Euphorbia lathyris has been known traditionally for its anticancer activity. However, for weakly polar compositions of Euphorbia lathyris, there is a lack of comprehensive chromatographic purification methods. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an efficient bioassay-guided off-line 2D HPLC method for isolation and identification of anticancer compounds from the Euphorbia lathyris ethyl acetate extract. In the present study, preparative separation in the first dimension was performed on a bare silica column to simplify the sample into fractions with good separation repeatability. Then, an amide column was taken as the second dimension to realize the rapid preparation of monomers. Structures were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. For compound 2 the absolute configuration was confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction spectroscopy. The compounds were evaluated for their tumor cell growth inhibitory activities on HEPG2 and A549 cells by a real-time cell-analyzer. Eventually, a total of seven compounds were isolated from the Euphorbia lathyris extract, namely Euphorbia factor L2 (1), Euphorbia factor L1 (2), glyceryl monooleate (3), Euphorbia factor L8 (4), Euphorbia factor L3 (5), Euphorbia factor L9 (6), and esculetin (7). Compounds 2 and 6 showed significant anticancer activity against A549 and HEPG2 cells. Compounds 1, 3, 4 and 7 were ineffective against HEPG2 cells. However, the four compounds showed significant bioactivity against A549 cells. Compound 5 exhibited a good inhibition of cancer cell growth activity. As mentioned above, the bioactivity-guided off-line 2D HPLC method is extremely useful for the separation of weakly polar compounds and could lead to the discovery of more useful natural anticancer compounds.


ABSTRACT A full-scale 3D numerical model using the discrete element method is used to investigate three different chute designs for the charging of a blast furnace. The three chutes differ in the proportion of the chute that is either smooth or contains rock boxes. The uniformity of the delivery of burden materials is assessed as the burden passes through a 2D plane is used to determine the relative merits of the three designs. The chute composed entirely of rock boxes was predicted to provide the most homogeneous delivery of material to the top of the blast furnace according to the above criterion. Choice of chute design is discussed with reference to the historical movement away from the older ledge-charging strategies to the more modern chimney-charging strategies. Schematic diagram showing predicted burden delivery distribution form a full-scale 3D DEM model for a blast furnace. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


The epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) spectral region in metamaterials has shown unique opportunities for enhancing light-matter interactions, particularly due to the large variation of dielectric permittivity over a small frequency range. In this work, ultrashort pulse propagation at the ENZ point is investigated using both the split-step method approach to solving Nonlinear Schrödinger's equation (NLSE) and the one-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. We use an estimation for chromatic dispersion at the ENZ for the NLSE, and low input powers for the initial pulse to minimize nonlinearities for both methods. The permittivity for the AZO/ZnO structure was varied only in the AZO layer, which we estimated using Drude model. We found that the damping frequency, γ, in the Drude model has the most influence on pulse shaping during propagation as it relates to losses within the material. Results from our 1D FDTD simulations have shown soliton-like behavior for incoming ultrashort pulses with duration 100 fs in the ENZ region up to 300 nm lengths for γ = 1x1011 and 1x1012 Hz.


The multi-ton-scale liquid xenon detectors, with an excellent energy resolution of a few keV, will be constructed to probe the dark-matter particles. In this paper, we show that precision measurements of the low-energy solar neutrinos via the elastic neutrino-electron scattering in this kind of detectors are able to improve the present limits on neutrino lifetimes and neutrino magnetic moments by about one order of magnitude. We carefully study the impact of the unknown neutrino mass spectrum on the ultimate limits in the case of non-radiative visible neutrino decays. In the case of invisible neutrino decays, the lower bounds τ1/m1 ≳ 3 × 10−2 s/eV and τ2/m2 ≳ 8× 10−3 s/eV at the 2σ level can be obtained for a total exposure of 70 ton⋅ year. Furthermore, a restrictive constraint on the effective magnetic moment of neutrinos μeff ≲ 2.6× 10−12 μB, with μB being the Bohr magneton, can be achieved. This is among the best results that will be available in the laboratory experiments in the near future.


Disclosed are systems, devices and methods related to mixed mode time interleaved digital-to-analog converters (DACs). In some embodiments, such DACs can be utilized for radio-frequency (RF) applications. In some embodiments, a DAC for RF applications can include a first circuit configured to receive a digital signal and perform a first operation to yield an increased bandwidth of the DAC. The DAC can further include a second circuit configured to perform a second operation on the digital signal to yield an analog signal representative of the digital signal. The second circuit can be further configured to reduce or remove an image within the increased bandwidth.


Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether total serum carotenoids, -tocopherol, selenium, and obesity were independently associated with oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDLs) in moderately to severely disabled older women living in the community. Methods: Serum ox-LDLs, carotenoids, -tocopherol, and selenium were measured in a population- based sample of 543 moderately to severely disabled women 65 y in the Women's Health and Aging Study I in Baltimore, Maryland. Results: Total serum carotenoids, smoking, overweight (body mass index 25-29.9 kg/m 2 ), and obesity (body mass index 30 mg/kg 2 ) were significantly associated with the ox-LDL/LDL cholesterol ratio after adjusting for age, C-reactive protein, and chronic diseases. -Tocopherol and selenium were not significantly associated with the ox-LDL/LDL cholesterol ratio. Conclusion: Older women who are overweight or obese or who have low total serum carotenoids are more likely to have higher lipoprotein oxidation. Weight reduction in overweight/obese women and increased intake of carotenoid-rich foods may potentially reduce lipoprotein oxidation. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


A high bitrate optical downlink was performed by the stratospheric optical payload experiment (STROPEX), a part of the EU CAPANINA project. The STROPEX objectives were to design and build the necessary hardware to demonstrate an optical backhaul downlink from a stratospheric platform to the ground and to carry out channel measurements on the link. A successful measurement campaign at ESRANGE near Kiruna, Sweden achieved all of these objectives. The transportable optical ground station received an almost error free 1.25 Gbit/s data signal from the payload over a distance of 64.3 km with a bit error rate of better than 10-9. This paper gives an overview of the stratospheric optical payload experiment, focusing on the airborne free-space experimental laser terminal (FELT). Additionally, the successful measurement campaign is described and the operation of the experiment is outlined.


Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy (MIE) is a complex and technically demanding procedure and implementation is associated with a substantial learning curve. Suboptimal surgical performance in complex minimally invasive procedures has convincingly been related to less favorable patient outcomes. Structured video-based assessment by other surgeons can objectively evaluate surgical performance, but requires a surgeon's scarce time. This study investigated whether crowdsourcing, collective surgical performance evaluation by anonymous and untrained laypeople, could be a valid alternative for MIE.
 Two video assessments types were conducted via the C-SATS platform with eight MIE operative videos. First, videos were cut into eight procedural phase-based video clips of maximum ten minutes. These 64 video clips were assessed with the validated Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS)'s four domains (depth perception, bimanual dexterity, efficiency and tissue handling) using a 1-5 Likert scale. Each video clip was assessed by a pair of two MIE experts and > 30 crowd workers, recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Second, the same expert pairs assessed the corresponding complete video with the procedure-specific MIE competency assessment tool (MIE-CAT).
 Experts assessed 128 clips and sixteen complete videos in 3.5 months. Crowd workers assessed 1984 clips in < two days. Expert scores showed a wider range (expert GOALS score range 7.50-19.50 versus 12.84-15.63 for crowds). When comparing experts and crowd workers scores, a poor correlation was found on all domains and total GOALS scores (ICC ≤ 0.42). When correlating GOALS scores with MIE-CAT scores a strong, positive correlation between experts' scores was found (r¬s = 0.76, p = 0.03) while between crowd's GOALS and expert's MIE-CAT scores a small correlation was found (r¬s = 0.23, p = 0.58) (Figure 1).
 Despite rapid results from crowd workers, a poor agreement between crowd and experts' GOALS scores was observed. MIE might be technically too difficult to assess for laypeople. Furthermore, GOALS might not be extensive enough to assess MIE performance in detail, while the procedure-specific MIE-CAT might be more comprehensive. However, the correlation between the experts' MIE-CAT and GOALS scores indicates video clip assessments (instead of full length video assessments) could be helpful to shorten assessment time.


The ideal model (ROM2) is derived for parallel blended fibrous structure comprised of two different fiber bundles and an improved simple model is proposed to describe the strength of blended yarns. The model is verified with our experimental results for PET/PA6DTY blended filaments yarn and other experimental results obtained by other researchers. 


This article describes the CLICK model, which aims to support students' multimodal composing practices through balancing explicit scaffolding with opportunities to exercise creative freedom.


This paper describes and introduces various new technologies of computer-aided medicine, specially about virtual reality technology applied in clinic. An overview is given about several computer-aided technologies still in research as well.


The genus Alcea that is a member of Malvaceae family, is a Mediterranean
 perennial herb with major diversity centers in the Middle East and Western
 Mediterranean Basin. Alcea is a unique genus with several endemic taxa, and
 many of these endemic taxa from the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical area
 are particularly interesting. The genus contains 34 species in Iran, 15 of
 which are endemic. As a result of the importance of Alcea species, molecular
 data were collected for this genus in this research. For this study, 83
 plants were used, which were randomly obtained from 5 species found in 6
 provinces. Genomic DNA Amplification with 5 primers resulted in 75 bands, 66
 of which were polymorphic (88.12%). The high average MI and PIC values
 indicated that SCoT primers have a high capacity for detecting polymorphic
 loci among the species of Alcea. The range of genetic similarities between 5
 collected species was estimated to be between 0.77 and 0.89. The SCoT
 markers analysis revealed that the species Alcea angulata and Alcea popovii
 had the least similarity, while Alcea loftusii and Alcea sulphurea had the
 most similarity. The current study?s objectives are as follows: 1) is it
 possible to identify Alcea species through SCoT markers, 2) what genetic
 structure do these species have in Iran, and 3) what is the species
 inter-relationship? The current research found that SCoT markers can be used
 to identify the species.


