Hearing is our highly sensitive warning system. As a sense, hearing has uniquely evolved to perform this alerting function and is perceptive to subtle ambient cues 10 that are associated with threat. We propose that one aspect of sound that may cue such associations is pitch, such that low-pitch (vs. moderate pitch) background sound nonconsciously primes a threat response resulting in heightened anxiety among consumers. Furthermore, this emotional response manifests itself in the form of increased risk avoidance. Seven studies in varied domains demon15 strate that low(vs. moderate-) pitch background sound results in higher anxiety, which leads to risk-avoidant consumer choices—for instance, being willing to pay more for car insurance or choosing a food option with lower taste uncertainty.


Socially desirable responding is typically defined as the tendency to give positive self-descriptions. This study analyses the independent samples of participants in three situations that differ in the given instructions for questionnaire filling in. Those three situations are honest responding (N=224), fake good - manager (N=249) and fake good - teacher (N=196). Paulhus constructed a new questionnaire for dealing with the problem of socially desirable responding - A Comprehensive Inventory of Desirable Responding (CIDR), which divides socially desirable responding into four dimensions. According to Paulhus' model from 2002, at the first level the socially desirable responding is divided in the moralistic and egoistic bias. At the second level, moralistic bias is divided into the communal management and the communal enhancement, while egoistic bias is divided into the agentic management and the agentic enhancement. The aim of this study is to test a construct validity of the CIDR by testing its factor structure in the three aforementioned application situations. Using factor analyses, the factors are extracted and the factor structures are determined for each situation. It is shown that the factor structure of questionnaire is changed with the alteration of instructions. Consequently, it does not correspond to the structure assumed by Paulhus (2002). It can be concluded that the construct validity of CIDR is not confirmed and that further studies are required.


In most dynamic traffic congestion models, congestion tolls must vary continuously over time to achieve the full optimum. This is also the case in Vickrey's (1969) 'bottleneck model'. To date, the closest approximations of this ideal in practice have so-called 'step tolls', in which the toll takes on different values over discrete time intervals, but is constant within each interval. Given the prevalence of step-tolling schemes they have received surprisingly little attention in the literature. This paper compares two step-toll schemes that have been studied using the bottleneck model by Arnott, de Palma and Lindsey (1990) and Laih (1994). It also proposes a third scheme in which late in the rush hour drivers slow down or stop just before reaching a tolling point, and wait until the toll is lowered from one step to the next step. Such 'braking' behaviour has been observed in practice. Analytical derivations and numerical modelling show that the three tolling schemes have different optimal toll schedules and reduce total social costs by different percentages. These differences persist even in the limit as the number of steps approaches infinity. Braking lowers the welfare gain from tolling by 14% to 21% in the numerical example. Therefore, preventing or limiting braking seems important in designing step-toll systems. * Corresponding author. Affiliated to the Tinbergen Institute, Roetersstraat 31, 1018 WB Amsterdam. 1 This the post-print the article published in Journal of Urban Economics 72(1), see http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jue.2012.02.001 for the published version or the journal website http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-urban-economics/


as instructive. The pleasing style of the author, however, is somewhat impaired by a tendency at times to set forth the elementary and obvious. Presumably the author felt that he was writing for the general public as well as for the special student of transportation. The best part of the volume is that dealing with legislation and government policies. The laws of the states and the United States regulating transportation are well summarized, and there is a good account of the operation of the railroads by the United States Government during and for


The geometry filter phenomenon is analyzed with a simplified vertical railway vehicle.Then the relationship between geometry filter phenomenon and the resonant vibration of flexible carbody is studied with a full vehicle model.It is found that geometry filter phenomenon consists of "wheelbase filter" effects and "bogie center filter" effects.It is called wheelbase filter effect when there is neither car body bounce nor pitch responses at some wavelengths.And it is called bogie center filter effects when there is no car body bounce or pitch response at some track wavelengths.Near the null pitch response frequencies,the acceleration transmissibility from track unevenness to carbody bounce will reach local maximum.So if the carbody first bending frequency coincides with the frequencies which have the peak values of acceleration transmissibility,resonant vibration of flexible carbody will happen.


The essay aims to investigate the remembrance of the Resistance since the postwar period to nowadays, with a focus on the province of Piacenza, at the border between Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia, which was the scene of some emblematic conflicts within the resistance movement. Through the decades, the commemorative practice have changed, and statues representing partisan martyrs have transformed their role.


Standarized terminology for oxide charges associated with the thermally oxidized silicon system is presented. This terminology is recommended by a committee established by the Electronics Division of the Electrochemical Society and the IEEE Semiconductor Interface Specialists Conference. All engineers and scientists concerned with oxide charges in silicon semiconductor applications are urged to adopt this terminology.


This edited volume links selected international relations (IR) issues to various dimensions of Australian foreign policy. It represents one of the first efforts to integrate specifically Australian-based thinking about such diverse global problems into a readily understandable guide of how they will affect our lives in the early twenty-first century. Such emerging challenges as globalisation, human rights, and environmental politics are considered in conjunction with more traditional but no less significant policy questions of alliance politics and arms control. Most of the issues considered in this book are also considered in light of enduring theoretical questions that continue to dominate the IR field, such as the realist-liberal debate and how 'national interest' is factored into policy formulation.


This bibliographic review revisits circumstances in which the wharf, shell burrowing barnacle, minutus, was first collected by Charles Darwin in southern Chile, in 1836. Further, explores how its collection marked Darwin's taxonomical interest in Cirripedia. A short review analyzes the initial number of extant species of Cirripedia, as described by Darwin and the present situation, with emphasis on recent collections of C. minutusin the southern tip of South America.


Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of formal institutions and their components on productivity spillovers from FDI enterprises to domestic firms' TFP in developing countries like Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach: The study, conducted in two steps to explore the relationship, is to estimate the firm's TFP in accordance with the semi-parametric method of Levisohn and Petrin (2003). Regression is in accordance with the equation with panel data and adjusted by Driscoll and Kraay standard errors. An unbalanced panel data, related to more than 61,600 Vietnamese manufacturing firms from 2012 to 2017, is combined with the Provincial Institutional Quality Survey (PAPI index) and IO table.
Findings: The local institutions have a positive impact on promoting learning ability and increasing productivity of domestic firms, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that take better advantage of this effect. Vertical linkages with FDI enterprises assist local firms to increase productivity while horizontal linkages bring in negative effects. Domestic enterprises with high productivity (in the top 25%) receive positive spillover effects from horizontal linkages and vertical linkages and gain positive impacts of the institution on productivity whereas the group of low-productivity enterprises records negative impacts. This research highlights those enterprises operating in the region where institutions have transparency, accountability, participation in comments and effective corruption control can absorb spillovers and improve their productivity as well as the transparency and corruption control are recognized as having a positive impact through horizontal linkages.
Research limitations/implications: With the limitation of research data being conducted only on manufacturing enterprises, there is a lack of data on the impact of service enterprises. The study only stops at understanding the impact of formal institutional effects on productivity spillovers whereas informal institutional effects will be studied in the future. Furthermore, the productivity spillovers of FDI enterprises are explored in general besides other FDI forms that will have different productivity spillovers like offshore. From the results of this study, the governments of developing countries should improve their institutions to encourage local enterprises to take the advantage of spillover effects from FDI enterprises as well as pay more attention to regional factors by supplementing development priority policies based on the capacity of each region. Institutional quality at provincial level has a positive impact on productivity spillovers; consequently, it is essential to have policies for further institutional improvement.
Originality/value: This is the first research paper on the impact of the institutional factor at provincial level on firm's productivity in developing countries like Vietnam. Theoretically, the impact of formal institutions on spillover effects from FDI enterprises is also clarified. In addition, our findings have implications for local economic development policies: vertical linkages promote domestic firms to increase their productivity while horizontal linkages of FDI enterprises in the same industry generate adverse impacts. This paper suggests some feasible solutions for SMEs in developing countries towards their productivity improvement.


The plasma parameters in an rf-biased ECR-PECVD have been measured using double Langmuir probes.The effect of microwave power,magnetic electrical curent and gas pressure on the plasma parameters in ECR-PECVD under rf biasing have also been measured.The results indicate that the rf biasing in our dual ECR-rf configuration enhances the electron temperature,but the plasma density is mainly affected by ECR.


Object detection and recognition are important problems in computer vision. Since these problems are meta-heuristic, despite a lot of research, practically usable, intelligent, real-time, and dynamic object detection/recognition methods are still unavailable. We propose a new object detection/recognition method, which improves over the existing methods in every stage of the object detection/recognition process. In addition to the usual features, we propose to use geometric shapes, like linear cues, ellipses and quadrangles, as additional features. The full potential of geometric cues is exploited by using them to extract other features in a robust, computationally efficient, and less meta-heuristic manner. We also propose a new hierarchical codebook, which provides good generalization and discriminative properties. The codebook enables fast multi-path inference mechanisms based on propagation of conditional likelihoods, that make it robust to occlusion and noise. It has the capability of dynamic learning. We also propose a new learning method that has generative and discriminative learning capabilities, does not need large and fully supervised training dataset, and is capable of online learning. The preliminary work of detecting geometric shapes in real images has been completed. This preliminary work is the focus of this report. Future path for realizing the proposed object detection/recognition method is also discussed in brief.


By visiting the Zhengzhou University Sports Institute coaches and literature reading and training diaries,characteristics of the previous 400 meters athletes in Colleges and universities of physical training were reviewed in this paper,and a new method is proposed in 400 meters fitness training,and theoretical and practical method for the scientific training was provided.


The panels in the solar photo-voltaic array receive different levels of irradiation under shading conditions. This degrades the desired output power and results in multiple peaks within the voltage-power characteristics because of mismatch in row currents. Consequently, tracking of the global maximum power point seeks more complex algorithms. In order to mitigate the effects of shading, this work presents a novel reconfiguration technique that relocates the panels of conventional TCT configuration using TomTom puzzle pattern. In the proposed work, physical locations of shaded and unshaded panels are moved without altering the electrical circuitry. The proposed TomTom reconfiguration dilutes the concentrated shade, minimises the mismatch of row currents and yields maximum output power with less number of peaks in voltage-power characteristics. In addition to that, the behaviour of solar photo-voltaic array under moving shading conditions is also evaluated to highlight the potential of the proposed reconfiguration scheme.


ABSTRACT Moringa (Moringa oleifera L) is an underutilized vegetable mostly grown by smallholder farmers whose technical efficiency for this emerging crop is not well known. It is necessary that empirical evidence be developed on technical efficiency to optimize its production and promotion. The study estimated technical efficiency, and sources of technical inefficiency, among smallholder producers of moringa. A total of 360 growers were randomly selected from Osun and Oyo States. A stochastic production frontier model was employed, while correcting for heteroscedasticity in stochastic and inefficiency error terms. There was increasing return-to-scale and farmer average technical efficiency of about 82%. Fertilizer, seed, and labor were production-increasing variables; farm size decreased output of M. oleifera. Sources of farmer technical inefficiency were age, education level, and farmer experience. Formal skills development training could help improve technical and managerial capacities of farmers.


