The invention discloses a detecting and positioning system for optical fiber acoustic emission, which comprises an optical fiber laser sensor strain rosette, an optical fiber laser sensor strain rosette base plate, an acoustic coupling agent, an optical fiber signal demodulating device and an acoustic emission source positioning device, wherein the optical fiber laser sensor strain rosette is formed by serially connecting a plurality of optical fiber laser sensors; the optical fiber laser sensor strain rosette base plate is used for packaging and fixing the optical fiber laser sensors and transmitting an acoustic emission signal; the acoustic coupling agent is used for coupling the optical fiber laser sensors and transmitting the acoustic emission signal; the optical fiber signal demodulating device is used for receiving and demodulating an optical signal generated by the optical fiber laser sensors caused by the acoustic emission signal; and the acoustic emission source positioning device is used for realizing the positioning for an acoustic emission source on the basis of a demodulating result of the optical fiber signal demodulating device for the optical signal. The detecting and positioning system for the optical fiber acoustic emission is utilized to increase the capabilities of detecting a weak acoustic emission signal and positioning the acoustic emission source and to solve the problems of low sensitivity of an acoustic emission sensor in the detection of the weak acoustic emission signal, complex positioning, electromagnetic interference, poor capabilities of resisting high temperature and high pressure as well as strong corrosion environment, long-distance signal real-time transmission, long-term continuous observation, and the like.


Abstract This paper is devoted to the thermal shock analysis for viscoelastic materials under transient heating loads. The governing coupled equations with time-delay parameter and nonlocal scale parameter are derived based on the generalized thermo-viscoelasticity theory. The problem of a thin plate composed of viscoelastic material, subjected to a sudden temperature rise at the boundary plane, is solved by employing Laplace transformation techniques. The transient responses, i.e. temperature, displacement, stresses, heat flux as well as strain, are obtained and discussed. The effects of time-delay and nonlocal scale parameter on the transient responses are analyzed and discussed. It can be observed that: the propagation of thermal wave is dynamically smoothed and changed with the variation of time-delay; while the displacement, strain, and stress can be rapidly reduced by nonlocal scale parameter, which can be viewed as an important indicator for predicting the stiffness softening behavior for viscoelastic materials.


tions professor Robert Babe seeks to redress this notable gap in the historical record. He is quite explicit about his agenda: he hopes that his book will restore a sense of history so 'Canadian telecommunications can be demythologized and a deeper, truer understanding of the subject [can] emerge' (xiii), with a view to recovering our 'ethical identity and resuming the fight for freedom' (257). Babe also aims to restore the principle of corporate and state responsibility for communications outcomes, which he contends has been drowned out by the 'shrill cries of "Information Revolution."' He proposes to prove his argument by an examination of the entire span of telecommunications from telegraphs to Telidon. To be sure, writing on such a vast subject can be a daunting task, and the author's intentions are laudable from a public policy standpoint. The book is divided into five parts dealing with various subjects the mythologies of Canadian telecommunications, the technological development and economic impact of the telegraph and the telephone, their regulation by the state, and broadcasting and new technologies uch as Telidon. Babe briefly chronicles the evolution of these technologies to the present, their commercial development, and the arguments for and against heir monopoly position. He comes to the conclusion that, yes, monopoly is avoidable, regulation has been ineffective, and telecommunications giants like Bell Canada have been ingenious at maintaining their dominant position in the Canadian telecommunications landscape. Babe warns us that 'the very survival of our species i at issue' (255) in confronting our use of technology in a responsible manner. It would seem that the Unbound Promethe• has met the Book of the Apocalypse. There is an important point to be made here, but laying down these principles is one thing; giving them explanatory content is another.


Background The aim of the present study was to discuss the efficacy of delayed wider endoscopic optic decompression in traumatic optic neuropathy (TON). Methods A total of 479 patients were treated with corticosteroids and delayed wider endoscopic optic decompression, including the injury-to-surgery interval, within 2 weeks in patients with no light perception (NLP), and within 1 month in patients with residual eyesight. Based on the traditional decompression range, the superior wall of the optic canal was further decompressed. The preoperative and postoperative visual acuities (VAs) were reviewed, and the therapeutic efficacy was analyzed. Results The final VA was 0.1 or better in 29 cases, finger count in 79 cases, hand motion in 99 cases, light perception (LP) in 25 cases, and NLP in 247 cases. A total of 136 patients (136/383, 35.5%) recovered after NLP treatment, and 78 patients (69/96, 71.9%) had improved residual eyesight. The improvement rate in patients with residual eyesight was significantly higher than that of patients with NLP (P<0.01). Moreover, the total VA after treatment was better than that before surgery (P<0.01). Conclusions Delayed wider optic nerve decompression plus corticosteroids remains an effective and safe therapeutic strategy for patients with delayed treatment intervals of more than 1 week, especially for those with residual eyesight within 1 month.


The cuticular wax of Calotropis procera which is a wild and abundantly available plant in Pakistan, has been studied. The cuticular lipids (1.7%) obtained by solvent extraction were converted into fatty acids (32.0%) and non saponifiable material which contains hydrocarbons (54.7%), alcohols (12.5%) and sterols (0.8%). The fatty acids and fatty alcohols have been identified and characterized as methyl esters and acetates respectively by the application of thin-layer and gas liquid chromatography.


Cardiac arrhythmias were produced in the cat by inhalation of 1 per cent halopropane, 10 per cent CO2 and 89 per cent O2 and also by injection of epinephrine during inhalation of 1 per cent halopropane and 99 per cent O2. Dextro-H56/28, which has local anesthetic properties but only 1/40th the beta receptor blocking activity of the levo form of H56/28, had a weak, brief antiarhythmic effect on the halopropane-CO2 arrhythmia and did not significantly increase the threshold dose of epinephrine required to produce an arrhythmia during halopropane administration. However, levo-H56/28, when tested against the halopropane- CO2 and halopropane-epinephrine arrhythmias, had a marked, prolonged antiarrhythmic effect which was attributed to its beta-adrenergic blocking action.


The system construction and work flow of automatic oral drug dispensing system(AODDS) in our hospital are introduced,its' advantages and disadvantages of the application are analyzed.After applying AODDS,drug dispensing speed and accuracy are significantly increased.AODDS is conducive to promote hospital pharmaceutical care and pharmacy quality administration.The application of AODDS in our hospital may be referred for other hospitals to select AODDS.

Key words:
Automatic oral drug dispensing system; Automation; Pharmaceutical care


Globalisation has hit the art world as well as the economy and has changed perspectives up and down the line: artists, art markets, museums, academics, art critics and curators are being forced to revise their thinking and practice. Institutions for art, culture and history are in search of new ways to maintain their relevance in rapidly transforming and increasingly, culturally diverse societies. These issues form the subject of the essays in this volume. It departs from the conference 'Collecting Without Borders' (2009) - itself a product of collaboration among various institutions in the Netherlands - and focuses on Dutch museums. However, the questions and ideas posed in this book have bearing on similar developments in other Western countries, where institutions are likewise struggling to deal with changing situations. Changing Perspectives, with critical essays by experts from various disciplines, hopes to inspire the reader to develop his own position in the discourse on global art.


This study tries to figure out the difference between the physical productivity and the financial efficiency among major airports in the Asia-Pacific region using the data of 11 airports for the period 2001-2013. Based on the superSBM, 4 different efficiency scores are measured and the origins of the differences of them are identified through the calculation of correlation coefficients. Another findings are that the market in the region is led by the airports in China and neighbors in terms of efficiency, and that the efficiency in the region is getting improved over time.


The so-called beach rock along the Visakhapatnam coast is exposed where the overlying placer deposit (sand dunes and red sediments) is eroded or removed. The morphology of samples reveals a well preserved density stratification, layering, grain size variation and alternate layering of light and heavy mineral fractions Textural characteristics confirm their derivation from beach environment. The mineral composition is similar to the present day beach sands and includes quartz, sillimanite, ilmenite and other opaques, monazite and zircon, with conspicuous absence of garnet X-ray diffraction analysis of the cementing matenal revealed the presence of siderite and himonite Study of polished beach rock specimens under the reflected light revealed exsolution features in ilmenite grains, similar to present day ilmenite Carbonate cementing matenal is replaced by secondary iron oxide. The associated flat pebbles are of quartzite and khondalite. The in situ occurrence of the beach rock along this part of the coast forms the physical evidence supportmg the coastal submergence during the Holocene transgression. The formation of beach rock is resultant of a combined marine and groundwater activity m the intertidal zone.


In the present scenario, wireless technologies require an advanced receiver which supports multistandard and multi-mode transmission. In an ideal software radio, the data conversion process occurs immediately after the antenna in the receiver chain..A/D conversion at an early stage plays an important role for achieving such flexibility at the receiver. Bandpass sampling allows for the digitisation of bandpass signals at RF or intermediate frequencies. The sampling process is never ideal, and many factors limit performance. One factor is Timing Jitters (aperture jitter and clock jitter) of the sample-and-hold function of the ADC. This results in a variation of the sampling period from one sample to another, degrading performance. This effect becomes more serious as sampling occurs at higher carrier frequencies. This paper investigates the effects of timing jitter in bandpass sigma delta ADC sampling systems, and describes how oversampling the information signal has an impact on the effects of jitters and also gives evaluation of the performance in terms of SNR and draw mean error power spectrum due to aperture jitter as well as clock jitter.