A combination of the Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna and wireless charging coil for a mobile device is proposed in this paper. By integrating the single dual-mode antenna, the mobile device can provide both the NFC and wireless charging functions. The NFC multi-loop antenna transmits power in a near range by using magnetic field coupling. A capacitive matching circuit is added to achieve good coupling with a nearby NFC device at 13.56 MHz. On the other hand, the wireless charging system harvests energy in also a near range with magnetic field coupling at 100 kHz. A PCB coplanar design is employed to integrate our design into the mobile device. Simulated and measured results are presented and good performance for both NFC and wireless charging is achieved.


This thesis focuses on developing stem cell targeted gene therapy for the severe hereditary disorder Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis (IMO) as well as increasing the understanding of how the genetic defect present in IMO affects the hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoiesis in general.

IMO is a rare congenital disorder associated with an increased number of non-functional osteoclasts and the absence of bone resorption results in accumulation of sclerotic bone leading to abnormal bone marrow cavity formation insufficient to support hematopoiesis. The most common mutation is in the TCIRG1 gene seen in over 50% of the patients. The children suffer from bone marrow failure, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, immune dysfunction and recurrent infections. Furthermore, the impaired remodeling of the developing bone results in compression of cranial nerves which leads to neurological impairment, affecting especially vision and hearing which may progress to blindness and deafness. The only curative treatment available today for IMO is bone marrow transplantation. However, this can only be performed if the patient has a suitable stem cell donor. If untreated, the children die around the age of five. Currently no alternative treatment exists, thus IMO is a candidate disease for development of gene therapy.

The first two papers are based on studies conducted with the oc/oc mouse model that has a mutation in the homologous gene and shares the same osteopetrotic phenotype as seen in humans. Paper one focuses on developing a clinically relevant model for cell therapy in the oc/oc mouse by replacing radiation conditioning with low-dose busulfan conditioning prior to neonatal bone marrow transplantation and optimizing the administration procedure. In paper two, neonatal oc/oc mice were treated with bone marrow transplantation without any prior conditioning, which showed a rapid reversal of the severe osteopetrotic phenotype despite low level of engraftment and lack of selective expansion of the osteoclastic lineage. In manuscript three human stem cells from patients with IMO were studied and the paper provides the first proof-of-principle of lentiviral-mediated correction restoring the resorptive function of osteoclasts derived from peripheral blood CD34+ cells of IMO patients. In manuscript four the osteoclast significance in hematopoietic stem cell maintenance was studied by generating two adult osteopetrotic mouse models and subsequently analyzing the hematopoiesis of the mice. The results from this study indicate that osteoclast function is not essential for hematopoietic stem cell maintenance in adult mice.

Results obtained from the oc/oc mouse model and from IMO patient cells are encouraging for further development of hematopoietic stem cell targeted gene therapy, and will serve as basis for upcoming development of clinical gene therapy of osteopetrosis.


The invention relates to a device for lifting condensates, comprising a container (1) in which condensates are collected and a lift pump for discharging the condensates present in said container, said container (1) being covered, on at least one portion of the submerged inner walls thereof with a biocidal surface treatment, and containing at least one wire element (4) made from a bactericidal metal material, having a diameter of between 0.01 mm and 1 mm, and a length chosen in such a way as to provide a contact surface greater than the surface area of said container (1) in contact with said condensates.


Black Seed The date and location of domestication of Nigella sativa is not clearly established, but the plant was certainly under wide cultivation more than 3000 years ago, when it was placed in the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamun. Historical evidence also shows contemporaneous, or earlier, black seed cultivation in Jordan and Iraq. In addition, wild types of Nigella sativa grow in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, suggesting domestication may have originally occurred there.


Cyclops is a new vertex-oriented graph-parallel framework for writing distributed graph analytics. Unlike existing distributed graph computation models, Cyclops retains simplicity and computation-efficiency by synchronously computing over a distributed immutable view, which grants a vertex with read-only access to all its neighboring vertices. The view is provided via read- only replication of vertices for edges spanning machines during a graph cut. Cyclops follows a centralized computation model by assigning a master vertex to update and propagate the value to its replicas unidirectionally in each iteration, which can significantly reduce messages and avoid contention on replicas. Being aware of the pervasively available multicore-based clusters, Cyclops is further extended with a hierarchical processing model, which aggregates messages and replicas in a single multicore machine and transparently decomposes each worker into multiple threads on-demand for different stages of computation. We have implemented Cyclops based on an open-source Pregel clone called Hama. Our evaluation using a set of graph algorithms on an in-house multicore cluster shows that Cyclops outperforms Hama from 2.06X to 8.69X and 5.95X to 23.04X using hash-based and Metis partition algorithms accordingly, due to the elimination of contention on messages and hierarchical optimization for the multicore-based clusters. Cyclops (written in Java) also has comparable performance with PowerGraph (written in C++) despite the language difference, due to the significantly lower number of messages and avoided contention.


Objective: Objective of this study was to investigate, if motion analysis using visual perceptive computing (VPC) can identify patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at risk of falling.
 Background: MS patients have an increased risk of falling. Upon falling patients can suffer injury on top of disease-related disability. Additionally, fear-of-falling can cause behavioral changes that reduce mobility and quality of life. Falls-prevention is an unmet clinical need in MS, and it is important to identify patients with an increased risk of falling potentially benefiting from targeted intervention.
 Methods: At baseline 100 MS patients were enrolled. Clinical disability was assessed with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), low contrast letter acuity (LCLA) and symbol digit modalities test (SDMT). Gait and balance were assessed using MS-12-item-walking-scale questionnaire (MSWS-12) and a VPC motion analysis system (Motognosis Labs with Microsoft Kinect) including short maximum speed walk (SMSW) and postural control (POCO) tests. After 12 months, falls occurrence, frequency and circumstances were assessed by structured phone interview. Data from 84 patients could be analyzed. Baseline characteristics of fallers and non-fallers were compared using t-tests and logistic regression analyses.
 Results: Nineteen patients (23[percnt]) reported falls. Fallers and non-fallers differed significantly in EDSS (Δ1.0±0.3, p=0.002), MSWS-12 (Δ10.6±3.0, p=0.001 and SMSW average speed (Δ0.21±0.07 m/s, p=0.009), but not in age, time since onset, BMI, LCLA, SDMT. In a stepwise logistic regression entering all variables with backward selection, a final combination of MSWS-12, SMSW average walking speed and SMSW shoulder/head 3D angle deflection range was able to correctly identify 35[percnt] of fallers and 95[percnt] of non-fallers.
 Conclusions: Gait and balance analysis together with a walking questionnaire were able to identify fallers and non-fallers in MS patients. Our study highlights the potential utility of motion analysis for fall prediction, but further improvement is necessary before this approach can be used for screening. Disclosure: Dr. Grobelny has nothing to disclose. Dr. Behrens has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Mertens has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kruger has nothing to disclose. Dr. Otte has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kayser has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mansow-Model has nothing to disclose. Dr. Paul has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bayer Schering Pharma, Merck Serono, Biogen Idec, Medimmune, and Novartis. Dr. Brandt has received personal compensation for activities with Meedical (Medical GmbH Medizintechnik) as cofounder and director. Dr. Brandt has received personal compensation for activities with Heidelberg Engineering as a speaker. Dr. Brandt has recei Dr. Schmitz-Huebsch has received personal compensation for activities with Ipsen Pharma.


This study was carried out to investigate the developmental morphometry of the whole body and brain weights of wild grey breasted helmeted guinea fowl in Nigeria. Domestication of this species of bird is in the increase but information on the development of the body and brain, and how it relates to the neurobiology of this bird is scanty, thus the need for this study. The mean weights of the whole embryo and brain of wild helmeted guinea fowl on day 4 of incubation were 0.040 ± 0.0021 g and 0.010 ± 0.004 g. On day 13, 23 and 28, their mean body weights were 1.951 ± 0.08 g, 12.592 ± 1.305 g and 18.687 ± 1.647 g, respectively. At post-hatch, the mean weights of the brain and whole body of helmeted guinea fowl keets at day 1 was 20.353 ± 1.1946 g. At days 10, 37 and 55, the mean weights were 30.089 ± 2.4275 g, 109.062 ± 4.5119 g and 244.401 ± 26.2049 g, respectively. Developmentally, on day 4 of incubation, embryo begins to for and brain weights increases with increase in body weight. The mean weight of the keet of helmeted guinea fowl was established at 20.353 ± 1.1946 g. Breeders can use this as a standard to ascertain the growth performance of keets.


In this paper an innovated method is used for cooling grinding zone via fuzzy logic using infrared pyrometer for non-touch measuring of the temperature. This method is very reasonable for cooling the grinding zone due to the used fuzzy logic approach which is more realistic in physical realities. The simplicity of the fuzzy rules based on memberships for temperature and the ratio of opening for the coolant outlet valve improved the efficiency of the system with lower loss of the coolant in compare to conventional coolant systems.In this method, the infrared sensor plays a very important role to achieve an accurate and fast cooling process because of its accuracy and rapidity.


INTRODUCTION: Surgical site infection (SSI) is most common type of Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) in low and middle-income countries. The objective of the study was to find out the incidence and associated factors of SSI following obstetric surgeries especially Lower Segment Cesarean Section (LSCS).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted at Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital. A total of 1739 patients files who had undergone Lower Segment Cesarean Section from 14th April 2019 to 12 April 2020 was reviewed. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Version 20.0 and interpreted in descriptive and inferential statistics.
RESULTS: Among 1739 obstetric surgeries performed, 50 patient showed signs and symptoms of SSI yielding to an infection rate of 2.9%. Majority (80%) of patients developed SSI after they were discharged. There was significant association between SSI and type of surgery (p=0.007) and, SSI was not associated with haemoglobin level, blood transfusion, residence and age of the patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Though overall infection rate was low, most of the women developed infection after being discharged, thus it is recommended that discharge counselling about wound care should be emphasized.


