The study compared the mathematical problems encountered by Brunei students in first year (Form 1 with no repeaters) and second year (Form 2 with many repeaters) of lower secondary school. Participants consisted of 67 Form 1s and 46 Form 2s. Results from the Wide Range Achievement Test and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery indicated that the students had wide ranging difficulties in learning mathematics under the ongoing inclusive education and SPN21 curriculum reforms. Form 1 females significantly outperformed their male counterparts on both tests. A significant gender difference in performance among the Form 2s was obtained only on the Woodcock-Johnson test in favor of males. Overall, Form 1s significantly performed better than the Form 2s on both tests. Scores from Form 1s on the two tests correlated negatively and insignificantly whereas scores of Form 2s on the same instruments had a positive and significant relationship. Scores of the Form 1s and Form 2s on both tests were negatively related. Performance differences and error analyses of selected challenging items are discussed to inform and guide possible remedial interventions. Findings demonstrated that mere repetition of a class or grade was neither therapeutic nor advantageous unless factors that disable learning were identified and addressed.


Automotive wheel bearings are one of the most important components to guarantee the service life of a passenger car. The estimation of endurance life of a bearing includes many parameters such as material properties, heat treatment, lubrication conditions, temperature, loading conditions, geometry, internal clearance and so on. We developed practically useful simulation model relating principal design factors of wheel bearing units and car specifications to estimate endurance life. The model is integrated into development of a design system of wheel bearing units in which comparative analysis for variable design candidates are evaluated to provide best endurance life conditions. The system, also, provides useful information about load conditions, contact angle, stresses and deflection distribution, etc. of wheel bearing units


Central to fashion design practice is an awareness of the classic garment forms: the shirt, the tailored jacket, the pencil skirt, the denim jacket and many more. As well as aesthetic significance, these classic styles hold rich cultural and symbolic meaning: a trench coat may be associated with hard-boiled detectives or with the film Casablanca; a babydoll dress may invoke Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. Fashion designers can adapt, subvert and reinvent these forms - or indeed can propose entirely new forms. They can play with the visual look and feel of these items as well as their symbolic meaning.


The Berry curvature is a geometrical property of an energy band which can act as a momentum space magnetic field in the effective Hamiltonian of a wide range of systems. We apply the effective Hamiltonian to a spin-1/2 particle in two dimensions with spin-orbit coupling, a Zeeman field and an additional harmonic trap. Depending on the parameter regime, we show how this system can be described in momentum space as either a Fock-Darwin Hamiltonian or a one-dimensional ring pierced by a magnetic flux. With this perspective, we interpret important single-particle properties, and identify analogue magnetic phenomena in momentum space. Finally we discuss the extension of this work to higher spin systems, as well as experimental applications in ultracold atomic gases and photonic systems.


Language models (LMs) compute the probability of a text by sequentially computing a representation of an already-seen context and using this representation to predict the next word. Currently, most LMs calculate these representations through a neural network consuming the immediate previous context. However recently, retrieval-augmented LMs have shown to improve over standard neural LMs, by accessing information retrieved from a large datastore, in addition to their standard, parametric, next-word prediction. In this paper, we set out to understand why retrieval-augmented language models, and specifically why k-nearest neighbor language models (kNN-LMs) perform better than standard parametric LMs, even when the k-nearest neighbor component retrieves examples from the same training set that the LM was originally trained on. To this end, we perform a careful analysis of the various dimensions over which kNN-LM diverges from standard LMs, and investigate these dimensions one by one. Empirically, we identify three main reasons why kNN-LM performs better than standard LMs: using a different input representation for predicting the next tokens, approximate kNN search, and the importance of softmax temperature for the kNN distribution. Further, we incorporate these insights into the model architecture or the training procedure of the standard parametric LM, improving its results without the need for an explicit retrieval component. The code is available at https://github.com/frankxu2004/knnlm-why.


The SOI structure with buried alumina was fabricated by ALD followed by bonding and etchback process. The interface of alumina and silicon was analyzed by CV measurements and cross section was investigated by SEM analysis. The density of interface state of alumina and silicon was 2.5E11/-eV after high temperature annealing for wafer bonding. It was confirmed that the surface silicon layer was completely isolated from substrate by cross section SEM and AES depth profile. The device on this alumina SOI structure would have better thermal properties than that on conventional SOI due to higher thermal conductivity of alumina than that of silicon dioxide.


The purpose of this study was to identify changes that occur in pelvis kinematics as baseball pitchers fatigue during extended performances. Kinematic data describing the actions of the pelvis were collected using electromagnetic tracking techniques and calculated using the ISB recommendations. There were significant differences between non-fatigued and fatigued conditions in the angle of lateral pelvis flexion at maximum external rotation and release (p<0.05). As for the rate of axial pelvis rotation, no differences were observed between the non-fatigued and fatigued states. These results indicate that fatigue may play a major role in pitchers altering the actions of the pelvis during pitching.


Y zeolite is presently used to be an important active component in oil refining catalysts. The efficient synthesis of NaY zeolite remains many huge challenges. Herein, a novel method of...


A PEO-based composite solid electrolyte (CSE) reinforced by three-dimensional (3D) porous garnet-type framework is reported. This 3D garnet framework is prepared by template method using nanocellulose fibre membrane as a...


Abstract During the late 1800s, internal rebellion and European imperialism transformed existing patterns of taxation, resource distribution, and government spending in China. Continual preparation for war led to an enormous growth in the state's extractive capacity, and indirect commercial taxes supplanted the system of direct agrarian levies established in the early Qing era. Authorities earmarked the majority of these new resources for military spending in eastern China in an effort to amass the sinews of politico-economic power. Together these changes laid the initial foundation for the military-fiscal state in modern China, a transformation that parallels the experience of early modern Europe.


The levels of the configurations 5d86s2 in Pt i through Hg iii and 5d96p in Pt i through Bi vi were calculated and compared with experiment. The experimental levels of 5d96p in Pt i and 5d86s2 in Au ii do not agree with the calculated values. Some minor corrections are suggested for the other ions. The published g factors of Au ii are shown to be rather doubtful.


A flight-test technique has been developed under NASA Dryden sponsorship to define the aerodynamic effect of thrust level on aircraft lift and drag characteristics. Conventional stabilized "speed power" tests require the thrust to be adjusted for each test condition and, as a result, the effect of thrust on aerodynamic characteristics cannot be easily identified. The technique utilizes quasi-steady-state maneuvers at selected power settings throughout the Mach range of the aircraft to define lift and drag coefficient variation as a function of angle of attack, Mach number, and power setting. A 20-h verification flight-test program was accomplished using a Learjet Model 35 aircraft. Significant power effects were identified which should be anticipated on any aircraft with jet engines mounted on the aft fuselage above the inboard wing section.


EFS is the encryption mechanism for Microsoft Windows. In this paper, by introducing two additional hash functions, we present a security-improved variant of the original EFS scheme. The minor modification has almost negligible effect on the performance of the operating system. Then we apply the Fujisaki-Okamoto's technique to prove its security against adaptive chosen ciphertext attacks in the random oracle model. Compared with the more confidence in the security for EFS in Microsoft Windows, the minor modification and the minor cost incremental is worthwhile, we believe.


The transplantation of kidneys among all other human organs is popular, as the world has already experienced over 1,200 cases of transplantation, but, as regards the transplantation of heart, the world has seen only 20 cases in the past since the first experimental operation was carried out in South Africa near the end of 1967, and, in only one case the recipient is now apparently gaining health, but, anyway, the diffusion of heart transplantation is a question of time, and the cases of such operation will increase more and more in future. In this sense, the problem of transplantation, whether rena] or cardiac, has a great significance. For the transplantation of an organ, there are two parties, the donor who gives an organ and the recipient who receives it. The donor is either a living or a dead person. There is no legal problem conceivable in particular about the recipient, because he is in a position not very different from that of an ordinary patient who undergoes surgical operation. As for the donor, however, his rights may be in danger of being violated and, therefore, it is a legal question under what condition an organ transplantation should be permitted. This problem had been taken up by the medical circles in Japan before the first cardiac transplantation was carried out in South Africa. It was in 1966 when the transplantation of kidneys just reached the stage of its practical use. The Japan Society for Transplantation picked up, as the subject of a special lecture for.the Second Meeting held in the fall of that year, "Legal Problems Relating to the Organ Transplantation" and requested me to deliver a lecture on that topic. What I state below on the same topic is the gist of that lecture, including cardiac transplantation which was developed after that time. The legal problems concerning the transplantation have both aspects, civil and criminal. There is no need, however, to explain much about the civil aspects of this problem, because the transplantation is generally permissible with the consent of the person who has the right to consent, unless it is against public order or morals. On the other hand, viewed from the criminal aspects of the problem, the transplantation is permissible if only there are justifications for it, but there are some controversial problems as to what conditions may justify the transplantation. And, naturally, this affects the solution of civil problems in some aspects. In this paper, therefore, attention is to be focused on the criminal aspects of the problem. The reason why I Iimit the theme to the transplantation of organs is that, in such cases as where a part of the skin is transplanted, any problems concerning the skin transplantation