Surface wind data obtained at three sites of Todos Santos Bay, Mexico, and synoptic wind estimates for the region during 1979, are analyzed by means of rotary spectra and empirical orthogonal functions. Filters are used to obtain th,e high and low frequencies bands with most significant energy. Low frequencies show the synoptic wind effect; high frequencies show the breeze and free convection effects. During spring and fall the sea and land breeze regime is found to be more or less developed, corresponding to transition periods. Winter. shows anomalous strong sea and land breeze circulation, while during summer the breeze was rather weak; this is explained by a relatively dry period during February and the presente of Santana condition events during September, respectively. The frictional and coastline orientation effects are clearly observed from the resultant wind eigenvectors of the analyzed data. CIENCIAS MARINAS (Mk) V. 9 (ll,1983 151-167 (17) 151;1 http://dx.doi.org/10.7773/cm.v9i1.405


In this paper the main content of construction quality management and quality control methods are introduced. Some measures are listed to improve quality management in construction enterprises, which contain intensifying education and training, establishing quality assurance system, strengthening cost control and so on.


The present invention discloses a method and system for harmonic compensation current adaptive notch filter based on, the method comprising: (1) the rotational speed signal and the specified number of harmonics θ n, and generates the same frequency specified harmonic sine signal sin (n · θ) and the cosine signal cos (n · θ); (2) according to the weight minimum mean square error algorithm adjusts the sinusoidal signal value ω1, weights k and the cosine signal value ω2, k, such that the input current component difference sine signal sin (n · θ) and the cosine signal cos (n · θ) e weighted and having a minimum mean square error; (3) minus sine signal sin (n · θ) from the input current and the cosine signal component cos (n · θ) and weighted e, obtained after removing a harmonic current component signal. The present invention is by current harmonic compensation system can compensate the harmonic current through the permanent magnet synchronous motor, so as to reduce the loss of the permanent magnet synchronous motor stator windings and the iron core caused by the higher harmonic, and mainly copper loss iron loss; suppressing torque ripple phenomenon during the operation of the permanent magnet synchronous motor, reducing the operating noise; improve operational stability and reliability of the motor.


Four kinds of product design modes based on the modern information technology were described,and its characteristic was analyzed.Then it was pointed out the product design based on modern information technology is the key for modern enterprises standing in a successful position in the fierce market competition.


Multiuser diversity is a phenomenon caused by channel variations among different users in a wireless network. Cooperative relaying provides another form of diversity due to the spatial separation of sensors. In this work we show how the simultaneous application of these two sources of diversity in a decentralized manner can lead to significant throughput improvement in sensor networks. To exploit this synergy we propose a family of protocols termed Channel Aware Aloha with Cooperation (CAAC). Different power allocation schemes for CAAC are considered, including constant power, fixed rate, and optimal variable rate. In each case we derive the scaling behavior of the achievable rate. We find the optimal source and relay transmission strategies under each scheme and show that the overall system performance is significantly improved. Furthermore, we show that the constant power scheme is asymptotically optimal, allowing easy implementation in simple sensors.


The issues concerning judicial statements focus on the frequency with which they are issued and the manner in which people are -- or are not -- notified. Nowadays, technology offers the justice-media relationship many opportunities; and electronic notification rises as a common media for communication. However establishing a trustable procedure is not usually easy. In this context, the Court of Neuquén, Argentina, has proposed a pilot project to permit the notification of court documents electronically, in a system that replaces the existing paper filing system. The purpose of the project is to increase the efficiency of serving documents, to decrease cost without hindering transaction safety. To do so, the process schema is supported by a process improvement framework, which includes a well-established electronic signature procedure. In this paper, we describe the electronic notification schema and illustrate with a case study. Discussion is addressed to draw risks and lessons identified when managing the pilot project.


Résumé Standards in communication enable new test automation techniques for verification of reliability and security. Fuzzing is a negative software testing method that feeds a program, device or system with malformed and unexpected input data in order to find critical crash-level defects. The tests are targeted at remote interfaces, and will focus on finding issues with invalid data elements, broken syntax of messages, but also unexpected message sequences. This talk will focus on the most recent advancements in model-based fuzzers, including the challenges in XML fuzzing. XML is a structure that is today used everywhere, from web applications to mission critical systems in SCADA and telecommunications. And unfortunately, based on research conducted at CodeLabs, XML is extremely error-prone due to its complexity.


This article presents the clinical study researching results, the objective of which are the role and contribution of autoimmune respondent humoral components of I-II severity chronic generalized periodontitis (CGP) pathogenesis in patients with associated parasitic invasion.
The research program included determining serum concentration of autoantibodies to collagen, elastin and periodontal AG, complement activity and circulating immune complexes (CIC) concentration. Statistical materials processing was made by using mathematical statistics for data analysis.
The blood serum study of CGP of I and II stages patients with parasitic invasion and patients with CGP of I and II stages without parasitic invasion showed the presence of periodontal tissue autoantibodies. Tissue antibody level in patients with CGP of I and II stages with parasitic invasion was slightly higher than in patients with CGP of I and II stages without parasitic invasion, and in II stage CGP patients both with and without parasitic invasion was correspondingly higher than in patients with CGP of I stage.
Patients with CGP of I and II stages with parasitic invasion, in contrast to the patients without parasitic invasion were revealed an increase in blood levels of circulating immune complexes, patients with CGP of II stage plus parasitic invasion showed complement activity increase.
Autoantibodies level to collagen and elastin of the surveyed persons did not exceed normal values.
The findings received suggest that in addition to autoantibodies, circulation immune complexes and activated complement system both participate in development and maintenance of inflammation in patients with CGP plus parasitic invasion over against CGP patients without parasitic invasion.


