not only depends on the quality of the used inertial measurement unit (IMU) and aiding sensor information, but also on the correct observation of the system's state vector. As a classical example, an integration filter shows a good performance if it manages to estimate the sensor errors properly. As the observability varies with the current system states as well as the quality of the aiding information, a meaningful characterization of the system's performance is difficult to obtain. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the influences named above on the observability of the system model that is part of the navigation filter. For linear and linearized systems, e.g. Kalman Filter and Extended Kalman Filter, different measures of observability can be derived from control theory. This paper will show the necessary basic algorithms and methods to evaluate a system's observability. Based on these insights an evaluation of a standard filter model of an integrated navigation system is performed. Therefore, different dynamic conditions as well as aiding information are taken into account. The main focus of this work lies on the examination of real flight data and correlation between system states and their observability. Based on these investigations this paper presents a detailed view on the assessment and first results towards a better characterization of IMU performance.


New lactones are obtained as by products during the Friedel Crafts cyclization of N arylmethyl pyroglutamoyl chlorides.Amechanism based on N asyliminium salts is proposed to explain their formation.


Writing is considered as the most difficult skill for language learners because they need to have a certain amount of L2 background knowledge about the rhetorical organizations, appropriate language use or specific lexicon with which they want to communicate to their readers. To assist language instructors to improve learners' writing competence and produce good writing, this article aims to present the combination of genre, product, and process approaches in a writing class. To better understand the topic, this paper will be divided into two main parts. The first section of this paper provides a brief literature review of each traditional writing approach including the strengths and drawbacks as well as an adaptated use of each. The second part includes the importance of using the integrated approaches for English major learners in the tertiary level.


Considering the practical situation of performance management in power plants, a new performance appraisal system was developed to evaluate the all-around operators and the personnel in spot inspection and regular maintenance. Based on the real-time database platform of SIS, the performance appraisal system combines the operation conditions, performance indicators and daily maintenance management information from the systems such as MIS, optimized operation system, operator and work tickets management system, spot inspection system, equipment management system and defect management system, etc. For this, the relevant operators and personnel can be fully appraised in the aspects of operation and management. The successful experiences show that the system is of bright application prospect and provides a useful tool for quantitative assessment, greatly promoting the safe and economic production.


Spatial coding is an important foundation of GIS and global spatial data organization and sharing applications.For the problem of data redundancy and quadrant ambiguity as QuaPA coding method being applied for the 3D and global spatial coding,double-Morton mode and rear quadrant-label are used for modification to QuaPA,and a modified coding method named as QuaPA+ is proposed.This paper introduced the coding procedures of the principal code of QuaPA+ and the principles of spatial position reversion based on QuaPA+ code.With the 3D spherical shell-grid of China and it adjacent regions respectively above depth of 10 km and 20 km be the cases,the 3D spherical shell-grid coding is conducted with both QuaPA and QuaPA+ methods.It was proved that the quadrant ambiguity has been solved,the code length gets shorter and the storage space is saved.


A mixing process of catalyst particles into a fluid jet is a key part in a chemical reactor because the efficiency of chemical reaction depends on the particle catalyst distribution. Therefore, a mixing process of polystyrene particles into a water jet was investigated experimentally as a basic study of flow with catalysts in the chemical reactor. The velocity fields of both water and particles were measured by image processing. The main results obtained are as follows. The particle velocity approached to the water velocity at the mixing process, when the particles were entrained into the water jet. Because the particle concentration was very low, the velocity distributions were not changed by the addition of the particles. However, the turbulent intensity of the water increased comparing with the case of the water single phase jet.Copyright © 2003 by ASME


The office automation system should realize: the sharing of various information resources in the enterprise, strengthen the communication between the staff and improve the efficiency of the whole work. This paper first analyzes the development of office automation system tools and technology, include ASP.net and SQL Server. Then the paper discusses the research status of office automation system, and expounds the feasibility analysis, requirement analysis and system design of the system. Finally, the paper presents design and development of office automation management system based on ASP.net and SQL Server technology.