The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the Chemical Engineer Marcelino Garcia Junco y Payan's (1902-1964) academic career, who was an organic chemistry teacher at the National School of Chemistry Science, today known as UNAM's Chemistry Faculty . The research, particularly, tries to highlight his organic chemistry teachings through his lectures and textbooks. The study was carried out from a historic perspective which has as a context the National School of Chemistry Science between 1920 and 1956 and his link to the steroid industry. The research is based on primary sources review work as UNAM's students and teacher's files, located in the UNAM's Historic Archive, and oral history such as interviews with the illustrious Mexican chemist.


Automatic epileptic seizure analysis is important because the differentiation of neural patterns among different patients can be used to classify people with specific types of epilepsy. This could enable more efficient management of the disease. Automatic seizure type classification using clinical electroencephalograms (EEGs) is challenging due to factors such as low signal to noise ratios, signal artefacts, high variance in the seizure semiology among individual epileptic patients, and limited clinical data constraints. To overcome these challenges, in this paper, we present a deep learning based framework which uses a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with dense connections and learns highly robust features at different spatial and temporal resolutions of the EEG data spectrum for accurate cross-patient seizure type classification. We evaluate our framework for seizure type classification and seizure detection on the recently released TUH EEG Seizure Corpus, where our framework achieves overall weighted f 1 scores of up to 0.90 and 0.88, thereby setting new benchmarks on the dataset.


Very reliable compressibility parameters of the very soft marine clay of Santos, Brazil, have been obtained from good quality standard and special oedometer tests that can be used to estimate the total primary and secondary compressions of the clay under a containers terminal to be built close to Santos harbour. Although the geotechnical study of the site has been very thorough and has provided quite complete and reliable data about the soft layer properties, the drastic reduction of the coefficient of consolidation in the stress range around the preconsolidation stress makes it very difficult to define the representative value of the coefficient of consolidation needed to design the proper combination of "wick drains pattern/surcharge stress/preloading time" needed to bring the terminal operation settlements down to acceptable values taking into account the simultaneous occurrence of primary and secondary


An earlier article in this journal introduced a renegade theory called the Theory of Elementary Waves (TEW). Whereas quantum mathematics (QM) is a science of observables, TEW is a science of physical nature independent of the observer. They are symmetrical: complement and support each other. That article left three dangling threads that this article addresses: 1. Our claim that TEW is the only local realistic theory that can explain Bell test experiments, 2. Focusing on the medium in which elementary waves move, and 3. Demonstrating that there is zero experimental support wave particle duality. TEW is neither the hidden variable theory of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR), nor the absorber theory of Wheeler and Feynman, nor an offshoot nor variant of quantum theory. It is a new paradigm, discovered by a dissident, Lewis E. Little who, after his PhD in physics, worked alone for decades outside the ivory tower of academic physics searching for and eventually finding a theory that explains quantum experiments based on local realism. The fate of new paradigms, unfortunately, is to be rejected as gibberish by leaders of the old paradigm. Plate tectonics was dismissed as absurd during the twentieth century.


Articles, letters and news relating to trout farming are always welcome and may be included in future issues. The views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors and are not necessarily those of the editors; and the reference to proprietary products should not be construed as an official endorsement of these products. The editors reserve the right to edit articles or other contributions. During 2001, the inspection and monitoring programme of salmonid farms, undertaken on behalf of MAFF/ DEFRA and the Agriculture Department of the National Assembly for Wales under the European Council Directive 91/67/EC, was carried out. Due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease across most of the country the Fish Health Inspectors were unable to gain access to all sites in time to produce this report at the usual time. However, after an extensive effort by the Fish Health Inspectors and the cooperation of the industry, the production details were completed in the second half of the year once the Foot and Mouth Disease situation had passed. A total of 293 registered salmonid farm sites were visited during 2001. Of this total there were 19 sites with no sales of fish during 2000 but continued to hold stock and 5 sites failed to provide data or whose ownership changed and therefore no accurate data was available. In addition during the period 13 new farms were registered and 31 sites ceased trading and were deregistered during the year, though some of these still reported production. The data included in this report and provided by the site owners therefore represents the production from a final total of 269 registered salmonid farms in England and Wales. A summary of the production details for all sites farming rainbow trout is presented in Table 1. The sites are grouped according to regional divisions of the Environment Agency, to allow comparison with previously published data. However, the Fish Health Inspectorate has altered the collection areas in order to correspond to current Environment Agency areas. This means that, in a change from previous years, the Wessex area has been merged with the South West region to form a single region called SouthWest and Yorkshire and Northumbria have been merged to form the North East region. Sites are classified into one of four different categories as follows: 1) Sites that did not produce any rainbow trout during 2000 2) Sites that produce …


Paraffin sections from 23 tumours were immunohistochemically stained with the following four Ki‐67 equivalent antibodies: monoclonal MIB‐1 (DAKO), monoclonal MM1 (Novocastra), polyclonal NCL‐Ki‐67p (Novocastra), and polyclonal Rah Ki‐67 (DAKO). Ki‐67 labelling indices were determined by counting in exactly the same area in each case. MIB‐1 showed the highest labelling index in 21 of the 23 cases, and the mean MIB‐1 index was approximately 30% higher than that of the other antibodies. The differences between MM1, NCL‐Ki‐67p and Rah Ki‐67 were small and non‐significant. There was a positive correlation between each of the four antibodies. As these findings may be of importance when the Ki‐67 labelling index is used as a criterion for tumour grading or for clinical prognostication, this necessitate identification of the antibody used in every case.


Chemical and pharmaceutical products will become patentable in Japan at the beginning of 1976. Composition of matter claims have been added to the existing options of process and use claims for these products and foodstuffs as part of a package of revisions in Japan's industrial property laws. Preparing for Japanese adherence to two new multilateral pacts—the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Trademark Registration Treaty—the national Diet also has approved the filing of multipleclaim patents and has tightened requirements for active commercial use of registered trademarks. For good measure, administrative fees have been raised all around, tripling the rate for filing a trademark and doubling those for trademark registration, patent filing, and patent maintenance. The new fee schedule already is in effect. The multiple-claims provision for patents, like that for composition of matter patents, comes into force Jan. 1. Japanese practice, unlike that in the U.S. and West Europe, until now has regarded a sing...


Some people travel to see great art, others go for natural wonders. I travel to cities to see how people live now and to read how they lived in the past. I travel with an active purpose and engage in business with peers. And thus I have seen the ports, derelict canals, wholesale food markets, neighborhoods, groceries, government offices, truck stops, warehouses, garbage dumps, and recycling centers in numerous cities in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. And I always make a point of walking bridges and streets and taking buses, trains, subways, and, especially, ferries. In 2008, the world reaches an invisible but momentous milestone. For the first time in history, more than half its human population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. A world of over six billion now has 20 mega-cities, urban centers with populations of over ten million. Most are in the developing world. Every week another million people move to cities, mostly in Asia and Africa. New important cities have sprung up, like Shenzhen, which three decades ago was a small fishing village in southern China situated just north of Hong Kong. According to the Shenzhen Government, by the end of 2006, the city had 8.4643 million permanent residents (http://english.sy.gov.cn/gi). UN Population Fund


Although N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists may have beneficial influences on cognition in patients with alcohol‐related dementia (ARD), their effects on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) remain unknown. This study evaluated changes in rCBF in ARD patients after administration of NMDA receptor antagonist for 12 weeks using technetium‐99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc‐99m ECD) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Twenty‐eight ARD patients were administered memantine for 12 weeks and underwent clinical evaluations and brain SPECT scans at baseline and follow‐up. Whole‐brain changes in perfusion were examined on a voxel‐by‐voxel basis. At follow‐up, the patients showed reduced rCBF in the left medial frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left claustrum, right brainstem, left superior temporal gyrus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and left cerebellum. On the other hand, increased rCBF was found in the bilateral uncus, left parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule, left cuneus, and left superior temporal gyrus. Perfusion increases in various brain areas including the superior frontal, parahippocampal, and inferior parietal areas, which may play important roles in the pathophysiology of ARD, suggest potential benefits of NMDA receptor antagonists on brain functions in patients with ARD.


Two of New Labour's main goals, in social and public policy terms, were extending
sustainability and to increase housing stock. These aims were set out in Europe's
largest Brownfield regeneration project across the Thames Gateway, covering parts of
London, Essex and Kent. The most expensive housing in the UK, in the South East of
England, is situated in some areas covered by the Thames Gateway regeneration
initiative, which placed at its core the goals of housing renewal (Thames Gateway
Delivery Plan, 2007). This article examines the relationship between regeneration,
sustainable communities and house prices in one area of the Thames Gateway
(Barking). We begin by reviewing the key aims of increasing housing stock in
Barking and outlining the complex interactions between the key stakeholders. Next,
house price data from the borough is compared to the South East region and a
commentary is given on why certain property types are more expensive in Barking.
Particular attention is given to whether these discrepancies are a function of the
regeneration initiative and who stands to gain from inflated prices. The paper
concludes that typically it is first-time buyer property prices that are inflated
suggesting that demand for housing in the borough may be originating from more
transient populations, an observation that may be at odds with the sustainable
communities' agenda.


The large groundwater aquifer in the Upper Rhine Valley shows a high nitrate load due to various reasons. To decrease the input of nitrate a series of regulations are currently in force, and first steps are being taken in the German as well as in the French part of the Upper Rhine Valley towards their implementation. Furthermore, changing directives within the agricultural sector will affect future management practices and consequently the nitrate input into the aquifer. Thus different working groups within the multi-national EU-INTERREG-III-project MoNit-Modelling of the groundwater contamination by nitrate in the Upper Rhine Valley developed a simulation tool that allows the assessment of future nitrate load in an integrative way, i.e. by taking into account conditions at plot scale as well as socio-economic aspects and macro-scale transport processes. This tool allows well-founded evaluations of the efficiency of political decisions and helps to prioritise the steps to reduce the nitrate input. To achieve these aims five different models were coupled.