Background: Several population- and clinic-based studies have investigated the clinical characteristics of migraine with aura in Western countries. However, migraine with aura has not been investigated in Korea or other Asian countries. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and characteristics of migraine with aura in Korea. Methods: We consecutively recruited patients with migraine from 2010 to 2014 in the Eulji Headache Clinic. Migraines with and without aura were diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II criteria based on a clinical interview and structured questionnaire. Results: In total, 97 (35% males and 65% females) and 649 (12% males and 88% females) patients were diagnosed as migraines with and without aura, respectively. Visual aura was the most common type of aura (94%) among patients with migraine with aura, followed by sensory aura (6%) and then speech aura, retinal aura, and brainstem aura (each 3%). The most frequently accompanying headache type was migraine (77%), followed by nonmigraine headache (17%), with no headache presenting in 6% of patients. Migraine without aura was the most common headache (61%) outside of migraine with aura, followed by nonmigraine headache (14%). Conclusions: Only 13% of migraineurs have aura symptoms. Nonvisual aura symptoms are rare in Korean patients with migraine with aura. J Korean Neurol Assoc 33(4):278-281, 2015


The potential distribution of invasive rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was predicted under present (2020) and future climate change emission scenarios in 2050 and 2070 under four representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0, RCP 8.5) using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) niche modelling. The model performance was assessed using area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic values. Spatial mapping of habitat suitability for rugose spiralling whitefly suitability maps was prepared for each selected climate scenarios. The study revealed that the most dominant climatic factors i.e annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, precipitation seasonality and iso-thermality with 23.2, 21.4,17.5 and 16.4% respectively were significantly influenced the potential distribution and establishment of rugose spiralling whitefly. Eastern coastal parts of Tamil Nadu, North-Eastern parts of Andhra Pradesh, Eastern coastal belts of Odisha, North-Western coastal belts of Kerala, South-Western coastal parts of Karnataka and Western coastal belts of Maharashtra and Gujarat were predicted the highest habitat suitability places/ regions. The present study data would help to formulate control measures for monitoring, surveillance and early pest warning of rugose spiralling whitefly and combating outbreaks well in advance in newer geographical locations.


Angular limb deformities are common in foals; however the importance of the deformity and whether or not treatment is required depends on the degree of deformity relative to normal conformation for the stage of growth, breed and discipline expectations, age of the foal, and response of the foal to more conservative therapies. This article addresses the tremendous importance of the foal conformation exam to determine which foals need surgical intervention to correct an angular limb deformity and when. The techniques for surgical growth retardation, the transphyseal staple, the screw and wire transphyseal bridge, and the transphyseal screw, are described. The appropriate timing for intervention for each location and the complications associated with each procedure are discussed. Key Points: • Familiarity with normal growth of the young horse is critical for appropriate case selection of foals that require surgical retardation of physeal growth to correct an angular deformity that would not correct by other means. • Pre-operative radiographic evaluation is critical to confirm that the deformity has the potential to respond to physeal growth retardation. • Growth retardation procedures are performed on the convex side of the physis of interest and may be combined with growth promoting procedures on the concave side


The invention relates to preparation of a titanium dioxide material, in particular to the preparation method of a hollow titanium dioxide material. The method includes: adding organic acid and butyl titanate sequentially into ethanol, and conducting ultrasonic dispersing to form a solution A; adding the organic acid into the ethanol, and adding deionizing water to form a solution B; adding the solution B into the solution A to obtain sol; adding the organic acid to keep pH value to range from 0.5 to 2, and stirring continuously to obtain precursor sol; spraying the precursor sol into hot air to remove most moisture and simultaneously forming a hollow titanium dioxide material precursor; and placing the hollow titanium dioxide material precursor in a muffle furnace and forging to obtain the hollow titanium dioxide material. The preparation method is high in production efficiency and good in quality. The hollow titanium dioxide material in a bowl shape or a ball shape can be widely applied to ultraviolet irradiation products or used as a positive material of a solar cell, ultraviolet reflection can be reduced, and photoelectricity conversion efficiency is improved. Production speed of hydrogen generated through photolysis of water can also be increased.


To investigate major characteristics affecting the consumer acceptability of Cheonggukjang, the phys- icochemical characteristics and consumer perception of 16 Cheonggukjang samples (seven commercial samples and nine samples prepared in the laboratory) were analyzed. Overall, consumer acceptability of Cheonggukjang increased with higher contents of amino nitrogen and volatile basic nitrogen, as well as at lower moisture contents. Cheonggukjang samples with higher consumer acceptability showed higher purchase intent (%) and willingness to pay (won/200 gram package), implying consistency in consumer evaluation. Ideal characteristics of Cheonggukjang were lighter color, less water in the soup, stronger characteristic Cheonggukjang taste, sweetness and nutty taste, as well as less off odors, saltiness, and bitterness. The result of this study demonstrates the needs to improve sensory quality by considering the relatively low consumer acceptability of Cheonggukjang samples.