THE flattering invitation to contribute to this anniversary volume was accompanied by an editorial suggestion that an inquiry into consanguineous marriages, especially those between brothers and sisters, in Egypt in Pharaonic times might be of interest to the scholar whom we wish to honour. I readily accepted this valuable hint, for while Sir Harold has been interested in the possible origin of the custom of such marriages, which was so widespread in Graeco-Roman Egypt, I myself have been for a number of years past on the alert for evidence bearing on the existence of this custom in earlier periods of Egyptian history. It seemed to me therefore that this was an opportunity of setting forward such evidence as I had found, and of formulating the conclusion which I feel justified in drawing from it. So far as Roman Egypt is concerned, the topic has been treated by Professors Rambert and Preaux in an admirable article1 in which the joint authors state that marriages between brothers and sisters are attested during the Pharaonic period in the royal families only, though we may be misled by the fact that the majority of our sources are concerned only with royalty. This cautious statement is correct, or very nearly so. It has been generally maintained of a number of Egyptian kings that they were married to their sisters, and enough evidence seems to have been adduced to accept the custom as proven within the royal families. Outside these, so far as I can see, only one instance has been notedz on a stela of the Twenty-second Dynasty from the Serapeum.3 This informs us that the 'great chief of Me Pedeese, son of the great chief of Me Takelot' had a son, 'the high-priest of Ptalz Pefteurebast, son of the great chief of Me Pedeese, his mother being Taere, daughter of the great chief of Me Takelot'. Taere was the child of Takelot as was Pedeese himself, in other words Pedeese married his own sister Taere. It is true that Legrain4 did not seem to be quite satisfied that both Takelots, the father of Pedeese and the father of Taere, were one and the same person, but to me their identity seems indubitable, especially in view of the title of 'great chief of Me' common to both Takelots, who must have been contemporary. It is out of the question that there could have been two contemporaries of the same name and of the same exalted rank, so we are surely justified in assuming their identity. The instance of consanguineous marriage just quoted occurred in the family of a


Abstract
Students entering the University of Washington School of Medicine have been surveyed annually since 1984 regarding their access to personal computers and the level of computing skills which they possess. Results of these investigations document that student access to personal computers has risen from 23% of the entering class of 1984 to 68% of the entering class of 1988; ownership of personal computers has risen from 7% to 28% and the proportion of entering students with programming skills has decreased from 52% to 42%. Subsequent performance in the basic science segment of the medical school curriculum demonstrates no statistically significant differences between the various categories of students.


Corporate environmental information disclosures (EIDs) are important policy tools for environmental protection. This paper assesses and longitudinally examines EID changes in Chinese listed nonferrous metal companies from 2008 to 2012 through their annual, social responsibility, environmental, and sustainability reports. Using content analysis and multivariate regression methods, we fi nd a signifi cant increase in the quantity and quality of corporate EIDs post-2010, though the overall level is still not high. Company size, profi tability, and government regulation signifi cantly and positively affect EID. In addition, we fi nd that state-owned enterprises are more likely to disclose environmental information than private ones.


The effect of application pH on the effectiveness of the conventional cationic fixing agents Matexil FC-ER and Fixogene CXF in improving the wash fastness of the commercial direct dyes CI Direct Red 89, CI Direct Yellow 106 and CI Direct Blue 85 on cotton has been investigated. While the recommended neutral pH application resulted in improved fastness of the dyeings to the ISOC06/C2 wash fastness test, wash fastness was noticeably better when the fixing agents were applied under alkaline conditions.


This bilingual guide and reference was started as a basic oultine of preventive conservation measures for materials commonly excavated from northern Canadian archaeological sites. After field testing over several seasons, it has been expanded to include first, a statement of purpose stressing the complementarity of archaeological data collection and conservation, and more precisely, the need it intends to fill, that is, to reduce the rate of damage to artifacts caused by changes in the environment during and after excavation. Appropriate packing and handling procedures are also identified, as is the need to maintain conservation records for artifacts which may require treatment; measures for their temporary maintenance are considered as well as safety precautions necessary in the handling of certain organic materials. -- AATA


With globalization and the rise of information and communications technology (ICT), the protection of intellectual protection in software and indeed foreign copyright has never been more paramount. The absence of statutory provisions in Nigeria's main copyright legislation specifically protecting the intellectual protection in software has not helped. This article examines the Court of Appeal's recent decision dealing with the protection of copyright in Microsoft's software. The author is of the considered view that the approach adopted by the courts in the case is not in the overall interest of encouraging foreign ICT companies and the protection of foreign copyrights in Nigeria.


Summary  The Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) is one of Australia's most critically endangered frog species. The species occurs entirely within Kosciuszko National Park, which has a history of cattle grazing (up to the 1970s). A consequence of cattle grazing has been a significant reduction in the extent of montane and sub-alpine peat-bog systems that the species uses as breeding habitat. Furthermore, climate change and associated increased wildfire frequency is expected to further reduce the extent and quality of peat bogs throughout the Australian Alps. In this study, we investigated habitat selection for breeding pools and nest sites within peat-bog systems in order to inform the conservation management of the species and guide other management practices being undertaken in peat bogs where this species occurs. Occupancy of breeding males at bog pools was found to be positively associated with increasing pool area, water depth and mid-day temperature, and negatively associated with extent of bare substrate. The majority of breeding pools identified were ephemeral. Nest sites within vegetation where males call and where females deposit their eggs were located at mid-elevations in a range of vegetation types, with the majority of nests being within moss and sedge dominated by Sphagnum cristatum and Empodisma minor. We also found that male nest sites were not randomly distributed within the edges of pools, but were more often located in areas of loose vegetation. These results highlight the potential sensitivity of the Southern Corroboree Frog to predicted changes in peat-bog systems resulting from climate change such as earlier drying and a possible reduction in the size of bog pools. A monitoring programme focused on key features of the breeding habitat should be undertaken to provide a basis for developing and assessing management actions implemented in peat bogs occupied by this species.