In response to changes in demographics and technology, education in North America is undergoing a transformation. Dorin (2007) summarizes several critical factors in demographic trends that will significantly impact the development of the educational landscape in North America. First, as baby-boomers age there is a dramatic shift in the composition of our population, that is, a greater percentage of the entire population will be represented by those 65 and older. Second, older adults will remain productive in the workforce. Third, life expectancy will increase, adding again to a greater percentage of our population falling into the older adult category. There are also many changes related to technology use occurring within the older adult population. For instance, older adults are increasingly more interested in opportunities for continuing education (Mannheimer, Snodgrass, & Moskow-McKenzie, 1995) which is more and more frequently accomplished via technology. Outside of educational contexts, we see an interleaving of technology into everyday activities for older adults such as searching for health information on the world Wide Web (Karavidas, Lim, & Katsikas, 2005) and using e-mail as a communication tool to maintain contact with family and friends (Hilt & Lipschultz, 2004). Jastrzembski, Charness, Holley & Feddon, (2005) assert that "older adults may comprise one of the fastest growing segments of the estimated 80 million Internet navigators in the US, having jumped 47% as of 2004. Thus 22% of older adults are now online..." (p. 39). This chapter provides a review of research findings in the area of aging, describes how age-related declines may impact older adults' use of computers and presents approaches suggested in the literature to addressing these issues. Background


In order to represent the thermal effects of the operational conditions of monoethylene glycol (MEG) regeneration unity, 86 wt% MEG aqueous solutions with salt concentration up to 5.52 wt% were heated for 56 hours in an ebulliometer. Seven analytical techniques were applied to the samples, aiming to evaluate MEG degradation. Results demonstrated that increasing sodium chloride concentration from 0 to 5.52 wt% reduced MEG thermal stability time from 44 to 8 hours. Thermogravimetric analysis was the most adequate studied technique to quantify MEG thermal degradation. Measurements of MEG degradation were correlated, using allometric expression for each sodium chloride concentration. The salt free solutions presented 7.2% MEG degradation after 56 h heating, while for 5.52 wt% NaCl it increased to 21.1%. As expected, sodium chloride concentration and time of exposure to temperatures up to 140 oC are important variables for monitoring MEG thermal degradation, especially in the flash evaporator.


Finding the right kind of care for your family, pets, and your home can be challenging. Cornell now provides free unlimited Care.com membership to help you locate and arrange care -see eligibility and details below. Note: Care.com is an open marketplace and care providers are not endorsed by Cornell. Members are expected to screen care providers, conduct background checks, and follow other safety best practices. Visit Care.com's Hiring Recommendations and Safety Center to learn more. Email email@example.com with questions or concerns.


In the chemical process, the uncertainties are always encountered. Therefore, the algorithm of process modeling, simulation, optimization, and control should have the capability to handle the uncertain parameter. Meta-Heuristics Optimization (MO) techniques are attractive global optimization methods inspired by the various industrial phenomena with uncertainty. These methods have been successfully applied to a wide range of chemical engineering problems with a higher level of degree of satisfaction. In this chapter, the authors introduce multiple artificial intelligence techniques: Genetic Algorithm (GA), Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO), Differential Evolution (DE), Evolutionary Strategy (ES), Probability-Based Incremental Learning (PBIL), Stud Genetic Algorithm (SGA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), and Fuzzy Logic (FL). It includes the introduction of algorithms and their applications to handle the uncertainty in the chemical process operation.


Although drama is meant to be performed, due to the pandemic situation, it cannot be done. Beside a government regulation about the maximum number of people who gather in a class or a room, the variants of Covid-19 virus are not easily handled. But still, educators should conduct their learning process well. Some universities in Indonesia have also shifted the online learning into a hybrid one. However, conducting a hybrid class especially in relation to drama was quite challenging. Some real problems appeared and educators should be able to solve them. This article discussed those issues including some good practices to create a meaningful drama class. Data were collected through a questionnaire which included cognitive, behavioural, emotional engagement, motivation and time management. The problems covered the audibility, bad internet connection, less attention and lack of technological tool. Two of the good practices done were a dramatic reading project and gamification to facilitate students who attended the class physically or virtually.


Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide [1-4]. Approximately 90% of people who get infected with TB will develop a latent TB (LTB) infection [5]. Due to specific character of military service, soldiers are a high exposure risk group [7, 8]. The main goal of our cross-sectional study was to determine the actual epidemiological situation of tuberculosis infection among Polish Armed Forces personnel. The difference in LTB incidence between the groups of Military Police – Civil Military Cooperation Group (MP-CIMIC) and soldiers not deployed abroad were assessed. The QFT-TB Gold assay was used for screening military personnel. Soldiers deployed frequently to international missions happened to have more frequently positive results of the test than the personnel located in Poland with no international deployment history. We conclude that TB-specific interferon-γ release assays may be useful as a screening tool in increased risk groups in otherwise healthy military personnel for identifying individuals with TB latent infections who are likely to develop an active form of the disease.


The Interacting Multiple Model Probabilistic Data Association(IMMPDA) algorthm has been proven to be one of the most effective estimation algorthm in the field of tracking maneuvering target in cluttered environmetn."Current" statistical model filtering algorithm is modified by Neural Networks and then adopted in IMM algorithm.The tracking performance for manevering target can be improved.The results of the modified IMM algorthm are evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation.


Round gobies are an invasive species that have proliferated throughout the Great Lakes since 1990. Today, anthropogenic forces are causing an increasing number of invasions causing great economic and ecological damage. The round goby invasion, because of its high level of success and recent occurrence, may represent a model system to study the evolutionary dynamics and formation of genetic population structure in novel habitats. Our study is a fine scale examination of the round goby genetic population structure along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.


The low germination of wild chili pepper seeds, together with the impermeability of their testas, is one of the factors that limit their propagation. In the State of Tabasco, wild chili peppers are an essential ingredient for the regional culinary culture. Therefore, knowing the factors that in uence their germination and development will lead to their sustainable use. Seven pre-germination treatments and two light conditions were compared to evaluate the germination speed and uniformity of di erent wild morphotypes of Capsicum sp. Variations in pre-germination treatment response were observed. The 14:10 hr light:dark photoperiod increased the germination percentage (PG), rate (IG) and speed (VG) in 61.1 %, 73.4 % y 43.5 %, respectively, in comparison with a condition of darkness. The use of 25 % HNO3 and hydrothermia (50 oC / 5 min) did not increase the germination capacity of seeds. PG ranges of 6.0 to 67.5 % were achieved by applying 3 % KNO3. The highest PG (> 92 %) was seen when seeds underwent AG alone treatment combined with hydrothermia, regardless of the light conditions.


The LFY homologue named FaLFY was isolated from strawberry(Fragaria × ananassa 'Huaji')with the method of RT-PCR and RACE. Its expression pattern in different tissues and floral organs was checked with qRT-PCR. The CDS of FaLFY is 1 236 bp in length and it codes a predicted protein of 412 amino acids. The amino acid identity compared with other LFY homologues is highly conserved and shows the highest similarity(88%)with the LEAFY-2 of Rosa canina. The real-time RT-PCR result showed that FaLFY mainly transcripts in reproductive tissues,especially in flower buds, no transcription was detected in vegetative tissues,neither in the four whorls of flower organs. The results showed that FaLFY play an important role in the processing of flowering in strawberry.


Abstract Aromatic rice variety, Mentikwangi, was crossed with high-yielding upland rice variety, Poso, and the pedigree was selected to obtain lines with high yielding and aromatic characters. The objectives of the research were to study the yield stability of aromatic upland genotypes across different locations and to select aromatic upland rice genotypes having wide adaptability, and or specific location adaptability. Yield stability of genotypes was estimated by using regression lines proposed by Finlay and Wilkinson. Some genotypes showed high yield stability and wide adaptability in different locations, and others showed good adaptability to a specific location. The lines having high yield stability and wide adaptability were G10 (405 g m-2), G19 (400 g m-2), G39 (418 g m-2), and G136 (411 g m-2), which may be considered as candidates of new aromatic upland rice cultivars. Situpatenggang had specific adaptability at the fertile locations; and Poso and G13 at the infertile locations. Genotype x location interactions for the yield and its components performance were observed.


The oxide composites based on titanium dioxide modified by molybdenum have been synthesized. The peculiarities of the formation of these composites their physico-chemical and photocatalytic properties have been studied. It is shown that the modification of TiO2 with molybdenum provides obtaining nanodispersed powders (from 8.3 to 12.1 nm) with a free specific surface from 279 to 190 m2/g, respectively. It is shown that the synthesized composites have significantly higher photocatalytic activity (PCA) relative to unmodified TiO2 of similar genesis and industrial titanium dioxide P-25 of Degussa by the example of decomposition of various dyes.


This paper examines how financial regulation and institutional quality affect the probability of a banking crisis using a panel of 132 countries over the period 1999-2011. We find that the probability of a financial crisis increases moving from low to medium levels of regulation and decreases from medium to high levels of regulation. This relationship is sensitive to the institutional quality and creates a liberalization trap for "happy mediums": only countries endowed with good institutions can undertake a liberalization process. This effect is larger for European Union (and Eurozone) members than other countries. As heterogeneity in institutional quality generates also different preferences, international agreements on banking regulation are hard to achieve, especially in Europe. Our results are consistent with several robustness econometric exercises.


Only with the enterprising spirit can we continually enhance the Party-building. What innovations should we make in Party-building? We should carry on innovation of ideas, innovation of theory, innovation of institution, innovation of work.