INTRODUCTION I. COMMUNICATIVE RULINGS A. Incidental Communications 1. Gatekeeping Decisions 2. Other Ancillary Rulings B. Intentional Communications C. Invited Communications 1. Extraordinary Writs 2. Limited Remands D. Assessing Communicative Rulings II. INDICATIVE RULINGS A. Current Practice B. The Proposed New Rules C. Assessing Indicative Rulings CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION It is a commonplace that when a litigant files a notice of appeal from the judgment of a district court, authority over the matters encompassed within the appeal passes from that court to the court of appeals. (1) As the Supreme Court stated in Griggs v. Provident Consumer Discount Co., (2) "a federal district court and a federal court of appeals should not attempt to assert jurisdiction over a case simultaneously." (3) Thus, "[t]he filing of a notice of appeal is an event of jurisdictional significance--it confers jurisdiction on the court of appeals and divests the district court of its control over those aspects of the case involved in the appeal." (4) But, as the Supreme Court has suggested in other contexts, (5) describing this transfer in jurisdictional terms may cause confusion. In particular, the term "jurisdiction" might suggest that the vesting of appellate control over the appeal entirely deprives the district court of the ability to communicate any views that bear upon the merits of the appeal. (6) This Article takes issue with that absolutist view. It is true that control passes from the trial court with the filing of a valid notice of appeal, and that the trial court generally must not act with respect to the subject matter of the appeal except to facilitate the appeal's progress. But that does not mean that the district court's views on the case are invariably set in amber as of the filing of the notice of appeal. In this Article, I survey the opportunities for the district court to communicate to the court of appeals its views on matters touching the merits of the appeal, even after the notice is filed. Part I.A observes that a number of matters, ancillary to the appeal, that are entrusted to the district court may permit or require the district judge to reflect on the merits of the appeal. Part I.B notes that, even apart from such ancillary rulings, the district court may sometimes add to its prior statements on the merits of the case even after the filing of the notice of appeal. And Part I.C discusses instances in which the court of appeals may invite or direct such augmentation. The activities canvassed in Part I may provide opportunities for the district court to opine on merits-related issues while the appeal is pending, but--except in rare instances at the margins--they do not permit the district court to alter the judgment that is under review, because it is well established that such an alteration lies beyond the power of the lower court during the appeal. Part II describes a mechanism by which the district court can nonetheless express its view on a request for such relief: when asked for relief that it lacks power to grant because of the appeal, the district court may indicate its view that the request has merit. That "indicative ruling" can then be communicated to the court of appeals, which can decide whether to remand for the purpose of permitting the district court to grant the motion. As this summary suggests, the interaction between the trial and appellate court, during an appeal, can be much more dynamic than a bald quotation of the Griggs rule might suggest. The boundaries of the trial court's authority are, of course, set by the Griggs rule; the lower court must not take actions that would impinge on the appellate court's control over the judgment that is under review. The nuances of those boundaries, though, are influenced by practical considerations--such as efficiency and fairness to litigants--as well as by concerns stemming from notions of the appropriate judicial role. …


Nano particles of Fe3O4 with the range of 6.9 and 14.2 nm. By using chemical coprecipitation method. Particle size effect according to magnetic properties were investigated together with the constant reaction and crystallization temperature. According to calculations peaks were indexed as cubic Fe3O4 for all samples. The hysteresis loops shows superparamagnetic nature. It was found that when Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio increase 50% the particle size increases approximately one fold. We also realized that chemical coprecipitation method is suitable for biomedical applications of Fe3O4nano particles.


In this paper, a modified fault tolerance design scheme is proposedbased on the designs available for FFT networks by dividing an FFT network intothree parts. The scheme has the same hardware overhead ratio, delay overhead ratio, throughput and fault coverage as that of the original schemes. However, thescheme is faster than the previous ones in fault location and error correction for anFFT network. For fault location, Jou and Abraham's scheme requires one recomputation for a given data sequence and m- 1 comparisons, Oh and Youn's designneeds one recomputation and log2m comparisons, while the modified scheme requires only one recomputation but any comparison, where m is the number of thecorrupted outputs. For error correction, Oh and Youn's design requires twosum computations, i. e., Z[1+log2N/b] multiplications, while authors's schemedoes not need any arithmetic operation, where b is the word length representing thedata in the computational procedure.


A new method for measuring the activity of serum pyruvate kinase (PK:EC 126.96.36.199) was developed by using a thermostable glucokinase (Glck) from a thermophilic bacterium, Bacillus stearothermophilus. The ATP formed by the reaction of PK is finally converted to NADPH via glucose-6-phosphate by the action of Glck and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The change in absorbance at 340nm was found to be linear up to about 5000U/I of PK. The within-run and day-to-day coefficients of variationwere 1.13% at 85.4U/I and 2.08% at 45.7U/I, respectively. The influence of various coexistents and anticoagulants, such as bilirubin, ascorbate, glucose, EDTA, sodium fluoride, etc., on the assay was negligible. The reagent was stable in solution for about one month at 10°C. A method for simultaneously measuring the activities of PK and creatine kinase (CK) in a single specimen was also developed. This was based on the fact that the assay conditions for both enzymes were similar. This method was found to have a high degree of precision and a good correlation with respective PK and CK assay methods. This simultaneous measurement may be useful for the accurate differential diagnosis of myocardial infarction.


Sucrose gradient density centrifugation was used to study the sedimentation pattern of soluble protein of previously perfused thyroid glands from iodine deficient rats, and the effect thereon of acute administration of stable iodide. The pattern observed for iodine deficient rats differed from that seen with normal (iodine sufficient rats) in the following respects: 1) no peak for stable protein was present in the thyroglobulin region (15–19S); 2) after acute or equilibrium labeling with radioiodine, or after acute labeling with 14C-amino acid, the peak for labeled thyroglobulin was significantly lower than 19S, indicating a failure of maturation of thyroglobulin; 3) no clear peak was evident at 27S, labeled or stable; and 4) the labeled thyroglobulin peak was broad and asymmetrical, probably reflecting a higher than normal proportion of poorly iodinated molecules and a greater than normal degree of heterogeneity. Acute administration of stable iodide (3–5 μg), either together with radioiodine or 14C-amin...


OBJECTIVE Analysis of lipid levels in patients with cerebral infarction and the relationship between risk factors and correlation analysis. METHOD To 36 cases of cerebral infarction patients hospitalized with the same period 32 cases of non-infarction patients, 12-hour fasting blood sample to measure ox-LDL, TC, TG, HDL-C and LDL-C content. The lipid content of the two groups were observed and the cause of multiple cerebral infarction logistic stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS Experimental group compared with the control group, in ox-LDL, TC, HDL-C and LDL-C, the difference was statistically significant(P0.01); By logistic regression analysis, with the effects of descending cerebral infarction followed by ox-LDL , diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking. ox-LDL on the relative risk of cerebral infarction was 1.45. CONCLUSIONS Lipid levels and is closely related to the occurrence of cerebral infarction, the positive control of blood lipids for the prevention of the occurrence of cerebral infarction has an important significance.


Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an often debilitating form of anxiety disorder triggered by personal experience of a serious trauma. Women are more than twice as likely as men to develop PTSD. Though one in four women exposed to a traumatic event develops PTSD, no brief tools are available to facilitate identification ofPTSD in primary care settings. Our objectives were: 1) to document the prevalence of a history of serious trauma among women seeking routine annual gynecologic care in an academic continuity care setting, and; 2) to evaluate a brief 4-item instrument assessing PTSD symptoms, called the SPAN, as a potential tool for triaging women with a history of trauma for further evaluation. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of English-speaking women scheduled for annual care visits over a 9-month period; and conducted structured clinical interviews as a gold-standard for PTSD diagnosis among a sample of women who reported a history of trauma. The interviewer was blind to SPAN scores. Seventy-six percent of annual care patients (n=292) completed the written survey while waiting for their visit. Ninety women (31%) reported a history of one or more traumatic events including rape, sexual assault, physical assault, and severe motor vehicle accidents. Average age was 34 years, 49% were African American, and 46% were unmarried. Among the 90 women with a history of trauma, 63 agreed to be contacted and we were able to complete the psychiatric assessment for 32. In this convenience sample of32 women, 25 (78%) met criteria for current PTSD, and 31 of32 met criteria for other psychiatric comorbidity. Additionally, 68% were not receiving any psychiatric care. Compared to the gold standard for PTSD, SPAN had a sensitivity of72%, specificity of74%, positive predictive value of 90% and likelihood ratio of 2.52. Trauma was common in this population. Including a trauma screening question and the SPAN items on written clinic intake surveys has promise for use as a triage tool. Use could meaningfully increase detection ofPTSD and other psychiatric morbidity among women receiving routine preventive care.


