The groundbreaking research of William Hanley and Anthony Hanley into the efficacy of the traditional versus the cool placement of the stethoscope when at rest has made a valuable contribution to medical practice.[1][1] However, the good doctors have missed the true significance of the position of


T HE PHENOMENON of hypoglycemia unawareness in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) has in recent years been subject to intensive research (1, 2). This has partly been stimulated by the findings of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, showing that intensive insulin therapy leads to decreased and delayed development of the long term complications of diabetes, but, on the other hand, also to a 3-fold increase in the incidence of severe hypoglycemia (3). Presently, the incidence and the major risk factors for the development of hypoglycemia unawareness have been delineated (4). The major risk factors are duration of the disease and improved metabolic control.


presented as a poster at Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference, Glasgow, 14-16 March 2007. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com 11 Jan 2007 The Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) Trial: improvements in HbA1c still apparent and quality of life benefits well maintained at 4-year follow-up Speight J, Amiel S, Bradley C, Heller S, James P, Oliver L, Roberts S, Rogers H, Taylor C, Thompson G 1 AHP Research, Brunel Science Park, Uxbridge, UK 2 Diabetes Research Group, King's College London School of Medicine, London, UK 3 Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK 4 Division of Clinical Sciences, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK 5 Northumbria Diabetes Service, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, North Shields, UK Background: The Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE) trial was a waiting-listcontrolled study of 5 days' training in flexible, intensive insulin therapy in a group of 135 adults with Type 1 diabetes in the UK. At 6 months (m), DAFNE improved glycaemic control without increasing severe hypoglycaemia, while significantly reducing the negative impact of diabetes on quality of life (QoL) and improving other patient reported outcomes (PROs). Aim: To evaluate long-term efficacy of DAFNE training. Methods: At 44m follow-up (range: 37-51m), 108 (80%) trial participants provided biomedical data and 88 (65%) completed questionnaires, including ADDQoL (measuring impact of diabetes on QoL). Results: At 44m, HbA1c (8.96±1.2%) had deteriorated from 12m (8.75±1.2%, p<0.05) but remained improved from baseline (9.32±1.1%, p<0.01). All QoL outcomes remained significantly improved from baseline with no difference between 12m and 44m (e.g. impact of diabetes on dietary freedom: -1.78±2.33 at 44m vs -4.27±2.94 at baseline, p<0.0001; vs 1.80±2.32 at 12m, ns). Conclusions: The impact of a single DAFNE course on glycaemic control is reduced but still apparent in the long term. Additional input may be needed to maintain the initial response. In contrast, improvements in QoL and other PROs were well maintained over approximately 4 years.


Photo-oxidation was studied during PDT in a model system using NADPH as the target substrate and Photofrin II as the photosensitizer. The efficiency of NADPH oxidation per photon absorbed by photosensitizer was determined as a function of substrate concentration. The kinetics of changes in absorbance was measured to assay oxidation of NADPH. The efficiency of oxidation increased with increasing NADPH concentration and approached a stable value of 0.0048. Using typical values for the quantum efficiency of the Photofrin triplet state generation and the efficiency of singlet oxygen production we obtained a value of the efficiency of interaction between singlet oxygen and NADPH. Efficiency of diffusion of singlet oxygen was modeled with molecular diffusion theory using typical values for the singlet oxygen lifetime and the diffusion coefficient in aqueous solutions.


The paper presents different new methodological developments in the field of the crash simulations of large aeronautical structures using explicit F.E. codes, such as RADIOSS. The main technical difficulties arise from the dimensions and the complexity of the structures to model (up to a complete aircraft) on the one hand, and from the complexity of the very local ruin phenomena (rupture of material or failure of riveted joints) on the other hand. Two ways of improvement have been studied by ONERA in the frame of a DGA/SPAe French research program, and are presented in the paper. The first one deals with the development of simplified but realistic modelling methods, the main objective of which is to reduce the developing and the computing costs comparatively to a classical way. The second one studies the dynamic behaviour of the riveted joints (experimentally and numerically), in order to improve their modelling in the crash models. The paper describes experimental characterisation techniques, for a single rivet (a new ARCAN test have been developed) then for a joint, and their exploitation to determine the parameters of numerical models. In application, a crash model of the complete Airbus A320 have been built up by ONERA and Aerospatiale-Matra Airbus, making the simulation of different crash scenarios possible and realistic enough.


It is one of the most established, well-documented pieces of dogma in the pediatric exercise physiology literature: compared with adults, children exhibit a greater metabolic requirement to move body mass—an inferior exercise economy—during weight-bearing exercise (1,7). In a typical example provided by Unnithan and Eston, 9–10 year old boys had a 24% greater mass-relative oxygen demand while running on a treadmill at 9.6 km h-1 compared with 18–25 year old men (47 ml kg-1 min-1 versus 38 ml kg-1 min-1; 15). Cross-sectional studies indicate that this economy improves with increasing age. In an early study, Skinner et al. demonstrated a progressive decline in metabolic demand during uphill treadmill walking from 46 ml kg-1 min-1 in a group of 6–8 year old children to 41 ml kg-1 min-1 in a cohort of 12–16 year old youth (13). Longitudinal studies have verified this trend. In the Amsterdam Growth, Health, and Fitness Study, data from 192 subjects showed a mean decrease in VO2 per kg from 37.6 to 30.3 ml kg-1 min-1 between the ages of 13 and 27 years (16). Rowland et al. determined treadmill walking economy at 3.25 mph and 8% grade annually for five years in children beginning at age 9 years (9). Mass-relative oxygen uptake fell progressively over this time span from an initial mean value of 31.0 ml kg-1 min-1 to 26.5 ml kg-1 min-1. The findings have been remarkably consistent: metabolic cost per kg body mass at a given exercise load progressively decreases in a continuum through the growing years. VO2/kg at a given treadmill speed and grade setting can be predicted to decline by an average of approximately 1.0 ml kg-1 min-1 for each year of increasing age until midlate adolescence. From the perspective of developmental exercise physiology, this "wasteful gait" of children has been considered as a disadvantage in their capacity for endurance exercise compared with adults. "The high metabolic cost of walking and running," it has been suggested, "makes the small child less of an 'aerobic machine" (1). From a more pragmatic standpoint, the progressive change in exercise economy


Many strabismus surgeons recommend an initial over-correction of certain types of strabismus, intermittent exotropia in particular. Controversy does, however, exist as to whether this intentional over-correction provides superior motor and sensory results in young children. In this presentation, the author describes the sequelae of consecutive strabismus including diplopia, the development of amblyopia, and the loss of single binocular vision. Nonsurgical treatment of consecutive strabismus consisting of the use of patching, prisms, and the manipulation of the optical correction is explored.


A similar composition to this picture by both painters is illustrated in 'The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists' by Sally Mitchell page 236.


Rachael Wiseman has argued that we cannot make sense of G.E.M. Anscombe's Intention unless we recognise that it is an "exemplification of [Wittgenstein's] grammatical investigation". While Wiseman is alive to the Wittgensteinian nature of Anscombe's method, and to her deep Wittgensteinian sympathies, she is not preoccupied with the question of influence. This is the question I am concerned with in the current paper. I argue that in focusing on the concept of intention, Anscombe was homing in on a pivotal concept in Wittgenstein's later philosophy, and that most of the basic elements of her account were being worked out by Wittgenstein during the period when she was his pupil. However, as Anscombe worked through Wittgenstein's idea's afresh, in her own more systematic and analytic mode of philosophical investigation, she often cast ideas that were sometimes merely nascent in Wittgenstein's work in a new light. Moreover, some of her most seminal ideas had their origin in concerns which she did not share with Wittgenstein and were entirely original to her.


What did it mean for a scientifically educated poet of the seventeenth century to have imagined extramundane "places" such as heaven and hell in a Copernican epic for which such places must have lost much of their traditional character and force, to say nothing of their location? Why indeed does Milton invest so much poetic capital in the notion of "place" at all when in the words of William Gilbert, "place is nothing, has no force, does not exist," or when for Descartes "place" had become a property of the perceiving subject rather than the attested object (res extensa)? This essay suggests that Milton counters the challenge of the "new philosophy" by rethinking the relation of "place" to "space" via a median term, "room," whereby place is elaborated in terms of the body rather than the mind, so anticipating a post-Kantian phenomenology in which "place" was eventually to be reintroduced to philosophy.


Aroma is an important index for the evaluation of grape quality and grape wine quality. The aromatic compounds in grapes are secondary metabolites produced in the process of grape ripening. The compositions,content, sensory thresholds and interaction of those compounds play a conclusive role in wine flavor style and wine typicality. The varieties and the content of aromatic compounds in wine- making grapes are influenced by multiple factors such as cultivars, environmental conditions, and viticulture practices etc. In this paper, the research progress in the factors influencing the formation of aromatic compounds in wine-making grapes at home and abroad was reviewed, which provided theoretical guidance for optimizing the viticulture practices and improving the flavor quality of grape and grape wine.


In this article we present the possibilities of using remote photoplethysmography (rPPG or imaging PPG) technology to estimate time-frequency changes of human heart rate variability. We propose improvements for algorithm presented in our recent study. Algorithm modification allows to exclude skin areas with highly variable levels of lighting, thus reducing noise level and increasing duration of signal suitable for processing. Twenty healthy volunteers (males and females) aged from 20 to 25 took part in this investigation. The blood volume pulse rate estimated from the rPPG rhythmogram and cardiac pulse rate estimated from the electrocardiogram are compared. The results showed that the very low frequency hemodynamic oscillations of blood volume pulse rate estimated from the rPPG rhythmogram in the [0.04-0.003] Hz frequency band can be used to monitor functional changes of a human.