Happiness is Around the Bend is a real-time demo, a product of an online collective of visual artists who create non-profit, real-time effect pieces as stand-alone works of electronic art.


In this paper, the BGA solder joint is considered as the object of study. A fatigue life prediction model based on energy conservation law is constructed by reasonable assumptions. Energy-based life prediction model can avoid the analysis of various complex damage mechanisms in fatigue process, and only use energy as a measure. The mechanical response of BGA solder joint under temperature cycling condition is studied by ANSYS finite element analysis software and the stress and strain characteristics of BGA solder joints are obtained. Combining with accelerated test, parameters of BGA solder joint life prediction model based on energy are deduced. According to the figure of data curve fitting, the rationality of the energy-based fatigue life prediction model of BGA solder joints is verified.


Hyperactivity of the protein phosphatase calcineurin (CN) in brain directly corresponds to key neuropathological and clinical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While inhibition of CN ameliorates pathophysiologic and cognitive changes in mice with AD‐like pathology, concerns over adverse effects have slowed the transition of common CN‐inhibiting drugs to the clinic for treatment of AD and AD‐related disorders. Targeting substrates of CN, like the nuclear factor of activated T‐cells (NFATs), has been suggested as an alternative, safer approach to CN inhibitors. Here, we investigate a newly developed neuroprotective hydroxyquinoline derivative (Q134R) that modulates NFAT signaling, without inhibiting CN activity.


In the present paper, on the basis of our work. advances in study of the catalysts of polyacid-type hydrotalcite-like are reported and reviewed.Using polyoxometalates (POM) as pillaring species and layered double hydroxides (LDH) as host matter, a new class of catalytic materials, LDHPOM, has been synthesized by five different methods. Their acidic and oxidative catalytic properties have been investigated by several research groups. The above mentioned information is given in this review.


The intense decay of a five‐quasiparticle isomer in 179W into the backbending region exposes for the first time a full set of S‐band states. A high value for the K‐quantum number is inferred from gamma‐ray branching ratios in the band‐crossing region, providing a basis for understanding the unusual decay of the isomer, as well as other highly K‐forbidden electromagnetic transitions in the A=180 region. The location of the full S‐band is discussed in connection with the superfluid‐to‐normal phase transition.


Abstract A commercial Cu-38at%Zn foil was subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) processing. The isothermal oxidation behavior of the SMAT Cu-38at%Zn over the temperature range ...


Transition matrices are an important determinant for risk management and VaR calculations in credit portfolios. It is well known that rating migration behavior is not constant through time. It shows cyclical behavior and significant changes over the years. We investigate the effect of changes in migration matrices on credit portfolio risk in terms of Expected Loss and Value-at-Risk figures for exemplary loan portfolios. The estimates are based on historical transition matrices for different time horizons and a continuous-time simulation procedure. We further determine confidence sets for the probability of default (PD) in different rating classes by a bootstrapping methodology. Our findings are substantial changes in VaR as well as for the width of estimated PD confidence intervals.


Aim The aim of the study was to understand and analyse psychological costs of a life crisis in women treated for infertility. Background Infertility constitutes a hardship that may be treated as a crisis situation for the women experiencing it. Methods The study has been conducted using mixed methodology. It encompassed hermeneutic approach for the analysis of narration, supplemented with a projective technique, as well as qualitative methods: original Inventory of Psychological Costs in Infertility and Scale of Attitudes towards Bio-Ethical Problems in Infertility, Basic Hope Inventory. Results The hermeneutic analysis identified 18 types of psychological costs, which were later confirmed during quantitative analyses. Statistically significant relationships were found between psychological costs and basic hope (r = –0.369; p < 0.01), length of treatment (the longer the infertility treatment, the higher psychological costs) and methods of treating infertility (the more advanced the method, the higher psychological costs). In the hermeneutic analyses, lability of hope as an emotional state was identified as the most important of all psychological costs – decrease of hope as an emotional states leads to more intense experiencing of the other costs (statistically proven). Conclusion Identification of psychological costs allows for multidimensional perception of infertility treatment as a crisis situation, thus providing opportunities to offer better psychological help for patients seeking remedy for their condition. What is also important is the role of hope treated both as an emotional state, and as a trait: basic hope.


This work aimed to analyse the relationship of dog owners with their animals to determine responsible ownership in Buenos Aires district, Teresina (PI), Argentina. 77 interviews were conducted. It was noted that in this district, most people never took the dog to the veterinarian (75.3


M otivating a busy nursing staff to attend continuing education events and inservice classes can be a full-time job for a nurse educator. Enhancing self-directed learning methods by presenting continuing education to staff members in a game format can be highly motivating. Adding a bit of healthy competition to a motivational game can be a very effective staff development tool. These were the key elements in developing the Play for Pottery game. As an educator, I am always looking for innovative ideas to encourage and challenge the nursing staff and incorporate fun into learning. According to Herman (2002), ''educational content that is presented, attended to, remembered and reinforced in a 'fun setting' will have a greater likelihood of being learned'' (p. 222). Infusing fun in the self-directed learning format and adding a bit of healthy competition was the framework for this educational offering. In addition to my position as an educator, I am an avid potter. I always have functional pottery pieces on hand, especially tableware, to give as gifts to family and friends. Some of these pottery pieces were used as prizes for the winters of the Play for Pottery game. The Play for Pottery game is based on the self-directed learning method. First, a learning needs assessment of the staff was conducted. Topics were identified and objectives were constructed. Senior staff members were involved in choosing the topic among the identified learning needs. A self-directed learning format was chosen because it is especially useful for educational offerings with a cognitive learning focus. In the first Play for Pottery game, a case study with accompanying rhythm strip was posted and discussed at staff meetings. Staff members were enthusiastic and motivated about the game and the potential for winning pottery. Staff answered questions with shortanswer responses regarding identification of the rhythm, prioritization of patient problems, and nursing interventions. There are many advantages of short-answer responses. In the Play for Pottery game, shortanswer responses clearly identified additional learning needs. Staff nurses returned completed answer sheets by the posted date. Correct responses to targeted critical questions had to be written on the completed answer sheet to be counted as correct. All staff members who scored 80% or greater were entered into the drawing. The time of the drawing was announced and held at a staff meeting. Correct answers were reviewed and discussed before the drawing and were posted on the unit to ensure that all staff learned the correct responses to every question. The first two names drawn won a piece of pottery. Pictures of winners with the pottery pieces were posted on the unit. Staff nurses were awarded inservice hours that could be countered toward advancement on the clinical ladder. Play for Pottery was continued every other month, and staff were expected to participate. Subsequent games have included hospital and unit-based competencies, comprehensive self-directed learning modules, and article reviews with post tests. Choices between multiple learning activities contained in the modules were added in later games to appeal to everyone's diverse learning styles. Given the speed at which clinical information becomes out of date, nurses must keep clinically current to provide the best possible care for patients. According to Griffitts (2002), ''experts place the half-life of professional nursing knowledge between two and five years'' (p. 23). Building professional knowledge can decrease stress related to an increasingly challenging clinical environment. Continuing education is frequently offered in many forms, such as self-directed learning packets, seminars, and hospital inservice classes and individual self-study. Although it is an expectation that hospitals provide education to staff members, it is the responsibility of the individual nurse to keep current in knowledge and skill. ........................... Jeanne M. Hanes, MSN, RN, is IMCCU Nurse Educator, Virginia Hospital Center, 1625 George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA 22205.


We conducted an experiment where participants played a perfect-information game against a computer, which was programmed to deviate often from its backward induction strategy right at the beginning of the game. Participants knew that in each game, the computer was nevertheless optimizing against some belief about the participant's future strategy.
It turned out that in the aggregate, participants were likely to respond in a way which is optimal with respect to their best-rationalization extensive form rationalizability conjecture - namely the conjecture that the computer is after a larger prize than the one it has foregone, even when this necessarily meant that the computer has attributed future irrationality to the participant when the computer made the first move in the game. Thus, it appeared that participants applied forward induction. However, there exist alternative explanations for the choices of most participants; for example, choices could be based on the extent of risk aversion that participants attributed to the computer in the remainder of the game, rather than to the sunk outside option that the computer has already foregone at the beginning of the game. For this reason, the results of the experiment do not yet provide conclusive evidence for Forward Induction reasoning on the part of the participants.


Condensation of active methylene compounds (1-6) with 4-fluorobenzalaniline resulted in the formation of addition-elimination products 1a-6a respectively. The products were identified on the basis of elemental analysis, m.m.p. determination and spectral studies and were screened in vitro for their antifungal potential against four phytopathogenic fungi.


Problem based learning (PBL) has been the major didactic method employed for the theoretical curriculum in the Psychotherapy program at Karolinska Institutet. How to evaluate the knowledge and skills the students acquire has been an important and yet unresolved question. This question includes the quality of the learning process, i.e. how the students get to "learn how to learn" and how the optimal feedback to the students is provided. The Objective of this project is to introduce a portfolio as an integrated part of the advanced three years Psychotherapy training program. Aims For the students; to facilitate the learning process by continuously throughout the program individually collect the documents needed for the portfolio. Moreover, by comparing the portfolio to those of others, the student might discover different learning styles. For the teachers; the portfolio will make it easier to monitor the individual students' learning process, as well as the learning process in the class. Furthermore, learning problems in the program will be identified easier and at an earlier point. To evaluate the outcome of the project and report the findings. Procedure To define the core competence needed to conduct psychotherapy. Interviewing representatives of policy makers will attain this, students engaged in the program today, psychotherapists who completed the program some years ago, and teachers from other psychotherapy programs. To find and evaluate instruments created to assess learning styles. One such instrument is "Inventory of learning styles" (Vermunt J. 1994), a 120 item questionnaire assessing study activities, study motives and study views. To define and create the different documents needed in the portfolio. This will be done in collaboration with the students. To evaluate the different documents in the portfolios in collaboration with the students.