Quantum cascade lasers are unipolar semiconductor light-sources based on transitions in quantum wells. The realization of battery-driven, low power dissipation devices is one key element for cheap, small-footprint and field-deployable laser systems. Such systems are of particular interest for spectroscopy of different molecules with their characteristic optical fingerprints in the mid-infrared spectral region. Prominent examples are green-house gases, such as CO2, N2O or CH4. The operation principle of quantum cascade lasers enables a wide spectrum of designdegrees of freedom in terms of emission wavelength and output performance. Nowadays they cover the whole spectral range between 3 μm to 12 μm, and for selected wavelengths even beyond, with Watt-level continuous-wave output power for different wavelengths and wallplug-efficiencies up to 21% at room temperature as well as wide spectral tuning ranges well above 10% of the center frequency. In particular, laser emission into one single, spectral mode is a very important feature for a wide variety of applied spectroscopic techniques, which can be realized by implementing periodic grating structures into the laser cavity. In this work such single-mode emitting mid-infrared (4.3 μm to 4.5 μm) quantum cascade lasers are presented, analyzed and optimized with respect to three different criteria which can be summarized as performance-relevant characteristics. In the first part, the design and realization of devices is discussed, where the key figure of merit is a low power dissipation. How can a quantum cascade laser be optimized to produce only very little excess (thermal) heat, while still keeping a level of outputpower suitable for real-world applications like gas-sensing? We discuss which deviceand design-parameters are relevant for the generated heat inside the laser and also their impact on the output characteristics, together with giving limits within which they can be modified. A very important part of this work is dedicated to the optimization of the laser fabrication process, resulting in high-performance quantum cascade lasers. We finally present devices, which show power-dissipation levels significantly below 1 W in continuous-wave operation at room temperature, with several tens of mW of optical output-power. On the basis of these devices, the second part of the work discusses the topic of quantum cascade lasers with high levels of output-power in single-mode emission. This is a necessary requirement for a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Different concepts for such high-power single-mode emitting devices are presented, theoretically investigated and compared. The conclusions are important design guidelines and suggested device optimizations. The two-section master-oscillator power-amplifier configuration is identified as the most promising approach to achieve high output powers while still keeping high yield and robust single-mode emission. Such devices were fabricated within this work and show Watt-level peak output-power and spectrally pure single-mode emission with side-mode suppression ratios well above 20 dB and up to 30 dB. The two-section geometry furthermore enables the possibility for more complex laser biasing schemes which are also presented and discussed within this part. In the third and last part of this work we lay our focus on the potential modulation capabilities of quantum cascade lasers at high frequencies in the microwave range (GHz), because of the absence of any resonance oscillation peak, compared to interband diode lasers. This characteristic has already been investigated to some extend in previous studies, but has also been limited by either the investigated modulation-frequency range, the device-operation (temperature, performance) or the type of measurement (only electrical or optical). We present in this work a comprehensive investigation of the electrical and optical characteristics of high-frequency optimized 4.5 μm singlemode emitting quantum cascade lasers in continuous-wave operation at Peltier-cooling temperatures for modulation frequencies up to 26.5 GHz. Electrical rectification, direct optical sideband as well as heterodyne beating measurements reveal the enormous potential of such devices for high bit-rate data transfer. We moreover present the first experimental realization of a single-sideband emitting mid-infrared quantum cascade laser, which is a very interesting feature for telecommunication applications and some spectroscopic applications. Besides the discussion of device design optimizations for such high-frequency applications and the fabrication and characterization of devices, we also analyze our results in detail within a theoretical framework. This aims at predicting the precise device electrical response-curve as well as the modeling of the optical response-function. In the last part of this chapter a special feature which is inherent to single-mode emitting quantum cascade lasers is investigated in detail. It is the occurrence of a single-sideband resonance peak, which is shown to be a direct consequence of a single-mode laser which can inject a close-by Fabry-Pérot mode for particular device-geometries and driving conditions through the modulation process.


1. The sentence "The authors reported recoveries between 98% and 103% for AFs at concentration level of 1 μg/kg, and recovery of 100% for OTA at a concentration level of 2.5 μg/kg with an RSD of repeatability less than 66%in all cases" has been changed to: "The authors reported recoveries between 98% and 103% for AFs at concentration level of 1 μg/kg, and recovery of 100% for OTA at a concentration level of 2.5 μg/kg with an RSD of repeatability less than 6% in all cases".


The report notes the cool, wet fall season, discusses the good migrations of the season and the unusually large number of sightings of rare water birds, mostly at Saylorville Lake. Included with the report are two letters from Carl J. Bendorf to Bruce Peterjohn. The letter dated December 15, 1986, explains the presence of typesetting marks on the included fall report manuscript and notes the interesting fall season in Iowa. The letter dated December 23, 1986, notes two late reports, of a King Eider and a Swainson's Hawk, and mentions winter sightings.


Article history: Received 20 July 2011 Accepted in revised form 7 October 2011 Available online 15 October 2011 From the MeOH extract of Sideritis trojana, a new iridoid glycoside, 10-O-(E)-feruloylmelittoside (1) was obtained in addition to four known iridoid glycosides [melittoside (2), 10-O-(E)p-coumaroylmelittoside (3), stachysosides E (4) and G (5)]. Moreover, five phenylethanoid glycosides [verbascoside (6), isoacteoside (7), lamalboside (8), leonoside A (9), isolavandulifolioside (10), three flavone glycosides (isoscutellarein 7-O-[6′′′-O-acetyl-β-allopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-glucopyranoside (11), 4′-O-methyisoscutellarein 7-O-[6′′′-O-acetyl-β-allopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-glucopyranoside (12), 3′-hydroxy-4′-O-methyisoscutellarein 7-O-[6′′′-O-acetyl-β-allopyranosyl-(1→2)]-βglucopyranoside (13) and a benzylalcohol derivative (di-O-methylcrenatin) were obtained and identified. The structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HRMS data. All compounds were tested for their antioxidant activity by in vitro TEAC assay and some of them exhibited moderate activity (0.97–1.44 mM) when compared with the reference compound (quercetin 1.86 mM). Glycosides 6–13, the most active compounds in the TEAC assay, were also tested by flow cytometry to evaluate their ability to affect the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human prostate cancer cells (PC3). © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Abstract In this paper we present the work related to the parameters identification for abrasive waterjet milling (AWJM) model that appears as an ill-posed inverse problem. The necessity of studying this problem comes from the industrial milling applications where the possibility to predict and model the final surface with high accuracy is one of the primary tasks in the absence of any knowledge of the model parameters that should be used. The adjoint approach based on corresponding Lagrangian gives the opportunity to find out the unknowns of the AWJM model and their optimal values that could be used to reproduce the required trench profile. Due to the complexity of the nonlinear problem and the large number of the model parameters, we use an automatic differentiation software tool. This approach also gives us the ability to distribute the research on more complex cases and consider different types of model errors and 3D time dependent model with variations of the jet feed speed. This approach gives us a good opportunity to identify the optimal model parameters and predict the surface profile both with self-generated data and measurements obtained from the real production. Considering different types of model errors allows us to receive the results acceptable in manufacturing and to expect the proper identification of unknowns.


Paringin District have an application that is still in manual form and not computerized, and searching for information is still lacking because there is on online system so it is easy for citizents to access. So it is slow in the process of adding, changing and deleting data, and seeking information, as well as other population data collection. The purpose of making an administrative service application at this eligible village office so that it can help provide alternative problem solving such as data collection the number of people who come, move, die and are born. It's easy to get correspondence if needed quickly, get complete information for residents, safe in data storage in the long run and the data is neatly arrange in the application. The method in this study by utilizing certain techniques is with field studies and literature studies. The result of this study are a set of administrative service application software in the Layap village office of Paringin subdistrict. The conclusion of this study is that in the application design provides a lot of convenience in the data processing process in the village office.


The acceleration of economic globalization and the international finance crisis intensified the international market competition,the competition will cause the increase of international trade friction inevitably,and the trade protectionism has hindered the domestic product export.In terms of the chemicals export,what in the past facing is all kinds of approval such as FDA,it is numerous,and the test is very complex;What is experiencing is more and more antidumping;We just experienced REACH laws from European Union;What will face in the future soon will be the laws and regulations something like REACH from Asian Pacific.The chemicals export of China are experiencing more and more trade friction.The cost of entering international market is getting higher and higher.This article will discuss and give some suggestions about international trade barriers and focus on the antidumping countermeasures.


Sir, I am glad that our paper was of interest to you. We had hoped that it would be accessible to lawyers, such as yourself, in addition to policy makers and forensic scientists. Unfortunately, I fear you have misunderstood the article resulting in some deeply flawed misconceptions of its content. So, let me clear up a few points. The paper is grounded in the premise that the interaction between law and science can lead to confusion undermining both forensic and jurisprudential goals. This can be particularly problematic where the definition of a crime is dependent upon the outcome of a scientific measurement or observation whose subject is either under-defined (drug "analogue" laws) or differentially defined across jurisdictions (per se DUI laws). Our focus is on the identification and explanation of one such source of confusion caused by the dynamics at the intersection of law and science. With that in mind, nowhere does the paper purport to have developed methods that "account for diverse physiological uncertainties, thereby substantiating the use of exhaled breath measurements as purportedly reliable indirect indicators of true blood alcohol concentration (BAC), independent of diverse jurisprudence DUI statute definitions." The paper is aimed solely at identifying a source of confusion in forensic breath alcohol testing so that it may be avoided by those in legal, policy, and forensic circles. Jurisdictionally dependent per se schemes, relying upon a common measurement method but specifying different measurands, lead to confusion precisely because the interpretation of their results and the factors that must be considered in so doing are not uniform. The paper identifies some of the factors differentiating the use and interpretation of breath test results between jurisdictions and provides analysis and examples to clarify. This is all explanatory and descriptive, however, not prescriptive. Moreover, two of the three types of per se jurisdictions considered do not use breath tests for purposes of measuring BAC, only Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC). Accordingly, it is beyond the scope of the paper to attempt to "substantiate" the use of exhaled breath measurements as reliable indicators of true BAC across such jurisdictions. Nor does the paper claim that existing methods can measure the concentration of alcohol in deep lung/alveolar air. Rather, it recognizes that statutes/regulations requiring the measurement of this quantity exist and differentiates what these laws reference from the quantity being directly measured by current breath test technologies. That said, the contention that this quantity cannot be measured does not mean that it does not exist as you seem to imply. Hlastala neither claims, nor does his work support the contention, that there is not a well-defined alveolar air alcohol concentration. To the contrary, his work shows that within the alveoli, alveolar ethanol partial pressures equilibrate with mixed venous ethanol partial pressure so that they are uniformly distributed throughout the alveoli (1). This leads to a state of uniform saturation defining alveolar air ethanol concentration. That the concentration of alcohol in a volume of breath originating in the alveolus is dynamic, changing as it travels through the airways during an exhalation, is explicitly acknowledged. In fact, the difference between alveolar and end expiratory BrACs that this leads to is what distinguishes Type I from Type II jurisdictions. Nor does the paper make "the bold assumption that BrAC measurement is a reliable proxy for BAC." Some jurisdictions do use breath testing as an indirect measure of BAC, however. A simple empirical model is therefore employed to illustrate that uncertainty and the algorithms used to determine it are measurand dependent. It is explicitly stated that the values employed, though based upon the literature, were chosen for heuristic purposes. The authors are well aware that the relationship between breath and BACs is subject to a number of varying factors, including time. The illustration demonstrates that Type III jurisdictions must take this into account when determining a result's uncertainty. Further, the distinctions between arterial and venous blood in the determination of BAC lend support to the paper's thesis. Unless a Type III jurisdiction's per se scheme clearly identifies which of these quantities is intended to be measured by a breath test, the meaning of the result becomes ambiguous. This increases the type of confusion discussed as some jurisdictions make the distinction while others do not. Nor is there any doubt that this must also be considered in the analysis of the uncertainty associated with BAC results. It may even necessitate consideration of definitional uncertainties depending upon statutory/regulatory definitions and magnitudes of quantitative differences. All of this, however, is consistent with, and supported by, the paper. You have leveled some rather broad charges concerning the paper's grasp of frequentist verse Bayesian methods and the distinction between direct and indirect measurements. Your failure to identify these deficiencies makes it impossible to address your concerns without speculating as to what they might refer to. Finally, your conclusion that "uncertainty determinations of BrAC as it relates to BAC are of limited real-life import" is at odds with the one reached by the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy concluded that results of breath tests used to measure BAC "need to be reported, along with a confidence interval that has a high probability of containing the true blood alcohol level" (2). As long as breath alcohol tests are relied upon as indirect measurements of BAC, a result's uncertainty is required to understand what it represents. Absent such a result's uncertainty, one cannot know what values it actually permits to be reasonably attributed to the measurand. This forces both lay jurors and legal professionals to speculate on the meaning of a result. I hope this clears up your misconceptions. Our desire was to make this understandable to lawyers, such as yourself, as well as policy makers and forensic scientists. Perhaps now we have hit our mark.