BACKGROUND
The cytomegalovirus (CMV) UL97 gene can be sequenced either from blood specimens directly amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or from culture isolates, to detect resistance to ganciclovir.

METHODS
A prospective epidemiological study was conducted in which paired specimens were routinely obtained for sequencing of the UL97 gene from blood specimens (i.e., plasma and leukocytes) directly amplified by PCR and from CMV culture isolates. The specimens then were compared with each other and in terms of results of susceptibility testing and their association with progression of retinitis.

RESULTS
A total of 845 paired specimens were obtained from 165 patients with AIDS and CMV retinitis. There typically was >90% agreement between the UL97 gene sequences from blood specimens directly amplified by PCR and those from culture isolates. The agreement between phenotypic resistance and the detection of UL97 mutations was >92% for PCR-amplified blood specimens and >97% for culture isolates. Plasma and leukocytes performed similarly. Progression of retinitis was correlated with the detection of UL97 mutations in PCR-amplified blood specimens, with adjusted odds ratios of 7.02 (P=.002) for leukocytes, 9.11 (P=.02) for plasma, and 17.6 for culture isolates (P<.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
Because blood specimens directly amplified by PCR can be analyzed more rapidly than can cultures (< or =48 h vs. > or =4 weeks), sequencing the CMV UL97 gene from blood specimens directly amplified by PCR may be useful clinically.


Case presentation: MIBV patient, female, 75 years old, diagnosed with diverticular disease of the colon for years, with sporadic episodes of diverticulitis, however in 2019 the pictures of acute diverticulitis began to increase in frequency. With several episodes of diverticulitis and conservative treatments, 2019 had 4 episodes, presenting sigmoid colon thickening suggestive of neoplasia, but discarded with colonoscopy, in 2020 patient presented 5 episodes and in 2021 6 episodes in a period of 6 months, generating a picture of chronic pain and altered bowel habit. Surgery was indicated, and an elective open rectosigmoidectomy was performed; the patient received a diet on the second postoperative day and was discharged on the fifth day. Maintained outpatient follow-up with no new episodes. Discussion: Most patients with acute sigmoid diverticulitis are treated clinically, surgery is only indicated when the diverticulitis is untreatable or refractory to clinical therapy, about 10% to 15% of patients require surgery. For patients who require surgery for diverticulitis, the choice of technique depends on the patient's hemodynamic stability, extent of peritoneal contamination, and surgeon experience/preference. The major benefit of surgical treatment of diverticular disease is the cessation of episodes of diverticulitis, as studies show that patients with 1 or 2 episodes of acute diverticulitis, treated medically, required surgery for recurrent disease in up to 45% of cases. Final Comments: Indications for surgical treatment should be individualized to achieve the best outcome, as shown in this case, in which elective surgery resulted in complete cessation of diverticulitis episodes. The choice of resection method, open or laparoscopic, should consider the availability of equipment and the physician's training for the procedure, always taking into account the best resolution with fewer complications and mortality. Abbreviations and acronyms: IQR: interquartile range, CT: computed tomography, USG: ultrasonography


Treatment of transplant-ineligible (TNE) newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) requires a balance between disease control and maintaining quality of life (QoL). Patients value treatment-free remission periods in this incurable condition, as they are associated with better QoL. We set out to study clinical outcomes of consecutive TNE NDMM patients in routine care treated in Thames Valley Cancer Network between 2009 and 2017. The primary outcome was the evaluation of the treatment-free interval (TFI) after 1st and subsequent lines of therapy in the total cohort and in individual subgroups, according to age (≤75 vs. >75 years), and co-morbidities using Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI): mild: 0–2 vs. moderate: 3–4 vs. severe: ≥5). Secondary outcomes include response rates, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between subgroups: according to age and according to co-morbidities. In a total cohort of 292 patients, median TFI (IQR) was longest after first-line therapy 6.9 months (1.4–16.9), reducing after second line therapy to 1.8 months (.7–6.9), and after third line therapy to 0.6 months (0.2–1.5). Median TFI followed the same trend across the different subgroups, by age (≤75, >75 years) and by CCI (0–2, 3–4, ≥5). Overall response rate (ORR) to first line therapy for total cohort was 67%, with responses categorised as complete response (CR): 21%, very good partial response: 16%, partial response: 30%, stable disease: 18%, and progressive disease: 8%. ORR in individual subgroups by age were (≤75: 70% vs. >75: 63%), and by CCI (0–2: 65% vs. 3–4: 71% vs. ≥5: 77%). Median OS and PFS for the total cohort were (30.2 months, 95% CI: 23.8–36.9), and (9 months, 95% CI: 7.9–9.8), respectively. Patients aged >75 years showed a significant reduction in OS and PFS compared to those ≤75 years of age: OS (49.0 vs. 22.4 months, p<0.0001, HR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.5–2.8), PFS (9.7 vs. 8.0 months, p<0.01, HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.1–1.9). Median OS was significantly reduced with worsening co-morbidities: (CCI 0–2: 52.4 months vs. CCI 3–4: 33.0 months vs. CCI ≥5: 24.0 months, p = 0.01, HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.1–1.9). Median PFS was significantly reduced in the severely co-morbid subgroup (CCI 0–2: 9.4 months vs. CCI 3–4: 9.6 months vs. CCI ≥5: 7.1 months, p = 0.025, HR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0–1.6). This study demonstrated that first line therapy in the TNE NDMM setting resulted in the longest TFI which was modest at a median of 6.9 months, and decreased significantly following subsequent lines of therapy and across the different subgroups by age and by co-morbidities. Therapy objective should be to maximise the benefit of first line treatment. We envisage that the recent shift towards a continuous therapeutic approach will benefit TNE patients in view of improved survival data demonstrated by a number phase 3 trials. When continuous therapy is not appropriate due to patient choice or toxicities, an efficacious (not limited to thalidomide and bortezomib) but tolerable first line FDT strategy, which can maximise TFI and maintain a good QoL, remains a reasonable alternative approach.