The construction of a novel electrochemical sugar recognition system using a tris(acetylacetonato)ruthenium complex and phenylboronic acid assembled on gold nanoparticles is described. This system showed excellent sensitivity compared to those by the assembly on the dendrimer and optical recognition.


In this age of globalization, when the capitalists and imperial oligarchs destroy all borders to amass power and wealth, they create a world without borders, and this allows them to mercilessly manipulate people everywhere and to invade all private spheres. Now, we are experiencing a new colonialism and deeper exploitation than ever before on the planet. It aects us all blacks and whites, natives and immigrants, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians, women and men, old and young. And, alongside this new hegemony, there are other transnational forces. Doctors, lawyers, artists, librarians, sisters, writers, mothers, reporters, engi -neers, and now Sociologists without Borders. ese all are re"ective movements to crash/ break the monopolistic invasion of the masters of globalization. Sociologists without Borders (SSF), accompanied by other sin fronteras , must criticize the consequences of the domination of capital and power. ey must ask: € Which societies are under neo-colonial domination? € Which gr oups and minorities (ethnic, religious, racial, gender, labour . . .) are oppressed, segregated, and discriminated against? € Which workers and classes are at risk of poverty, malnutrition, and exploitation? € Which socio-cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations and communities are at risk of manipulation? ithout Wders, Bor sin fronteras (all these movements), have just one border which is Human Rights. If all the capitalists and their political agents in the world, as a Super Power, are advancing imperialism, fundamentalism,


This document describes the external wake-up mechanisms that can be used in external processor based applications of the DA14580 Bluetooth® Smart SoC. Two wake-up mechanisms can be implemented: external processor to DA14580 and DA14580 to external processor. These can be used in either UART or SPI interface. An external processor can wake up the DA14580 using a GPIO signal as the interrupt line. This can be used as an alternative to the existing DA14580 auto wake-up process. Similarly, when the DA1580 wakes up due to internal kernel timer expiration or due to a preprogrammed BLE event, it can toggle a GPIO to wake up the external processor. AN-B-026 DA14580 External wake-up mechanisms Company confidential Application note Revision 1.0 15-Aug-2014 CFR0014 Rev 1 2 of 13 © 2014 Dialog Semiconductor GmbH


This paper reports the development of the Career–Family Attitudes Measure (CFAM), a new 56-item instrument for measuring individuals' attitudes towards managing the career and family interface. The measure was administered to a large sample of high school students and factor analyzed to reveal six dimensions of career and family attitudes, which were then scaled. Females in the sample had significantly more positive attitudes towards Balance and Independence than did males, while males had significantly more positive attitudes towards Dominance and Spousal Support than did females. Antecedents such as parental employment history and educational aspirations were significantly related to several of the scales. Results indicated that career–family attitudes involve preferences for the integration of career and family rather than for trade-offs between them. Research to establish the validity and explore the many applications of the CFAM is needed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract: As Geographic, topographic, and other factors, Indonesia is noted  as area which able to be come many disasters. Later, 90% Indonesian people are not ready to face the disaster. So, the guidance to the disaster issue is very crucial to be done by anyone, specially the government. From the 82 countries which to report data to PBB, only 32 countries which to have disaster lesson in their curriculum of elementary School and Junior High School.  Indonesia is not yet the disaster issue that it is very important to keep it in to the education curriculum. The disaster education curriculum is so crucial needed to do and implement in the school. Then, Islam education which is rich or wealth concept, so, apply and practice the theory toward disaster issue to keep life environment able to be come one of the alternative approach. Key Words: Islamic Education, Disaster, Life Envirountman, Curriculum, Affirmative Action


This paper is to research customer's intention to customize by grounded theory.The significant contribution lies in testifying the marketing hypotheses whether customers know what their want.This paper refines five fac- tors affecting customers' intention to customize,which include the innovation tendency,individual ability,the product characteristic,the customize cost and the enterprise capability.They are commonly found in cus- tomers' willingness for accepting products.So these can equivalently prove that the customers know what their want clearly.According to this conclusion,the management marketing,which is under the marketing hypothe- ses that the customers don't know what their want,is not adapt to the post-industry society.


The approaches proposed for color texture discrimination can be divided into two types: 1) color and texture information are processed separately, and 2) spatial interactions of pixels both within and between color bands are considered. In this paper, we briefly review recent research and propose an approach based on separate processing of complementary color and pattern information. Color histograms contain very discriminative color information, while the distributions of Local Binary Patterns are used to provide robust pattern-related information.


Horizontal architectures can control several functional units independently, and usually have a single flow of control. As such, they exploit only the finer parallelism, and a large number of functional units is useless when the code contains control or data dependencies. The performance in these cases can be increased, with the same total hardware, if the functional units are divided in groups, each with a private register file and with an independent flow of control.


The present invention provides a brittle crack suitable for a thickness of 50mm or more vessels of high-strength steel plate and a manufacturing method excellent characteristics with stop structures. A brittle crack arrest thick steel plate superior properties, characterized by having a specific chemical composition, metal structure of ferrite as the main body, a surface layer portion having a thickness RD // integrated intensity of (110) plane is 1.3 or more I , the RD // center of the thickness of the integrated intensity of (110) plane is 1.8 or more I texture Charpy fracture appearance transition temperature (vTrs) of the surface layer portion is -60 deg.] C or less, and the thickness center portion Charpy fracture appearance transition temperature vTrs higher than -50 ℃.


This study compared the differences between the three-dimensional structure of normal trabecular bone and osteonecrosis necrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) from different causes. Specimens from 12 patients with ONFH were collected after total hip arthroplasty (Ficat II) and six specimens were collected from a group with fractures of the femoral neck. Micro-computer tomography (micro-CT) scans were performed on all specimens and the morphological parameters of different regions of the trabecular bone were measured. The patients were divided into the following three groups: idiopathic group, corticosteroids group and fracture group. In the fracture group, the trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and structure model index (SMI) were significantly higher than that of the other two groups (P < 0.05). The results among groups in various regions of the bone showed that the BV/TV in idiopathic group and corticosteroids group was below that in the fracture group. Meanwhile, the trabecular bone spacing in the first two groups was higher than that in the fracture group. Within each group, the morphology of the trabecular bone in the idiopathic group and corticosteroids group substantially changed according to the different region of the bone. Our studies demonstrated that ONFH results in structural disorders of the trabecula and loss of bone mass, especially in the corticosteroids group. The trabecular bone structure under the cartilage is remarkably different in different regions of the bone. Between the necrosis and repair areas, a large difference in trabecular morphology might be the key to fractures and collapse.


Recent interest in the culture of cold water marine fish has prompted many questions with regards to water quality during early culture. Although temperature is probably the most important parameter of water quality, another key factor in determining site locations as well as optimizing success is salinity. Since salinity may vary dramatically from one location (e.g. estuarine) to another (eg. open ocean), determination of the optimal salinity for a species is important in selecting site locations for prospective marine hatcheries. The current study investigated salinity effects in four prospective aquaculture species: winter flounder, haddock, cod, and halibut. -- Studies were undertaken to determine the optimal salinities for egg survival and their effects on the viability, size, and behaviour of newly-hatched larvae. Eggs from each species were incubated at salinities of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 ppt and a variety of parameters including hatch rate, % viable larvae, larval size, yolk volume and hatching problems were measured. In addition, overall larval condition was assessed using a temperature stress test and cell cleavage patterns among haddock and halibut eggs were investigated as indicators of larval viability. -- Halibut eggs failed to develop past blastopore closure when incubated in salinities of 25 ppt or less, resulting in 0% hatch rates. Eggs incubated at 30 and 35 ppt demonstrated significantly higher hatch rates and there were no noticeable differences in early larval success at these two salinities. -- Among haddock embryos, hatch and viability rates were found to be high at all salinities tested, although there was a slight decrease at 15 ppt. Haddock larval length and yolk size was found to be significantly greater if eggs were incubated at lower salinities. Larvae expressed greater tolerance to temperature shock if eggs had been incubated at lower salinities. -- Cod eggs hatched successfully at all salinities although larval viability was better above 25 ppt, being maximal at 35 ppt. Larval size was generally unaffected by salinity although yolk area was significantly larger at lower salinities. Temperature stress tests revealed greater larval tolerance if eggs had been incubated at higher salinities. -- Winter flounder embryos displayed significantly higher hatch and viability rates if incubated at 15-20 ppt compared to 30 and 35 ppt Larval length tended to be maximal at the mid salinities (25 ppt) while as seen in the other species, yolk area was largest at 15 and 20 ppt Larvae subjected to temperature stress survived significantly longer if eggs had been incubated at 15 ppt. -- Early egg cleavage patterns (symmetrical vs. asymmetrical) were not found to be reliable indicators of larval viability in either halibut or haddock eggs.


This paper introduces a new model framework that can help to understand communication stream dynamics that depend on structures in different networks. It is related to the framework of stochastic actor-oriented models for panel data (SAOM). As an exemplary case study, the dynamic communication patterns of parts of the MIT Reality Mining data set are analyzed. It is shown that the patterns of phone calls are significantly influenced by spatial distance, time effects and different communication network structures.


A new asymmetric [2+2+2] cycloaddition of diynes to sulfonimines under rhodium catalysis that provides the corresponding enantioenriched 1,2-dihydropyridines in good yields is described.