An empirical distribution function Fm, defined on a subset of order statistics of a random sample of size n taken from the distribution of a random variable with continuous distribution function F, is shown to converge uniformly with probability one to F. Small sample distributions of the one and two sided deviations and the asymptotic normality of the standardized Fm are established. The relative efficiency of Fm as compared to the classical empirical distribution function is calculated and tabled. for n = 10, 20, 50, 100, 200.


My name is Patricia Stroup. I am the Group Manager for Dairy for Nestl~ Business Services (NBSl and today I am represennng Nestl4 USA and Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. In my role with NBS. I am responsible for milk and datry ingredients procurement for Dreyer's and Nestl4 brands in the United States and Canada. This includes proeuremem relatinnstnps with individual dairy farms, cooperatives and proprietary handlers and manufacturers. Prior m my position with Nestle. I held positions with Hilmar Cheese Company in Hilmar, California; Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers 2ooperative in Resthn, Virg~ma; and Eastern Milk Producers/Milk Marketing, Inc., in Syracuse, New York. mad Strnngsville, Ohio. I hold an M.B.A. from Purdue University and an undergraduate degree with a cognate in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech. I developed today's testimony m cooperation w~th Nestl4 and Dreyer's staffand present it today with authorization from Nestl4 beverage division and Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream executive staf£


It is possible to define a strategy for experimentally demonstrating that natural selection acts directly on a particular polymorphic locus, rather than on other loci in linkage disequilibrium with it. This strategy has been applied to the alcohol dehydrogenase polymorphism of Drosophila melanogaster and has provided very strong evidence that the polymorphism is directly subject to selection. It is equally applicable to other polymorphisms and offers the hope of resolving the long-standing debate about the causes of enzyme variation.


e54 Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2019 Here, the authors present 2 rare cases of nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hemorrhage during uncomplicated labor. Case 1 (Fig. 1) shows a 29-year-old primigravida Caucasian with an uneventful antepartum course that developed sudden-onset diplopia and right-sided proptosis during labor. She had no significant medical history including bleeding disorders or dyscrasias and was not on any medication. The patient reported noting double vision and dull ache during labor. Examination findings were within normal limits apart from a 5-mm proptosis and slight limitation in upgaze. The patient received conservative management, and by 2 weeks, full resolution had occurred clinically. Case 2 (Fig. 2) shows a 31-year old multigravid Caucasian with a very similar history. She was only diagnosed when she presented 3 days later to the authors' eye casualty with double vision. Her visual parameters were also not affected just as in case 1; thus, an intervention was not performed. Both interestingly had a right superomedial nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hemorrhage, which could be a defining clinical presentation in uncomplicated labor-induced nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hemorrhage. Nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hemorrhage is a rare occurrence, especially in relation to uncomplicated labor as most other reported cases have been linked to complications or underlying disorders. It is important to note that visual acuity compromise is not common and should not throw one off an orbital diagnosis. The authors believe labor-related nontraumatic subperiosteal orbital hemorrhage must be more common than they think, prompting urgent ophthalmic assessment. It can easily be missed, as in case 2, and there is significant morbidity associated with a poor visual outcome in this age group. DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000001227 Accepted for publication July 29, 2018. The authors have no financial or conflicts of interest to disclose. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ankur Gupta, M.A., Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD. E-mail: ankur. email@example.com Nontraumatic Orbital Hemorrhage During Uncomplicated Labor


Discrete-time parameter identification techniques are studied extensively and are implemented to detect and localize the series arc discharge on a multi-load distribution node. The techniques include Recursive Least Squares (RLS) and the Kalman Filter (KF) which by estimating the line parameters - resistance and inductance will help monitor their condition. The systems electrical components vary abruptly during an arc discharge on a line of the grid. This disturbance from the arc discharge also travels to the adjacent loads and lines. The RLS and KF will then act as detectors functioning on a line and consequently help localize the faulted line/load. The two mentioned techniques delineate the variation in values of the grid parameters even for a large noisy arc.


The article describes the principle of Ospf route protocol,it introduces the basic grammar and configure of the route.The application and the problem solved are also mentioned.


Gap formation in a gas disk triggered by disk-planet tidal interaction is considered. Density waves launched by the planet are assumed to be damped as a result of their nonlinear evolution leading to shock formation and its subsequent dissipation. As a consequence, wave angular momentum is transferred to the disk, leading to evolution of its surface density. Planetary migration is an important ingredient of the theory; effects of the planet-induced surface density perturbations on the migration speed are considered. A gap is assumed to form when a stationary solution for the surface density profile is no longer possible in the frame of reference migrating with the planet. An analytical limit on the planetary mass necessary to open a gap in an inviscid disk is derived. The critical mass turns out to be smaller than the mass M1 for which the planetary Hill radius equals the disk scale height by a factor of at least Q5/7 (Q is the Toomre stability parameter), depending on the strength of the migration feedback. In viscous disks the critical planetary mass could vary from ~0.2M1 to M1, depending on the disk viscosity. This implies that a gap could be formed by a planet with mass of 2-15 M⊕, depending on the disk aspect ratio, viscosity, and the planet's location in the nebula.