Both banks of literature creation present the phenomenon of the different axle under the Chinese society reforming background.This article mainly discuss on the non-uniformity and isomorphic of both banks local novel.Because this kind isomorphic of the local novel is from the special linguistic resources and the social environmental.But both banks local novel's non-uniformity might induce into the different work subject and the different local color and the genre painting description,Taiwan's local novel proposed to opposed the Japanese imperialism colonial rule of the time request.


This report contains highly informative image DNA cytometry and Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) data on the DNA ploidy analysis of peripheral nerve sheath tumors [3]. The FISH analysis used DNA probes specific for centromeric regions combined with automatic image analysis. The data support the notion that the ploidy pattern determination combined with FISH analysis is a highly useful diagnostic tool. The authors conclude that "DNA cytometry gives an 'overview' whereas FISH gives more detailed information". Such studies are to be encouraged to be extended not only to other clinical cases but also are worthwhile to be further developed from the point of FISH methodology. A diagnostically highly relevant long term perspective would be to identify by FISH in such tumor cell populations the cancer stem cells giving rise to malignant growth. Towards this goal, it should be important to promote FISH techniques to the point where not only numerical chromosome enumeration, break point analysis, or large amplifications/deletions contribute to clinical analysis but where detailed FISH analyses will allow to diagnose automatically cancer related genetic instabilities, from the chromosomal level down to microdeletions and amplifications, perhaps even point mutations. Such methods require to develop new FISH strategies, based on highly increased sensitivity, down to short target sequences considerably below the present "commercial" level in the 10 to 100 kbp range. Such developments appear to be possible e.g. applying novel methods such as combinatorial "smart" oligonucleotide FISH using pools of specifically designed, synthesized and fluorescence labelled, single stranded oligonucleotides, or a combination of such oligonucleotides with nanoprobe approaches [1]. For some of these analyses, the combination of such labelling techniques with novel approaches of light optical "nanoscopy" may be needed [2]. Once such novel strategies will have been implemented, they are envisaged to allow on the single cell level a plethora of diagnostic analyses presently possible only with molecular biology tools, usually requiring a large number of cells.


The trend of world integrative economy need combination of domestic and international law. According to the equipment and acceptance in entering into WTO, our nation should perfect concerned legislation integrated with China conditions, make use of WTO dispute settlement mechanism to perfect concerned antidumping legal system, and protect profits of domestic enterprise legally.


Objective To investigate the clinical value of Virtual Touch Tissues Quantification(VTQ)in the assessment of liver fibrosis.Methods Two hundred and seventy-one patients underwent liver biopsy,or before/after liver surgery within one month in our hospital were examined by VTQ.There were 207 males and 64 females with an average age of(54.00±12.67)years old.ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system was used and each subject received VTQ measurements in the right lobe of liver for five to ten times.Liver fibrosis was evaluated according to the Scheuer scoring system for a S0-S4 scale.The pathological diagnosis served as the gold standard,to evaluate VTQ technique in the prediction of staging of liver fibrosis and the optimal cutoff value.Results The cases of different stages(S0~S4)of liver fibrosis were 28,29,41,52 and 121,respectively.The mean values of VTQ in S0-S4 were(1.26±0.31)m/s,(1.28±0.28)m/s,(1.31±0.31)m/s,(1.54±0.44)m/s,and(1.93±0.50)m/s,respectively.There were no significant differences between the mean value of VTQ in the S0 and S1 subgroup,or S1 and S2 subgroup.There were significant differences between the mean value of VTQ in the S0-S2 and S3 subgroup,and S3 and S4 subgroup.The areas under ROC curves were 0.821(95% CI:0.771-0.871)for S≥S3 and 0.828(95% CI:0.779-0.877)for S=S4.In our study,the optimal cutoff value was 1.43 m/s for S0-S2 vs.S3-S4,with a sensitivity of 76%,specificity of 77%,and 1.52 m/s for S0-S3 vs.S4,with a sensitivity of 80%,specificity of 73%.Conclusions VTQ technique is a new,noninvasive and promising method in the assessment of liver fibrosis.


Abstract : Composite propeller blades are of Navy and commercial interest because they offer significant advantages in reduced weight, reduced maintenance, and increased performance. Potential benefits include design flexibility not achievable with metal that can increase mechanical efficiency, cavitation reduction, propeller weight reduction, and underwater blade replacement, to name a few. One of the major benefits claimed for fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is their ability to be embedded in composite materials with minimal effects on the performance of the material. In spite of embedded FBGs being routinely touted during discussions of smart materials, most reports dealing with embedded FBGs have been limited to simple structures such as composite plates or beams and tested under laboratory conditions. NRL was asked to contribute embedded FBG sensors as part of a composite propeller manufacturing and testing program being put together in the Propulsion and Fluid Systems Division of the Naval Systems Warfare Centers Carderock Division. This was an opportunity to both advance the state of the art in FBG sensing and provide propeller designers with the high-quality strain data that can lead to improved fluid dynamics models and better propeller designs.


Farm machinery planning, design and operation are complicated undertaking due to time and cost constraint and due to prevalence of complicated interacting and overlapping field operations involving capacity constraints and cooperating units. The classical DSS models that applied in the past to machinery planning and policy analysis as well as to performance assessment and simulation of machinery demand, and supplies are criticized by limitations in programming and the difficulty in manipulation and storing the bulky data usually encountered in machinery records. In contrast by application of a web-based decision support system (DWDSS) the user can enjoy the facility to store the data in the server. (DWDSS), is a user-friendly interactive program which permits the user to interact by entering the required input records. The model estimates machinery performance of various farm machines. It consists of one model, which helps the farm manager to take the correct optimum selection of his agricultural machinery. DWDSS predicts field efficiency, field capacity, draft power required to operate machines and PTO power. The DWDSS was successfully validated statistically in comparison to the published data from the ASAE (2009). The comparison indicated that there were no significant differences (probability = 0.05) between them in the calculations that were executed. The DWDSS model was applied to real case conditions in Wad Salma and Rahad irrigated schemes in the central clay plains under similar treatments. The DWDSS results of field efficiency, theoretical field capacity, working rate and draw bar power was found fairly identical to the actual Wad Salma and Rahad data. The results indicated that, generally, the actual field efficiencies of the studied machines were found to be lower by 7% than ASAE published data and t-test comparison between Wad Salma and Rahad schemes in working rate of the three tillage implement, indicated no significant difference between the two means at probability level =0.05. In general, the results indicated that the DWDSS could be applied to any real-life case successfully and with confidence. This is reached by helping the decision maker in planning and operation of a farm fleet by deciding size of farm power. Keywords— Web-Based Decision Support, mathematical simulation models.


A basic component of the comprehension process during reading involves the continual integration of incoming information with the evolving discourse representation; that is, the representation is continually updated as new information is introduced. O'Brien, Rizzella, Albrecht, and Halleran (1998) contrasted two competing views of this updating process: the memory-based text processing view and the here-and-now view. According to the here-and-now view, readers maintain a continually updated model of the situation described by the text within the here and now or active portion of the discourse model. Incoming information is checked against the here-and-now portion of the discourse model and is used to update that model. Thus, unless information is introduced that conflicts with the current model


Introduction:  The laboratory criteria of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) include lupus anticoagulant (LAC), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and anti‐β2glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2GPI) IgG or IgM.


Latin commentaries and vernacular translations are an integral part of the medieval transmission of the Consolatio Philosophiae of Boethius. Of the twelve or thirteen distinct French translations undertaken between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, Le Livre de Boece de Consolacion which is contained in sixty-four known extant manuscripts can be judged the most popular. It seems to have originated in Paris: the oldest manuscript Dijon, Bibliotheque publique, 525, is dated Paris 1362, and the next oldest, Paris, Bibliotheque nationale, fr. 1728, was copied by Henri du Trevou, possibly for Charles V (1364-80). It is associated textually with two other translations—a slightly earlier anonymous verse-prose translation and the verse translation of Renaut de Louhans—and, through its prologue and one or two occasional features of its evolution, with the prose translation of Jean de Meun (in the oldest manuscript for example, the verse-prose translation lacks a prologue and stops at V, metre 2, and the remainder is the prose translation of Jean de Meun; in the next oldest manuscript the verse-prose translation is complete and enhanced by Jean de Meun's prologue). While intended for the laity, the translation of Le Livre de Boece de Consolacion was augmented with glosses selected and translated mainly from a compilation of William of Conches' commentary on the Consolatio. This stage in its development occuned before 1383, when the unglossed version was already in circulation. However, sixteen manuscripts of the unglossed translation against forty-eight of the glossed indicate the greater popularity of the


Abstract The effect of the design of interactive computer music systems on the behaviour of users is described within a communicational model that correlates user interaction with the generality and strength of the available program strategies. A range of strong and weak methods within a hierarchical data structure maintains a generality of applicability and maximizes user experimentation. Real‐time interaction is stressed as important for the system as a learning tool.


Abstract : This report contains a summary of the Category I testing of the Four-Wire Termination Set. This equipment was fabricated under the Phase B provisions in Contract AF30(635)-11188 and was designed and developed for use with the Multiplexer Set AN/FCC-17 to provide two-wire termination for 12 four-wire voice frequency circuits. The Category I testing phase of the Four-Wire Termination Set development was accomplished to determine compliance with design requirements of Lenkurt Specification 805-02735 and to evaluate the performance of the Four-Wire Termination Set Phase B equipment. After testing the Phase B equipment in accordance with the Category I Test Plan, it is concluded that the equipment is highly reliable and fully compatible with Multiplexer Set AN/FCC-17 and is fully within the specifications set forth in Lenkurt Specification 805-02735. (Author)


Passive mode-locking was demonstrated in a monolithic single contact tapered diode laser without a separate saturable absorber section. Pulsewidths of 0.86 ps have been achieved at a repetition rate of 116 GHz, with average power of about 8 mW. It is believed that physical mechanisms of the laser, which is due to the nature of the taper, are the cause of the modelocking operation. Thus, mode-locked pulses are conveniently obtained in a much simpler technique compared to multi-section lasers. Moreover the laser can also be mounted as pside down for effective heat-sinking.