The EU′s eastern enlargement strategy will not only greatly speed up the transformation of political and economic system in Central and Eastern Europe, but also will provide a strong impetus with the EU′s strengthening further development. For one decade since its conception, the EU′s eastern enlargement strategy has undergone a lot of drawbacks, and it is still faced with a lot of difficulties and challenges such as the deepening of the EU′s structural reform, policy adjustment, the divergences of opinions; the huge economic gap between Central and Eastern Europe and the EU, the pressure of change of systems. However, people should have reason to be optimistic about the prospect for the EU′s eastern enlargement, and believe that it will produce increasingly greater influence on European and world political and economic order. 


The dependent and independent variables in traditional linear regression models are continuous numerical variables. When the dependent variable or independent variable is a discrete variable, the traditional linear regression model can no longer be used to analyze. To solve this problem, this article introduces the non-homogeneous Markov chain model. It introduces the mathematical definition of the non-homogeneous Markov chain model. And then this article uses Bayesian estimation method to derive posterior distribution of model parameters. Through the MCMC algorithm, we simulate an experiment, posterior means value of the parameters is estimated, and the estimation effect is found to be better. Finally, we analyze the impact of learning state transition about college students on the non-homogeneous Markov chain model. Influencing factors include whether to receive a scholarship and whether to serve as a class leader. In this paper, non-homogeneous Markov chain model is used to analyze and detect the impact of discrete variables on dependent variables. This is the major innovation in this article.


This  paper  identified  the  English  language  as  the  most  valuable  legacybequeathed  to  Nigeria  by  the ColonialAdministration. It acknowledgedthe fact that language generally, is one factor that has enhanced the  advanced  state  of  man's  mental  development,but  singled  outEnglish  as  one  language  that  is fundamental  in  the  technological  advancement  of  Nigeria  which  the  paper  opined,  is  an  index  of  how mentally developed a nation is. It arguedthat if the present economic development of Nigeria is traceable to  the  influx  of  science  and  technology,  then  the  English  language which isusedto  create,  express, interpret and transmit technology neededto be accorded serious priority. The paper finally concludedon the  importance  of  English  in  our  technological  advancement  and  recommendedfor  a  result  oriented English language teaching for our Polytechnics and related technological institutions.


of Economics Departments," University of Westem Ontario Centre for Economic Analysis of Property Rights, Working Paper, 1986. Maddala, G. S., Limited-Dependent and Qualitative Variables in Economics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983). McDowell, John M., and Michael Melvin, "The Determinants of Co-Authorship: An Analysis of the Economics Literature," this REVIEW 65 (Feb. 1983), 155-160. McKelvey, R., and W. Zavoina, "A Statistical Model for the Analysis of Ordinal Level Dependent Variables," Journal of Mathematical Sociology 4 (1975), 103-120. Schweser, Carl, "The Economics of Academic Publishing," Journal of Economic Education 14 (1983), 60-64.


Call graphs are at the core of many static analyses ranging from the detection of unused methods to advanced control-and data-flow analyses. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the precision and recall of the respective graphs is crucial to enable an assessment which call-graph construction algorithms are suited in which analysis scenario. For example, malware is often obfuscated and tries to hide its intent by using Reflection. Call graphs that do not represent reflective method calls are, therefore, of limited use when analyzing such apps. In general, the precision is well understood, but the recall is not, i.e., in which cases a call graph will not contain any call edges. In this paper, we discuss the design of a comprehensive test suite that enables us to compute a fingerprint of the unsoundness of the respective call-graph construction algorithms. This suite also enables us to make a comparative evaluation of static analysis frameworks. Comparing Soot and WALA shows that WALA currently has better support for new Java 8 features and also for Java Reflection. However, in some cases both fail to include expected edges.