Several trimethylsilyl substituted 1-phenyl or 1-benzyl isoquinoline derivatives were synthesized by the Bishler–Napieralsky reaction starting from the corresponding homoveratrylamides, which were ...


Experimentally determined maximum electroabsorption in GaAs/Al0.33Ga0.67As multiple quantum wells over the quantum well width range of 17–260 A is related to the confinement of the electronic wave functions in the quantum well, increasing with enhanced confinement. However, for very narrow wells, this increase in maximum electroabsorption is diminished by strong broadening of the excitonic resonances due to phonon scattering, eventually leading to a peak value of 22 200 cm−1 at a 35 A well width.


HETEROSIS for yield and certain other characters has been reported in all of the cultivated species of cotton (Gossypium hirsuium, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum, and G. arboreum). Loden and Richmond (12) in 1951 reviewed the literature pertaining to heterosis in cotton. A few of the more notable presentations on this specific subject since that time are those of Jones and Loden (10), Turner (19, 20), Christidis (2), Fryxell et al. (6), Barnes and Staten (1), and Stroman (18). These writers reported on a wide range of hybrids, both interand intraspecifk, with varying degrees of expression of heterosis for yield and other agronomic characters. As a basis for measurement, they used the mid-parent, the better parent, or a commercial variety.


To determine the difference in outcomes in patients who achieved or did not achieve the 2019 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria.


A conformal mapping solution for irrotational gravity-free flow is modified to determine an expression for the drag on continuous and dentated sills. The effect of gravity is partially accounted for by the inclusion of the upstream hydrostatic force in the momentum equations. For the dentated sill case, continuity, energy and momentum relationships were used to divide the total flow into two portions, i.e., one passing between the baffles and another passing over the baffles. Two-dimensional techniques were then applied to determine the baffle drag coefficient. Good agreement was found between experimental and theoretical drag coefficients for both the continuous and dentated sills for (jet height)/(baffle height) 1.4.


In this paper the problem of designing a two-point linear temperature controller for the regulation of the product compositions in binary distillation columns is addressed. The combination of feedforward, feedback, and internal model control concepts yields a control design methodology with (i) criteria to choose the (decentralized and one- or two-way) decoupling structure and the temperature measurements location, (ii) a linear control system that consists of a static interaction compensator and a pair of decoupled proportional−integral controllers with feed-temperature-based setpoint adjustment, (iii) an implementation that requires the static dependencies of the measured tray temperatures on the feed temperature, the slopes of the operating lines, and the temperature-gradient-to-holdup quotients in the measurement trays, and (iv) a conventional-like tuning scheme that resembles the ones employed in linear first-order controllers and filters. The linear controller recovers the behavior of a material-bal...


In this paper, a theoretical analysis of unstrained GeSn alloys as a laser gain medium was performed. Using the empirical pseudopotential method, the band structure of GeSn alloys was simulated and verified against experimental data. This model shows that GeSn becomes direct bandgap with 6.55% Sn concentration. The optical gain of GeSn alloys with 0-10% Sn concentration was calculated with different n-type doping concentrations and injection levels. It is shown theoretically that adding Sn greatly increases the differential gain owing to the reduction of energy between the direct and indirect conduction bands. For a double-heterostructure laser, the model shows that at a cavity loss of 50 cm-1, the minimum threshold current density drops 60 times from Ge to Ge0.9Sn0.1, and the corresponding optimum n-doping concentration of the active layer drops by almost two orders of magnitude. These results indicate that GeSn alloys are good candidates for a Si-compatible laser.


This paper reports that first-phase construction on the longest and largest pipeline ever laid in the North Sea will peak this year with completion of pipelaying and tie-ins. Phase 1 of the Zeepipe transportation system (ZTS) targets full gas delivery to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on October 1, 1993. Start-up and partial delivery of first gas to the terminal will occur somewhat earlier, based on current negotiations with buyers. More than 390 miles of 30 and 40-in. pipeline were laid between April 12 and September 16, 1991. This work included 0.93 miles of 40-in. at the Sleipner field, 366.8 miles of 40-in. between Sleipner and Zeebrugge, and 24.2 miles of 30-in. To connect Zeepipe at Sleipner to the Statpipe system at the nearby 16/11-S platform. Pipelay contractors are currently at work on 143 miles of 20-in. line to connect Sleipner to Karsto and on the final leg between Sleipner and Zeebrugge, 135.4 miles of 40 in. When pipelaying operations are completed this year, 670 miles of 20, 30, and 40-in. pipeline will have been laid since April 1991.


Projections of the precipitation associated with cyclones in the main cyclogenetic regions of the Extratropical Southern Hemisphere domains (Africa - AFR, Australia - AUS and South America - SAM) are here analyzed during the winter season (JJA). The projections were obtained with the Regional Climate Model version 4 (RegCM4) nested in three global climate models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5. RegCM4 simulations were executed with horizontal grid spacing of 25 km and for the period 1979-2100. As reference period, we consider the interval 1995-2014 and as future climate, the period 2080-2099. Cyclones are identified using an algorithm based on the neighbor nearest approach applied to 6 hourly mean sea level pressure (SLP) fields. In SAM and AUS domains, two hotspot regions for cyclogenesis are selected while for AFR only one is considered. First, in each hotspot region, the cyclogeneses are identified and, then, the mean precipitation from the previous day (day-1) to the day after (day+1) of these processes is calculated. A general negative trend in the cyclone's frequency is projected for the period 2080-2099. However, for the same period, it is projected an increase of precipitation intensity for AFR domain, mainly near the southwestern coast of the continent. In AUS the increase is observed between southeastern Australia and New Zeland, and over north New Zealand. For SAM there is an expansion of the area with a maximum precipitation intensity close to southern Brazil and Uruguay and to the east of 60oW near 40oS. Summarizing, the precipitation associated with individual cyclones will increase on average in the future (for example 30% in the SAM domain), being the storms less frequent but more intense.


The quantum numbers of the higher resonances in pionnucleon scattering belonging to the nucleon and 3--3 isobar trajectories are shown to arise from the exchange of the nucleon and pion-nucleon resonances themselves. In particular the members of the nucleon trajectory are created principally by forces due to the exchange of members of the 3-3 isobar trajectory and vice versa. The quantum numbers obtained from dynamical considerations agree completely with those conjectured on the basis of Regge pole considerations. The dynamical scheme is approximately symmetrical under interchange of the two trajectories. (auth)


− The paper is devoted to derivation of analytic expressions for coefficients of reflection and transmission when a plane wave interacts with a system of three identical twodimensional gratings, each of which consists of a periodic array of rectangular cracks of the elastic isotropic medium in 2-D. In a one-mode range approximation the problem is reduced to the system of hypersingular integral equations, solution of which gives the coefficients of reflection and propagation, and an explicit representation of the wave field inside the structure.


The goals of this paper are to compare the results of electron particle transport measurements in ohmic (OH) plasmas by means of a small perturbation technique, high-level gas puff and gas switch off, investigate the phenomenon of 'density pump out' during electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and to correlate density behaviour with turbulence. Two approaches for plasma particle transport studies were compared: the low perturbation technique of periodic puff (δn/ne = 0.3%) and strong density variations (δn/ne < 50%), including density ramp-up by gas puff and ramp-down with gas switch off. The model with constant in time diffusion coefficients and pinch velocities could describe the core density perturbations but failed at the edge. In the case of strong puff three stages were distinguished. Degraded energy confinement and, respectively, low turbulence frequencies were observed during density ramp-up and ramp-down, while enhanced confinement and higher turbulence frequencies were typical for the intermediate stage. Density profile variation during this intermediate phase could be described in the framework of the transport model with constant in time coefficients. The application of ECRH at the density ramp-up phase provided the possibility of postponing the 'density pump out'. The increase in the low-frequency modes in turbulence spectra was observed at the 'density pump out' phase during central ECRH. Although the high- and low-frequency bands of turbulence spectra behaved as trapped electron mode and ion temperature gradient, respectively, they both rotated at the same angular velocity as a rigid body together with magnetohydrodynamic mode m/n = 2/1 and [E × B] plasma rotation.