Sociological studies on homeschooling have focused narrowly on the experience of teacher-mothers and on the academic outcomes of homeschooled children. There is a dearth of studies on the role of fathers in this subculture. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 21 Christian homeschooling fathers in the upper midwest, this article addresses a major lacuna by focusing on the perceptions and social functions of the men in these families. Results suggest that one of the principal roles of fathers is emotion management of the frustrations and role strains of their teacher-wives. In most cases, homeschooling compels fathers to develop effective strategies to mitigate the inevitable role strains and role conflicts that mother-teachers will encounter. As such, fathers in homeschooling households perform theologically grounded emotion work, and develop critical stratagems of interpersonal emotion management to ensure the prolongation of this ideologically-driven subculture.


A broadband self-compensating waveguide phase shifter which is easy to be realized in terahertz band is proposed in this paper. The phase shifts generated by widened waveguide and periodic grooves both vary with frequency, while following opposite trend. By properly combining these two different phase shifting structures, the bandwidth of the proposed phase shifter is significantly improved. A terahertz self-compensating 90° waveguide phase shifter is designed and simulated, taking account of the nonideal boundary conditions caused by the manufacturing process. The results of the proposed phase shifter show that in the frequency band from 275 to 385 GHz, the phase deviation is less than 3°, and the insertion loss is better than −0.2dB. The performances reveal its application potential in terahertz broadband feeding network.


Studies of pre-colonial and colonial history in Korea have been and still are relevant to Koreans today, For a comprehensive understanding of pre-colonial and colonial history, Pusan is a good window through which the expansion of hegemonic domination in Korea can be seen in both pre-colonial and colonial history. This paper aims to analyze the Japanese expansion of hegemonic domination which occurred as Japanese settlers rapidly increased during the open-port period (1876-1910) in Pusan. Prior to the annexation, Pusan, as the first open port in Korea, reflected features of hegemonic domination on socio-cultural-economic dimensions of people's lives. The socio- cultural-economic impacts in Pusan were accompanied by a rapid increase in Japanese immigration after the opening of Pusan in 1876. Despite the prolificacy of research in this field, the historiography in Korea has been divided and is moving along parallel lines. However, by the end of the twentieth century, some scholars had attempted to sublate the extremely bipolar narratives of either "exploitation" or "development," "tradition" or "modernity" in Korean history. In order to pursue a more balanced approach, Gi-wook Shin and Michael Robinson's edited volume, 『Colonial Modernity in Korea』, adopts some of this new perspective in the Korean academy and brings it into English scholarship, providing an important theoretical framework to understand colonial modernity in Korea. This paper is in line with this new trend. My research employs a general framework of Antonio Gramsci's analysis of power and 'hegemony' in his Prison Notebooks. There was not necessarily any 'forced' separateness or apartheid; rather contact between the Koreans and Japanese was played out in asymmetrical relations of power. I will use the concept of 'hegemony' to explore how the Japanese settlers and Koreans negotiated and dominated the establishment of urban space in Pusan and how the structure of urban space was utilized. In fact, the process of Japanese expansion and exercise of power in Pusan was accomplished through a combination of 'force' and 'consent'. In this paper, I attempt to firstly demonstrate the increase of Japanese immigration to Pusan and then analyze Japanese settler's hegemonic domination in Pusan by examining modern space and social structure in Pusan during the open-port period.


Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is a treatment option for patients with biliary obstruction in whom traditional endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is not possible due to altered upper gastrointestinal anatomy. In such cases, EUS-BD is a good alternative to surgery or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), with comparable clinical and technical success rates [1]. Two approaches have been described for EUSguided transluminal biliary drainage. EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy uses the transgastric approach and EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy uses the transduodenal approach [2]. Here, we present the case of a 78-yearold woman with a history of gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinoma, for which she underwent Whipple surgery 8 months earlier, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. She was admitted to the hospital after the 11th cycle of chemotherapy due to severe weakness and jaundice. Her blood tests were remarkable for high liver function tests of cholestatic pattern. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed an ill-defined lesion at the porta hepatis with intrahepatic biliary dilation. It was decided that EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy should be performed. A 19-gauge needle was used to access the dilated left intrahepatic duct. Then, cholangiography revealed biliary obstruction extending to the bifurcation, with upstream biliary dilation. A guidewire was passed into the left intrahepatic duct and a hepaticogastrostomy tract was created using needle-knife electrocautery (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA). Next, the tract was serially dilated, and a 10mm×10 cm fully covered metallic stent (Viabil; Conmed, Utica, New York, USA) was placed and subsequently dilated. An Autotome sphincterotome (Boston Scientific) was used to cross the obstruction; then, a 12 cm E-Videos


Objectives/Goals 1) Will phytic acid (an organic acid present in vegetables) form an insoluble complex with zinc? 2) Will the complex form at a certain ratio of concentration of zinc and phytic acid? At what pH? 3) Will presence of other metals like calcium influence the precipitation of zinc by phytic acid? Methods/Materials In experiment 1, I determined the concentration ratio of Zn:phytic acid required for precipitation of zinc from an aqueous solution by adding various amounts of phytic acid to a solution of zinc. In experiment 2, I tested the effects of pH on zinc precipitation by phytic acid. The pH of a mixture of 1:1 zinc:phytic acid solution was varied from pH 3 to pH 8 by the addition of KOH. In experiment 3, I tested the effect of calcium on the precipitation of zinc by phytic acid. Here, the Ca:Zn:phytic acid ratio was 5:5:0.5. A control experiment with no calcium and another with no zinc were also included. After the white precipitate of Ca/Zn-phytate formed, I filtered the reaction mixtures and checked for zinc in the filtrate by using Zincon reagent. A standard curve technique was used where I plotted the absorbance values of the blue Zincon-Zn solutions vs. concentration of zinc (in ppm) in standard solutions. This standard curve was used to determine the concentration of zinc in the unknown filtrates (after proper dilution). Results I found that when the Zn:phytic acid ratio approached 4:1, all the zinc precipitated out. The precipitation was very effective upto 1:1 ratio; excess phytic acid however redissolved the white precipitate of Zn-phytate. For precipitation of zinc-phytate, pH 5 was the most suitable pH . Finally, I found that calcium did aid precipitation of zinc by phytic acid. Conclusions/Discussion Excess intake of vegetables does hinder absorption of zinc from our diet. Also, presence of calcium increases the extent of precipitation of zinc by phytic acid.


In this paper, the presenter argues that performance discrepancy in colleges is linked to college leadership and suggests that the problem is often the absence of an Integrated Leadership Framework. He offers S.E.L.F., a Success-Evoking Leadership Framework which is made up of four interrelated concentric circles: the first circle defines the purpose and how it will be achieved; the second circle indicates how the inner one will be achieved, implying three interconnected components - that the organisation has a vision, that results/accountability count, and that values are fundamental; the third circle shows how the inner two can begin to be operationalised; and the fourth circle provides advice (Dos) on how to better role-model, communicate, and recognise/reward.


This study aimed to investigate the correlation between parental expectation, academic engagement, and academic achievement among Hashemite university students. The participants were 656 students enrolled in the Family and Child Education course, one of the elective requirement courses offered by the Faculty of Arts at the Hashemite University during the academic year 2020-2021. The Parental Expectations Scale (PES) was developed by Wang and Heppner (2002), and consists of 32 items divided into three dimensions. Pearson correlation coefficient was used in analysis of the study data, mean, and standard deviation. The reliability coefficient was calculated using Cronbach's Alpha (0.91). Academic Engagement Scale (AES) was developed by Mahasneh et al, (2019).Microsoft Forms software was used for completing the questionnaires, and the data were collected over a period of three weeks.The results showed a positive correlation between parental expectation and academic engagement, and between parental expectation and academic achievement.


It is a key problem to calculate the Nash equilibrium for the deregulated electricity market,and the problem mainly has two difficulties:computation of the mixed strategy Nash equilibrium and determination of whether multiple equilibria exist. Cournot model considering the network constraints is presented firstly,then the solving system of polynomial equations algorithm,which is an algebraic method and belongs to the payoff matrix approach,is applied to calculate the all Nash equilibrium for the finite-strategy multi-player game in the electricity market. The proposed approach mostly relies on decomposing the game by means of the support sets,and for each support set,the condition of the Nash equilibrium can be characterized by a system of polynomial equation and inequalities,and a famous software pack PHCpack is applied to solve the equation system,then the all Nash equilibrium could be found through detecting all the solution. Several examples based on the three-bus test system are used to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,and the results show that the approach is capable of finding all Nash equilibrium under certain condition,which indicate that it has the potential to be used in the study of the real-world electricity markets.