Objective:To obtain a large amount of erythromycin B and to investigate the activity site in eryK. Methods:The key sequence of the BC loop region in eryK gene was knocked out and the eryK gene with 101 bp deleted was amplified by overlapping PCR, and cloned into vector pWHM3 to construct recombinant plasmid. The Saccharopolyspora erythraea mutant AK17 was constructed through chromosomal homologous recombination technique.Results and Conclusions:The S.erythraea mutant AK17 was constructed. The results of TCL and MS analysis showed that the major fermentation product of AK17 is erythromycin B.


We discuss a case of a 69-year-old female presenting with unintentional loss of weight. Computer tomography of the abdomen revealed mottled liver appearance and cystic liver


Whereas the action recognition problem has become a hot topic within computer vision, the detection of fights or in general aggressive behavior has been comparatively less studied. Such capability may be extremely useful in some video surveillance scenarios like in prisons, psychiatric centers or even embedded in camera phones. Recent work has considered the well-known Bag-of-Words framework often used in generic action recognition for the specific problem of fight detection. Under this framework, spatio-temporal features are extracted from the video sequences and used for classification. Despite encouraging results in which near 90% accuracy rates were achieved for this specific task, the computational cost of extracting such features is prohibitive for practical applications, particularly in surveillance and media rating systems. The task of violence detection may have, however, specific features that can be leveraged. Inspired by psychology results that suggest that kinematic features alone are discriminant for specific actions, this work proposes a novel method which uses extreme acceleration patterns as the main feature. These extreme accelerations are efficiently estimated by applying the Radon transform to the power spectrum of consecutive frames. Experiments show that accuracy improvements of up to 12% are achieved with respect to state-of-the-art generic action recognition methods. Most importantly, the proposed method is at least 15 times faster.


In the first part of this paper, the production of uranium mill tailings and their risk assessment are deseribed. The methods of uranium mill tailings disposal and management are criticized and the necessity of the researches for uranium mill railings cleaning treatment and no-wasle uranium ore milling process are demonstrated. In the main part of this paper, the progress for these researches in PRC and other countries with uranium production is reviewed, and the corresponding conclusions are reported.


This study was carried out to investigate the haematological, biochemical, acid-base and blood gas parameters in 12 healthy pregnant dromedary camels, their calves and umbilical vein blood at spontaneous parturition. At parturition, blood samples were collected from each camel, their calves and umbilical cord. A complete blood count (CBC) and serum concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and glucose were measured. The serum activity of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also measured. None of the female camels showed any evidence of clinical disease at parturition. In calves, total white blood cells (WBCs) count was significantly higher than in dam or cord blood, but total WBCs count did not change significantly between mother and cord blood. Neutrophil count was significantly higher in calf blood than in dam and cord blood, but did not differ significantly between dam and cord blood. The RBCs count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit per cent were significantly higher in calf compared to dam and cord blood. The serum activity of AST was significantly higher in dam than in calf and cord blood. On the contrary, the serum activity of GGT was significantly lower in dam than calf and cord blood. The serum concentration of cTnI was significantly higher in calf than dam and cord blood The blood pH was significantly lower in calf than in dam and cord blood and it was significantly higher in cord than in dam blood. On the contrary, PCO2 was significantly higher in calf than in dam and cord blood, but no significant difference was found between cord and dam PCO2. The serum concentration of blood HCO3− and base excess (BE) value were significantly lower in dam than calf and cord blood. This study showed reference values for normal haemato-biochemical and blood gas parameters in dam, calf and cord blood during spontaneous parturition.


We address the problem to know whether the relation induced by a one-rule length-preserving rewrite system is rational. We partially answer to a conjecture of Eric Lilin who conjectured in 1991 that a one-rule length-preserving rewrite system is a rational transduction if and only if the left-hand side u and the right-hand side v of the rule of the system are not quasi-conjugate or are equal, that means if u and v are distinct, there do not exist words x , y and z such that u  = xyz and v  = zyx . We prove the only if part of this conjecture and identify two non trivial cases where the if part is satisfied.