1. SWIFT M, MORRELL D: Cardiovascular risk in homocystinuria family members (Letter to the editor). Am J Hum Genet 34:1016-1018, 1982 2. MUDD SH, HAVLIK R, LEVY HL, McKusIcK VA, FEINLEIB M: A study of cardiovascular risk in heterozygotes for homocystinuria. Am J Hum Genet 33:883-893, 1981 3. NAPIER JA, METZNER H, JOHNSON BC: Limitations of morbidity and mortality data obtained from family histories-a report from the Tecumseh Community Health Study. Am J Public Health 62:30-35, 1972 4. ELINSON J, TRUSSELL RE: Some factors relating to degree of correspondence for diagnostic information as obtained by household interviews and clinical examinations. Am J Public Health 47:311-321, 1957 5. KRUEGER DE: Measurement of prevalence of chronic disease by household interviews and clinical evaluations. Am J Public Health 47:953-960, 1957 6. ENTERLINE PE, CAPT KG: A validation of information provided by household respondents in health surveys. Am J Public Health 49:205-212, 1959 7. U.S. NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY: Health interview responses compared with medical records. Health Statistics, Series D, No. 5, U.S. Public Health Service, Washington, D.C., Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare, 1961 8. SWIFT M: Fanconi's anaemia in the genetics of neoplasia. Nature 230:370-373, 1971 9. SWIFT M, SHOLMAN L, PERRY M, CHASE C: Malignant neoplasms in the families of patients with ataxia-telangiectasia. Cancer Res 36:209-215, 1976 10. SWIFT M, CHASE C: Cancer in families with xeroderma pigmentosum. JNatl Cancer Inst 62:1415-1421, 1979


In this paper, we introduce a new LUT based watermarking method for a halftone image. Watermark bits are hidden at pseudo-random locations of halftone image in the proposed method. The pixel values of the halftone image are determined from the LUT entry indexed by both the neighborhood halftone pixels and current grayscale value. The LUT is trained by a set of grayscale images and corresponding halftone images. Advantage of the LUT method is that it can be executed very fast compared with other watermarking methods for a halftone image. Therefore, the algorithm can be embedded in a printer. Experiments for real scanned images showed that the method is a feasible method to hide the large amount of data within a halftone image without noticeable distortion and comparing to the DHED method, is almost same in quality but significantly shorten in processing time.


Abstract The bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg), a highly toxic Hg species, and its associated ecological and health risks are of global concerns. Mercury–selenium (Se) antagonism is well-recognized as an important "natural" mechanism mitigating the risk of MeHg bioaccumulation and toxicity. However, the impact of Se on microbial MeHg production, the first step in MeHg bioaccumulation, is unclear. By evaluating the current state of knowledge on Hg–Se antagonisms observed in plants and deposit-feeders, we propose that Se-mediated decrease in microbial MeHg production in soils and sediments plays a key role. The underlying mechanisms responsible for Se-inhibited microbial MeHg production may include (i) HgSe nanoparticle formation, which reduces the availability of inorganic Hg to microbial methylators, as well as Se-impacted (ii) microbial methylators and (iii) MeHg degradation and evaporation. These mechanisms and the factors influencing the Se-induced decrease in microbial MeHg production are considered. In addition, the results of a recent field trial using Se to remediate Hg-contaminated soils are presented as an example of a remediation strategy for Hg-contaminated environments, a topic of interest to scientists and regulators. Finally, after highlighting Se-impacted microbial MeHg production, a process that has been largely underestimated, we suggest future avenues for exploring Hg–Se antagonism.


In this paper, results of field observations of vertical distribution of suspended sediments by size, shape and density carried out in the nearshore zone of a large man-made lake are presented and discussed. It is customary believed that such a distribution of suspended sediment demonstrates quasi-steady decrease of all parameters in the direction from the sand bed towards the water surface. However, the field observations conducted revealed the. profiles with other character of change of suspended sediment concentration, sediment grain size heavy minerals and rolled particles content. It was found that the monotone decrease of those sediment parameters is just a particular case of vertical sorting of the suspended sands.


Industrial growth is making sweeping changes in the structure of an economy and a sectoral transformation is taking place making service sector an important in any nation's Gross National Product and export earnings. The main objective of this paper is to bring out the software services and its growths are contributed over the years for the promotion of Indian economy. It also addressee the problems of software companies which are located in and around Chennai area and the data are used for the analysis is collected from secondary sources like books and journal. International trade in services particularly software is one of the emerging important fields of economic activities in any nation's total national economic activities and one of the most important new areas of research. Services account for nearly 60 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in most countries. In the developed countries nearly 2/3 rd of the Gross National Product is originating from service sector and. the share of employment is also higher. Services are the fast growing sectors and account for over 20 per cent of international trade. A service activity adds value to something either a good belonging to another person or to another person.


ObjectiveIn mechanically ventilated patients, pulmonary gas exchange was investigated during the administration of total parenteral nutrition containing medium-chain triglycerides or long-chain triglycerides as fat emulsions. DesignProspective, randomized, crossover trial (two lipid infusion periods of 8 hrs). SettingIntensive care unit in a university hospital. PatientsSix mechanically ventilated patients, using the pressure-support mode. InterventionsTotal caloric intake was adapted according to measured energy expenditure. Fat emulsion provided 50% of the energy expenditure. Patients were infused with 50% medium-chain/50% long-chain triglycerides or 100% long-chain triglycerides in a random sequence. Measurements and Main ResultsOxygen consumption, CO2 production, and minute ventilation were measured by indirect calorimetry. Pao2 and Paco2 were determined in blood samples. Medium-chain triglycerides increased oxygen consumption by 27.8% and minute ventilation by 14.3% at the end of the protocol. CO2 production, Pao2, and Paco2 were not different between groups. ConclusionsMedium-chain triglycerides cause an increase in metabolic demand in mechanically ventilated patients when they are infused over a short period. Postoperative or intensive care unit patients with a low pulmonary reserve should receive infusions of medium-chain triglycerides over a more prolonged period than long-chain triglycerides. (Crit Care Med 1994; 22:248–251)


Sugarcane workers in northwestern Nicaragua are suffering from chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes (CKDnt) at extremely high rates. In the small town of Chichigalpa alone, CKDnt causes 46% of male deaths (Kurzrok et al. 2013). This paper examines the CKD epidemic as a fundamentally structural problem, not merely a biological abnormality, because it is closely linked to labor exploitation, poverty, human rights violations, and historical context. Grounded in literature from medical anthropology and medical sociology and based on two months of ethnographic field research in northwestern Nicaragua, it analyzes how knowledge production interacts with scientific uncertainty about CKD's specific biomedical causes. It posits that scientific knowledge does not close controversy, but rather proliferates uncertainties, thereby forestalling the potential for rights claims. A strictly scientific understanding of CKD diffuses responsibility for addressing its structural causes, distracts from structural violence, and diverts attention away from the urgency of CKD deaths.


Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. Industrialisation with a Focus on Primary Production 3. Understanding the Drivers of Output Growth 4. Human Capital and Technology Development Policies 5. Leapfrogging into the Knowledge Economy 6. Poverty and Income Inequality 7. Conclusion


Summary The whole plant of Xanthium Strumarium L. is used traditional Indian medicine to treat epilepsy. In present study the effect of petroleum ether extract of Xanthium Strumarium L. (PEXS) on antioxidant enzymes in rat brain after induction of epilepsy by MES and PTZ were observed. In which Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase was significantly (P<0.01) decreased in rat brain due to epilepsy and it was significantly (P<0.01) restored by administration of petroleum ether extract of Xanthium Strumarium L. treated rats. Similar dose dependent results were obtained in PTZ model also. Whereas PEXS significantly decreased lipid peroxidation in both models. The anticonvulsant activity of PEXS might be presents of antioxidant properties and it delays the generation of free radical in MES & PTZ induced epilepsy.


The TourisT project is developing a prototype conceptual hypermedia tourism information system, using GRAIL, a terminological logic devised at the University of Manchester [1], to maintain the conceptual model. A primary concern of the work is to develop a system which assists the tourist seeking information. The project has thus used the results of ethnographic studies, carried out in tourist information centres, to inform the structure and content of the conceptual model, and to determine what styles of interaction should be supported.


Phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Achillea millefolium led to the isolation of three new sesquiterpenes which were trivially named as sesquiterpene lactone-esters A and B (1 and 2), and sesquiterpene lactone-diol (3). The structures of these compounds were determined with the help of one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) NMR techniques including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HMQC, HMBC, COSY, and NOESY experiments. Graphical Abstract Isolation and Structure Determination of Three New Sesquiterpenoids from Achillea millefolium


Wireless communication occurs through continuous fields, over regions of space. Although the communication channel may be modelled in terms of infinite dimensional vector spaces, it is paramount to develop finite dimensional approximations for this channel. We extend previous work which examined the fundamental finite dimensionality of fields over a finite region of space to incorporate restricted angles of signal arrival. By considering a subspace of fields where direction of arrival of the field components, or source spatial distribution, is restricted we show the received field dimensionality is linearly related to the product of the radius of the region of interest and the angular restriction. This result provides a rigourous foundation for analysing the performance and capacity of MIMO systems in non isotropic environments. The proof is presented for the two dimensional case. It is apparent that this work can be extended to the case of three dimensions for a similar result


Introduction Higher Education and Scientific Development Higher Education and Scientific Development: The Promise of Newly Industrialized Countries Higher Education and Research Environments in Korea Scientific Personnel, Research Environments and Higher Education in Malaysia Public Policy, Research Environment and Higher Education in Singapore University Education and Research in Taiwan Case Studies of the Academic Research Environment Research and Productivity in the Malaysian University: A Case Study of the Department of Botany, University of Malaya Faculty Research Attitudes and Practices: The Case of an Electrical Engineering Department in Korea Scientific Research in the Botany Department at the National University of Singapore: A Case Study The Scientific Research Environment in Taiwan Patterns of Scientific Productivity Publication Strategies of Scientists in Four Peripheral Asian Scientific Communities: Some Issues in the Measurement and Interpretation of Non-Mainstream Science Index


Based on the error estimate of the through survey scheme for No.4 ventilation shaft of Tongkeng Mine, a determination was made to the feasibility of the survey scheme to be adopted. By comparing the error estimate before the construction of the holing-through project with the actual data measured precisely after holing through, it is indicated that the survey scheme is successful.


This report will discuss the insanity defense as used in the federal
courts. It will briefly trace the history of the evolution of that defense
from its earliest formulation to the version used in the John Hinckley case,
and will provide, in summary form, descriptive analysis of various pieces of
Legislation to change federal law with regard to the substantive definition of
the defense, the allocation of the burden of persuasion when the defense is invoked,
and procedures following the successful use of the defense.