Topic. Financial instruments with inflation-protected security of yield. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to identify the prospects and constraints for development of the market of financial instruments with the protection of yield against inflation in Russia at the present stage on the basis of an analysis of the attractiveness of such financial instruments for investors and issuers. Methodology. In the study we used following methods: analysis, synthesis, longitudinal method, grouping and comparison. Results. The article shows that in a world there is vastly practiced issuance of government bonds with protection against inflation, which is achieved through regular indexation of nominal bonds value on the rate of inflation. In particular, currently, in the UK the share of bonds with protection against inflation accounts for about 25%, and in USA about 10% of the public debt. In Russia federal loan bonds with the indexed face value was first issued in 2015. The article shows that the protection of the investor's capital from unforeseen price changes, as well as diversification of bonds protected against inflation generate a demand for them. At the same time, the high income inequality of the population and the dependence of ruble exchange rate on energy prices limit the potential demand for financial instruments with protected income against inflation. Conclusion. For the development of financial instruments with inflation-protected security of yield, including the formation of the corporate bond market with the yield protection against inflation, it is necessary to improve tax legislation and to ensure the high liquidity of the market for such instruments.


ABS>In a continuation of study of the waves associated with the structure of elementary particles two particular cases of D(1/sup +/,1/sup -/) and D (1/sup -/,1/sup +/) representations for which the sum 1/sup + + 1/sup - a semi-integral are considered. (J.S.R.)


Procuring a sufficient amount of cells is essential for cell‐based regenerative therapy. However, the application of senescent cells replicated using cell culture is limited because the cells have lost their regenerative ability or produce deleterious senescence‐associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs). In this study, using a senomorphic (epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]), which could modulate SASP secretion from senescent cells, nonsenescent and senescent dedifferentiated fat cells from rats (rDFAT cells), and congenital cleft‐jaw defects in rats, the authors show that the senomorphic (EGCG)‐conjugated cellular scaffold restores the bone regenerative ability of senescent multipotent progenitor cells, even in vivo. In this osteogenic process, the EGCG‐conjugated scaffold attenuates the production of representative SASPs (i.e., interleukin [IL]‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐α) and reactive oxygen species in vivo and in vitro. In polymerase chain reaction arrays in vitro, the EGCG‐conjugated cellular scaffold suppresses the expression of genes associated with deleterious SASP factors for bone formation (e.g., Csf2, IL‐1a, and others) from senescent rDFAT cells and elevates the expression of potential osteogenesis‐ and bone remodeling‐ related gene (e.g., Cxcl13 and Spp1). These results provide insights to expand the application of senomorphics and senescent stem/multipotent progenitor cells in cell‐based regenerative medicine.


As noted by several observers, information technology (IT) has rapidly evolved from "part of the organizational overhead" into a strategic resource capable of changing patterns of competition within industries [8, p. 275]. However, while this evolution has become part of the fabric for literature exploring the strategic impact of IT, very few studies have been undertaken to determine the specific influence(s) of technology-based competition on industry structure. The development of analytical frames for capturing aspects of industry behavior provides a potentially powerful tool for evaluating the influence strategic IT initiatives may have on current bases of competition. Drawing from the theoretical disciplines of industrial economics and strategic management, this study develops a framework for analyzing longitudinal changes in industry structure. Working within this frame, the study then analyzes the nature and change of structure in three industries during and after the introduction of strategic information technology. The findings suggest that in each of these industries structural characteristics were dramatically altered subsequent to the introduction of competitive-based IT. In two of the industries (airlines and industrial chemicals), early adopters broke away from other industry participants, in effect, forming unique bases of competition. In the remaining industry (drug wholesalers), previously distinct bases of competition consolidated, resulting in a more competitive industry structure than that which existed prior to the technological innovation.


The objective of this study was to design a screening test to characterize the early literacy of reading and writing in pre-school population from 2 to 5 years of age. The own method of the design and construction of tests were taken in order to produce the instrument. For the conceptualization phase, 38 literature sources were consulted and 17 batteries of assessment related to the topic of learning of reading, writing and language development. For the testing phase of the reagents, for validation was resorted by judgment of 8 experts, and to the accomplishment of a pilot test in a population of 50 boys and girls with the range of range required age. As a result, got to build an instrument that allows to identify the occurrence of knowledge, abilities and cognitive metacognitive, linguistic and behavioural skills, that early literacy is considered appropriate for the learning and suitable development of the reading and the writing, and which are in normal conditions in early childhood


Editor-in-Chief Gary L. Smidt promotes the sharing of information across disciplines via JOSPT features such as Abstracts and Letters to the Editor-in-Chief, as well as by providing summary statements from recent issues of other journals. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1995;22(4):141. doi:10.2519/jospt.19184.108.40.206


The nomenclatural history of the species name Chamaeleo, presently Furcifer, polleni(i) Peters, 1873 is discussed. It is demonstrated that the original spelling of the name, viz. pollenii is invalid, whereas the incorrect subsequent spelling of the name, viz. polleni is valid in view of prevailing usage. The origin and number of the type specimens is clarified and their status established. ZMB 7892 is shown to be the lectotype. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Our first research question sought to confirm whether there is a positive relationship between environmental and ethical management practices and corporate performance. We tested whether the two constructs were a fit for the sample of Korean companies and assessed their reliability and validity in an exploratory context. Further, we formulated the companies' action variables using the degree of implementation of customization and process innovation strategy and checked if those two variables had some effects on the relationship. We divided the sample into two groups—high and low—based on the two variables and compared the regression results. The results suggest that both environmental and ethical management practices have a positive effect on corporate performance. Further analyses revealed that the statistical results representing fitness between the two practices and corporate performance favored the group that showed a lower degree of customization strategy. Thus, we inferred that companies that adopt a customization rather than a standardization approach experience a more positive relationship between environmental and ethical practices and corporate performance. Finally, the results comparing the relationship between the two practices and corporate performance showed a better fit for the group that did more to implement process innovation than for the group with lower implementation, indicating that companies implementing process innovation can anticipate a more positive relationship between environmental and ethical practices and corporate performance.


plans 46.6% 38.8% p > 0.05 Lack of readiness for action 0% 0% – Health promotion factors (causes) Action (healthy lifestyle) 60% 38.8% p ≤ 0.01 Environment 20% 16.6% p > 0.05 Congenital physical properties 20% 44.4% p ≤ 0.01 Value of health Absolute value 80% 83.3% p > 0.05 Mental condition 13.3% 5.5% p ≤ 0.01 Physical condition 6.6% 11.1% p > 0.05 Quality of life 0% 0% – Note. The percentage was calculated as frequency of a response among the sampled group. 154 E. I. Pervichko, I. M. Shishkova the first category of children is much more often faced with the need to improve their health, which is emphasized by parents and the school environment as a significant value. Frequently ill children reveal their idea of the disease through an emotionally intense assessment ("bad", "terrible", "nightmarish"). The frequency of such assessments in the group of frequently ill children significantly exceeds that in the group of rarely ill children (53.3% vs. 33.3, p ≤ 0.01), whereas for rarely ill children, the description of the disease through its objective definition (66.6%) is typical. This distinction may be related to the discomfort caused by diseases and the personal emotional reaction to them in frequently ill children. Children of both groups with the highest frequencies of answers note the paramount importance of health for a person's life (83.3% vs. 80%, p > 0.05).


Cementitious waste forms are being considered for immobilizing nuclear waste before disposal. In earlier work, it was found that irradiation of a mortar formulation consisting of slag, portland cement, fly ash, water, and up to 10 wt% KCl{endash}LiCl salt resulted in the generation of hydrogen. Yields were relatively high and the rates of generation were constant for the irradiation period investigated. The addition of small amounts of oxygen-rich electron scavengers to the mortar was investigated as a means for reducing hydrogen yields. The addition of NaNO{sub 3} reduced the hydrogen yield; changed the radiolytic products from hydrogen to a mixture of hydrogen, nitrogen, and N{sub 2}O; and reduced the pressurization rate after exposure to 400 Mrads. The addition of NaIO{sub 4} and KMnO{sub 4} reduced hydrogen yields slightly while the addition of Ag{sub 2}O increased the yield. Moreover, the addition of FeS to a non-slag mortar changed the radiolysis mechanism but the addition of FeO did not. The results of these experiments provided an insight into the nature of the radiolytic reactions occurring in the mortar formulations and indicated that the radiolytic generation of gases might be controlled with the proper choice of additive. 14 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.


To identify the perceptions of women about their treatment in a Psychosocial Care Center II (CAPS II) in Ceará. An applied and descriptive study with a qualitative approach was carried out with patients of CAPS II. A questionnaire was applied using the Google Forms tool, between October 2021 to January 2022. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method, with the identification of thematic categories. 25 patients of CAPS II were interviewed. Three thematic categories were identified: perception of women assisted at CAPS about their mental health status, family context and social context. Based on the participants' statements, the relationship between mental illness and the social, economic and family context was verified. The perceptions learned are common to the study participants, signaling the need for family, social and economic realities to be included in the treatment plan with greater emphasis.


The grounding, shielding and cooling issues are important factors in the design, the operation and the maintenance of all the electronics systems. Noise sources in High Energy Physics Experiments are specially taken into account. Inadequate grounding, shielding or cooling leads to unreliable operation of the particle detectors because most of them work with very low signal levels. After a brief review of the major environmental constraints, this paper provides an overview on the LHCb strategy and achievements in the field of the grounding, shielding and cooling for its electronics equipment at the LHC pit 8


Vinca ispartensis Koyuncu & Ekşi sp. nova (Apocynaceae) is described and illustrated. It grows in calcareous, stony locations in Isparta Province (southwest Anatolia, Turkey). Vinca ispartensis is morphologically close to V. herbacea and V. soneri; the diagnostic morphological characters of the three taxa are discussed. An identification key of the genus Vinca in Turkey is provided.