Background: COPD exacerbations are important to disease progression and quality of life. Although exacerbation frequency increases with disease severity, other contributors are also important in determining the risk of exacerbations. Haptoglobin (Hp) polymorphism has been associated with various clinical conditions and outcomes. The Hp 2-2 phenotype has been found to have bacteriostatic properties while the 1-1 phenotype was found to be associated with infections. In light of these findings, we tested the hypothesis that COPD patients who possess the Hp 1-1 phenotype are at a higher risk of becoming frequent exacerbators. Methods: Patients with COPD (FEV1 Results: The multivariate logistic regression yielded a model in which current smoking status was negatively related with the frequent exacerbator status (odds ratio, 0.240; 95% CI, 0.068 to 0.843; p-value = 0.03). Number of pack-years was also negatively related to being a frequent exacerbator. (odds ratio, 0.979; 95% CI, 0.962 to 0.996; p-value = 0.02). Haptoglobin phenotype did not have a statistically significant association with frequent exacerbator status. Conclusions: Current smokers report significantly less exacerbations. A possible explanation may be reduced awareness of exacerbations and reduced health care utilization of active smokers.


The application of novel investigative techniques has contributed to an increased understanding of the prevalence, pathophysiology and treatment of disordered gastric motility in diabetes. Gastrokinetic drugs have improved therapeutic options for symptomatic patients with gastroparesis considerably. Future approaches to modulate gastric and small intestinal sensory responses may lead to significant advances in treatment.


The Common properties (community property) is an asset that the husband and wife acquired during the household lifes, which both of them is agree that after united through marriage bonds, that the property produced by one or both of them will be common property. It shows, that if there's an agreement between husband and wife before marriage (did not to unify their property), then the property produced both will not become a joint treasure. Thus, if a husband or wife dies, or divorces, then the property owned by both of them can be distributed in accordance with their respective shares, another case when the two couples are not making an agreement, then the property gained during marriage bonds can be divided into types of communal property. In Islamic law, this kind of treasure is not contained in the Qur'an or Sunnah. Nor in Islamic jurisprudence. However, Islamic law legalizes the existence of common property as long as it is applicable in a society and the benefit in the distribution of such property. In contrast to the positive law, this property types have been regulated and described in the Marriage Law, as well as the Islamic Law Compilations, which became the legal restriction in the affairs of marriage in force in Indonesia. In this study, the author tries to compile the existence of common property according to the Islamic law reviews and positive law.


This research has been conducted from September – October 2011 in Bandar Khayangan reservoir. This research aims to understand the difference of phytoplankton abundance inside and outside the floating cage in Bandar Khayangan reservoir. Water samples were collected from 3 stations, namely station 1 (in the upstream of the floating cage area), station 2 (in the floating cage area) and station 3 (downstream of the floating cage area). There were 2 sampling sites in each station, in the surface and in 2.5 secchi depth. Sampling was done three times, once a week. Water quality parameters measured were temperature, transparency, pH, DO, CO2, Nitrate and Phosphate. Method used in this research is a survey method. Phytoplankton were sampled using plankton net no 25 and were preserved using lugol 1% and then identifield based on Davis (1955), Prescot (1972), Yunfang (1989), and Yamaji (1995). Result shown that the abundance of phytoplankton range from 10.534 – 42.297 cell/l. The highest of abundance in station 3 (after floating cage) was 42.297 cell/l and the lowest was in the station 1 (before floating cage area) was 10.534 cell/l. Water quality parameter values were as follow: Nitrate, 0.019 – 0.034 mg/l and Phosphate 0.035 – 0.062 mg/l. Based on phytoplankton data, it can be concluded that Bandar Khayangan water can be categorized as mesotrophic. Keyword : Phytoplankton, Floating Cage, Bandar Khayangan Reservoir, Pekanbaru 1 Lecture of Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty of Riau University. Pekanbaru


Introduction: Penetrating intracranial injury caused by a metal bar is rare and often causes severe damage without fast treatment. case report: A 59-year-old male fell from a height of four feet onto upward-pointed metal bars and was Tetsuya Yumoto1, Atsuyoshi Iida1, Kohei Tsukahara1, Hiromichi Naito1, Michihisa Terado1, Keiji Sato1, Isao Date2, Atsunori Nakao1 Affiliations: 1Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences; 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Science. Corresponding Author: Atsunori Nakao, MD, PhD, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan; E-mail: email@example.com Received: 04 August 2016 Accepted: 15 October 2016 Published: 01 February 2017 transferred to our emergency department after suffering an accidental penetration of a metal bar through his face. computed tomography (ct) scans were conducted; however, the image resolution was unsatisfactory and the amount of brain damage could not be evaluated due to serious artifacts associated with the metal bar. After removing the foreign body, followup ct was performed and demonstrated increased hemorrhage in the frontal lobe. Emergency craniotomy and removal of the hematoma followed. conclusion: Artifacts from a penetrating metal bar on ct often hide actual brain damage along the trajectory of penetration. Emergent surgical intervention and early followup ct is necessary for any chance to save the patient's life. In these cases, proper examination, radiological tests, and early decision-making using a multidisciplinary strategy provide optimal outcomes.


According to the anonymity and adaptivity characteristic of B2B markets,the authors analyzed offline payment modes used for B2B transactions,using a simplified model of the learning process.The approach regards participants as players in a game.They are a heterogeneous mix with different levels of knowledge.Differing sample sizes cause buyers and sellers to have different opportunities for learning.In this situation,it is possible to produce two Nash equilibriums.One is the optimal state,and the other is the second best state.As far as B2B is concerned,traditional "GuanXi" can allow the second best equilibrium to transfer towards the optimal state under some conditions.On this basis it was suggested that development of consumer purchases online would lead to B2B strengthening the role of third parties in the supply chain instead of just providing a transaction platform for enterprises.


The Philosophy of Mind by Wang Yangmin was of great inspiring and promotive importance in the Campaign of Thought Liberation in mid\|and\|late Ming Dynasty with emphasis on expression, understanding and personality. However, it led to a corrupt practice, i.e. the poems and essays were increasingly separated from the reality. Although seeking after novelty and reformation, it devoted little attention to the excellent literary tradition that had in mind the human beings of the world, which could be found in the works of almost every writer in mid\|and\|late Ming Dynasty.


To investigate whether first‐episode psychosis patients receiving extended early intervention had better functional outcomes than those in regular care and to examine the predictors of functional outcomes.


This paper focuses on various methods of computer reconstruction of a three-dimensional image. The main methods that can be used both positive and negative are considered. The basis of the research is the possibility of using stereo cameras.


Riders of powered two-wheelers (PTWs) are one of the most vulnerable groups of road users. Risk of traffic accident fatalities for PTW riders is eighteen times higher than for the car drivers. Until 1996, PTW riders accounted for 9.5 % of all road accident fatalities in 2006, 6.200 PTW riders died in traffic accidents in the European Union (EU), what already represents 16 % of all road accident fatalities. On the other hand, PTW riders travelled only 2 % of total travelled kilometers. According to the report (ETSC, 2007) on "Road safety performance index" that ranked the safety of PTW riders in Europe, Slovenia "won" the first place: we have the largest number of PTW rider's deaths per billion travelled km in 2006 (more than 350, while the EU average was 86). Another very concerning fact is that we have the highest ratio of death rate per billion km ridden by PTW riders to corresponding rate for car drivers in 2006 (more than 50, EU average 18!). In Slovenia, the problem of PTW riders' safety was detected and recorded very early. As a result – at the national, i.e. state level – measures were adopted relatively soon to remedy or at least improve the problematic situation as regards PTW riders' safety on Slovenian roads. For example, the National Road Traffic Safety Programme for the period 2007–2011, which was adopted in 2006, discussed, in terms of expertise and safety, the most demanding and the most pressing problems in road traffic in the Republic of Slovenia. One of the "key actors" in terms of implementing the infrastructure measures for improving (also) PTWs safety on Slovenian roads were (and still is) Slovenian Roads Agency under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning. Measures, which were implementing by Slovenian Roads Agency on national road network, include: • installation of additional security elements for PTWs on existing guardrails; • installation of traffic signs which warn PTW riders on a dangerous road section; • installation of traffic signs which warn drivers on "black spot" location; • realization of a research project "Measures to improve traffic safety of PTW riders in Slovenia". The project aimed to identify the causes and reasons for critical traffic safety of PTW riders and identify potential locations with congestion of traffic accidents involved PTW riders on the national road network. In the project there have been also proposed measures for improving traffic safety of PTW riders in Slovenia. In the article the above listed measures implementing by Slovenian Roads Agency are described and analyzed. Additional focus was made on survey research, with which we established the efficiencies of two types of infrastructural measures for improving PTWs traffic safety on Slovenian national road network.


Gene therapy is a medical/surgical intervention in which functional gene is introduced or defective gene is replaced in a cell of an organism suffering from an acquired or a genetic disease so as to treat or cure a wide variety of diseases. It is a pharmaceutical therapy with DNA as a drug molecule to be targeted to a specific site. In other words, gene therapy is the correction of a disease by genetic manipulation. For successful delivery of DNA to host cells, either virus is used as a vector or DNA material is inserted directly into the cells. There are various ways to treat cancer like induction of apoptosis, blocking angiogenesis, suicidal genes, DNA vaccination etc. The medical potential is promising, however, it is the task of society to ensure that this promising technology is used profitably and not misused.


SAN FRANCISCO—A host of novel medications that have been developed with recombinant DNA techniques are offering physicians new options for treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis that cannot be well controlled by standard therapies. An estimated 30% of the 5.5 million people of all ages with psoriasis in the United States experience the moderate-to-severe form of the illness that these new agents are designed to treat. Termed immune modulators, biological response modifiers, or simply "biologics," the new medications selectively block and reduce either abnormal T-lymphocyte activity or the inflammatory response that scientists believe play a key role in triggering these two disorders. Research to date suggests the new agents provide clearing of psoriatic skin and reduction of joint pain and swelling without broad suppression of the immune system. It is hoped that they therefore also will impart greater longterm safety than some of the agents currently used to treat patients with the disease, although concerns remain about their potential for immunosuppression, and their high cost—up to $26000 per year for some patients—may limit their use.