ANYONECONSIDERING A career in information brokerage or similar work should be aware of several books which may be helpful in investigating career options. What Else You Can Do wi th a Library Degree (New York: Gaylord with Neal-Schuman, 1980), is a collection of over fifty articles by librarians who have worked in a wide range of alternative careers. Although the articles are brief, this work provides a good overview of the many opportunities available to librarians working outside libraries. Spivack's Careers in Information (White Plains, N.Y.: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1982), focuses on information specialists and scientists, librarians and entrepreneurs. This work is a collection of nine essays which discuss the sort of work that information professionals perform, where they work, and how much they earn. Stranch's chapter, "Entrepreneurship in the Information Industry" is thoughtful and well-written and contains helpful advice on getting started, product and service development, and marketing. The appendixes contain lists of publications, appropriate professional associations, and degree programs. There are also a few works which specifically examine the field of information brokerage. Maranjian and Boss's Fee-Based Information Semices: A Study of a Growing Industry (New York: Bowker, 1980), presents the results of a 1979 survey of for-profit information services. This work provides a detailed assessment of the industry as well as profiles of specific companies. The chapter on free-lance information


The nutrient composition of pollen of Cinnamomum camphora(L.)Presl.,including protein,nucleic acid and the content and component of fatty acid,were measured and analyzed.The comparative analysis between pollen of Cinnamomum camphora(L.)Presl and other botanic pollens showed that contents of protein,fatty acid in pollen of Cinnamomum camphora(L.)Presl are higher than those of other botanic pollens.The content of protein and unsatu-rated fatty acid is 15.87%and 55.67%,respectively,And the content of poly-unsaturated fatty acid which does good to human body amounts to 49.56%.Therefore,pollen of Cinnamomum camphora(L.)Presl.,as a universally existent resource of nature in southern areas of china,has the quite good foreground for exploiture and utilization.


The biogas plant in Mas El Cros pig farm, Santa Pau, Catalonia - Spain-, was designed in
1981 together with the farm project. This fact made possible the plant, its management and
maintenance, as an integrated element to the farm facilities.
The plant started up by the end of 1983. Supply to the farm heating system began in March
1984. During 1994 it was stopped in order to replace equipment affected with corrosion. Since 1984
to December 2001, the biogas consumption has been 710,397 m
3
. Average energy consumption for
the maintenance of the digestion process has been 38.4% of the total energy output. The rest has
covered an average of 45.9 % of the farm's thermal energy demand. The total saving in primary
energy is estimated in 252 toe.
The scenario that explains that the biogas plant is still operative, and serving the farm after 18
years, is configured by the following facts: The construction of the biogas plant together with the
farm (minimising investment costs); the conceptual simplicity of its design; the integration of all its
elements as integral part of the farm; the maintenance and supervision tasks done by local
technicians; and the global integrated vision of swine manure in the whole of the farm, as an energy
and nutrients resource


In this study, we present an adaptive self-tuning controller (STC) design for small embedded systems. The new free tool-chain for model based control design is based, among other software, on the open simulator Scilab-XCos. After a very short introduction of model based design terms, this article focuses on the code generator and the other pro- grams of the tool-chain. The design concept is demonstrated by the non-trivial adaptive self-tuning control (STC) of the cart system in simulation and on a real laboratory experiment.


The field of agriculture is extremely climate change, intra- and inter-seasonal variations cause temperatures to rise and variations in rainfall, which decreases seasonal crop yields and increases the probability of short-term crop failures and a reduction in long-term production.
 However, this relationship between climate change and agriculture are not yet predictable for the future, it so will be interesting to do a predictive study which will establish the link between climate change and agricultural production, and subsequently suggested adaptation plans.
 In this study, we will conduct a comparative study between the various methods and tools for analyzing data from data mining, to determine the threat of climate impact change on the production of the olive tree in Spain.


This document describes the machine readable version of the Selected Compact Radio Source Catalog as it is currently being distributed from the international network of astronomical data centers. It is intended to enable users to read and process the computerized catalog. The catalog contains 233 strong, compact extragalactic radio sources having identified optical counterparts. The machine version contains the same data as the published catalog and includes source identifications, equatorial positions at J2000.0 and their mean errors, object classifications, visual magnitudes, redshift, 5-GHz flux densities, and comments.


Through this paper, we present an approach that simplifies the understanding of ergonomics and anthropometric design to Mechatronics Engineering students at Tecnológico de Monterrey by presenting both the theory behind those topics and a practical approach using specialized software and hardware. The latter, carried out in an industrial context to avoid musculoskeletal diseases at work, assisted the sensitization of engineering students into designing products and workstations that would account for the needs of their users.


theory of q-difference equations to a comparable degree of completeness. This program includes in particular the complete theory of the convergence and divergence of formal series, the explicit determination of the essential transcendental invariants (constants in the canonical form), the inverse Riemann theory both for the neighborhood of x = o and in the complete plane (case of rational coefficients), explicit integral representation of the solutions, and finally the definition of q-sigma periodic matrices, so far defined essentially only in the case n = 1. Because of its extensiveness this material cannot be presented here.