The Journal of Cranio re, and visage are pol T he terms face, figu ysemantic and do not have the same significance whether used by artists, philosophers, or physicians. In Ancient Greek, 2 different types of words expressed the face. Aristotle's physiognomia is the art to consider somebody according to his features, his physionomy. The prosopon (prósvpon) was more widely used. Its etymology refers to the eyes, to what is in front of the eyes. Another word for the face was metopon, which signifies more precisely the forehead, but also derives from the eyes (meta-opsis, next to the view). It is interesting to note that the word prosopon may also design a person or a mask. The word visage is issued from the Latin visus, past participle of the verb videre, something given to be seen. The Romans also used the word vultus which refers more directly to the superior part of the face, and the word os, which signifies the mouth, the aperture, the orifice of the speech, and also the entire face. In German, das Gesicht is derived as well from die Sicht, the view. These linguistic considerations demonstrate a strong link between the meaning of the face and the look. No doubt, in every culture and language, naming the human face has been expressed by multiple words, which varied according to how one considers this part of the head: a complex anatomical structure, a center of senses and emotions, the appearance of a person, how we view our selves or other individuals. To schematize, the term human face is either an anatomical entity, or a spiritual symbol linked to a person's image, and for some to the soul.


Arteries of the uterine circulation undergo a number of key changes during pregnancy to accommodate the large increases in blood flow necessary to ensure a successful pregnancy. These include an increase in endotheliumdependent vasodilation and a blunted response to vasoconstrictors. Endothelial dysfunction of these arteries is associated with complications of pregnancy, and there is an increasing body of evidence that suggests this dysfunction is mediated in part by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pregnancy itself is a condition of mild oxidative stress, with an increase in various biomarkers of oxidative stress and a decrease in total antioxidant capacity. Such markers are further increased in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and gestational diabetes.


The invention relates to a method for producing a multilayer coating by i) applying a filler layer (I) onto an optionally pretreated substrate, ii) curing the filler layer (II), iii) applying a base coat layer (II) onto the cured filler layer (I), iv) optionally curing the base coat layer (II), v) applying a clear coat layer (III) onto the cured or uncured base coat layer (II), and vi) curing the clear coat layer (III) or the base coat layer and the clear coat layer in the event that the base coat layer was not already cured in step iv). The filler layer (I) is obtained by applying a non-aqueous solvent-containing coating material (F) which contains at least 20 wt.%, with respect to the entire coating material (F), of at least one organic solvent, and at least 8 wt.%, with respect to the entire coating material (F), of at least one first polyester (A1) with a glass-transition temperature of at least 20 DEG C and an acid value from 0 to 40 mg KOH/g; at least 8 wt.%, with respect to the entire coating material (F), of at least one second polyester (A2), which is different from (A1), with a glass transition temperature no higher than 10 DEG C; at least one crosslinking agent (B); and at least 8 wt.%, with respect to the entire coating material (F), of one or more fillers and/or pigments (C). The invention also relates to a multilayer coating which can be obtained according to said method and to substrates coated with said multilayer coating.


In this work are presented the metallographic characteristics of an alloy obtained by means of the application of a laser beam on a titanium carbide powder layer deposited in a steel surface. The treated steel was studied by optic microscopy and three well defined metallographic interesting zones were observed. Texture patterns corresponding of these zones were obtained from these images. The identification and the segmentation of these zones using the method of Difference Histogram (DH) and a Run Length variant (RL) is realized in sections of images of steels treated with the same procedure. A procedure for the qualitative detection of these zones in laser steel alloying and to study the texture modification in the heat affected zone is obtained. In this way is evaluated the proposed descriptors effectiveness.


Targeting Syria the so-called ?Soviet satellite? as a government or ?regimes? by the U.S. and the British administrations, the neighboring states with their interests in Syria: Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar?is not new. Battling Syria goes back precisely to the 1950s the decolonization or the postcolonial period. Then main Arab countries were in line with the colonials?the time when the CIA and MI6 started conducting covert activities in Syria ranging from plans to overthrow consequent governments to assassination plots. Macmillan and Eisenhower backed assassination plot of 3 Syrian top government officials in 1957. This started the coupe de d'etat-era in Syria. The strategy was to destabilize the country and conclusively install (PPAG) Puppet-Pro-American Governments. Creating such instability had been and still is being paid for by the target countries such as the Syrians who presently became uprooted and displaced. Destabilizing Syria created chaos: not only in the Middle East and Syria, but also in the entire West itself. Europe found itself forced into paying an expensive price that was not taken into account, and will still even pay more. The Western taxpayer found himself a victim of the super power?s desperate efforts of obtaining more power and securing the flow of more oil. This paper will shed light on the facts and the actors behind the Syrian scene.


An 18-year-old girl presented with prolonged febrile illness with dyspnea. She was asymptomatic till an episode of infective endocarditis (IE). Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) detection at this age is not unusual. IE is a common presentation of undiagnosed PDA in the second decade.


A drilling rig comprises a platform (10) supported above a sea surface (14) by legs which extends to the sea bottom (16). A drill guide (30) of rigid open framework construction extends down from the platform to the sea bottom. The drill guide is only minimally affected by turbulent sea conditions because of its open framework construction. A hardenable substance such as concrete (54) is poured into a flexible bag (50) at the lower end of the drill guide to form a solid structure conforming to the uneven sea bottom and having a substantially flat upper surface. Drilling takes place through the hardenable substance and into the underlying sea bottom.


[Bill Baer] noted that over 90% of Halliburton's revenues come from products also sold by Baker Hughes, while Baker Hughes competes with Halliburton for 90% of its revenue. And, together with the largest US oilfield services provider Schlumberger Ltd., the two companies would account forover 90% of supply in some US sectors should a merger go ahead.

While no one at Baker Hughes or Halliburton was immediately available to speak to IM, the companies said in a joint statement that they plan to "vigorously contest the DOJ's effort to block their pending merger".

"The proposed merger of Halliburton and Baker Hughes is pro-competitive and will allow the companies' customers to benefit from a more flexible, innovative and efficient oilfield services company. The transaction will provide customers with access to high quality and more efficient products and services, and an opportunity to reduce their cost per barrel of oil equivalent," the statement said.


We previously demonstrated that high-affinity leukemia-specific CD8+ T cells are deleted in leukemia-bearing hosts in a manner that depends on cross-presentation of the antigen by splenic Batf3-lineage dendritic cells. Here, we generated a T cell receptor transgenic mouse strain (Tg101) that expresses TCR-α and -β chains from a CD8+ T cell clone specific for a native H-2Kb-restricted antigen on C1498 leukemia cells. In naïve mice, Tg101 T cells demonstrate no evidence of self-reactivity, arguing that the Tg101 antigen is leukemia-specific. In leukemia-bearing mice, high-affinity 2C CD8+ T cells specific for the H-2Kb-restricted model antigen, SIYRYYGL, encounter antigen rapidly (day 3–4) via its cross-presentation by splenic CD8a+ DCs, proliferate briefly, and are largely deleted by day 12. Conversely, antigen encounter by Tg101 CD8+ T cells in mice with leukemia is delayed (day 8–10), and primarily occurs in the liver - a prominent site of leukemia progression. Subsequently, Tg101 T cells expand, upregulate expression of co-inhibitory receptors, including PD-1, LAG-3, TIM-3 and TIGIT, and produce effector cytokines poorly, consistent with the acquisition of a dysfunctional state. Surprisingly, in vivo antigen encounter by Tg101 T cells occurs independently of CD11c+ cells, indicating that the Tg101 antigen is poorly cross-presented. Rather, the antigen is directly presented to Tg101 T cells by C1498 cells. Collectively, our data reveal that CD8+ T cell tolerance is effectively generated in leukemia-bearing animals. However, the nature of the leukemia antigen and the context in which it is presented are critical factors in dictating the underlying mechanism of tolerance that ensues. A search for the Tg101 antigen is ongoing.


In wireless ad hoc networks, the resources, such as energy, computation power, bandwidth and etc, available to each node are scare. Thus to improve the overall performance, the expenditures from the network operations should be balanced through the entire topology. One approach of solving such a problem is to keep the maximum node degree among all nodes as less as possible. However, a node having lower degree often prevents it from choosing better routes consuming less power between two ends. Therefore, a tradeoff is between the maximum node degree and the energy efficiency. In this paper we propose an adjustable structure, named r-neighborhood graph, to construct the topology of wireless ad hoc networks. The maximum node degree and energy efficiency of the topology can be adjusted through a parameter r, 0 /spl les/ r /spl les/ 1. Theoretic results show there must be some r's such that the worst maximum node degree and the power stretch factor are bounded separately. The connectivity and planarity of the proposed structure are also guaranteed.


The main focus of the thesis is to derive stability criteria for networked control system (NCS) models featuring imperfections such as time-varying and constant delays, quantization, packet dropout ...


The laboratory of photoelectric analytical balance fault can be divided into two categories:general fault and professional fault.As the analytical balance users,we not only use the balance according to the standard operation,but also should understand the analytical balance structure,working principle and installation of balance,rule out general fault,and the analytical balance professional fault should ask professional and technical personnel for help.