A simplified, labor-saving procedure is proposed for the long-term follow-up of plasma cholesterol specific activity decay curves, using computerized input-output analysis. During the initial 2 weeks after tracer injection, frequent (4 to 6 or more) blood samples are obtained. For the following 40 weeks blood is taken only once a month. During the last 4 weeks of the experiment, blood samples are obtained weekly or twice weekly (method A). Seventeen patients were studied for 50 to 66 weeks. When the computer used data points obtained only every fourth week (in the midsection of the curves), the mean error incurred in the parameters of the analysis (compared to the full analysis of weekly data points) were: 'T (sum of absorbed dietary and biosynthesized cholesterol); 2.6% smaller; Ma (rapidly exchangeable mass of cholesterol): unchanged; M (minimum value for total exchangeable mass of cholesterol): 5.9% smaller: M-Ma (remaining mass of cholesterol): 9.5% smaller. Another simplified method (method B) consists of weekly follow-up of the decay of specific activity for the initial 12 weeks after tracer injection. During the following (circa) 30 weeks no blood samples are obtained. At the end of this period weekly or twice weekly blood specimens are obtained for 4 weeks. When the results of this procedure were compared to full curve analyses the mean differences were: IT: 2.1% smaller; Ma: unchanged; M: 9.3% smaller; M-Ma: 14.9%


This article introduced the basic situation of smart grid construction,products,technology status of electric power transmitter,transmitter power measuring principle of electric power transmitter,performance comparison and selection,also the typical application of electric power transmitter products in smart grid,analysis the application of electric power transmitter and their prospect in smart grid field.


We report ontheextraordinary transmission through two different onedimensional periodic metallic structures inthe Terahertz frequency range. Thefirst structure madebyfslasers withsubmicron precision hastrapezoidal unitcells whereas thesecond structure consists ofcircular metallic rods ina row.Localized plasmons leadtohighly enhanced transmission atfrequencies higher thananeffective plasma frequency whilesurface plasmons giveminimainthe transmission spectra. Theobserved Fanoprofiles aredescribed


For most software systems, some of the software metrics collected during the software development cycle may contain redundant information, provide no information, or may have an adverse effect on prediction models built with these metrics. An intelligent selection of software metrics (features) using feature selection techniques (which reduce the feature subset to an optimal size) prior to building defect prediction models may improve the final defect prediction results. While some feature selection techniques consider each feature individually, feature subset selection evaluates entire feature subsets and thus can help remove redundant features. Unfortunately, feature subset selection may have the problem of selecting different features from similar datasets. This paper addresses the question of which feature subset selection methods are stable in the face of changes to the data (here, the addition or removal of instances). We examine twenty-seven feature subset selection methods, including two filter-based techniques and twenty-five wrapper-based techniques (five choices of wrapper learner combined with five choices of wrapper performance metric). We used the Average Tanimoto Index (ATI) as our stability metric, because it is able to compare two feature subsets of different size. All experiments were conducted on three software metric datasets from a real-world software project. Our results show that the Correlation-Based Feature Selection (CFS) approach has the greatest stability overall. All wrapper-based techniques are less stable than CFS. Among the twenty-five wrappers, in general the Naïve Bayes learner using either the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUC) or the Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve (PRC) performance metrics are the most stable wrapper-based approaches.


The present study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of murine cytomegalovirus-induced immunosuppression. Previous studies had established the immunosuppressive effect of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) in vivo, and in v i t r o , and had characterized a wide range of immunological function which were impaired during MCMV infection. Canditioned medium, prepared from the tissue culture medium of cultured spleen cells infected with MCMV, contained a soluble immunosuppressive factor which suppressed spleen c e l l response to stimulation by Con A. This virus induced immunosuppressive factor (VISF) was not present i n conditioned media prepared from control cultures or from cultures of spleen c e l l s inoculated with various other viruses or latex beads. VISF was produced within 24 hours after infection of the c e l l s , and was not dependent upon the addition of exogenous fe t a l bovine serum to the culture medium. Attempts to extract VISF by l i p i d extraction techniques wer unsuccessful: no significant difference was observed between the capacities of control and MCMV conditioned media-extracted l i p i d s to suppress Con A stimulation of spleen c e l l s . Also, the production of


The geographic distribution, lithology, thickness, and paleontology of the subsurface Woodford in the Permian basin are described and illustrated. On the basis of conodonts and spores, the Woodford is assigned to the Upper Devonian and correlated with the Ready Pay member of the Percha shale in New Mexico, Woodford and Chattanooga of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, and tentatively correlated with the Upper Devonian parts of the Caballos novaculite and Arkansas novaculite of Texas and Arkansas. The lithology and paleontology suggest a stagnant marine environment such as might be found in a partly enclosed arm of the sea. The postulated limits of this sea are outlined for Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.


Valence of noun existence in semantic plane, embodiment combines the ability of dependent noun for noun. In the syntactic construction, the noun that does not need dependent noun matched stack is zero-valent noun, it is mono-valent noun to need a noun of dependent noun matched stack, it is divalent noun to need the noun of two dependent noun matched stacks. As soon as mono-valent noun can carry out classification from semantic, a mono-volent noun of different classification has different characteristic. As soon as the dependent noun of mono-valent noun shows mainly in the structure of surface layer of sentence structure, for attribute and subject, so, the sentence pattern that forms difference has close conversion relation between some sentence patterns.


Background/Aim: Rta, a transactivator of Epstein-Barr virus, is associated with progression of nasopharyngel carcinoma (NPC); however, its mechanism of contribution to the pathogenesis of NPC remains unclear. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a tumor promoter, is detected in NPC. This in vitro study examined whether and how Rta promotes NPC progression by up-regulating IL-6. Materials and Methods: Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA, immunoblotting assays, reporter gene assays, and transwell migration assays were performed. Results: In NPC cells, Rta up-regulated IL-6 expression at the mRNA and protein levels, and the Rta's C-terminus was essential for promoter activation and expression of IL-6. The induction of IL-6 by Rta also required activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and activator protein-1. Furthermore, IL-6 secreted from Rta-expressing NPC cells promoted migration of Rta-negative NPC cells by activating IL-6 receptor/Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway. Conclusion: Rta contributes to progression of NPC cells through induction of IL-6 in vitro.