OBJECTIVE:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and management of jejunoileal diverticular hemorrhage at Changhua Christian Hospital over the past decade.


In this investigation, a T‐shaped aluminum alloy isogrid stiffener element used in aerospace applications was inspected with ultrasonic phased array methods. The isogrid stiffener element had various crack configurations emanating from bolt holes. Computational simulation methods were used to mimic the experiments in order to help understand experimental results. The results of this study indicate that it is at least partly feasible to interrogate this type of geometry with the given flaw configurations using phased array ultrasonics. The simulation methods were critical in helping explain the experimental results and, with some limitation, can be used to predict inspection results.


There have been several complete surveys of the literature concerning abdominal pregnancy. Hellman and Simon 1 reported 316 cases of intra-abdominal pregnancy. They included a series of fetuses from 22 weeks' gestation to term. The number of live births was 158, and the number of mothers surviving was 212. There were probably only 50 cases in which mother and baby were entirely well. Gardner and Middlebrook 2 reported 22 other cases, and in only one case in the series was there a full-term surviving infant with no congenital anomalies or deformities and a surviving mother. In 1946, Beacham 3 recorded 20 additional cases from the records at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, and, of the 20 cases, only nine were at term; and, further, there were only two live babies. From 1946 through 1948, approximately 49 additional cases have been reported in the literature. Only 14 of these pregnancies progressed to


Models for detection of errors in client registration, clinical and administrative systems such as exist in the NHS are welcome. However, names are not like identification numbers. They are not sequential or random and so decisions based on frequency weights make more sense (eg Felligi & Sunter). it is likely that changes in name will correlate with changes in identifying numbers – new numbers being generated if staff aren't sure or don't check with the client about changes in name or address.


BACKGROUND
Retropharyngeal lymph node metastases (RPMs) from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) are rare. Treatment includes surgical resection, radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy, or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). The objective of this study was to describe our experience in the management of DTC-associated RPMs.

METHODS
Patients diagnosed with a DTC-associated RPM from 1999 to 2018 were identified at our institution, using key search terms in imaging and histology reports. Patient and tumor characteristics were recorded, and patients were grouped according to RPM management: observation, nonsurgical treatment, or surgical resection. The estimated rates of local RPM control, disease-specific survival (DSS), and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS
Of the 65 patients identified, 53 (82%) had RPM as a manifestation of recurrent disease. Twenty-five patients (38%) underwent observation, 13 (20%) received nonsurgical treatment (RAI, EBRT, and/or systemic therapy), and 27 (42%) underwent surgical resection. In the observation cohort, all patients had a stable RPM, which in the majority (80%) of cases remained <1.5 cm during the period of observation (median 28 months). Of the 13 patients in the nonsurgical treatment cohort, 3 received RAI therapy, 7 received EBRT, and 3 received systemic therapy only. In the surgical cohort, the median RPM maximum diameter was 2.0 cm (range 0.8-4.2 cm). The size of the RPM was predictive of surgical resection versus observation (p <0.001). A transcervical approach was employed in 19 patients, and a transoral approach in 8. The 5-year rate of local RPM control was 92%. For the whole cohort, the 5- and 10-year DRFS were 72% and 62%, respectively; the 5- and 10-year DSS were 93% and 81%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
DTC-associated RPM manifests as recurrent disease in the majority of patients. Select patients with a small-volume and nonprogressive RPM may be suitable for observation whereas surgery is likely warranted in large or progressing RPMs. In general, the presence of a RPM from DTC appears to be associated with aggressive disease.


Abstract We report the direct synthesis of the terminal pnictidenes [An(TrenTCHS)(PnH)][M(2,2,2‐cryptand)] (TrenTCHS={N(CH2CH2NSiCy3)3}3−; An/Pn/M=Th/P/Na 5, Th/As/K 6, U/P/Na 7, U/As/K 8) and their conversion to the pnictides [An(TrenTCHS)(PnH2)] (An/Pn=Th/P 9, Th/As 10, U/P 11, U/As 12). Use of the super‐bulky TrenTCHS ligand was essential to accessing complete families, and 6 is an unprecedented example of a terminal thorium‐arsinidene complex and only the second structurally authenticated parent terminal arsinidene complex of any metal. Comparison of the terminal Th=AsH unit of 6 to the bridging ThAs(H)K linkage in structurally analogous [Th(TrenTIPS){μ‐As(H)K(15‐crown‐5)}] (TrenTIPS={N(CH2CH2NSiPri 3)3}3−) reveals a stronger Th−As bond in the former compared to the latter, and a large response overall to the nature of the Th=AsH bonding upon removal of the electrostatically‐bound K‐ion; the σ‐bond changes little but the π‐bond is significantly perturbed.


10095 Background: LMS is a narrowly defined subset of soft tissue sarcoma with heterogeneous clinical presentation. Recent reports suggest differences in treatment responses between uterine (uLMS) and extrauterine (euLMS) disease. We sought to identify prognostic factors in LMS patients (pts) and study the impact of primary site on clinical outcomes.

METHODS
Single centre retrospective study. 97 eligible LMS pts seen in our centre from 2002 - 2010 with complete medical records were identified from our sarcoma database of 790 pts.

RESULTS
Median follow-up was 20.7 months (mths), 51% of pts had uLMS. Although median age in uLMS and euLMS was similar (49 vs 54 yrs), uLMS was less common beyond 60 yrs (10% vs 38%, p=0.002). Surgical resection rates (92% vs 79%), adjuvant therapy use (56% vs 42%) and metastatic disease at diagnosis (25% vs 27%) were not significantly different between uLMS and euLMS respectively. Amongst pts who underwent resection of disease, more uLMS pts had negative surgical margins (90% vs 48%, p=0.004). More lung (81% vs 48%, p=0.009) but fewer liver metastases (13% vs 41%, p=0.019) were seen in uLMS vs euLMS respectively. 57% of metastatic pts received palliative chemotherapy, of whom 55% had an anthracycline-based regimen in first line. No significant difference in response rate to first line chemotherapy was seen between uLMS and euLMS (19% vs 29%, p=0.621). In univariate analysis of clinicopathologic factors for the overall cohort, metastatic disease at presentation (p<0.001) was associated with inferior overall survival (OS). For non-metastatic pts who had surgery, a positive surgical margin was associated with a trend towards inferior relapse free survival (RFS) (p=0.062) that did not translate into a difference in OS. Median RFS and OS was 26.8 mths and 40.5 mths respectively. Both RFS (29.7 mths vs 25.5 mths) and OS (50.9 mths and 33.5 mths) were numerically superior in uLMS vs euLMS.

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates interesting clinicopathologic differences between uLMS and euLMS. While primary LMS site did not significantly impact on survival outcomes in this heterogeneously treated cohort of pts, the 17 mth OS difference in favour of uLMS is noteworthy. Disease stage remains the most vital prognostic factor in LMS.


follows in the footsteps of such classics of social-architectural history as Mark Girouard's Life in the English Country House, the buildings that it discusses interesting Whyte not so much as examples of form, planning, style or structure, but rather for what they reveal of conceptions of the university, and for the ways that they were received. In this respect, Whyte shows how that the frequently high-flown visions of academics and administrators have been punctured by the users of these buildings, and by their subsequent histories. He has an eye for a good example. There are tales aplenty of leaking roofs, collapsing buildings, unfinished masterplans, and revolting students. John Summerson, in , counselled the University of Leicester that 'one should celebrate quickly' on completing a new building 'before the rain starts to come in'. While such examples contribute to a narrative that is frequently humorous, Whyte has serious points to make both about architectural history as a discipline (which he frames in broad terms) and the university (which, though conceived as a vehicle for transformation, has not always been successful in promoting egalitarianism). If all this sometimes means that the 'social' history of the university – or, indeed, its administrative history – dominates the account at the expense of purely architectura discussion, the result nonetheless reminds us, as Dowson recognised, that the university is as much a community as it is a set of buildings, the one supporting the other.


(1) A combined collections and services registry run by the Australian National Data Service. This software aggregates metadata records harvested from repositories in USA, UK and Australia for discovery and service orchestration (https://devel.apsr.edu.au/cosi/orca/search.php). The metadata aggregation is performed using OAI-PMH (the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) in conjunction with a registry interchange format (http://globalregistries.org/rifcs.html) based on the draft ISO2146 (Registry Services for Libraries and Related Organizations) standard.


Equipments are the essential part of any pediatric or neonatal ICU required for monitoring and care to children and neonates during the ICU stay. The present study was conducted to identify gaps in knowledge and awareness related to equipment safety among nursing personnel working in pediatric and neonatal medical-surgical ICUs in a tertiary care hospital. Sixty one nursing personnel working in pediatric and neonatal ICUs were enrolled using universal sampling technique. A structured pretested and validated tool containing knowledge and awareness questionnaire was used to collect the data (α = 0.82). More than half of the nursing personnel were between the age group of 26-35 years with the mean age of 30.24±6.56 (22–46). Majority nursing personnel were female (93.4%), working as sister grade II (77%, working as bedside nurses) in PICU ((42.6%), with most having BSc Nursing as their professional qualification, Majority of nursing personnel (83.6%) had not attended in-service education programme and half of them did not have any bedside demonstration of the equipments prior to its installation in the unit. Majority nursing personnel were having medium knowledge (68.9%) and awareness scores (65.6%) related to equipment safety with mean knowledge and awareness scores of 11.5±1.7 (6-16) and 32.9±3.4 (20–40) respectively. No correlation was observed between knowledge and awareness scores of the nursing personnel (p> 0.05).