Geological engineering often uses geomechanical modeling aimed to enhance efficiency of mining or performance of structures. One of the input parameters for such models are the static elastic moduli of rocks. This article presents the studies into the physical and mechanical properties of rocks-limestone of non-metamorphic diagenesis. The precision measurements of Pand S-waves are carried out to an accuracy of 0.2% by laser ultrasonics. The static moduli of elasticity and the deformation characteristics of rocks are determined in the uniaxial compression tests by the standards of GOST 21153.2-84 and GOST 28985-91, respectively. The correlation dependence is found between the static and dynamic elasticity moduli in limestone samples. The found correlation allows drawing the conclusion that the static modulus of elasticity can be estimated in non-destructive tests, which largely simplifies preliminary diagnostics of samples in case of limited number of test core.


T he artistic legacy of Boris Poplavsky (1903-35) remains one of the most obscure pages of the story of Russian literature in exile. Until today, Poplavsky's poetic collection Flags (Flagi, 1931) has been regarded as representative of his early, surrealist writings.1 But the term "surrealism," as used by most students of his art, is problematic, for it denotes any artistic exploration of dreams, shocking images, and the unconscious.2 In my study, "surrealism" refers to the artistic program of Andre Breton's group-the original and only meaning of the term familiar to Poplavsky. Furthermore, the recent discovery of Poplavsky's poems in the archives of Il'ia Zdanevich and Nikolai Tatishchev shows that Flags is simply the first published collection of Poplavsky as an "emigre" poet. Although he had not published before joining emigre literary life in 1928, outside emigre circles he had made two abortive attempts with his collections rhe Gramophone on theNorth Pole (Grammofon na severnom poliuse) and The Dirigible of Unknown Destination (Dirizhab' neizvestnogo naprav/eniia).3 These newly found poems challenge the accepted view of Poplavsky's artistic evolution. Defining surrealism with no relation to the program of Breton's group, Simon Karlinsky suggested that, after the publication of his "surrealist" collection Flags, Poplavsky gave up surrealism "out of deference to the Parisian school of fashionable existential angoisse that became dominant in the emigre literature at that time."4 In this article, I will contest this common view of Poplavsky's poetic trajectory. I will argue that, against the backdrop


Abstract : The major objectives of this research program are to evaluate newly developed structural materials of potential Air Force weapons system interest and then to provide data-sheet-type presentations of mechanical data. The first year's effort, covered in this report, has concentrated on TD nickel, HP 9-4 steels, AFC77 steel, and Lockalloy (62Be-38Al). The mechanical properties investigated included tensile, compression, shear, bend, fracture toughness, fatigue, creep, and stress corrosion at appropriate temperatures.


The method used in this research is a descriptive method with the help of analytical tools of Eviews version 8. This research was conducted by using secondary data collected from the publication of the Indonesian Stock Exchange.The case study in this research is a company that is included in LQ45 in Indonesian Stock Exchange in the period of 2012 to 2016. For the analysis we have used multiple regression techniques and hypothesis testing using the t test partial and the F test with the level of significance at 5% as well as the coefficient of determination test.The factors affecting stock prices are Earning Per Share, Price to Book Value and Return on Assets. The results show that the Price to Book Value and the Earning Per Share have a significant effect on stock prices.Also simultaneously and partially the Price to Book Value, the Earning Per Share and the Return on Assets have a significant effect.


A method that applies linear programming to the problem of negotiating unit equity is described, developed, and demonstrated. The unit negotiation process is discussed, and two linear programming models are compared in a simple example problem. The appendix presents in detail the derivation of an algorithm to solve the linear programming models with bidirectional constraints and negative constraint bounds.


Significance All through human civilization, optimization has played a major role, from aerodynamics to airline scheduling, delivery routing, and telecommunications decoding. Optimization is receiving increasing attention, since it is central to today's artificial intelligence. All of these optimization problems are among the hardest for human or machine to solve. It has been overlooked that physics itself does optimization in the normal evolution of dynamical systems, such as seeking out the minimum energy state. We show that among such physics principles, the idea of minimum power dissipation, also called the Principle of Minimum Entropy Generation, appears to be the most useful, since it can be readily implemented in electrical or optical circuits. Optimization is a major part of human effort. While being mathematical, optimization is also built into physics. For example, physics has the Principle of Least Action; the Principle of Minimum Power Dissipation, also called Minimum Entropy Generation; and the Variational Principle. Physics also has Physical Annealing, which, of course, preceded computational Simulated Annealing. Physics has the Adiabatic Principle, which, in its quantum form, is called Quantum Annealing. Thus, physical machines can solve the mathematical problem of optimization, including constraints. Binary constraints can be built into the physical optimization. In that case, the machines are digital in the same sense that a flip–flop is digital. A wide variety of machines have had recent success at optimizing the Ising magnetic energy. We demonstrate in this paper that almost all those machines perform optimization according to the Principle of Minimum Power Dissipation as put forth by Onsager. Further, we show that this optimization is in fact equivalent to Lagrange multiplier optimization for constrained problems. We find that the physical gain coefficients that drive those systems actually play the role of the corresponding Lagrange multipliers.


The purpose of this project is to create a neuron emulator to test with a digital clamp. An intermediate step in our design process will be developing a software technique to increase the baseline voltage, which will cause an increase in the firing rate of the action potentials. The PIC18F452 is used to generate clock signals to control the switching of the MC14066, a quad analog switch. An engineering prototype has been built, generating a 110mV magnitude action potential, ranging from -90mV to 20mV. Upon inheriting this capstone project, the new engineering prototype has now been developed to output a 600mV magnitude, ranging from -500 mV to 100mV. Currently, a functional prototype is in the process of being developed in order to make the device more practical for users.


This theoretical work is searching for an answer for the question: What can drama education offer to current Czech [catholic] catechesis?
The introductory chapters deal with meaning and signification of catechesis, its goals, forms, methods and requirements of today's world. The following parts characterized, its principles, goals and types.
The next chapter describes relations between theology and theatre as ?parent? branches of catechesis and drama education.
The next part compares catechesis and drama education, their general characteristics [principles], goals and methods. This comparison reveals the common colouring and focus of both fields ? focus on complex harmonius development of individuals, - on relationships [with God], with oneself, with people, with the world around, - on life situations, especially crisis, - on overlaps [truth, beauty, symbol ?].
The author sets four basic areas which can make drama education effective in catechesis. They are: aesthetic element ? education via art, expressing oneself through the medium of symbols, games and work with a story.
The next part of the work elaborates the four areas and shows their significance for catechesis.
In the closing part the four aeras and their educatinal potencial are assigned to partial goals of catechesis in relation to God, to oneself and to world around. These analysis are completed with an attached tabbed diagram, which was created as a working stock during writing of the theses.
At the end some questions of possible future research are stated.


Abstract This article claims that the conjecturing clause-taking huaiyi predicate in Modern Chinese (e.g. Renmen huaiyi zheming taoyi de jingcha hen keneng canyu le zheqi anjian. 'People conjecture that the escaped policeman had probably been involved in the case.') is actually a parenthetical structure. Diachronically, it does not develop from an NP-taking huaiyi predicate (e.g. Wo hen huaiyi zhe ge shuofa. 'I doubt the statement a lot.') or a doubting clause-taking huaiyi predicate (e.g. Du Yifu changchang huaiyi ta yu erzi you guo nazhong ge'ermen yiqi de shiguang. 'Du Yifu often doubted that he had had times of buddy loyalty with his son.'). Rather, it develops from a prosodically separated conjecturing huaiyi predicate. The goal of this paper is to show that its formation did not follow the commonly accepted matrix clause pathway, whereby a parenthetical clause-taking predicate develops from a corresponding matrix clause structure. Instead, it followed a hypothesized conjoining pathway, which involves the loss of a phonetic gap between a prosodically separated huaiyi predicate and the clause with which it occurs.


The successful transplantation of blood vessels in animals, reported by Carrel 2 and Klotz 10 (1910, 1925), along with the publications of Gross and co-workers* (1948) on the preservation and clinical utilization of homografts in man, has stimulated the present-day interest in human arterial implants. As a result, many investigators,† owing to the new techniques for the procurement and preservation of blood vessels, are evaluating the reactions which occur after implantation in the host. This is a natural result of the increasing demand for grafts to correct surgically the many congenital or acquired vascular abnormalities which only a short while ago were without treatment. A sufficiently long period of time is necessary to evaluate experimental or clinical results. It seems therefore important to continue research on the fate of any type of transplant for long periods in an attempt to correlate functional results with histologica findings. Since the experimental work


The cellular and molecular bases of growth hormone (GH) action on skeletal muscle will be reviewed. Since almost all actions of GH on skeletal muscle occur via locally produced insulin-like growth factor (IGF), this review will focus on the mechanisms of IGF action in skeletal muscle. IGF has profound effects on skeletal muscle precursor cell activities, including stimulation of myoblast proliferation and differentiation, and inhibition of myoblast apoptosis. However, it is unclear whether IGF has any direct actions on skeletal muscle fibers themselves, or contributes to muscle hypertrophy only indirectly through increases in muscle fiber nuclear numbers. Therefore, it is unclear whether IGF can maintain muscle mass without stimulating cell proliferation. The changes that occur in aging skeletal muscle, and the role of declining IGF and IGF receptor expression levels in these changes will also be outlined. There is ample experimental evidence that IGF is essential for normal skeletal muscle growth and reg...


China's foreign currency reserve reaches USD16 822 by the end of march 2008,with the year-on-year growth of 39.94%.Does China's trade surplus last in future after 13 consecutive years of growth which causes the foreign currency reserve to continue growth? The author in this article predicts that China's trade surplus can be lasted in the prospective future,which is supported by the factors below: it is sure that China's economy has a stable growth rate of 8% or so,the general trade reach or surpass the volumn of the processing trade with the encouragement of preferential policies,China's FDI inflow grows continuely with the capabilities of introduction of worldwide industrial shift increased,and the works of the internalization and externalization of China's agglomeration of human capitals.