Vehicular communications have been an incentive for driver safety and ultimately autonomous smart vehicles. These vehicular networks have strict requirements with transmission frequency, range, and delay. From previous contributions, Long Term Evolution (LTE) has been found to meet the requirements for vehicular networks. Extensive realistic system level simulations, including multipath and multi cell environments, have been carried out to evaluate the performance of LTE networks for vehicular communications. This paper improves upon previously contributed simulations by introducing Safety Application Identifier along with an algorithm that implements differentiated Quality of Service (QoS) for different safety applications that are handled by the vehicular server located within the LTE core network. Results show that the probability of end-to-end delay below 100 ms increases by 20%, downlink goodput of the system improves reducing the amount of vehicular application traffic, and eventually the number of downlink flows is reduced by 60%; improving network capacity. Moreover, with the implementation of the proposed algorithm, high QoS can be achieved for vehicular safety applications in terms of delay and packet delivery.


Objective To investigate the effects of two doses of transdermally applied oestradiol on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in climacteric women.


This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition in Bioinformatics, PRIB 2013, held in Nice, France, in June 2013. The 25 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 43 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on bio-molecular networks and pathway analysis; learning, classification, and clustering; data mining and knowledge discovery; protein: structure, function, and interaction; motifs, sites, and sequence analysis.


The extraction of amino acids by ion-exchange,liquid membrane and reverse micelle and their applications in the separation of hair-hydrolyzed amino acids are summarized.


This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0003856, the University of Rochester, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It was also supported by LLE under contract number 417532G/UR FAO GR510907. Reproduction, translation, publication, use and disposal, in whole or in part, by or for the United States government is permitted.


Aim To Optimize extraction technology of polysaccharide from Cuscuta chinensis.Methods Yield of polysaccharide as index,orthogonal test was performed on three factors including extraction frequency,extraction time and water volume.Results The main factor influencing polysaccharide yield was extraction frequency.Conclusion The best technology was at 8-fold water volume,extracting 1.5 h and 3 times.


Biological matrices can direct the in organic crystals such as vaterite. Cooperativity between organic matrices and in organic crystals resulted in similar co-alignment of vaterite in aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA). And further, the secondary structures of BSA were also changed in the crystallization process. These results indicate the kinds of interactions that may occur in biological systems where large arrays of crystals are co-aligned.


Review(s) of: Key Concepts in Health Studies, by Chris Yuill, Iain Crinson and Eilidh Duncan, SAGE Publications (First Edition). 2010. Paperback, 178 pages.


157 Background: The management of clinically staged T2N0 (cT2N0) esophageal cancer remains controversial and clinical staging can be inaccurate. We evaluated concordance between clinical and pathologic staging as well as outcomes in a cohort study of patients initially staged as cT2N0. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of consecutive patients with esophageal cancer staged as cT2N0 after imaging (CT, PET scans) and endoscopic ultrasound, who underwent surgical resection and were followed at the Cleveland Clinic from Jan 2000 to Jun 2014. Clinical, chemotherapy (CT), radiation (RT), pathologic, and survival details were evaluated. For statistically significant associations, adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and 2-sided p-values are presented. Results: The study population comprised 66 consecutive patients with cT2N0 esophageal cancer. Median age was 60 years; 76% were male; 97% were Caucasian. Gastroesophageal junction was the primary site in 56%; distal esophagus in 29%; mid...


Abstract One of the main risk factors for workers derived by mechanized harvesting of hazelnuts is the exposure to respirable dust (Biondi et al., 1992; Monarca et al., 2005). The aim of this paper is to test a device to be applied directly on the harvesters, that manages to give the soil suitable moisture, reducing the dust development. The device is based on the use of sprayers, already experienced in agriculture for irrigation and pesticide treatments. It exploits the principle of pneumatic nebulisation at low volume. The dust control is also achieved through appropriate devices, positioned along the exhaust pipes of the powder: water, delivered through nozzles to low volume sprayers, which intercepts the flow of dust, leaves and twigs, before they're released outside. A first evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed device was performed by measuring, with appropriate instrumentation, the concentration of dust that affects the operator and persists in the environment. The number of tests does not allow a statistical treatment of data. Because of the very high number of variables involved (e.g. air speed and direction, soil moisture, planting distance etc.), the implementation of assessment protocols - that can provide statistically acceptable regressions between, for instance, hydraulic flow/number of nozzles mounted on the machine and dust concentration - doesn't seem to be reasonable. The first tests show a decrease of dust concentration in case of sprinklers mounted in front of harvesting apparatus of the machine (the area where dust is generated). Key words: Dust, Hazelnut harvester, Health, Prevention. 1. Introduction One of the main risk factors for workers derived by mechanized harvesting of hazelnuts is the exposure to respirable dust (Biondi et al., 1992; Monarca et al., 2005). The harmful effects of airborne particles, which often contain chemicals used in pesticide treatments, are not to be neglected (De Rossi et al., 2008, De Rossi et al., 2009; Nieuwenhuijsen et al., 1999; Schenker, 2000; Schenker et al., 2005; Schenker et al., 2009; Swanepoel et al., 1999). The problem becomes significant in those areas where the cultivation of hazelnut has spread. In some of these sites, harvesting was possible when the rainy season started, especially for hazel trees close to residential areas.


Objective To compare the efficacy of single-stage and two-stage revision prosthesis-relative chronic infection causing by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in rabbits, and evaluate the clinical feasibility of single-stage revision TKA. Methods A new kind of prosthesis was implanted into the right knee joints of 48 New Zealand white rabbits following proper anesthesia. After 4 weeks, the dose of 5×105 colony forming unit MRSA was inoculated into every knee to establish prosthesis joint infection model. The rabbits were divided into 2 groups randomly: experimental and control group. Four weeks after inoculation, the treatments of the experimental and control group were singlestage and two-stage revision respectively. The levels of serum C-reaction protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were monitored in ten phase, i.e. prior to primary arthroplasty and revision, at 1, 3, 5, 7days, and 2, 4, 6, 12 weeks after revision. Twelve weeks after revision, animals were sacrificed and joint samples were collected for bacterial culture. The positive results were judged as reinfection, and the negative results were judged as successful healing. Results Five rabbits were excluded out of the group for some reasons. The recurrence rates of infection in the experimental group and control group were 22.7% (5/22) and 14.3% (3/21) respectively after revision. The difference between them was statistically insignificant (χ2=0.102,P=0.750). The levels of serum CRP of the two groups raised, and reached their peaks at 3 days, then dropped into the normal level prior to primary arthroplasty at 4 weeks after revision. The difference between them was statistically insignificant (F=0.157, P=0.694). The ESR levels of the two groups elevated after revision, and reached their peaks at 5 days, then declined slowly into the original level prior to primary arthroplasty at 12 weeks. The difference between them was statistically insignificant (F=0.936,P=0.339). Conclusion Though the prosthesis-relative chronic infection caused by high virulence organism after TKA, the short-term efficacy of single-stage revision is similar to that of two-stage if the stain of pathogenic bacteria and its spectrum are obtained.

Key words:
Arthroplasty, replacement, knee;  Reoperation;  Staphylococcus aureus


The paper discusses two structural steels: S235 and S355, commonly used for making steel rod structures. The numerical analysis of a selected rod connection with static load and butt connected using high strength bolts was made. Two material criteria were adopted, assuming for the first analysis S235 steel for the column and S355 for the beams, and for the second analysis, the S355 steel for both beams and the column. The numerical model prepared in this way covers the real work of the connection and is the basis for assessing the correctness of its work, i.e. maintaining safety during exploitation.


Abstract Introduction As an acuity adaptable unit is is sometimes difficult to get nurses through an orientation in a manner that doesn't scare them off but still covers all their educational needs. The number of fluid resuscitations seen is approximately 30 per year which means that when one occurs new nursing staff needs to have exposure. However, it is a difficult experience to work through a large ICU admission as a new nurse even with preceptor support. Due to these issues the unit adopted a tiered orientation process. This process set forth task blocks as a focus during orientation versus entire patient care. For example, the new nurse and preceptor assignment could be the new fluid resuscitation in week one of orientation. However, the new nurse would only work on documentation of patient care. The preceptor would be responsible for procedures, dressing changes, fluid, and pharmacologic management that goes into caring for the acute burn. the new nurse could also be a part of these processes but that is not their focus during Tier 1. In Tier 2 the new nurse would start providing more patient care in addition to their documentation, the preceptor would still perform ICU level care items. In the final tier the orientee would do all direct care of the patient including documenation. This tiered approach allowed nurses to experience all levels of patient care without overwhelming them. Methods The process was brought to the shift coordinators to give them all a sense of how staffing assignments would be made during orientation. Education was presented to preceptors at unit council meetings and then in 1 on 1 meetings as needed. Additional, touch base meetings occurred every other week during the start of this process starting in May of 2022. During this time 7 new nurses were on-boarded. 7 unique preceptors were utilized. New hires were met with weekly on an informal basis from weeks 1-5 by either the clinical educator or the nurse manager. Each new nurse and their preceptor had formal meetings with the nurse manager, clinical educator or both at 6, 10 and 12 weeks. A short survey was sent to all preceptors following the initial 5 months of this new process. Results 50% of all preceptors found this new model to be an improvement over the previous model. 33% did not agree or disagree on if the process was an improvement. 2 out of the 7 preceptors had not precepted before which might account for the 33%. 40% of the preceptors felt satisfied with the overall process for orientation. 83% of the preceptors felt that they had adequate resources to orient new nurses to the unit. Conclusions It appears that the adoption of a tiered process worked well during the initial evaluation phase. However, the n was small and additional evaluation would be beneficial to further address how impactful a tiered orientation process is for on-boarding new nursing staff. Applicability of Research to Practice It important for nursing leaders to evaluate and update how to best meet the needs of staff to create competency and safety.