This paper examines the role of knowledge as a driver of an organization's formation, and as a subsequent source of its competitive advantage. We link these two important dimensions by investigatin...


Why am I never around in real time when @dshanske says things like "I appreciate how Chris Aldrich and his enthusiasm keeps moving the needle"


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (MOS) capacitor‐based O2 sensors with different catalytic metal electrode (Al or Pd), deposited on both smooth and porous surface (pore diameter ranging from 2.76 to 71.6 μm) of ZrO2 thin film.Design/methodology/approach – The ZrO2 thin film has been prepared by RF sputtering and DC magnetron sputtering process followed by thermal oxidation process, whereas the electrodes were deposited on thin film by thermal evaporation. The sensors are exposed to O2 gas ambient at room temperature and the O2 sensing performance has been examined by surface characterizations and on‐line sensing electrical characterizations.Findings – MOS capacitor O2 sensor with Pd electrode on porous ZrO2 thin film has the best sensitivity in term of both adsorption and desorption of gas. This sensor is proved to be operated in both capacitor and diode modes.Originality/value – The paper demonstrates that room temperature MOS‐based O2 sensor operates in capac...


We study the second-harmonic generation in the waveguides induced by optical vortex solitons in a defocusing Kerr medium, and demonstrate a substantial enhancement of the conversion efficiency when the proper conditions are achieved.


Be they flagship or dinghy, space missions must be operated smarter for our space programs to remain viable elements in our national interests.


Huge stroboscopic datastreams, hypnotic human-machine choreographies, a cacophony of Korean, Japanese, English, German, and French – from November 25th to 28th 2015, an unlikely cross-cultural exchange took over the all new ACT Center in Gwangju, South Korea. More than a hundred artists, designers, curators, and educators – local, regional, international – had answered our invitation to add their work and voice to the inaugural edition of ACT Festival, a four-day opening celebration of the center's monumental facilities and the first of many programming highlights to come. The goal: have the world's best and brightest discuss the state of craft and creation in the digital age.

"Making begins in the mind's eye – with the conception of an idea or a possibility. The references our imagination draws on, however, are not only defined by aesthetic preferences, cultural imprints, and historical precedents, but the technologies that underpin them; technologies that are evolving rapidly and exponentially increasing our creative power. We now control light and matter with equal measure, we program space, cultivate life, and have machines perform with a human touch. We hack, we code, we fabricate, and all the while tools and methodologies hum in a state of constant flux. Machine learning, mass-customization, synthetic biology – as we embrace a wave of new and unfamiliar paradigms, the lack of guiding principles looms large. Where are the fault lines between the digital and the physical? How does experimentation atop these unstable 'tektonics' alter how ideas are born and realized? "You can't have art without resistance in the material," nineteenth century craftsman William Morris observed. Now, what does that statement mean in the twenty-first century?"

Curated by HOLO - Filip Visnjic, Alexander Scholz, Greg J Smith, Sherry Kennedy


Significance Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is associated with switching between chromatin states characterized by distinct histone modifications. Polycomb/Trithorax regulation involves the mutually exclusive H3K27me3/H3K36me3 modifications, but how these states are faithfully inherited through DNA replication, yet can switch from one to another, is still poorly understood. One mechanism that would aid switching is the association of histone methyltransferases with factors demethylating the opposing histone modification. Here, we show that an Arabidopsis 2-oxoglutarate–dependent dioxygenase, an activity associated with histone demethylation in other organisms, physically associates with the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2. We propose that physical association of histone methylation/demethylation activities will be generally important to coordinate switching between chromatin states. Molecular mechanisms enabling the switching and maintenance of epigenetic states are not fully understood. Distinct histone modifications are often associated with ON/OFF epigenetic states, but how these states are stably maintained through DNA replication, yet in certain situations switch from one to another remains unclear. Here, we address this problem through identification of Arabidopsis INCURVATA11 (ICU11) as a Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 accessory protein. ICU11 robustly immunoprecipitated in vivo with PRC2 core components and the accessory proteins, EMBRYONIC FLOWER 1 (EMF1), LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 (LHP1), and TELOMERE_REPEAT_BINDING FACTORS (TRBs). ICU11 encodes a 2-oxoglutarate–dependent dioxygenase, an activity associated with histone demethylation in other organisms, and mutant plants show defects in multiple aspects of the Arabidopsis epigenome. To investigate its primary molecular function we identified the Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) as a direct target and found icu11 disrupted the cold-induced, Polycomb-mediated silencing underlying vernalization. icu11 prevented reduction in H3K36me3 levels normally seen during the early cold phase, supporting a role for ICU11 in H3K36me3 demethylation. This was coincident with an attenuation of H3K27me3 at the internal nucleation site in FLC, and reduction in H3K27me3 levels across the body of the gene after plants were returned to the warm. Thus, ICU11 is required for the cold-induced epigenetic switching between the mutually exclusive chromatin states at FLC, from the active H3K36me3 state to the silenced H3K27me3 state. These data support the importance of physical coupling of histone modification activities to promote epigenetic switching between opposing chromatin states.


the ongoing 'Left Turn' is a mirage or, worse still, a neoliberal hoax, as has been suggested by less subtle commentators elsewhere. Nevertheless, the one analytical shortcoming of the book is that it does not engage in more detail with the larger processes of economic development taking place thanks to the boom in natural resource exports. As Marshall Berman's (1982) magisterial All that is solid melts into air shows, Faust's bargain is the story of development under capitalism, and (human) development necessarily comes with a heavy price for society as well as nature as they are both transformed. Berman's reading of Faust is instructive not only for its stark depiction of the dialectical nature of development but also for showing that many protagonists enter into a similar pact, even if they know full well the price they will be asked to pay. In other words, the Faustian bargain for development described by Berman is often struck not because the costs are not known or perceived to be unlikely. By staying too close to the conflicts it analyzes and to those who are actively confronting the Devil, this volume does not go far enough in illuminating the strategies of those who, caught between their aspiration for a good life and well-justified fears of massive socioeconomic and environmental transformation, take the deal anyway with the hope of improving their or at least their children's futures. Thus Kirsch highlights a massively important point that should inform all those concerned with understanding extractivist development when he writes in the Afterword that 'we also need to hear from unemployed campesinos, shopkeepers, grandmothers, indigenous farmers, fish sellers and others about how they are affected by mining' (211). Overall, this is an excellent collection that defines the state-of-the-art in research on Latin American development in general and conflict and natural resource studies in particular. It deserves to be read and discussed widely by all those concerned with understanding the changes taking place in Latin America, indigenous struggles against socioeconomic and environmental degradation, and the ways in which the ever-continuing expansion of contemporary capitalism generates new social struggles and ways of grappling with its destructive effects.


On the Anodic Behaviour of Magnesium in Non Aqueous Elektrolytic Solutions

The paper presents results of electrochemical studies on systems of the composition magnesium/non aqueous electrolyte. By means of curentless stability- and polarization measurements as well as impedance characteristics the behaviour of the system Mg/n-C4H9OH/0,2M NaClO4 is described in particular. Cyclic voltammograms and impedance spectra demonstrate a passivating layer on the metal surface prior to the first polarization starts. It determines the anodic behaviour. Deviations in the Bode diagram at high frequencies can be traced back to spurious capacities within the measuring cell.


Pigment, a binder resin, a colored photosensitive composition containing a photopolymerizable monomer and a photopolymerization initiator, wherein the pigment is a colored photosensitive composition containing a pigment shown in pigment and below (A) (B) Stuff. (A) C. I. Pigment Orange 43, C. I. Pigment Orange 64, and C. I. One selected from the group consisting of Pigment Orange 72 (B) C. I. Pigment Blue 60


Like any development in other sectors of the society, health care facilities are of no exception to going "Green". Sustainable development is a means of meeting present needs in ways that do not impair future generations from meeting their needs. Since the environment is so essential to satisfy the needs and maintain the health of the present and future generations, environmental protection is a key to success. The Green Journey of three hospitals in Kowloon East Cluster of the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong is shared. Our green approach is centered on people, structure, system, facilities and environment. Steered by the commitment of the top management, hard facilities have continuously been modernized and every opportunity is taken to inject environmental protection elements into the planning stage of new development. People side is an area we focus upon, for this is the foundation of every success in green movement. Green awareness are aroused through promotional programs, talks and sharing sessions, events, tree planting and gardening , recycle programs, etc. Success sharing and staff engagement is enhanced by getting recognition awards. The Green Journey is rewarding but not without challenges. The stringent standards in health care industry of using disposable consumables, personal protective equipment, disinfectant, coupled with the stringent environmental conditions to store drugs and medical consumables as well as the current demand for cooler indoor environment for personal comfort …. All these pose challenges to the Green Journey of hospitals.


The article presents analysis of radiation situation at the October railway. Main directions of radiation safety provisions on the railway, ways of its achievement are envisaged.