Low Birth Weight (LBW) is defined by the WHO as a birth weight of less than 2500 g. Globally about 20 million low-birth-weight babies are born every year and most of them are in the low and middle income countries. At present, the prevalence of low birth weight in India is 18.6% which contributes to about 40% of the global burden. The care of these high risk newborns is a burden to the health care system. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for low birth weight infants was first implemented in the year 1978 by Rey and Martinez, in Bogotá, Colombia. KMC is characterized by four important components namely early skin to skin contact between the mother and the baby, exclusive breastfeeding, early discharge from the hospital and close follow-up at home. KMC can be started as soon as baby is stable. The baby wears only the nappy and the bonnet and is kept upright for almost 24 hours a day. Babies who had received Kangaroo mother care were found to have better neurologic outcome on follow up. They were less aggressive and less impulsive than the control group of ABSTRACT


I analyze Embedded Value (EV) reporting by firms with life insurance operations to assess the impact of unregulated financial reporting on transparency and to examine the institutional characteristics that promote unregulated reporting. Under EV accounting the present value of future cash flows from in-force contracts is included in shareholders' equity, and profit is calculated as the change in equity between two periods. In contrast to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), this approach produces higher shareholder's equity and recognizes income at contract inception. I find firms that adopt EV reporting exhibit a decline in information asymmetry, with the decline increasing as EV reporting evolves to address methodological deficiencies and to permit more comparability across firms. The decrease in information asymmetry is contingent on providing an audit certification, and larger for firms that commit to providing EV reports. Moreover, I document that EV reporting is more widespread in countries with more hostile takeovers, managers that do not avoid volatile income measures, regulators that are less likely to intervene in the product market and analysts that believe EV disclosure to increase the value of their information intermediation function.


Allacma fusca belongs to a less well known, primitive, wingless insect group. The aim of our study was to describe all changes which accompany midgut epithelium differentiation of adult specimens of A. fusca. The midgut epithelium of A. fusca is composed of columnar cells with an epithelial character. No regenerative cells, which are commonly responsible for midgut epithelium regeneration, were observed. Therefore the growth of the entire epithelium depends on an increase in the dimensions of epithelial cells. Epithelial cells are not able to proliferate, as was earlier suggested, in the 1st larval stage of this species. The characteristic regionalization in the organelle arrangement was observed like in all epithelia responsible for secretion, transport, and excretion. However during the insect's lifespan, distinct differences appear between all epithelial cells. Allacma fusca does not have Malpighian tubules; thus the midgut epithelium is also responsible for excretion. This process is connected with urospherites which accumulate in epithelial cells. Their structure suggests that they might be identified with type A granules described for many Pterygota insects. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/47.2/200.pdf


This study aimed to analyze the system of compensation and determine the factors that influence the BRI bank branch Makassar. The research data was obtained from interviews and direct observation with several parties related to the compensation of employees. The study's findings indicate that the compensation system used by the Makassar branch of BRI bank is the payroll data inputted by the human resources department and then classified into a data base salary then distributed through direct employee accounts. Magnitude of the amount of compensation is determined based on three (3) main things which grade / position, length of service and level of education which is owned by the employee. Factors that influence the amount of compensation is based on company profits, unions, government, contributions occupation, work experience, expertise, performance or achievements.


Purpose to identify niche markets or niche products, and discuss whether these markets or products can be termed as niche in terms of characteristics and definitions as suggested in the literature. Methodology – A case study design of the Bordeaux wine market, combining several methods for data collection, such as observations, secondary information, and interviews. Findings – It is expected to determine whether it is appropriate to characterize the Bordeaux Châteaux Grand Crus producers as niche firms or not. Further, a precise description of the Bordeaux producers and markets will be offered, along with product descriptions in broad terms and the applied niche strategies. Implications – Theoretically, the findings may impact on the ability to develop a more precise definition of niche marketing and its content, and possibly also to determine whether a PGI-certification or similar certification schemes could work as indicators for niche markets. Practically, this research would provide a better foundation for offering clear and precise guidance to practitioners interested in pursuing niche marketing.


This article discusses a study on the nutrition specifics of older adults living in social service institutions in three major cities of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Nur-Sultan, Almaty, and Shymkent. The direction of the research meets the priorities of the World Health Organization to achieve goals on aging and health. The diets of older adults in the Republic of Kazakhstan were studied, food preferences were identified, and needs for basic nutrients were established. This article presents the results of sociological surveys of older adults who answered questions about nutrition, preferred foods, raw materials, and meat products. Based on the survey results, technologies of herodietic meat products aimed at enriching the diet with proteins were developed, along with practical recommendations for a balanced diet. This area of research is relevant due to the lack of products with a herodietic profile on the Kazakhstan market.


Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act of 1994 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 (the Act) to authorize appropriations for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for FY 1994 and 1995. Derives a portion of such appropriations from application and regulatory fees. Repeals provisions regarding reimbursement of FCC travel expenses. Amends the Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act of 1988 to extend the FCC's: (1) authorization to make grants or enter into agreements to utilize the talents of older Americans in FCC programs through FY 1996; and (2) authorization for the relocation of the Hawaii monitoring station through FY 1997. Waives annual equipment inspections for vessels in compliance with the radio provisions of the Safety Convention that are operating solely in waters beyond U.S. jurisdiction, provided that an inspection is performed within 30 days after return to the United States. Revises application fee provisions to require the FCC, beginning in FY 1995, to modify such fees by proportionate increases or decreases so as to result in estimated total collections for the fiscal year equal to the sum of $40 million plus the amount specified in an appropriation Act to be collected, not to exceed necessary FCC expenses. Sets forth a schedule of application fees for personal communications services. Permits the FCC to reject a proposed tariff filing if the filing or any part is patently unlawful. Authorizes the FCC, subject to certain conditions, to require the refund of a portion of any charge by a carrier that results from violation of this Act. Permits the operation of the following radio services without individual licenses: (1) personal radio services; (2) specified aviation radio service on domestic flights; and (3) maritime radio service for ship stations navigated on domestic voyages when such ships are not otherwise required to carry a radio station. Adds a failure to comply with the Act's requirements or FCC rules that imperils the sa


We report the use of micro electrodischarge machining (micro-EDM) to fabricate molding tools with which plastic pairts are molded having dimensions on the order of tens of microns. While problems are encountered with the surface roughness of the microEDM parts, and occasionally in achieving successful mold-release, this approach to micro fabrication offers the potential of achieving a greater flexibility for fabricating three-dimensional shapes than either silicon micromachining, or the combination of high-aspectratio lithography, electroplating, and injection molding referred to as the LIGA process. Examples of micromolded plastic parts using micro-EDM fabricated molding tools are presented.


Four new heterometallic coordination complexes, namely, {[Zn4Ln2(imdc)4(SO4)(H2O)8]·4H2O}n [Ln = Nd (1), Sm (2), Eu (3), Gd (4); H3imdc = imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid], were hydrothermally synthesized by the reactions of Ln2O3 with imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid and ZnSO4·7H2O and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that these polymers are isostructural and possess an interesting 3D pillar-layered architecture with 424·64 topology, in which 2D layers constructed by alternately arranged 1D right-/left-handed helical chains of [Zn2(μ5-imdc)]n bridged via dimeric Eu2 units are pillared by μ2-SO42− and μ3-imdc3− anions. The liquid fluorescence of compounds 1–3 at room temperature shows that these complexes are very good chemosensors for I− ion, and the response of the sensor is based on fluorescence quenching of Zn–Ln MOFs by iodine ions.


A study oftheaetiology, prevalence, andprogressionofrespiratory disability amongthemen employed intwolarge integrated steel worksin SouthWalesisbeing undertaken fromtheDepartmentofSocial andOccupational Medicine, Welsh National School ofMedicine, withthefinancial support oftheNuffield Foundation. Epidemiological studies haverepeatedly underlined theimportance ofthree environmental factors intheaetiology ofchronic bronchitis-urban atmospheric pollution, atmospheric pollution at place ofwork, andcigarette smoking-all ofwhich areinareal sense controllable. Itisnotpossible, of course, todetermine inanyparticular patient with chronic bronchitis precisely howmuchofhisillness is attributable toa particular environmental factor (M.R.C., 1966), andthis lies attherootofthe controversy whether persons withchronic bronchitis should become eligible forbenefit under theNational Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act.Itispossible, however, toestimate theproportionate contributions ofoccupation, place ofdomicile, andsmoking habits totheprevalence ofchronic bronchitis indefined populations, andthis isthemainpurpose ofthestudy inSouth Wales-to assess therelative importance of thethree majorenvironmental influences inthe aetiology ofchronic bronchitis amongthemen employed inthetwosteel works. An integrated steelworks isparticularly suitable forastudy ofthis type because thegreater part ofits very large working population isdistributed between a numberof clearly-defined departments withwidely differing working environments. Thetwoworkswe have studied aretheEbbwValeworksofRichard Thomas andBaldwins Limited (population about9,500), andtheMargamandAbbeyworksoftheSteel


Consider a hiring process with candidates coming from different universities. It is easy to order candidates who have the same background, yet it can be challenging to compare them otherwise. The latter case requires additional costly assessments and can result in sub-optimal hiring decisions. Given an assigned budget, what would be an optimal strategy to select the most qualified candidate? We model the above problem by introducing a new variant of the secretary problem in which sequentially observed candidates are split into two distinct groups. For each new candidate, the decision maker observes its rank among already seen candidates from the same group and can access its rank among all observed candidates at some fixed cost. To tackle this new problem, we introduce and study the family of Dynamic Double Threshold (DDT) algorithms. We show that, with well-chosen parameters, their success probability converges rapidly to 1/e as the budget grows, recovering the optimal success probability from the usual secretary problem. Finally, focusing on the class of memory-less algorithms, we propose an optimal algorithm in the non-asymptotic regime and show that it belongs to the DDT family when the number of candidates is large.