While the technologies for generation of electronic signatures are well-established in public-key infrastructures, the validation of electronic signatures still shows some open problems. The verification of the validity of an electronic signature requires high degrees of diligence, time and effort for the local configuration and management of trusted certificates and their revocation status. A Signature Validation Portal should be designed and implemented which enables the effective verification of the validity of (qualified) certificates issued within several public-key infrastructures. It manages a collection of trusted (root) certificates and responds to validation requests by building and validating a path of certificates in due consideration of their current revocation status. Organization: DFKI Contact: Roland Vogt !"#$%&'()*+%,"-%&".$*/.(&%,*


By using plane vector,the present paper introduced several methods to solve the problems often occurred in the fundamental courses of Mathematics in Normal University such as advanced geometry,primary geometry,spatial analytic geometry and primary algebra.It indicates that plane vector has original advantage in solving problems in advanced mathematics.


Designing lightweight nanostructured aerogels for high‐performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is crucial yet challenging. Ultrathin cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are employed for assisting in building ultralow‐density, robust, and highly flexible transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) aerogels with oriented biomimetic cell walls. A significant influence of the angles between oriented cell walls and the incident EM wave electric field direction on the EMI shielding performance is revealed, providing an intriguing microstructure design strategy. MXene "bricks" bonded by CNF "mortars" of the nacre‐like cell walls induce high mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and interfacial polarization, yielding the resultant MXene/CNF aerogels an ultrahigh EMI shielding performance. The EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of the aerogels reaches 74.6 or 35.5 dB at a density of merely 8.0 or 1.5 mg cm–3, respectively. The normalized surface specific SE is up to 189 400 dB cm2 g–1, significantly exceeding that of other EMI shielding materials reported so far.


Congregational singing has become problematized within the emerging-church movement. This movement is a self-consciously postmodern expression of Christianity that brings into question not only ideas of group singing but also of the congregation itself, intentionally deconstructing the boundaries, patterns, and norms that have typically served to define the congregational group. Nevertheless, music and sound remain important, if contested, components of emerging-church practices. Through fieldwork undertaken in a number of emerging-church groups, this chapter investigates the ways in which sonic material is deployed in nontraditional settings, and the different patterns of interaction that are set up between agents, spaces, and objects in these environments. In particular, this chapter draws attention to a move away from totalizing patterns of high-intensity resonant union, toward models that, in a variety of different ways, offer space for individuals to experience their own micro-resonant interactions as they engage in a range of different devotional activities.


According to the FANUC 0I CNC system analysis processing problems of elliptic,set the macro-program by variables,to ensure correct curve processing,expand the usage function,provide valuable suggestions for the preparation of other non-circular curve.


The concept of a 'niveo-aeolian influence' on the genesis of northwest European Pleistocene aeolian sand and loess deposits has been advocated in the past both to explain the presence and the absence of lamination. Field experiments were carried out on artificially deposited alternating layers of sand and snow, and of loess and snow, to investigate the role of a niveo-aeolian mode of deposition on resulting sedimentary structures.

Field observations of sand plots revealed minor changes in surface morphology typical of denivation surfaces. The thin sections showed a characteristic porous structure. Deformations of the depositional structure and indications for erosion and redeposition were limited. However, the originally smooth aeolian sedimentary surface of the loess changed considerably. The thin sections showed also a porous, spongy structure. Indications were found for disturbances by frost action, liquefaction during melting of the snow and ice, and redeposition of loess by meltwater.

The experimental results strongly suggest that sand and loess deposited as niveo-aeolian material are characterized both by a porous structure, and that the original sedimentary structure of the sand is not affected by snowmelt, whereas loess becomes non-laminated. Thus, the intercalation of snow during sedimentation of sand and loess does not in itself induce a laminated structure.


Abstract : The long-term goal of this program is to understand the physics of small-scale oceanic processes including internal waves, hydraulics, turbulence and microstructure that act to perturb and control the circulation in coastal oceans and, in doing so, affect the propagation of sound and light. Ongoing studies within the Ocean Mixing Group at OSU emphasize observations, interaction with turbulence modelers and an aggressive program of sensor/instrumentation development and integration. This includes extending measurements to new platforms such as gliders so that we can make continued measurements where ships cannot go (or when they cannot be there, such as during periods of extreme surface forcing).


Objectives:Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected (HIV+) patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are living longer but have increased risk for aging-associated disease which may lead to increasing critical care requirements. We compare medical ICU admission characteristics and outcomes among HIV infected and demographically similar uninfected patients (uninfected) and considered whether an index which combines routine clinical biomarkers (the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index) predicts 30-day medical ICU mortality. Design:Observational data analyses (Veterans Aging Cohort Study). Setting:Eight Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide. Patients:HIV infected and uninfected with a medical ICU admission between 2002 and 2010. Intervention:None. Measurements and Main Results:Medical ICU admission was determined using bedsection (Veterans Affairs) and revenue center codes (Medicare). For Veterans Affairs admissions, we used clinical data to calculate Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index scores and multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with 30-day mortality. Overall, 539 of 3,620 (15%) HIV infected and 375 of 3,639 (10%) uninfected had a medical ICU admission; 72% and 78%, respectively, were Veterans Affairs based. HIV+ patients were younger at admission (p < 0.0001). Although most HIV+ patients were on antiretroviral therapy (71%) with undetectable HIV-1 RNA (54%), compared with uninfected they were more commonly admitted with respiratory diagnoses or infections (21% vs. 12%), were more likely to require mechanical ventilation (17% vs. 9%; p = 0.001), and had a higher mortality rate (18.6% vs. 11.2%, p = 0.003). Cardiovascular diagnoses were less common among HIV infected (18% vs. 29%; p < 0.0001). In logistic regression (c-statistic 0.87), a 5-point increment in Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index was associated with an odds ratio of death of 1.22 (95% confidence interval 1.14–1.30) among HIV infected and of 1.50 (95% confidence interval 1.29–1.76) among uninfected; infection/sepsis and respiratory diagnoses were also associated with mortality. Conclusions:Medical ICU admission was frequent, 30-day mortality higher, and mechanical ventilation more common in HIV infected compared with uninfected. The Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index calculated at medical ICU admission predicted 30-day mortality for HIV infected and uninfected. As more individuals age with HIV, their requirements for medical ICU care may be greater than demographically similar uninfected individuals.


A statement from National Association of Evangelicals President Ted Haggard on protecting children from pornography available on iPods, cell phones and PDAs.


The Arctic Clouds in Summer Experiment (ACSE) was conducted during summer and early autumn 2014, providing a detailed view of the seasonal transition from ice melt into freeze-up. Measurements were ...


In this paper, an active flutter suppression problem is studied for a thin airfoil in unsteady aerodynamics. The mathematical model of this system is infinite dimensional because of Theodorsen's function which is irrational. Several second order approximations of Theodorsen's function are compared. A finite dimensional model is obtained from such an approximation. We use H infinity control techniques to find a robustly stabilizing controller for active flutter suppression.


Can an in-vitro bioassay assess the potency of r-hFSH-alfa force-degraded variants with similar ability to the in-vivo rat bioassay described in EU Pharmacopoeia (EU-Pharm 2285)?

 The in-vitro bioassay showed similar ability to the in-vivo bioassay for estimating the impact of r-hFSH-alfa variants, resulting from process-related modifications, on biological activity.

 The active ingredient of Gonal f® (Merck KGaA), follitropin-alfa (INN, r-hFSH-alfa), mimics the action of endogenous FSH by binding to, and subsequently activating, the hFSH-receptor (FSH-R), regulating cellular metabolism and oocyte survival/maturation. Structural modifications in r-hFSH-alfa glycosylation, oxidation, or other biochemical changes, may occur during the r-hFSH-alfa manufacturing process and may impact its efficacy/safety. The rat in-vivo bioassay (EU Pharmacopeia) is routinely used to assess r-hFSH-alfa potency by measuring ovarian weight increase. We evaluated whether an in-vitro bioassay has the same ability as the rat in-vivo bioassay to detect changes in biological activity caused by r-hFSH-alfa structural modifications.

 Three r-hFSH-alfa (Gonal f®) batches were stressed under eight chemical/physical/enzymatic treatments. The resulting degraded samples were compared with untreated samples using in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays.

 Force-degraded r-hFSH-alfa variants were produced by chromatographic separation (acidic/basic enrichment), chemical/physical stress (acidic/basic pH incubation, thermal/oxidative stress) and enzymatic treatments (de-galactosylation and de-sialylation). r-hFSH-alfa potency was measured via a rat in-vivo bioassay (European Pharmacopoeia 2285), assessing ovarian weight increase, and an in-vitro bioassay (cell line expressing the transmembrane hFSH-R), assessing cell-specific metabolic cascade. Force-degraded and untreated samples were compared via analysis of variance.