The advent of improved machine technology combined with interest in geometry and mathematics in the middle 19 century led to the creation of a variety of "mathematical machines" some of which were developed to create complex, intricate and beautiful designs. This paper takes a brief look at one of these machines as well as it's more contemporary namesake, and attempts to adapt some of the techniques using a modern drawing program to create additional designs. 20 Century Spirograph Many mathematically-minded people will recall a drawing toy from their youth called the "Spirograph" that was produced by Kenner Co. It consisted of plastic wheels in a variety of sizes with uniformly notched edges and interior holes. There were also additional plastic "rings" notched on both the interior and exterior onto which the smaller wheels could be attached. Placing the pen point into a hole and rotating the wheel about a stationary ring (it was pinned to the paper) would ideally produce a pleasing design of loops that varied according to the relative size of the rotating wheel and the stationary ring. Unfortunately sometimes the wheel would slip, often at the end, and spoil an otherwise lovely design. However, the potential existed for many exquisite, complex designs. 19 Century Spirograph The London Science Museum has a wonderful display of "mathematical machines" from the past, among them several whose sole purpose was to create complex designs, often to be used on banknotes, stock certificates, or other documents to deter counterfeiting. Last summer on a tour of the LSM archives I was delighted to discover a machine called a Spirograph invented in Vienna in 1848 by a man named P. H. Desvignes. Accompanying it was a description and sample of curves drawn by the machine. See Figure 1. Figure 1: Desvignes' 1848 Spirograph and designs This spirograph was made of carefully machined metal wheels and gears that drove a penmechanism and produced even more than, but including the designs made by the contemporary toy. Some of the examples shown above are spiral curves. This raises the question, "using today's technology can we duplicate the designs of the past, improve upon them, and can we develop brand new designs incorporating some of the techniques of the past?" Roulettes Of course mathematicians have known about curves for many centuries. They have studied them, analyzed them, catalogued and named them in an orderly fashion. The curves of the first Spirograph described and a subset of the second belong to the class of curves known as "roulettes", or "the path of a point associated with a line or curve moving along another curve without slipping". In particular consider a circle (Cw) rotating without slippage on the circumference of another fixed circle (Cf). Now think about the curve traced by a point on the circumference of Cw, by a point on the interior of (Cw), and by a point exterior to (Cw). All of these examples have names and are categorized. If the rotating circle Cw is exterior to the fixed circle Cf the curves are called epitrochoids. If the point is on the circumference of Cw the curve is known as an epicycloid. If the point is on the interior of Cw the curve is a cutate epiroulette, and if the point is exterior to Cw it is called a prolate epiroulette. See Figure 2. [1] c3 P3


Translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is an essential protein in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and plays a crucial role in the recruitment of mRNA to the 43S preinitiation complex. While the human ortholog of the protein has been extensively characterized, much remains to be elucidated regarding the biochemical properties of the yeast protein. Based on its conserved helicase motifs, eIF4A is believed to unwind secondary structures in the 5′‐untranslated region (UTR) of the mRNA to permit efficient translation. In our present study, we have sought to characterize the RNA binding and unwinding activities of yeast eIF4A by itself and in the context of the eIF4F complex, comprised of eIF4A, eIF4E, and eIF4G. Our results show that the ATPase activity of eIF4A is stimulated >250‐fold when it binds to eIF4E•eIF4G. Unlike its human cousin, the yeast eIF4F complex preferentially unwinds duplexes with a 5′‐overhang. Experiments with deletion mutants of eIF4G indicate that RNA‐binding domains of eIF4G co‐operate to impart this 5′‐dependence to the eIF4F complex.


Abstract : This report presents the test procedure and results of in situ stress tests performed along the proposed route of the Park River Tunnel, Hartford, Connecticut. The borehole deformation gage overcoring technique was successfully used to depths of 150 ft below ground surface. Modifications to the test procedure and equipment are discussed. The results of these tests are compared with the stresses determined at several other sites in the northeastern United States. (Author)


Decoding on phrase-level may afford more correction accuracy than on word-level according to previous research. However, how phrase-level input affects the user typing behavior, and how to design the interaction to make it practical remain under explored. We present PhraseFlow, a phrase-level input keyboard that is able to correct previous text based on the subsequently input sequences. Computational studies show that phrase-level input reduces the error rate of autocorrection by over 16%. We found that phrase-level input introduced extra cognitive load to the user that hindered their performance. Through an iterative design-implement-research process, we optimized the design of PhraseFlow that alleviated the cognitive load. An in-lab study shows that users could adopt PhraseFlow quickly, resulting in 19% fewer error without losing speed. In real-life settings, we conducted a six-day deployment study with 42 participants, showing that 78.6% of the users would like to have the phrase-level input feature in future keyboards.


A new methodology, using fluoride ion as a nucleophilic catalyst, was applied for the synthesis of enantiopure 1,4-benzothiazepine from cyclic sulfenamide and electron-deficient acetylene, with high efficiency and atom economy.


The fraction of antibody which bound to the lymphocyte surface, was determined in the [125I]IgG preparations of rabbit-anti-mouse ALS prepared by different immunization protocols. This fraction increased with continuing immunization and was higher in sera raised by injection of lymphoid cells in Freund's complete adjuvant (5·3–9·6% of total IgG) than in sera raised by intravenous injection of lymphoid suspension (2·3–5·2% of total IgG).

8·5% of IgG from adjuvant-raised ALS bound to non-lymphoid (liver) cells as compared to 9·6% of IgG which binds to the lymphoid cells themselves.

Antibodies against these `species specific' non-lymphoid antigenic determinants were completely absorbed with lymphocyte-free liver cell suspensions. Such absorption did not substantially reduce the immunosuppressive activity of ALS.


A novel prototype of the active voltage clamping capacitor circuit-assisted edge-resonant ZVS-PWM high-frequency inverter, which uses newly developed generation consumer application specific IGBTs, is presented. This soft-switching inverter can operate under the condition of a VPCF power regulation scheme. This high-frequency inverter, with asymmetrical PWM regulation in addition to the active power filtering functions, has been developed for consumer IH cooking appliances such as IH rice cookers and warmers, IH cooking heaters and IH hot water producers. The application of specific trench-gate IGBTs with low saturation voltage characteristics, which are used for edge-resonant ZVS-PWM high-frequency inverters is particularly designed and introduced to reduce the conduction power losses of the power semiconductor devices. The switching losses of this inverter can also easily be reduced with the aid of the ZVS commutation technique. This voltage-source-type edge-resonant ZVS-PWM inverter, which uses the latest specially designed IGBTs in addition to various types of trench-gate IGBTs, is evaluated and discussed from a practical energy-saving application point of view.


Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vinorelbine(NVB) plus cisplatin(DDP) in treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer after the failure of treatment with anthracyclines and taxanes.Methods Thirty-seven cases of advanced breast cancer with anthracyclines and taxanes resistance were treated with NVB(25mg/m2,day 1,day 8) and DDP(40 mg/m2,day 1,day 2).Three weeks constituted one cycle.After 2 ~ 3 cycles of chemotherapy the response rate and side effects were evaluated.All cases were followed up for more than 6 months.Results All the 37 cases were evaluated for recent objective response.16 cases(43.2%) had partial response(PR),while 14 cases(37.8%) had stable disease(SD) and 7 cases(18.9%) showed progressive disease(PD) ;the overall response rate was 43.2%.The median time to progression(TTP) was 5.5 months.Main side effects were grade 2 /3 neutropenia,gastrointestinal tract toxicity and phlebitis.Conclusions The combination of vinorelbine and cisplatin is effective and safe in the treatment of advanced breast cancer with anthracyclines and taxanes resistance.


Biotypes cause a serious problem in controlling brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stal (Homoptera: Delphacidae). We characterized four BPH strains, which were collected in different localities in Japan and maintained by random mating within each strain for different periods. The virulence of the BPH strains was evaluated based on their postembryonic development on susceptible and resistant rice lines and inhibition of rice seedling growth. Two single resistance gene introgression lines, "Norin-PL3 (Bph1 carrier)" and "Norin-PL4" (bph2 carrier), and a pyramided line in which both genes were combined were used with a susceptible japonica recurrent parent "Tsukushibare" as a control. Sequence comparison of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase-I (COXI) gene was also performed in the characterization. The four BPH strains were classified into two or three groups with unique virulence spectra. The oldest strain showed avirulence against both introgressed resistance genes, while the three younger strains showed strong virulence against one or both genes. The different virulence spectra suggested the sequential adaptation of these BPH strains to the two resistance genes. Pyramiding of the resistance genes had no additive effect on rice seedlings carrying them even against avirulent and less-virulent BPH strains.