The idea of employing biologically inspired neural networks to perform computation has been widely used over the last decades. The essential fact in this paradigm is that a neuron can integrate and process information, and this information can be revealed by its spiking activity. By describing the dynamics of a single neuron using a mathematical model, a network in which the spiking activity of every single neuron will get contributions, or information, from the spiking activity of the embedded network. A positioning controller based on Spiking Neural Networks for sensor fusion suitable to run on a neuromorphic computer is presented in this work. The proposed framework uses the paradigm of reservoir computing to control the collaborative robot BAXTER. The system was designed to work in parallel with Liquid State Machines that performs trajectories in 2D closed shapes. In order to keep a felt pen touching a drawing surface, data from sensors of force and distance are fed to the controller. The system was trained using data from a Proportional Integral Derivative controller, merging the data from both sensors. The results show that the LSM can learn the behavior of a PID controller on different situations.


A rare case of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue recurring 33 years after initial treatment is presented. A 60-year-old woman had undergone radiation therapy with cobalt implants for a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the right lateral border of the tongue in March 1960 and radical neck dissection for metastasis to the right cervical lymph nodes in June 1960 at Kyusyu University Hospital. She was referred to our department for evaluation and treatment of a white, lobulated mass of the right tongue dorsum in March 1993, 33 years after initial therapy. The lesion was histologically diagnosed as a welldifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma, and she was successfully treated by total glossectomy, left functional neck dissection, and immediate reconstruction with a free tensor fascia lata flap. Based on histological and clinical findings, this case was considered to be a late recurrence rather than a radiation-induced cancer.


: Purpose of this study was to determine the types of Adam's emotions and how to control emotions, especially for children. This study use the psychological of literary approach and descriptive qualitative method. Analysis of experimental data by means of classifying the various emotions of Adam and describing the efforts of Adam's parents and the environment to control the emotions of Adam, in fantasy novel Game Online. The results of this study are (1) six emotions of Adams in fantasy novel Hantu Game Online by Fakhri Violinist which is happiness, disgust, afraid, surprise, and sadness. (2) the 3 efforts of Adam's parents and the environment to control the emotions of Adam which is parents control children emotions, children self control, and the role of surrounding environment to support the development of emotions


Production distortions or errors on the sounds /s/ and /r/ are among the most resistant to remediation with traditional speech therapies, even after years of weekly treatment sessions (e.g., Gibbon et al., 1996; McAuliffe & Cornwell, 2008; McLeod, Roberts, & Sita, 2006). In this study, we report on the results of treating residual speech errors in older children and adults with a new visual biofeedback treatment called Opti-Speech. Opti-Speech uses streaming positional data from the Wave EMA device to animate real-time motion of a tongue avatar on a screen. Both the clinician and the client can visualize movements as they occur relative to target shapes, set by the clinician, intended to guide the client to produce distortion-free and accurate speech sounds. Analyses of positional data and associated kinematics were completed during baseline, treatment, and follow-up phases for four participants, two who produced pre-treatment residual errors on /s/, and two with residual errors on /r/. Measures included ...


Aspergillus fumigatus 1, the most effective strain for production of invertase was selected out of moulds and yeast belonging to different species by the method of test‐tube microculture. Conidia of the selected strain were further subjected to mutagenesis with both U.V. and N‐methyl‐N'‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (NTG), and the products were analysed for invertase activity with our own diffusion plate method. As a result of mutagenization and selection to obtain biochemical mutants (e.g. resistant to some metabolic inhibitors, surviving conditions of certain stresses, poorly growing on minimal medium containing glycerol or mannose), the Aspergillus fumigatus strains were obtained. Ten of these mutants showed an increased extracellular invertase, the level of which ranged widely for indi‐vidual cases from 23.1 to over 96% in comparison with the parental strain. The studies of the relation‐ship between a criterion of selection and frequency of mutation showed that the highest frequency of positive mutations was obtained with regard to mutants resistant to phosphomycin (58%) and 2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (53%). The time course of growth and enzyme production by the most active mutant M‐7 showed intra‐ and extracellular invertase activities to have increased about 2‐fold, com‐pared with the parental strain.


E JLU Iven though he was no longer alive when I started an ophthalmology residency, Jonas Friedenwald was partly responsible for my acceptance as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. The head of the Institute at the time was Louis Flexner, who had been a collaborator and friend of Friedenwald's at Johns Hopkins in the 1940's. In our initial interview, Dr. Flexner mentioned two names to me: Friedenwald and Polyak; he thought highly of both men and advised me to emulate them. He particularly admired Friedenwald's capacity for self-teaching: How, when interested in a subject Friedenwald could, with minimal outside help, educate himself in a short time to such a high standard in that field that he could then converse intelligently with professionals. Dr. Flexner believed that Friedenwald obtained his greatest pleasure from mastering


Tax compliance sometimes is thought of as purely a matter of administration. But there are important connections between substance and procedure. Both affect compliance. This article explores how simplification of the substantive tax law can improve compliance. The particular emphasis is on how simplification can liberate human and material resources for the IRS without which otherwise well conceived efforts to improve compliance are likely ultimately to fail.


The purpose of this note is to show that the regular locus of a complex variety is locally parabolic at the singular set. This yields that the regular locus of a compact complex variety, e.g., of a projective variety, is parabolic. We give also an application to the $L^2$-theory for the $\overline{\partial}$-operator on singular spaces.


Provided is a cigarette product from which a powder can be inhaled easily at desired timing by the smoker, and with which powder spillage at unintended timing during production, or during shipping andthe like, can be minimized. The product is equipped with a tobacco rod that includes shredded tobacco, and a filter that connects to the end of the tobacco rod via tip paper. The filter includes: a powder-containing material, the powder-containing material being composed of a mass of starting material powder that includes at least a taste component and/or a fragrance component and being renderedinto a powder by the application of external force; a cavity in which the powder-containing material is arranged; and a channel through which the cavity communicates with an inhalation opening end, and through which the powder passes, the channel having an inside diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the powder-containing material.


Objective To analyze the changes of hemodynamic parameters of common carotid artery(CCA) and middle cerebral artery(MCA) in patients with severe internal carotid artery(ICA) stenosis or occlusion,so as to raise the accuracy of diagnosis of severe ICA stenosis or occlusion by transcranial Doppler(TCD). Methods Thirty patients with unilateral severe ICA stenosis or occlusion,and bilateral CCA and MCA normal or narrow 50%,confirmed by digital subtraction angiography(DSA),were enrolled in this study.The systolic velocity(Vs),mean velocity(Vm) and pulsitility index(PI) of bilateral CCA and MCA in all cases were detected by TCD. Results The Vm and Vs of CCA in the lesion sides of ICA with severe stenosis or occlusion were significantly lower(t=14.35,11.26;P0.05),while PI was significantly higher than that in the normal sides(t=9.56,P0.05).The Vm,Vs and PI of MCA in the side of ICA with severe stenosis or occlusion were significantly lower than that in the normal sides(t=10.19-15.61,P0.05). Conclusion TCD detection for hemodynamic parameters of CCA and MCA is of important directory value in accurate diagnosis of severe ICA stenosis or occlusion.


In order to develop low gutelin content and climate adapted rice varieties in Taiwan, we analyzed low levels of easy-to digest protein mutant Lgc1 by DNA specific marker and protein contents using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. We used the F8 generation derived from Japanese variety 'Shunyo' with Lgc1 gene and 'TK16' from Taiwan as materials for analysis. The difference in the total protein content between the Lgc1 mutant and normal rice varieties was not significant, but the proportion of glutelin contents in Lgc1 rice was the same as 'Shunyo'. The gutelin content of 'Shunyo' was reduced to 57.5% of 'TK16'. In this study, we analyzed the F8 generations by genotypes using Lgc1 specific marker and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The F8 lines with low gutelin contents also showed homozygosity to 'Shunyo' by genotyping. Both results of genotyping were consistant. In phenotyping, the signals of the Lgc1 lines and 'Shunyo' were weaker than which of 'TK16' in molecular weight 37-39 kD and 22-23 kD donated as glutelin. It indicated that the Lgc1 specific marker could be used as an efficient tools for detecting low gultelin content rice in marker-assisted selection. The line 'HKY154' was selected according to favorable agronomic characters and low levels of protein contents. This line has a good potential to be the food for patient with chronic kidney disease.


Objective: To find out the frequency of anxiety and depression and its association with socio-demographics characteristics among family caretakers of cancer patients.
Methodology: This descriptive cross sectional study of 300 participants was carried out at Dr. Ruth K.M Pfau Civil Hospital and Dow University Hospital, Karachi from December 01, 2020 to January 30, 2021. Before the study ethical approval was taken. The Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (AKU-ADS) was used to assess the symptoms among family caregivers of cancer patients. The inclined adult male and female family members of cancer patients who were admitted in Dow University Hospital and Dr. Ruth K.M. Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi was included in this study.  The data was analyzed by using SPSS version -21. Frequency analy-
sis was performed for demographic variables and chi-square test was also run to check the association of anxiety and depression with socio-demographic characteristics of study participants.
Results: Finding of this study revealed that 39% of participants were having anxiety and depression. We found that gender, marital status, age group, educational level and patient's relationship showed significant p value of <0.001 with anxiety and depression.
Conclusion: This study concludes that approximately one third of the study participants suffered from anxiety and depression. The demographic variables contributing to anxiety and depression include age, gender, and marital status, relationship with patient and educational level of the participants.