The new dark grey metallic compounds Nd2BiO2, Tb2BiO2, Dy2BiO2, and Ho2BiO2 are synthesized in ≈1 g batches by solid state reaction of elemental Bi, LnBi (Ln: Nd, Tb, Dy, Ho), and Ln2O3 (sealed Ta ampules, 1770 K, 72 h).


Abstract Study Objective:To determine the incidence of cardiovascular and renal toxicity of a nonionic contrast agent when used for cardiac catheterization, and to assess the value of electrolytes ...


The invention relates to a drainage trench (10) comprising at least one Rigolenuntereinheit (12), wherein the at least one Rigolenuntereinheit (12) has a base wall (16) and a plurality of hollow columns (18), said columns (18) with the base wall (16) are integrally connected to and extending from the base wall (16) away, that is, from its base end (18a) to its tip end (18b) toward taper, preferably taper conically. The invention further relates to a transport unit for transporting a plurality of such Rigoleneinheiten (10).


In this paper we present two new methods for texture segmentation and analysis using local spectral methods. The first approach to the problem is to use a modular pattern detection in textured images based on the use of a pseudo-wigner distribution (PWD) followed by a decorrelation procedure that consists of a principal component analyzer (for texture segmentation). The goal is to combine the advantages of a high spectral resolution of a joint representation given by the pseudo-Wigner distribution (PWD) with an effective adaptive principal component analysis. The second approach is based on a modular procedure that encompasses a region of interest extraction procedure followed by a log-prolate filtering scheme (for texture classification). Performance of both methods is evaluated in different application domains: fabric defective textures, epithelial cell cultures and a diatom's classification scenario yielding excellent results over other conventional spatial or spectral methods.


We report a unified representation of the spatial and angular Goos-Haenchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts that occur when a light beam reflects from a plane interface. We thus reveal the dual nature of spatial and angular shifts in optical beam reflection. In the Goos-Haenchen case we show theoretically and experimentally that this unification naturally arises in the context of reflection from a lossy surface (e.g., a metal).


Fingerprints are the most widely used biometric feature for identification and verification in the field of biometrics. This paper implements an algorithm for minutiae extraction based on tracing the thin ridge line, expressing the type of current point and the states of its 8neighborhood pixels by 8-neighbour coding, which can effectively extract ridge endings and ridge bifurcations in thinned fingerprint image. The experimental results show that the algorithm can not only improve the speed of feature extraction, but also accurately eliminate pseudo minutiae, so the follow-up time of the image processing is shortened, and it can satisfy the need in the practical application. Keywords-fingerprint identification, CN value, feature extraction, minutiae.


We unify the product and the sum form variance-based uncertainties to a Schr\"{o}dinger-liked uncertainty relation. Some well-known uncertainties in either product or sum form can be recovered by the Schr\"{o}dinger-liked uncertainty, i.e., the product form uncertainty is the Schr\"{o}dinger-liked uncertainty relation for Hermitian operators and the sum form uncertainty is actually Schr\"{o}dinger-liked uncertainty relation for non-Hermitian operators. Thus the Schr\"{o}dinger-liked uncertainty relation provides a unified uncertainty relation. Also, the unified uncertainty reveals some quantum properties that the traditional uncertainty relation cannot do, and indicates that the uncertainty relation for the incompatible observables is bounded not only by the commutation relation between themselves, but also by the quantities related with the other operator, which is named as auxiliary operator. The importance of the unified uncertainty, as well as the concept of the auxiliary operator deduced from it, is demonstrated in explaining and fixing the trivial lower bound appearing in the traditional uncertainty relations.


Purpose. Substantiation of mining-technical and environmental safety of underground mining of complex-structure ore deposits based on the study of a rock mass stress-strain state (SSS), as well as determining the safe parameters of stopes for specific mining-geological conditions and patterns of rock pressure propagation in various environments. Methods. To assess the improvement of mining-technical and environmental safety of mining operations, the research includes theoretical generalizations with the use of mathematical statistics, physical and mathematical modeling, performing calculations, as well as technical and economic feasibility, laboratory and full-scale experimental studies, industrial tests in mine conditions and on the earth's surface in the zone of blasting influence, based on the standard and new methods. Findings. A functional interrelation between the rock mass SSS value and the number of impulses (destruction sounds) per minute, characterizing its structural (а) and strength (b) properties, is proposed, which is described by a curvilinear dependence of the type y = axb and allows to quickly determine the stable parameters of stopes. Assessment and prediction are made for various forms of rock pressure manifestation, based on the stress concentration coefficient within 0.91 Kv 0.70, taking into account the conditions of the elastic behavior of rocks. The value of = 0.0002-0.0003 is taken as permissible relative deformation, which ensures both mining-technical and environmental safety, as well as the rock mass stability during repeated blasting operations. Originality. A classification of the rock mass SSS has been developed depending on the direction of the maximum stresses relative to the mine working location, the level of the rock mass stress state and the mechanism of rock pressure manifestation (η), as well as the category of rock-bump hazard. In particular, the rock mass with the values in the range oof 0.12 < η ≤0.2; 0.2 < η ≤ 0.3; 0.3 < η ≤ 0.5 and η > 0.5 are classified as non-rock-bump hazardous and belong to III, II, and I hazard categories, respectively. Practical implications. To substantiate the safe parameters of stopes based on the results of multi-year research into underground mining of complex-structure deposits, depending on the rock mass properties, a graphical-analytic method (nomographic charts and calculation formulas) is recommended. These parameters are determined for highly fractured, medium fractured and weakly fractured rock mass with its horizontal outcropping to the surface. Using this method, the Instruction on the Geomechanical Substantiation of the Safe Mining of the Reserves at the Skhidnyi Hirnycho-Zbahachuvalnyi Kombinat, DP (SE VostGOK), Ukraine, has been developed.