Electromagnetic simulation software FEKO was used to set up the equipment model and plane wave environment. Data showed: distortion took place in the electric field near the centre of equipment, whose main weight direction related to frequency, resonance phenomenon presented at frequency of 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz;there was enhancement area of electromagnetic coupling field near the body centre within the equipment, and staff members or the test equipment should avoid this area; the morphism opening had similar laws to electromagnetic energy coupling; there was strong electromagnetic coupling area that appeared within the equipment at frequency of 150MHz;when frequency was smaller than 50MHz, semi-circular form of launching near the openings could be observed, whose regional border was clear, but with the rising of frequency, the regional border faded gradually, and the body surface of package shell within the equipment displayed gradually in the reflection and absorption of the electromagnetic coupling field around; the curve mode of the approximate " hump " appeared in observing the both sides curve of the window, which had reflected the transmission function as the equivalent aerial of the window.


The major objective of the present article is to investigate the structural relation between the two clauses in the English comparative correlative construction. Building upon a critical review of previous research, including the amendment and refinement of Iwasaki (2010b), we argue that the construction has a covert copula verb which has the first clause in the specifier of a Tense Phrase (TP, hereafter), and the second, the complement of a Verb Phrase (hereafter VP), being equivalent to Culicover & Jackendoff's (1999) "Hypothesis E", which they proposed and abandoned. Subsequently, we argue that the first clause behaves adverbially, notwithstanding its syntactic status as the subject of the null copula verb. We highlight the parallel relation between the English comparative correlative construction's clause and a construction which Huddleston & Pullum (2002) call "exhaustive conditional," following Borsley's (2011) suggestion on the resemblance between the two. We demonstrate that the Japanese comparative correlative construction may have the reduplication of a sentence in its hodo-clause.


The wearing of the boiler's low-temperature reheater pipes of Xiaoshan Power Plant is introduced.the causes of the pipe wear are analyzed,and wear treatment measures are put forward.


According to the seam mining threatened by pressurized Ordovician limestone karst water and the water keeping mining status on Han-Xing Mining Area,a regional advance water prevention and control technology was provided based on the advance and initiative,regional control,full reconstruction and pressurized mining as the guidance principle.The technology was applied to the reconstruction of the regional advance grouting at the top layer of an Ordovician limestone water aquifer in Han-Xing Mining Area.The final pressure at the borehole top was 1.0 MPa and would be kept over 30 min and a grout adsorption of a borehole was less than 50 L/min.Those above conditions would be the standard to terminate the grouting operation.In the experiment process,key technologies of surface multi branch horizontal drilling were applied.Finally,the target to reinforce the aquifer in the floor of the seam and to reconstruct the aquifer at the top of the Ordovician limestone was realized.The possibility to have a water inrush from the seam floor would be highly reduced and the coal resources threatened by the pressured water could be safety mined.


Current researches show that the surface plasmon-polariton modes (SPPMs) in metallic nanostructures can lead to a powerful localization of guided light signals, which is generally as small as a few nanometers and thus far beyond the diffraction limit of electromagnetic waves in dielectric media. In this paper, our attention is paid to the modeling and simulation of particular kinds of patterned metal-based nanostructure fabricated over several common wafers such as typical silicon dioxide. The nanostructures are designed for concentrating and delivering incident light energy into nanoscale regions. In our research, the factors, for instance, optical materials, patterned nano-structures, the distance arrangement between adjacent single nanopattern, and the frequency of incident electromagnetic wave, are taken as variables, and further the CST microwave studio is used to simulate optical behaviors of the devices developed by us. By comparing the transmittance and electric field intensity distribution in small area, the nano-light-emission effects are analyzed, and the conditions for obtaining near-field nanospots have been chosen.


Alcohol consumption continues to be a problem on college campuses.  Students drink heavily on the weekend. 1 (Finley et al., 2012) and experience consequences as a result of the heavy drinking (e . g. , hangovers, headaches, assaults, missed classes). 2 (NCASA et al., 2007).  It is estimated that over 40% of college students could be classified as heavy drinkers -- 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 or more drinks in a row for women. 3 (Bierness et al., 2004).   It is unknown if during a drinking episode if a student can perceive or estimate his/her level of intoxication or blood alcohol level (BAL).  The purpose of this experiment is to determine if there is a bigger difference in estimated BAL and actual BAL on different days of the week.  The data will then be compared to see if those differences in estimated BAL and actual BAL differ across genders.  The data will be collected at night using breathalyzers over days of the week.  College students will be approached and asked how many drinks him/her have consumed and to estimate his/her BAL.  The participants will be breathalyzed to measur e his/her actual BAL.  Once the data is collected, the data will be analyzed to see if certain days had smaller or larger differences in the estimated and actual BAL and what gender was more accurate in his/her estimations.  Participants will be college students from a mid-sized midwestern university.  The anticipated findings are that participants will underestimate his/her BAL and that there will be a bigger difference in the estimated BAL and actual BAL on nights when participants have consumed more alcohol. 4 (Carey et al., 2002).  Friday and Saturday nights are associated with more alcohol consumption among college students; therefore, it is expected that there will be a difference in estimated BAL and actual BAL on those nights. 5 (Wood et al., 2007).  It is also anticipated that males will be more accurate with estimating his BALs because males tend to have more experience with drinking.  Therefore, this can lead to better knowledge of how many drinks are consumed in a given night. 6 (Kraus et al., 2005).  These findings will result in a better understanding of how much students actually drink, considering many students tend to be unaware of how much alcohol he/she consumes and for others to be aware of what days of the week are most popular for consuming alcohol.