The trend of agricultural eco-environment sustainable worsening occurred because of the forest's unceasing decrease.The forest affected regional agricultural eco-environment through adjusting and controlling eco-hydraulic processes,preventing soil erosion and nutrient loss.But there were different environment and scale effects for various landscape patterns of agriculture and forestry.Some key progresses were acquired about the research between forest and eco-environment,but some problems still exist such as the research scale on the low side,less comprehensive research and the lack of applied theory combining with forest engineering technology.The 4 key science problems and research route among the forest adjusting and controlling agricultural eco-environment were presented aiming at research lackages.


Theaimofthisarticleisthesystematizationofthemostcommonly applied de re /de dicto distinctions in philosophy. In this work the most im- portant contexts in which these distinctions occur are distinguished, and their syntactic, semantic and pragmatic definitions are given. The article consists of two parts: 1) the main theoretical contexts of this distinction, 2) the modern attempt to systematize different versions of this distinction following Thomas McKayandMichaelNelson,and3)anattempttoclarifyMcKay'sandNelson's systematization in terms of intensional operator, designator and conviction of theobject.


Three dogs were evaluated due to the presence of unilateral adrenal gland masses with or without clinical signs. Case 1 showed a unilateral non-functional adrenocortical adenoma, discovered accidentally while Case 2 presented a unilateral cortisol-secreting adrenocortical adenoma; a pheochromocytoma was accidentally discovered in Case 3. The adrenalectomy was the treatment of choice in all cases. The development of diagnostic imaging techniques, mainly ultrasonography, and its application to routine abdominal examinations, have allowed the detection of adrenal gland masses more frequently. However, there is no pattern of echogenicity or architecture which would help in the differentiation in a functional tumour from a non-functional tumour, a pheochromocy - toma, a metastatic lesion to the adrenal or a granuloma. A complete description of history, clinical signs, laboratory analysis and imaging studies is included. Moreover, a revision of the different types of adrenal gland tumours, with their clinical presentation, a standardised diagnosis protocol and options for treatment are discussed.


, the in a the rights the Disabilities the ADA, extended to inmates in state The sovereign immunity in cases where the Eighth is involved. The a result a paraplegic man in Georgia state prison, who to sue the state under Title II of the ADA. The state of that they were immune to civil suits based on sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment that holds that Congress cannot pass laws that allow non-consenting states to be sued by their people, except for specific circumstances. The US federal government interceded on Goodman's behalf, with the case then being taken up by the Supreme Court. US v. Georgia determined the extent to which the ADA covers disabled Americans, improved the situation of disabled individuals in state prison systems, and further eroded the sovereign immunity claimed by states in cases where ADA violations are alleged. The case focused on the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 federal law that banned discrimination against people with disabilities. Title II of the ADA specifically prohibits state or local governments from discriminating against disabled people in public services. The ADA allows disabled people who believe they were discriminated based on their disabilities to file lawsuits against the discriminating entity. Several key constitutional issues surrounding the implementation of the ADA were central to the case. Those issues included whether or not Congress could use lawsuits filed under the ADA to go around states' protection from getting sued. Sovereign immunity is granted to states by the Eleventh Amendment of the US Constitution. Also relevant is the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment. Additionally, the case involved the Fourteenth Amendment, which gives the federal government the authority to protect the rights of American citizens by forbidding states from abridging rights guaranteed by the federal government. The of a paraplegic a for


Literature suggests that illicit crop eradication is not only the centrepiece of the supply-side campaign in the "war on drugs," but a highly contested and controversial issue. Even with the re-positioning of the U.S. drug policy toward a combination of prevention, education, and smarter use of law-enforcement resources, drug policies throughout the world continue to include, and rely upon, law enforcement and supply-side reduction strategies. The sheer dominance of supply-side approaches to drug control policy suggests the timeliness of "taking stock" of what works in drug supply-reduction interventions. In this paper we detail the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of the empirical literature evaluating the effectiveness of crop targeting as a drug control strategy. Our search identifies 15 studies that report an empirical impact evaluation of the effectiveness of crop targeting interventions in Afghanistan and Colombia. The interventions evaluated are crop eradication, agricultural assistance programs and awareness programs. We present the results of random-effects meta-analyses conducted on these studies, and discuss the impact of sources of heterogeneity, including intervention strategy and location. We find that eradication does not reduce cultivation but alternative development does. We discuss the policy implications of the research evidence to help inform the smarter use of scarce resources to control the supply of illegal drugs.


Abstract 1726 Poster Board I-752 The PIM family of serine/threonine kinases are pro-proliferative kinases activated by multiple cytokines and growth factor signaling. The Pim kinases are unusual in that they are regulated primarily by transcription and not by membrane recruitment or phosphorylation like other serine/threonine kinases. Activated cytokine receptors recruit JAKs to induce STAT-dependent transcription of the Pim genes. They are proto-oncogenes and have been implicated in the process of lymphomagenesis and malignant transformation. Pim overexpression has been reported in diffuse B cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, FLT3-mediated acute myelogenous leukemia and prostate cancer. Pim-2 is over expressed in leukemias and lymphomas, whereas Pim-3 overexpression has been observed in melanoma, pancreatic and gastric tumors. The recent reports of elevated levels of Pim-1 expression in human prostate tumor biopsies implicate the Pim family of protein kinases in the progression of human prostate tumors. Further, in transgenic animal models, Pim-1 expression has been shown to be elevated in prostate tumors that are caused by overexpression of the c-myc oncogene. Recent evidence reveals the overlapping and compensatory nature of Pim-1 and Pim-2 phosphorylation and highlights the importance of inhibiting all isoforms. The emerging role of the PIM kinase family in hematological malignancies and solid tumors and the druggable nature of their ATP binding pocket make them attractive targets for anticancer drug development Utilizing a highly distinct molecular scaffold, CX-6258 was developed as a selective and potent small molecule pan-PIM kinase inhibitor. CX-6258 inhibits Pims 1, 2 and 3 with IC50 values in the low nanomolar range and high selectivity as evidenced in a screening panel of over 100 kinases. CX-6258 demonstrates potent in vitro antiproliferative activity, particularly in leukemia derived cell lines expressing the FLT3-ITD. Moreover, CX-6258 inhibits the phosphorylation of BAD and 4EBP1, known substrates for PIMs 1, 2 and 3. When delivered orally, this pan-Pim inhibitor is well tolerated and demonstrates potent antitumor activity in murine xenograft models of PIM driven cancer. Using CX-6258 as our "path finder" molecule, we have created four additional unique chemical scaffolds as pan-Pim inhibitors, and certain of these scaffolds can inhibit Pims 1, 2 and 3 in the picomolar range while exhibiting no inhibitory activity of the Flt3 protein kinase. The in vivo and in vitro profiles of these chemically diverse series are indicative of an effective and potent anti-cancer mechanism mediated through the selective inhibition of PIM kinase activity. Together, these findings exemplify that we have created multiple proprietary chemical series of pan-Pim inhibitors exhibiting picomolar potency and high selectivity. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


BACKGROUND. Olive mill wastewater (OMW) represents an environmental problem due to its high organic load and relevant concentration of phenolic compounds. OMW treatment and disposal represents a relevant challenge and cost for olive mills and multi-utilities in charge of waste management in Mediterranean countries. The goal of this study was to develop an anaerobic co-digestion (co-AD) process of OMW and sewage sludge (SwS) from municipal wastewater treatment. RESULTS. Different volumetric OMW:SwS ratios up to 100% OMW were fed in continuous 1.7-L bioreactors. The reactors fed with raw OMW (rOMW) performed better than those fed with OMW dephenolized by adsorption (dOMW). At a 23-day hydraulic retention time the best performances were obtained in the reactor fed with 25% rOMW, with a 105% increase in methane yield in comparison to the 100% SwS test. At a 40-day hydraulic retention time, the reactor fed with 40% rOMW attained a 268 NLCH4/kgvolatile solids methane yield. The conversion of phenolic compounds reached 70% when the hydraulic retention time was increased from 23 to 40 days. A cost-benefit analysis indicated that both rOMW co-AD in existing digesters and PC recovery from OMW followed by co-AD of dOMW can lead to relevant additional revenues for the multi-utilities in charge of wastewater management. CONCLUSION. This work proves that, using the existing network of SwS anaerobic digesters, it is feasible to co-digest the entire OMW production in regions characterized by intense olive oil production, attaining a relevant increase in methane production yield (144% increase in comparison to 100% SwS).


Cellulase production from mixed fermentation of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger was investigated.The balance point of the two strains was established by delaying inoculation time of A.niger and using different inoculum ratios.The time courses of cellulase production by monoculture of T.reesei and A.niger were used as controls.It was found that the highest filter paper activity(FPA),3.295 IU/mL,was obtained when delay in A.niger inoculation was 48h and volumetric inoculum ratio of T.reesei versus A.niger was 5∶1,higher than the FPA of the monoculture of T.reesei,2.480IU/mL.The β-glucosidase activity(β-GA) also increased from 0.243IU/mL of the monoculture of T.reesei to 1.010IU/mL of the mixed culture aforementioned.It was demonstrated that the mixed fermentation of T.reesei and A.niger was feasible and superior to the monoculture of T.reesei or A.niger.


First we introduce the features and classification of class constructors,and illustrate the constructing methods and call order of combined class object and derived class object constructors,then give the solution to pointer hung caused by operator new in class while using default copy constructor,finally introduce the functions of conversion constructor and the procedure of type conversion by using conversion constructor.


This guide is for Music or Women's & Gender Studies students who would like to learn more about women composers and their contributions to western art music. This guide is for LSU Libraries. https://www.lib.lsu.edu This page contains links to websites with information about women composers.


Objective:To investigate and manage birth defects by monitoring birth defects.Methods:Data of birth defects in Chaoyang District from 2001 to 2007 were analysed retrospectively.Results:With the strengthening of monitoring and management of birth defects,monitoring level steadily advanced.Conclusion:Powerful management and improved skills are the foundation of monitoring of birth defect,which not only provides truth for health administrative departments,but also provides foundation for policy making.