LOCKART, ROYCE Z., JR. (The University of Texas, Austin) AND BARBARA HORN. Interaction of an interferon with L cells. J. Bacteriol. 85:9961002. 1963.-Data were presented on the effect of time of exposure and concentration of an interferon in provoking viral inhibition in L cells. Populations of L cells which made reduced amounts of Western equine encephalomyelitis virus as a result of treatment with interferon did so at reduced rates proportional to the concentration of interferon used. Virus yields were maximal, however, 25 hr after challenge regardless of the amount of virus produced. Such populations of cells contained a proportion of cells no longer able to produce infective virus, while the average maximal yield of the remainder of the cell population was reduced. It was suggested that only cells which made new virus underwent cytopathic effects. The rate of viral inhibition in monolayers of L cells was dependent on the concentration of interferon added, but inhibition was nearly maximal at 8 hr, regardless of the interferon concentration. Viral inhibition was shown to persist in multiplying cells, but it gradually diminished. The amount of inhibition after either one or two cell divisions was greater in those cultures treated with greater amounts of interferon. Viral inhibition could be passed through cell division with no loss when cells were incubated with a sufficient concentration of interferon. A model of interferon action based on the preceding data was presented. An interferon is produced as a result of the infection of strain L mouse cells with Western equine encephalomyelitis virus (WEE; Lockart, 1963). Treatment of cells overnight with a sufficient concentration of interferon produced cultures of cells which failed to show cytopathic effects (CPE) and which were inhibited in their ability to produce virus. Varying degrees of CPE and viral inhibition were noticed when lesser doses of interferon were used, but they were not well correlated. The experiments to be described were designed to study the quantitative aspects of the interaction of an interferon and strain L mouse cells. Ho (1962a), in his excellent review, pointed out the scarcity of studies of interferon action in continuous cell lines. Although he (1962b) reported on some kinetic relationships of interferon with primary chick embryo cells, we know of no such studies with serially cultivatable cells. Therefore, we have attempted to understand the relationship of the interferon dose to the resulting state of viral inhibition and lack of CPE in such cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Strain L 929 cells were routinely grown as stationary cultures in Eagle's (1955) medium supplemented with 5%, horse serum. All experiments were initiated on monolayer cultures of L cells in 60-mm petri dishes. Monolayers were prepared in replicate by the addition of 8 X 105 cells from a trypsinized suspension of cells to 60-mm petri dishes in 5 ml of medium. At the time of use, 17 to 24 hr later, resulting monolayers contained between 1 and 1.5 million cells. M\ionolayers of primary chick embryo tissues were prepared according to the methods described by Dulbecco and Vogt (1954). Stock suspensions of a strain of WEE capable of causing complete CPE on L-cell monolayers were prepared on chick embryo tissues. Virus suspensions were distributed in 1-ml quantities and kept at -30 C until used. Infective titers were determined by the plaque-assay method on monolayers of chick embryo tissues (Lockart, 1963). Duplicate samples were plated for each determination. Suspensions of interferon were prepared by harvesting the fluids from L-cell cultures containing about 30 million cells which had been infected 48 hr previously with WEE. The fluids were centrifuged at 1,200 X g for 20 min to remove cellular debris. Some suspensions received no further treatment. Some were centrifuged again in a 996 on A uust 0, 2017 by gest http/jb.asm .rg/ D ow nladed fom INTERACTION OF INTERFERON WITH L CELLS Spinco model L centrifuge to reduce the amount of active virus, or exposed to an ultraviolet germicidal lamp for 5 min at a distance of 15 cm to inactivate the virus present. 'T'o assay for interferon activity, interferon suspensions were diluted serially in twofold steps in medium containing 5 %c horse anti-WEE serum. Samples (2 ml) were added to duplicate monolayers of L cells that had been prepared 17 to 24 hr l)reviously, as already described. It was found that prior removal or inactivation of virus did not influence the action of the interferon present when added in this manner (Lockart, 1963). Cell monolayers containing the serial dilutions of interferon were then incubated at 37 C for 17 to 24 hr or for the length of time specifically noted. After incubation, the medium was removed and the monolayers were washed two times with PBS (Dulbecco and Vogt, 1954) to which was added bovine serum albumin fraction 5 (BSA) to a concentration of 0.1 cl% (PBS + BSA; BSA is a product of Mann Research Laboratories, New York, N.Y.) prior to the addition of virus. WEE at a multiplicity of 10 or greater was added in 0.5 ml of PBS + BSA and allowed to adsorb for 1 hr at 36 C. Unadsorbed virus was removed by three successive washes with PBS + BSA, after which 5.0 ml of Eagle's medium containing 5G0 horse serum were added. Tlhe proportion of virus-producing cells (infectious centers) was determined in the following way. Cultures were treated with interferon and challenged with virus as described above. After three washes with PBS + BSA to remove unattached virus, the cultures were washed once rapidlywith 2 ml of warm 0.05%7G trypsin; 2 ml of wvarm trypsin were then added and, during a further incubation at 37 C for 5 min, the cells became detached. They were added to 8.0 ml of cold medium, then collected by centrifugation. The medium was removed and rel)laced with 1.0 ml of medium containing 10(%, antiserum. This mixture was incubated at room temperature for 45 min with mixing every 2 to 3 min. The cells were washed again with 10 ml of medium, resuspended in 10 ml of medium, and counted in a hemocytometer. The cell susl)ension was diluted in cold medium, and 0.5-ml saml)les were added to three or four previously washed chick embryo monolayers; 1 ml of nutrient overlay agar was added immediately, and an additional 9.0 ml when the initial layer had hardenecl. Cells were removed from the suspending medium bycentrifugation at 1,000 X g for 10 min, and the medium was assayed for free virus in the above manner. It was never necessary to make corrections for free virus. The whole experiment was concluded within about 4 hr after the addition of virus, and before the end of the latent period of WArEE in L cells.


ABSTRACT In 2013, the Cambodian People's Party faced two major threats: a near loss at the ballot box in the national election and large-scale demonstrations by garment workers dissatisfied with the minimum wage. Unsurprisingly, the government responded by cracking down on the opposition, the independent media and civil society groups. Labour leaders were persecuted and legislation passed that undermined unions' ability to organise and register. Less predictably, this crackdown was accompanied by an attempt to woo garment workers through policies that delivered tangible benefits to them as individuals. There was a marked shift in the party's focus from its traditional rural constituency to the urban working class. In this article we examine how labour acts collectively to shape politics within authoritarian regimes. We do this by interrogating labour's role at a time when the state was clearly shifting towards hegemonic authoritarianism. By re-assessing the 2013 and 2018 national elections through this lens, we demonstrate the bidirectional nature of state–labour relations even in authoritarian regimes. We conclude that, even where election results are largely predetermined, elections can provide opportunities for workers to strengthen their position by prompting shifts in not only in patronage but in policy.


BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QoL) has become a critical component of therapeutic outcomes in the survivors of childhood-onset adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (CP) patients. Visual deficiency adversely affects daily functioning and QoL. This study aimed to report the vision-related QoL and associated factors in CP patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 120 CP patients recruited between 2001 and 2019 in KRANIOPHARYNGEOM 2000/2007 were included in this study. Mean age at CP diagnosis was 10 years (range: 1.3-16.8 years); age at study was 18 years (range: 6-33 years). The primary outcome measures were QoL assessed by PEDQOL, functional capacity measured by Fertigkeitenskala Münster-Heidelberg ability scale and risk factors associated with decreased QoL during 3 years follow-up in CP patients with and without visual impairment (VI). RESULTS: The most common presenting symptoms were headache (42%), VI (20%), and growth retardation (12%). After diagnosis, VI defined as visual acuity less than 20/40, was found in 87 (70%) patients. Ophthalmologic examination and PEDQOL score were evaluated at three months, one year, and 3 years after CP diagnosis. A difference in the parental assessment of CP patient social functioning within the family was found between patients with and without VI in the first year (48 vs. 39, p=0.017) and third year (43 vs. 37, p=0.011). For the PEDQOL domain autonomy, a difference in self- (51 vs. 45, p=0.029) and parental (47 vs. 42, p=0.048) assessment was observed 3 years after diagnosis. In terms of risk factors, tumor volume more than 21 mm3, incomplete tumor resection and optic atrophy at initial presentation were associated with VI during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: VI has an impact on QoL after CP. Accordingly, early detection of VI, together with the assessment of the patient's QoL and the provision of adequate support during follow-up plays an important role in minimizing adverse late effects after CP.


One of the major reasons hindering widespread use of biodiesel is its higher filter plugging
temperature than regular diesel fuel. Cloud point (CP) and pour point (PP) temperature are shown to
be well correlated with filter plugging point which primarily determines the operability of a diesel
engine. Many biodiesel fuel additives are available in the market claiming to reduce cloud point and
pour point. Biodiesel from different feedstocks at different blend levels were tested for cloud and pour
point with various fuel additives readily available in the market at 100, 200 and 300% of the specified
loading rate. Although reduction in both CP and pour points were significant, the magnitudes of
reduction were not equal. Average reduction in cloud point temperature was 2.3°C whereas average
reduction in pour point was 14.1°C. It was observes that mustard ethyl ester (MEE) responded best
for fuel additives followed by mustard methyl ester (MME) for both cloud and pour point. B20 blend
level responded the least for reduction in cloud point temperature but response for pour point
reduction was found to be the highest. It was concluded that right choice of fuel additive depends
both on feedstock and biodiesel blend level. In general higher percentage loading of fuel additive
lower the cloud and pour point more up to 200% of loading of specified concentration but the effect
was not significant after 200%. Therefore fuel additive loading of more than 200% of specified level
was not recommended.


Target tracking in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) has two fundamental issues that tracking accuracy and energy consumption. Although the application of particle filter in target tracking is considered in recent years, degeneracy phenomenon and particle impoverishment always restrict its capacity and application. This paper proposes an improved square root cubature particle filter (ISRCPF) to improve tracking accuracy. The authors employ self-adaptive artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) to optimise the particles, which makes the particles move towards to high likelihood region and maintains the diversity of the particles. Moreover, a sensor selection scheme is provided, which reduces energy consumption of the network by exactly waking up four sensor nodes at each time, while preserving tracking accuracy. Additionally, the authors propose a novel fusion method called similarity fusion method (SFM) to fuse local estimates together and then obtain a better result for distributed fusion architecture (DFA). The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methods have superior performance.