We infer the velocity distribution of radio pulsars based on large-scale 0.4 GHz pulsar surveys. We do so by modeling the evolution of the locations, velocities, spins, and radio luminosities of pulsars, calculating pulsed flux according to a beaming model and random orientation angles of spin and beam, applying selection effects of pulsar surveys, and comparing model distributions of measurable pulsar properties with survey data using a likelihood function. The surveys analyzed have well-defined characteristics and cover ~95% of the sky. We maximize the likelihood in a six-dimensional space of observables P, , DM, |b|, μ, and F (period, period derivative, dispersion measure, Galactic latitude, proper motion, and flux density, respectively). The models we test are described by 12 parameters that characterize a population's birth rate, luminosity, shutoff of radio emission, birth locations, and birth velocities. We infer that the radio beam luminosity (1) is comparable to the energy flux of relativistic particles in models for spin-driven magnetospheres, signifying that radio emission losses reach nearly 100% for the oldest pulsars, and (2) scales approximately as 1/2, which in magnetosphere models is proportional to the voltage drop available for acceleration of particles. We find that a two-component velocity distribution with characteristic velocities of 90 and 500 km s-1 is greatly preferred to any one-component distribution; this preference is largely immune to variations in other population parameters, such as the luminosity or distance scale or the assumed spin-down law. We explore some consequences of the preferred birth velocity distribution: (1) roughly 50% of pulsars in the solar neighborhood will escape the Galaxy, while ~15% have velocities greater than 1000 km s-1; (2) observational bias against high-velocity pulsars is relatively unimportant for surveys that reach high Galactic |z| distances but is severe for spatially bounded surveys; (3) an important low-velocity population exists that increases the fraction of neutron stars retained by globular clusters and is consistent with the number of old objects that accrete from the interstellar medium; (4) under standard assumptions for supernova remnant expansion and pulsar spin-down, ~10% of pulsars younger than 20 kyr will appear to lie outside of their host remnants. Finally, we comment on the ramifications of our birth velocity distribution for binary survival and the population of inspiraling binary neutron stars relevant to some GRB models and potential sources for LIGO.


ABSTRACT THE computer model CATCH (Computer Analysis of Tobacco Cutting and Housing) was developed to pro-vide the individual tobacco producer with management information concerning alternative methods of harvest-ing burley tobacco. CATCH utilizes specific producer in-puts to analyze 24 alternative burley production systems and presents up to four economic rankings containing costs, equipment and labor for each system. The economic rankings aid the producer in decision making with regard to his own operation.


It is demonstrated both analytically and numerically that a layered structure consisting of a layer of a bi-anisotropic antiferromagnet (AFM) and an adjacent layer of a heavy metal driven by a DC current is a perspective system for use in novel THz-frequency signal generators. It is also demonstrated, that the same AFMlPt bilayer can be used for the generation of ultra-short "Dirac-delta-like" spikes. The spike generation occurs only when the amplitude of the driving current exceeds a certain threshold, similar to the action of a biological neuron in response to an external stimulus. The "threshold" neuron-like behavior of the proposed AFM spike generator makes possible its application in neuromorphic signal processing circuits working at clock frequencies of tens of gigahertz.


A simple, sensitive, selective, rapid, rugged, reproducible and specific Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was used for a quantitative estimation of Atovaquone (AQ) in Rat plasma using 2,3-diphenyl-1- indenone (AQIS) as an internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was performed on Waters Acquity UPLC® BEH C18, 2.1 x 50 mm, 1.7 μm column with an isocratic mobile phase composed of 0.1% formic acid : methanol (20:80 v/v), at a flow-rate of 0.2 mL/min AQ and AQIS were detected with waters TUV detector at UV wave length 277 (nm). Liquid-liquid extraction method was used and validated over a linear concentration range of 50.0-10000.0 ng/ mL with a correlation coefficient of (r2) ≥ 0.9981. The lower limit of quantification (LOQ), Limit of detection (LOD) was found as 50.0 ng/ mL and 100 p.g respectively. Intra and inter-day precision within 1.0 to 8.5 and 1.9 to 4.3 % and accuracy within 101.0 to 107.5 and 103.9 to 104.7 % for AQ. Drug found to be stable throughout three freeze-thaw cycles. This method was successfully applied into a pharmacokinetic study of rats through i.v administration.


In order to resolve some problems that usually occurred in grass-root investigative technical department,it is necessary for us to introduce "Simplified Procedure" into Crime Scene Investigation(CSI),in which we may reduce the number of investigators executing CSI work,and simplify the CSI Records.Meanwhile we need to strictly define the range of cases that "Simplified Procedure" could be applied to.By doing this,we are able to develop the efficiency and the quality of grass-root CSI work,without the increase of Judicial Resources.


Infrared and Raman spectra are reported of normal and isotopically substituted hexa-ammine complexes of tervalent osmium, ruthenium, iridium, and rhodium, and the skeletal modes assigned. Infrared data on a number of other osmium ammines are also reported.


The Port of Portland, Oregon recently (2015) completed a comprehensive, port-wide seismic risk assessment as part of a long-term plan to improve the Port's seismic resiliency. The Port targeted 20 of their most important marine and aviation assets for this risk analysis and retained a team to develop and apply a seismic performance evaluation of each asset. A multi-hazard level approach was implemented that addressed the range of return periods (i.e. ground motions) commonly applied for both marine and building structures. The seismic performance of each asset was evaluated using inertial loading based on estimated site-specific ground motions and kinematic loading based on estimated seismically-induced soil displacements. This paper focuses on the geotechnical and structural approaches utilized for the marine facilities, and the integrated approach to evaluating dynamic soil-structure interaction for the waterfront structures. Key discussion points include the synthesis and application of archival data, the need for site-specific ground motions due to limitations in code-based soil factors, appropriate level of analyses for seismic risk assessment, and considerations associated with structural and geotechnical mitigation strategies suggested for the subsequent benefit/cost analyses. These analyses provided requisite input for the subsequent port and regional seismic risk analyses addressed in the companion paper by Graf and others (2016).


In 2016, we identified a direct interaction between RAS and Argonaute 2 (AGO2), a key mediator of RNA-mediated gene silencing, that is essential for KRAS-driven oncogenesis using pancreatic and lung cancer cell line models. Recently, we employed a genetically engineered mouse model of pancreatic cancer to define the effects of conditional loss of AGO2 in KRASG12D-driven pancreatic cancer (KC model). Genetic ablation of AGO2 did not interfere with development of the normal pancreas or KRASG12D-driven early precursor pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) lesions. However, AGO2 loss prevents progression from early to late PanIN lesions, development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and metastatic progression. This results in a dramatic increase in the survival of KRASG12D mutant mice deficient in AGO2 expression. Mechanistically, lack of PanIN to PDAC progression was due to oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) through activation of EGFR-wild type RAS-phosphoERK signaling in the absence of AGO2. Using validated pan-RAS and AGO2 antibodies for immunofluorescence (IF) and proximity ligation assay (PLA), we observed increased RAS and AGO2 co-localization at the plasma membrane in mouse and human pancreatic tissues associated with PDAC progression. While AGO2 ablation permits PanIN initiation driven by the EGFR-RAS axis, these lesions undergo OIS rather than progressing to PDAC. Further, we used co-IP and PLA analyses to probe the effects of EGF stimulation in cell lines expressing wild-type and mutant forms of KRAS. In wild-type RAS expressing cells, RAS-AGO2 co-localization and interaction were limited to the intracellular regions of the cells, and dramatically increased and shifted to the plasma membrane under conditions of stress (serum starvation). Interestingly, EGF stimulation disrupted this membrane RAS-AGO2 interaction and restored it to intracellular levels. Using phosphorylation-deficient AGO2 mutants, we further demonstrate that the disruption of wild-type RAS-AGO2 interaction is due to EGFR-mediated AGO2Y393 phosphorylation. Interestingly, mutant KRAS-AGO2 interaction is not subject to EGFR activation, suggesting that although both the wild type and mutant RAS bind AGO2, they are differentially regulated through growth factor receptor activation. We will discuss our ongoing studies evaluating the effects of AGO2 ablation in the KRASG12Ddriven lung cancer mouse model and PDAC progression with p53 loss (KPC model). Our recent in vivo work supports a biphasic model of pancreatic cancer development: an AGO2-independent early phase of PanIN formation reliant on EGFR and wild-type RAS signaling, and an AGO2-dependent phase wherein the mutant KRAS-AGO2 interaction is critical for PDAC progression. Citation Format: Sunita Shankar, Jean Ching-Yi Tien, Ronald F. Siebenaler, Vijaya L. Dommeti, Sylvia Zelenka-Wang, Jessica Waninger, Kristin M. Juckette, Alice Xu, Xiao-Ming Wang, Seema Chugh, Malay Mody, Sanjana Eyunni, Andrew Goodrum, Grace Tsaloff, Yuping Zhang, Ingrid J. Apel, Javed Siddiqui, Richard D. Smith, Heather A. Carlson, John Tesmer, Xuhong Cao, Jiaqi Shi, Chandan Kumar-Sinha, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. An essential role for Argonaute 2 in mouse models of KRAS-driven cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 957.


Objective
To analyze the clinical, neurophysiological and genetic features of CHRNB1 gene mutations-related congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), and to facilitate the recognition and differential diagnosis of this disorder.

Methods
The clinical characteristics and laboratory features of the proband in a family with CHRNB1 gene mutations-related CMS were recorded, and the neurophysiological testing and high-throughput sequencing for the proband were performed. In addition, the response to the treatment and prognosis of the proband were reported.

Results
The proband is a 16-year-old female who had bilateral eyelid ptosis at the age of 4, presented with limb weakness at the age of 12. Her father has the similar symptoms and other family members are not affected similarly. Serum creatine kinase and thyroid function were normal. Needle electromyography results demonstrated no myopathic disorders. All myasthenia gravis-related antibodies tests including anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody were negative and she failed to respond to pyridostigmine. There was a decremental response of the compound muscular action potential on 5 Hz repetitive nerve stimulation. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and chest CT were unremarkable. The proband was found a heterozygous mutation (c.865G>A (NM_000747)) in CHRNB1 gene exon 8 through high throughput sequencing. She started a 60 mg/d treatment of fluoxetine and showed beneficial response at one-year follow-up.

Conclusions
The clinical presentation of CHRNB1 gene mutation-related slow-channel CMS is similar to autoimmune myasthenia gravis, and is likely to be misdiagnosed. High-throughput sequencing accelerates the diagnosis.