Past research demonstrates that the estimated size of the federal government earnings differential shrinks substantially with the addition of detailed occupational controls. Possible explanations for this reduction are: controlling for the differing sectoral distributions of common occupations, and controlling for detailed occupations unique to each sector. While occupational detail does not eliminate the federal differential, more than two-thirds of the reduction in the federal differential comes from controlling for unique occupations and, moreover, this is equivalent to excluding all observations in unique occupations. This finding is contrasted with that for the local sector in which the differing distribution of common occupations largely explains the pattern of the differential. © 2004 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.


Severe fetal anemia (FA) is a serious complication of pregnancy which can lead to fetal damage and intrauterine death. For successful treatment it is essential to accurately diagnose FA, establish it's etiology and to assess it's severity. Today, severity of FA is mainly assessed by color Doppler. Intrauterine transfusion (IUT) for fetuses with severe FA is the main therapeutic intervention. IUT has several effects: pregnancy prolongation and delivery of mature baby is allowed, and, at the same time, intrauterine damage and fetal death are eliminated. There are several techniques of IUT, among of them intravascular IUT is the most efficient and commonly used. Technically, IUT can be very delicate. Total perinatal loss is 1.6-2%. The access to the umbilical cord depends on a placental position, fetal size and dynamic, amount of amniotic fluid and maternal constitution. Fetal circulation is optimally accessed via the placental insertion of the umbilical cord, and the umbilical vein is targeted. IUT can be used from 18th to 20th week at the earliest. Timing of delivery is assessed depending on the last IUT interval. The goal is to reach 35 weeks. Adequate preparation of the donor's blood is essential, as well as the accurate determination of blood volume. Since the reliability of Doppler measurements in prediction of severity of FA declines after several IUTs, the interval between two IUTs is commonly assessed empirically. The most severe complication of IUTs is acute fetal distress, which, if fetus is mature, indicates emergency C-section. Common complications are bleeding, cord hematoma, bradycardia and vasospasm. Overall survival rate is 92-94% for non-hydropic, and 74-78% for hydropic fetuses. At the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, of General Hospital Sveti Duh, 39 fetuses in 7 years were treated for severe immune FA. Totally, 93 IUTs were performed. All fetuses survived , out of which 6 were hydropic.


An investigation of community structure and species diversity of natural forest of Betula luminifera H.Winkl.in various districts was conducted in Fujian Province.The results showed that there were abundant species diversity in B.luminifera community and mixed plant species belonged to 46 families,78 genera,117 species.The population of Liangye Mountain Nature Reserve had the highest diversity indices of tree layer in nine B.luminifera forest communities,the least was population in Weimin Village of Shaowu City.In original forest community,the species of Fagaceae was edificator with abundant species diversity but the important value of B.luminifera was low.In succession stage after primeval forest was destroyed,the important value of B.luminifera increased with it′s becoming into a dominant species in deciduous broadleaved forest.The mainly endangered cause of natural forest of B.luminifera was personnel destroy,therefore,it was suggested that the conservation of standing natural forest of B.luminifera should be strengthened and paid attention to collect and protect genetic resources and cultivate plantation.


This paper is a study of Le Corbusier's trace regulateur of the 1920s, particularly its role in the design of the Villas La Roche Jeannerct and...


BACKGROUND: The loop pattern of the small intestine is of considerable importance in categorizing them and the intestine length of the two sex is different. In this respect there is no research performed on pheasant family as guinea fowl. OBJECTIVES: In this research histomorphology of guinea fowl's small intestine was studied. METHODS: For this study 20 adult male and female guinea fowls were selected and their small intestines were studied morphologically. For each guinea Fowl, a tissue sample was obtained and prepared using Haematoxylin and Eosin Stain Kit. RESULTS: Macroscopic results suggest that they are basically much akin to other poultry with this difference that in guinea Fowl there are less loop patterns in Jejunum. From the microscopic point of view, guinea fowl's small intestine mucosa membrane does not include internal Plicae circulars, but there are villi (made of mucus) instead. The outer edge of the villus is formed of simple columnar epithelium with a few Goblet cells. In the Ileum goblet cells are reduced as we reach the end of it. CONCLUTIONS: Intestines in both sex have the same length and structure and loop patterns


[Problem] To provide a resin composition for forming a color filter underlayer film, which is capable of forming a cured film having excellent solvent resistance, heat resistance and transparency, and which is also capable of suppressing the generation of a residue of a color resist during the formation of a color filter on the cured film.
[Solution] A resin composition for forming a color filter underlayer film, which contains a homopolymer or copolymer having a structural unit represented by formula (1), an acid compound, a solvent, and from 0% by mass to 35% by mass of a crosslinking agent based on the solid content in the resin composition.
(In the formula, R 0 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and R 1 represents a hydrocarbon group containing at least one hydroxy group as a substituent and having 1-6 carbon atoms. In this connection, the hydrocarbon group having 1-6 carbon atoms may additionally have an ether bond.)


The rare variant rs12975333 is a G→T change located at the eighth nucleotide of the mature microRNA-125a (miR-125a). The T allele has been reported to block the processing of pri-miRNA to pre-miRNA precursor and to be extremely rare, being detected only once in a panel of 1200 individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds assessed by the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain.1 A study by Li et al 2 showed the T allele of rs12975333 to be strongly associated with breast cancer risk, with 6 of 72 (8.3%) breast cancer cases from two hospitals in Antwerp, Belgium, being carriers of the T allele and none of 282 controls collected from the general population in the Antwerp area or 587 Caucasian controls collected in the USA.2 The breast cancers were all lymph node negative and received only local treatment (mastectomy or lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment). Genotyping was performed by means of the TaqMan assay, as previously described,1 using whole-genome-amplified DNA obtained from …


To examine rates of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), mechanical thrombectomy (MT), door‐to‐needle (DTN) time, door‐to‐puncture (DTP) time, and functional outcome between patients with admission magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) versus computed tomography (CT).


Anthropogenic activities close to water bodies can be sources of contamination, posing a risk to the environment and human health. This study aimed to assess the chemical composition of surface and groundwater samples collected from the Sao Pedro river basin, in the municipality of Faxinal (PR-Brazil). Thirty-eight samples were collected in total: nineteen from rivers, two in dams, eleven at sites with springs, one in a shallow well, and five in deep wells part of the Guarani Aquifer System. Samples were collected in the rainy and dry seasons to determine the concentrations of the following elements: Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Chromium, Nickel, Aluminum, Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium, which were quantified using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results were compared with the standards established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health Ordinance n. 2914/2011, which regulates the drinking water standard for human consumption in Brazil. Manganese, Aluminum, and Mercury levels were observed to be above those required by the standards established by the legislation, indicating that further studies are necessary to detect possible sources of pollution in these waters as well as highlighting the potential risks to human health and ultimately contributing to the environmental planning of this basin.


Objective
To observe the efficacy of the combined surgery of cataract and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods
The data of 142 eyes of 142 cases of cataract with PDR from Feb. 2015 to Jan. 2018 in this hospital were analyzed retrospectively. All cases were randomly divided into two groups. Group A, 72 eyes received phacoemulsification combined with vitrectomy and intraocular lens implantation. Group B, 70 eyes received vitrectomy combined with lensectomy and intraocular lens anterior capsular ciliary groove implantation.

Results
Between the two groups, there was no significant difference in preoperative visual acuity (P=0.453), but the difference in postoperative visual acuity was statistically significant between the two groups(Z=-4.121, P=0.035). There was no significant difference in intraocular pressure after operation between the two groups at different time points (P>0.05). The incidence of corneal edema and lens capsule opacity in group A were lower than that in group B (P<0.05).

Conclusion
The visual acuity after phacoemulsification combined with vitrectomy for cataract with proliferative diabetic retinopathy is better than that of lensectomy combined with vitrectomy, and the complications are less than that of vitrectomy combined with vitrectomy.

Key words:
Cataract; Retinopathy, diabetic, proliferative; Surgery, combined


X-ray topography or diffraction imaging comprises a family of techniques employed to study semiconductor materials. This study assesses and compares three variants of diffraction imaging: double crystal x-ray topography, Lang x-ray topography, and a new technique known as Bedescan, applied to α-SiC substrates and wurtzite GaN heteroepitaxial layers.


The article studies the relationship of contemporary fashion and lifestyles. The author discusses the basic philosophical conceptions concerned with the research objective, considers the typical features of lifestyles: visualization, privacy, feminization.


Nanosecond laser ablation is studied using a theoretical model combined with experimental data from laser ablation of metal films. The purpose of the research is to obtain the recoil pressure boundary condition resulting from explosive phase change. The ablation experiments are performed using a Nd:YAG laser of 1064 nm wavelength and 7 ns pulse width at full width half maximum. Three samples, 200 and 1000 nm aluminum films and 1000 nm nickel films, are used in the experiments. The transient shock wave positions are obtained by a time-resolved shadowgraph technique. A N2 -laser pumped dye laser with 3 ns pulse width is used as an illumination source and is synchronized with the ablation laser to obtain the transient shock wave position with nanosecond resolution. The transient shock position is used in a model for finding the shock wave speed as well as the pressure, temperature, and velocity just behind the shock wave. A power law is used for fitting curves on the experimentally obtained shock wave position. Knowing the shock wave position, the normal shock equations are used to calculate the thermo-fluid properties behind the shock wave. The solutions are compared with the Taylor-Sedov solution for spherical shocks and the reason for the deviation is described. The thermo-fluid property results show similar trends for all tested samples. The results show that the Taylor-Sedov solution under-estimates the pressure behind the shock wave when compared to the normal shock results.Copyright © 2009 by ASME