 All force-degraded samples were characterized by the chemical/physical analyses panel for quality control. r-hFSH-alfa forced degradation modified the critical quality attributes of the samples; namely, increased the presence of r-hFSH-alfa oxidized forms and/or free subunits up to 50% above product specification, and modified the sialic acid level across variants, generating significantly more hypo-sialylated forms when compared with the untreated control samples. The increase in r-hFSH-alfa free subunits significantly reduced r-h-FSH-alfa biological activity compared with untreated samples, in both the in-vivo and in-vitro assays (p < 0.001 for both). The increase in r-hFSH-alfa oxidized forms significantly reduced r-hFSH-alfa biological activity in-vitro (p <0.001) and, to a lesser extent, in-vivo (p <0.006).
 A gradual decrease in r-hFSH-alfa sialylation decreased r-hFSH-alfa biological activity in-vivo, indicating a second-order polynomial correlation, and increased r-hFSH-alfa biological activity in-vitro, indicating a negative linear correlation (slope significance p<0.001, R2=0.996). De-sialylation reduces r-hFSH-alfa steric hindrance during the interaction of r-hFSH-alfa and the FSH-R, increasing both r-hFSH-alfa–FSH-R affinity and r-hFSH-alfa biological activity in-vitro, while increasing the rate of r-hFSH-alfa metabolism, resulting in decreased r-hFSH-alfa biological activity in-vivo. Both assays showed a similar ability to identify differences in critical quality attribute levels (sialylation, oxidation, free-subunits), with the intent to identify out-of-specification batches.

 r-hFSH-alfa forced degradation produced more than one structural/chemical modification in most variants (except for de-sialylation); therefore, the effect of discrete modifications could not be studied. Additional studies are needed to show that in-vitro methods can ultimately replace in-vivo bioassays to identify differences in critical quality attribute levels during r-hFSH-alfa manufacturing.

 Chemical and/or structural modifications of r-hFSH-alfa strongly impact r-hFSH-alfa biological activity and related potency. The development of an in-vitro bioassay for the accurate measurement of r-hFSH-alfa potency may serve to replace the in-vivo bioassay, according to EMA indications (CPMP/SWP728/95).

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OBJECTIVE: To estimate the rate at which women disclose abortion to their partners and examine the association between domestic violence and partner disclosure. METHODS: A cross-sectional cohort study was performed on women presenting for elective termination of pregnancy to a single clinic in Houston, Texas. Subjects were offered an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The 15-question survey addressed disclosure of abortion to the partner, reasons for nondisclosure if applicable, and physical and sexual abuse using a modified Abuse Assessment Screen. RESULTS: Of 960 patients, 85.2% completed the survey, for a final sample size of 818. Overall, 139 (17.2%) of subjects chose not to disclose the abortions to their partners, and 14% of patients reported abuse within the past year. Physical or sexual abuse or both was twice as common among nondisclosers (23.7% compared with 12.0%, P = .001). Among nondisclosers, 63 (45.3%) said the relationship with the partner had no future, 52 (37.4%) did not feel obliged to notify their partners, 29 (20.9%) said the partner would oppose the abortion, and 11 (7.9%) said disclosure would result in physical harm. CONCLUSION: In this urban, racially and socioeconomically diverse population, 17.2% of women concealed pregnancy terminations from their partners. Although relationship instability and personal choice were cited as the most frequent reasons for nondisclosure, the rate of domestic abuse was twice as high in this group and may have adversely affected open communication. Of greatest concern, a subset of nondisclosers reported the direct fear of personal harm as the primary reason for nondisclosure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III


A method for depositing shipments by a deliverer into an electronic locker system having several lockable compartments, characterized in that control means of the locker system cause opening for depositing shipments one or mehere compartments, and will automatically open at least one new compartment, once the deliverer a compartment is closed and detection means of the locker system have previously recorded information, the information associated with a program, and there can end by selecting a termination function of the loading operation.


Development of advanced materials and structures for civil engineering, due to the requirements of green and sustainable building, including the reduction of energy consumption and the balance between occupant comfort and environmental friendliness, needs proper analysis of related physical, chemical, etc. processes, whose mathematical description leads to direct, sensitivity and inverse initial and boundary value problems for nonlinear partial differential equations, analysed numerically using finite element, difference and similar techniques. Design optimization requires to implement a set of additional variable parameters into all related computations, which is very expensive or quite impossible in most cases. Thus realistic computational strategies work with the minimizations of some cost functions with unknown parameters using certain kind of numerical differentiation, like quasi-Newton, inexact Newton or conjugate gradient methods, some derivative-free approach, or, as a much-favoured alternative, some heuristic soft-computing algorithm. A reasonable compromise seems to be the exploitation of an algorithm coming from the non-gradient Nelder-Mead simplex approach. In this paper, referring to the experience with i) the direct problem of thermal design of a residential building and ii) the inverse problem of identification of material characteristics as thermal conductivity and diffusivity from well-advised laboratory experiments, after several remarks to the history and progress of the Nelder-Mead method and its improvements, we shall demonstrate some convergence properties of such approach, regardless of the highly cited evaluation of the original Nelder-Mead algorithm: "Mathematicians hate it because you cannot prove convergence; engineers seem to love it because it often works."


Abstract : An accountability and management system has been designed to aid its user by providing information necessary for the safe and prudent management of large groups of sources of ionizing radiation. The system, automated by computer programs, is written in Fortran for NRL's Control Data 3800 computer. It has been designed to furnish complete accountability information on a timely and economical basis. In addition, it provides an efficient and relatively simple device for the management of essential, routine, applied radiological safety surveillance functions. (Author)


Objectives: Impulse Control Disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson's disease (PD) have previously almost exclusively been considered to result from anti-parkinsonian medication. However, this biomedical perspective has failed to achieve a full understanding of the phenomenon and it is argued that a failure to consider psychological factors is a critical omission. Design: The present study examined the predictive relationship between ICDs in PD and a range of psychological measures, whilst controlling for a number of biomedical determinants. Main outcome measures: One hundred participants with idiopathic PD completed questionnaires that assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, psychological measures and the presence of ICDs (QUIP-RS). Results: Increased use of a 'negative' coping strategy, stronger illness identity, more emotional illness representations and stress were found to be significant predictors of ICDs, and different psychological predictors were associated with different ICDs. Medication was not found to predict ICDs in the presence of psychological factors, either when total treatment levels were considered or when agonist dose was considered alone. Conclusions: This study provides the first quantitative evidence of a predominant predictive relationship between psychological factors and ICDs in PD. The results suggest that psychological interventions may have useful therapeutic role to play for ICDs in PD.


Self-organized porous anodic alumina (PAA) layers have been previously suggested as effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, which exhibit high enhancement factors when coated...


ABSTRACT A new methodology is presented for model reduction of linear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) on general geometries using multivariate splines on triangulations. State-space descriptions are derived that can be used for control design. This method uses Galerkin projection with B-splines to derive a finite set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Any desired smoothness conditions between elements as well as the boundary conditions are flexibly imposed as a system of side constraints on the set of ODEs. Projection of the set of ODEs on the null space of the system of side constraints naturally produces a reduced-order model that satisfies these constraints. This method can be applied for both in-domain control and boundary control of parabolic PDEs with spatially varying coefficients on general geometries. The reduction method is applied to design and implement feedback controllers for stabilisation of a 1-D unstable heat equation and a more challenging 2-D reaction–convection–diffusion equation on an irregular domain. It is shown that effective feedback stabilisation can be achieved using low-order control models.


Background: The onset-to-arrival time affects the decision of intravenous thrombolysis therapy which is associated with stroke's prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate factor associated with early and late arrival of patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and the effect on patients' outcomes.

Materials and Methods: Patients confirmed with acute ischemic stroke in central stroke centers were included in a prospective study. The patients were grouped into early arrivers (less than 4.5 hours) and late arrivers (at and after 4.5 hours). Patients' data were obtained from the stroke registry system.

Results: In Summary, Higher initial NIHSS, less than 15 km from the hospital, a history of CVA, Diabetes, Abnormal blood pressure, EMS transportation, Atrial fibrillation, and current use of anticoagulants, Not using opium, and not smoking was significantly associated with early arrival time. Normal blood pressure AF was a negative and significant (p-value=0.001, Odds ratio: 0.38) predictor of the late arrival. Normal blood pressure was a positive and significant (p-value<0.001, Odds ratio: 4.762) predictor of the late arrival.

Conclusion: Some baseline factors are associated with the onset-arrival time of patients with ischemic stroke.


A 68-year-old lawyer developed insidious disturbances in topographic orientation and apraxia. He underwent a geriatric evaluation, only documenting slight cognitive disturbances, and a 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), showing mild right-lateralised frontoparietal hypometabolism. After 1 year, because of worsening in spatial orientation and the onset of dressing apraxia, he was referred to our memory clinic. The neuropsychological evaluation documented proeminent visuospatial, praxis deficits and dysgraphia. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker analysis showed mild increase of total-τ, with normal Aβ1–42, ruling out Alzheimer's disease. Progression of the right parietal hypometabolism at FDG-PET and right superior longitudinal fasciculus damage at high-field MRI revealed a probable neurodegenerative aetiology. The neurological examination disclosed then Gerstmann's and Balint's syndromes, and extrapyramidal signs later appeared, suggesting the diagnosis of posterior cortical atrophy associated with corticobasal syndrome. Genetic analysis for mutations inmicrotubule-associated protein tau (MAPT), C9orf72 and GRN genes was negative. A 1-year follow-up documented significant worsening of the cognitive and functional impairment, revealing a frank dementia.


OBJECTIVE:To investigate the in vitro transdermal characteristics of Simonenine free base gel.METHODS: The transdermal characteristics were evaluated by modified Franz diffusion cell method.Rats'ex vivo skin was used as permeation barrier and the drug concentration was measured by HPLC.RESULTS:The transdermal rate constant(J) of Sinomenine free base was(20.3±3.89) μg·cm-2·h-1,which was 4.72 times that of Sinomenine Hydrochloride.A 5% concentration of 2-pyrrolidone reduced the transdermal delivery of Sinomenine base(P0.05).While compared with the control,the permeation enhancement effects of 5% concentration of Lecithin,Oleic acid,Menthol,Limonene,and Azone were 1.37,2.25,3.71,6.75,and 10.15 times,respectively.CONCLUSION: Compared with Simomenine Hydrochloride,Simomenine free base had excellent transdermal characteristics,and was more suitable for the development of new transdermal preparation.