Key words:
Myasthenic syndromes, congenital; High-throughput nucleotide sequencing; CHRNB1 gene; Myasthenia gravis; Slow-channel syndrome


e21216 Background: With the development of Epidermal Growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Osimertinib, the landscape of lung cancer treatment and outcomes has changed. We aimed to describe the outcomes of patients treated with Osimertinib who have brain metastasis compared to those without brain metastases. Methods: This study involved patients diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutation, from January 2010 to December 2018, who had treatment with Osimertinib at a dose of 80 mg daily. Retrospective data was collected through the electronic medical records from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the population characteristics. The log rank test was used to compare the survival distributions. Results: A total of 56 patients were included, the mean age at initial diagnosis was 63 years (range 27 – 85 years). Overall, 82.2% of this patient population received Osimertinib in 2nd line setting. A total of 50% (n = 28) had brain metastasis, and14.3% (n = 8) had leptomeningeal metastasis. Of the patients with brain metastasis, 14.3% (n = 4) had brain surgery. All patients with brain metastasis received central nervous system (CNS) radiation. With respect to radiotherapy modalities, 67.9% (n = 19) of patients with brain metastasis received gamma knife radiation, 42.85% (n = 12) were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and whole brain radiation was given to 57.1% (n = 16). Of those with brain metastasis, equal numbers of patients, 46.4% (n = 13), had EGFR mutations with exon 19-deletion and exon 21-L858R, 7.1% (n = 2) had unknown gene location EGFR mutation. The median OS for patients without brain metastasis was 38.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 37.5 – 39.8 months], compared to 35.9 months (95% [CI] 28.3 – 43.5 months] for those with brain metastasis ; log Rank (Mantel-Cox) p = 0.874. The median OS for patients diagnosed with leptomeningeal metastasis was 21 months (95% [CI] 2.9 – 39.0 months); log rank (mantel-cox). When brain metastasis was examined by EGFR mutation sub-groups, the median OS for patients with EGFR-exon 19-deletion was 26.4 months (95% CI [14.3 – 38.4 months], compared to 36.8 months, 95% CI [34.3 – 39.2 months] for those with EGFR-Exon 21-L858R; log Rank (Mantel-Cox) p = 0.49. Conclusions: Although there is an equivalent prevalence of brain metastasis between the two NSCLC EGFR mutation populations, in unadjusted analyses, no difference in OS was seen between patients with brain metastases compared to those without brain metastases. However, in the small number of patients with leptomeningeal disease, survival was shorter and a larger population should be studied to further explore this finding.


Historians believe that making chronicles of events is one of the most efficient methods of studying the social and political developments as the statistical processing of chronicles allows representing the public movement in its diversity and complexity. The authors give an overview of the state of the research in the history of public movement in Siberia in the late 19th early 20th centuries. It is noted that the research is done in Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Tomsk, Irkutsk, but its intensity is lower than in the Soviet times. However, the field of the research has expanded. Earlier the research focused on the activities of revolutionary parties and the mass movements of the basic classes, the proletariat and the peasantry. Since the late 1980s studies of liberal, monarchist, national movements and non-political organizations intensified, but the studies on the history of the movements of workers, peasants and social-democrats lost intensity. The motivation for studying the public movement also changed: earlier, historians mostly looked for the preconditions of the October revolution, now they search for the roots of the civil society in Russia. The paper puts an objective of making the chronicle of the public movement in Siberia from the late 19th century up to 1919. It was a period of rapid social and economic transformations in Russia when the development of the civil society began. At present studies are based on separate illustrations and do not provide a true picture of the country's public life. In Siberia there are serious studies on public life but no general picture of the social activities of all the population strata is available. There are chronicles of workers' and peasants' movements, of the activities of different parties, of various forms of political and non-political activities (strikes, demonstrations, gatherings of social and political organizations, conferences, conventions, other forums). The studies of the prerevolutionary period of history and the period of the Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War were separated which complicated the analysis of the social developments. Relying on the experience of Siberian historians, the authors suggest that statistical studies should begin with the making of regional chronicles, in particular with the chronicle of the public movement in Tomsk province, sharing the integrated methodology of recording the events, the uniform terminology and the interpretation of facts. The authors find it reasonable to cover the whole period of social and political changes in the country from the 1880s up to the end of the Civil War.


130 Background: Cancer stage at diagnosis has a tremendous influence on type of treatment, recovery and survival. This study examined the impact of spatial access to healthcare services on late-stage lung cancer diagnosis in Alabama, taking into account access and travel time to the nearest Screening Center of Excellence (SCOE). Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study of lung cancer incidence in the state of Alabama was employed, using zipcode as unit of analysis. Data on individual lung cancer diagnosis between 2013 and 2018 was obtained from Alabama State Cancer Registry. Geographic information system (GIS) network analysis was used to calculate distance to the nearest SCOE. Descriptive statistics were used to compare distribution of independent variables including residential status, age, race, gender and insurance across lung cancer diagnosis stage. Multi-variable logistic regression assessed odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals to evaluate the relationship between residential status and late-stage diagnosis. Results: 14,556 individuals were diagnosed with lung cancer in Alabama from 2013 - 2018. Late-stage diagnosis accounted for 72.7% of cases, predominantly among males (56.5%) and Whites (79.8%). Late-stage vs. early-stage cases differed significantly in sex (males: 59.2% vs. 50.9%) and race (Whites: 78.6% vs. 83.4%) (p < 0.0001). Multivariable logistic regression analyses found that Alabamians were more likely to be diagnosed with late stage lung cancer if they were Black (p < 0.0001); male (p < 0.0001); uninsured (p < 0.0001); and/or insured via Medicaid (p < 0.0001). Alabamians were less likely to be diagnosed with late stage lung cancer if they were within 60 miles of a SCOE (p < 0.0001). Living in a persistent poverty census tract was associated with a lower OR for late-stage lung cancer occurrence (adjusted OR = 0.88, 95% CI =0.78-0.99, p=0.0341). Neighborhood Deprivation Index did not significantly correlate with late-stage lung cancer (p = 0.8280). Conclusions: Proximity to screening centers within 60 miles is associated with a reduced likelihood of late-stage lung cancer. Additionally, race, sex, insurance status, and age are significant factors. These findings underscore the importance of access to screening centers and the influence of demographic and socioeconomic factors on lung cancer stage at diagnosis.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning on establishing grade eleven students' nanometer-concept. Experimental research was adopted in this study, and there were 64 students were invited in two groups. Group one was the experiment group who learned nanometer-concept with digital learning environment which was build with Moodle platform, and Group two was the control group who learned nanometer-concept with traditional teaching and reading material. The scaffold theory was adopted as a framework when the e-learning teaching materials were designed. On our digital-platform, there were several modules named "FORUM", "VOTE", and "ASSESSMENT" which all had interactive feature. Student's learning achievement was collected from questionnaires, the records on digital-platform, interviews, and teaching logs and then quantified. Quantitative data was analyzed by t-test, 2-way ANCOVA, and triangulation (cross examination).


Abstract Aim Right ventricular pacing (VP) has been hypothesized to increase the risk in heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The ANSWER study evaluated, whether an AAI-DDD changeover mode to minimize VP (SafeR) improves outcome compared with DDD in a general dual-chamber pacemaker population. Methods and results ANSWER was a randomized controlled multicentre trial assessing SafeR vs. standard DDD in sinus node disease (SND) or AV block (AVB) patients. After a 1-month run-in period, they were randomized (1 : 1) and followed for 3 years. Pre-specified co-primary end-points were VP and the composite of hospitalization for HF, AF, or cardioversion. Pre-specified secondary end-points were cardiac death or HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular hospitalizations. ANSWER enrolled 650 patients (52.0% SND, 48% AVB) at 43 European centres and randomized in SafeR (n = 314) or DDD (n = 318). The SafeR mode showed a significant decrease in VP compared with DDD (11.5 vs. 93.6%, P < 0.0001 at 3 years). Deaths and syncope did not differ between randomization arms. No significant difference between groups [HR = 0.78; 95% CI (0.48–1.25); P = 0.30] was found in the time to event of the co-primary composite of hospitalization for HF, AF, or cardioversion, nor in the individual components. SafeR showed a 51% risk reduction (RR) in experiencing cardiac death or HF hospitalization [HR = 0.49; 95% CI (0.27–0.90); P = 0.02] and 30% RR in experiencing cardiovascular hospitalizations [HR = 0.70; 95% CI (0.49–1.00); P = 0.05]. Conclusion SafeR safely and significantly reduced VP in a general pacemaker population though had no effect on hospitalization for HF, AF, or cardioversion, when compared with DDD.


The Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) is an experimental C-band passive microwave radiometer designed to map the horizontal structure of surface wind speed fields in hurricanes. New data processing and customized retrieval approaches were developed after the 2015 Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) experiment, which featured flights over Hurricanes Patricia, Joaquin, Marty, and the remnants of Tropical Storm Erika. These new approaches produced maps of surface wind speed that looked more realistic than those from previous campaigns. Dropsondes from the High Definition Sounding System (HDSS) that was flown with HIRAD on a WB-57 high altitude aircraft in TCI were used to assess the quality of the HIRAD wind speed retrievals. The root mean square difference between HIRAD-retrieved surface wind speeds and dropsondeestimated surface wind speeds was 6.0 m s. The largest differences between HIRAD and dropsonde winds were from data points where storm motion during dropsonde descent compromised the validity of the comparisons. Accounting for this and for uncertainty in the dropsonde measurements themselves, we estimate the root mean square error for the HIRAD retrievals as around 4.7 m s. Prior to the 2015 TCI experiment, HIRAD had previously flown on the WB-57 for missions across Hurricanes Gonzalo (2014), Earl (2010), and Karl (2010). Configuration of the instrument was not identical to the 2015 flights, but the methods devised after the 2015 flights may be applied to that previous data in an attempt to improve retrievals from those cases. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20180002462 2019-11-07T23:12:28+00:00Z