Abnormal adsorption phenomena are widely observed when applying isothermal adsorption to evaluate the adsorptive capacity of shales. Under experimental conditions, the isotherms of moisture-equilibrated samples initially behaved like Type I isotherms, then crossed the abscissa when saturated, indicating a limited adsorption capacity. As the pressure increased, the free gas density increased and the error associated with the adsorbed phase decreased the apparent value. Applying the Gibbs excess adsorption model provides a simple correction for the saturated adsorptive capacity. Compensating for the saturated adsorptive capacity reveals the true adsorptive capacity of shale gas reservoirs, which allows a more accurate estimate of the reservoir resources, as the adsorbed gas content calculated based on the apparent value would underestimate shale gas reserves. Deeply buried shale gas reservoirs will have a higher percentage of free gas, generally >60% if emissions are omitted while adsorbed gas is more easily retained in the reservoir than free gas.


In this paper, we argue that ignoring job dissolution is problematic when trying to understand the effects of gender composition on mobility due to the complex dynamic between gender composition, mobility, and job dissolution. Building from research on the gendering of work, workplace diversity, and job dissolution, we describe three pathways through which job gender composition, incumbent mobility, and job dissolution are interlinked to create this complex dynamic: one pathway where gender composition causes both job mobility and job dissolution through a set of shared mechanisms; one where job mobility is a cause of job dissolution; and one where job dissolution is a cause of job mobility. We explore these relationships in data on key personnel from U.S. advertising agencies over a 13-year period. After initially estimating the effects of job gender composition on incumbent mobility and job dissolution separately, we reach strikingly different conclusions when we consider the two outcomes jointly, examining mobility patterns in jobs that persist versus jobs that are dissolved. These results both demonstrate the perils of overlooking the role of job dissolution and challenge current theorizing about organizational decision-making processes, the drivers of job dissolution, and the role that gender composition may play in these decisions.


The invention provides a flotation method of fine fraction mohsite. The flotation method comprises the steps of floating sulphur, flotation and desliming and floating titanium. In the step of flotation and desliming, fine mohsite (MOH) collecting agent is adopted as desliming collecting agent to float mohsite mud with granularity not bigger than 0.038mm, wherein the fine fraction mohsite is mohsite with granularity not bigger than 0.074mm. In the recovery process of the mohsite, the flotation method can reduce the content of superfine mohsite mud with the granularity not bigger than 0.038mm, worsening influences of the flotation method on a flotation process is reduced, the cost of flotation reagents is reduced, and finally the production of ilmenite concentrate is improved.


necrosis. Results of liver tests became normal during the subsequent 2 months. A 58-year-old man (patient 3) started therapy with trovafloxacin (200 mg/d for 21 days) for lobar pneumonia. He was also given codeine for cough, prednisone (30 mg/d), and ranitidine (150 mg/d) for 10 days. Fourteen days after starting therapy, he complained of asthenia and anorexia. Four days after treatment ended he presented because of fever and dark urine. He reported intake of alcohol (30 g/d). Physical examination showed no jaundice or signs of chronic liver disease. Serum chemistry indicated acute liver injury (table 1). Serology ruled out viral causes, and a screening for autoantibodies was negative. Laboratory findings were normal at 45 days. We believe that these are the first published reports of acute hepatitis due to trovafloxacin. In each case, other causes of liver injury were ruled out. Withdrawal of the drug was followed by abatement of liver dysfunction. The histologic picture was similar in biopsy specimens for both patients (patients 1 and 2) from whom a specimen was obtained, and it was consistent with drug-induced hepatic injury. It is noteworthy that there was a delay of 4–10 days between the end of treatment and the onset of hepatitis; such a delay may hinder the diagnosis of iatrogenic liver injury. The association of hepatitis with hypersensitivity manifestations and the presence of eosinophils in the liver biopsy specimen suggest an immunoallergic mechanism. Temafloxacin, another fluoroquinolone with the same core structure as trovafloxacin, was withdrawn worldwide in 1992 after the detection of severe hemolysis, associated in more than one-half of the cases with renal failure and hepatic dysfunction [4]. Both drugs share a unique difluorinated side chain that is not found in the other quinolones and that renders these drugs highly lipophilic. It is surprising that, in light of these structural similarities, no special attention has been given to the approval and postmarketing surveillance of trovafloxacin.