A bacterial isolate Bacillus licheniformis was able to degrade reactive red 2 dye, optimally at pH 9, temperature at 37°C, dye concentration of 50 mg/l at 20% inoculums size. Glucose, NH4NO3 were found to be the best additional carbon and nitrogen sources. The extracellular enzyme from Bacillus licheniformis was studied for dye decolourization potential. Biodegradation was confirmed by analyzing the product using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromotograpy- mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS analysis indicated the formation of 2, 4-dichloro-6-[(1H-indazol-5ylimino)-methyl]-phenol, benzene sulfonamide, 1H indole and urea as final metabolites formed by Bacillus licheniformis. These results indicate the high potential of Bacillus licheniformis to serve as an excellent biomass for the use in reactive red 2 dye removal.


ABSTRACT This small-scale exploratory study explores the practices and experiences of two experienced Hong Kong Education Bureau Advisory Teachers (ATs) engaged in school-based professional support (SBPS) of teachers during school closure caused the COVID-19 pandemic. It documents the ATs usual practices, conditions for effective SBPS, the effect the pandemic had on their practices, and the specific support they provided remotely during the pandemic. Key findings indicate that effective SBPS requires clear role expectations, a collaborative support approach, building strong relationships and durability. The SBPS model is resilient and allows ATs and teachers to adjust to the evolving situation. ATs have continued to provide support throughout the school closures, something that would not have been possible without the existing SBPS model, relationship cultivated over an extended period of support and available technology. The authors recommend that Education Bureaus explore SBPS as a way to continue supporting teachers during school closures.


Student data that are public and stored on Universitas Klabat currently be stored in a local database and can only be accessed by the database administrator. A RESTful web service acts as a medium that provides access to the data for those who have permission, improving the data's accessibility. Any user eligible by the web service can use the Universitas Klabat Information System data to develop a mobile or another web application without making another similar database, thus eliminating the redundant process of making a duplicate database. A JSON Web Token is also used in this web service to ensure that the person accessing the web service is authorized to access the specific data. The agile method is used to develop this application. In conclusion, the web service can create, read, update, delete operation regarding the student database and provide it to the user that is authorized with a valid JSON Web Token.


A complete reexamination of Sudicky's (1986) field experiment for the geostatistical characterization of hydraulic conductivity at the Borden aquifer in Ontario, Canada is performed. The sampled data reveal that a number of outliers (low ln (K) values) are present in the data base. These low values cause difficulties in both variogram estimation and determining population statistics. The analysis shows that assuming either a normal distribution or exponential distribution for log conductivity is appropriate. The classical, Cressie/Hawkins and squared median of the absolute deviations (SMAD) estimators are used to compute experimental variograms. None of these estimators provides completely satisfactory variograms for the Borden data with the exception of the classical estimator with outliers removed from the data set. Theoretical exponential variogram parameters are determined from nonlinear (NL) estimation. Differences are obtained between NL fits and those of Sudicky (1986). For the classical-screened estimated variogram, NL fits produce an ln (K) variance of 0.24, nugget of 0.07, and integral scales of 5.1 m horizontal and 0.21 m vertical along A–A′. For B–B′ these values are 0.37, 0.11, 8.3 and 0.34. The fitted parameter set for B–B′ data (horizontal and vertical) is statistically different than the parameter set determined for A–A′. We also evaluate a probabilistic form of Dagan's (1982, 1987) equations relating geostatistical parameters to a tracer cloud's spreading moments. The equations are evaluated using the parameter estimates and covariances determined from line A–A′ as input, with a velocity equal to 9.0 cm/day. The results are compared with actual values determined from the field test, but evaluated by both Freyberg (1986) and Rajaram and Gelhar (1988). The geostatistical parameters developed from this study produce an excellent fit to both sets of calculated plume moments when combined with Dagan's stochastic theory for predicting the spread of a tracer cloud.


Contrast enhancement is particularly important for imaging of weakly absorbing materials. We demonstrate the inherent contrast-enhancement effect at the edges of a transparent object by using a conventional pulsed terahertz imaging setup without additional modification of the system design. We provide both experimental and theoretical evidence suggesting that this effect is a consequence of the frequency-dependent energy loss of the terahertz radiation induced by edge diffraction. The influence of the phase step of the broadband terahertz pulses on the edge contrast is discussed.


These literature review makes an attempt to study the role of risk management when implementing investment projects. Risk management is an important component of project management. In investment decisions, management must deal with uncertainty in the future either positive uncertainty or negative uncertainty. Risk management is what needs to be considered in investment decisions. The article describes the various types of investment and project risks, methods of risk analysis of investment projects, performance indicators of investment projects, as well as the analysis of risk factors and uncertainties in the course of investment projects' development. Methods for risk assessment of an investment project help to assess the feasibility of the project, initial time period after which it will generate revenue, as well as the probabilistic size of future profits.


The well-known double-square-root equation (DSR) used for prestack migration of reflected waves is valid for the description of first-arrival waves (refracted and head waves). These arrival times are subject to the DSR-eikonal equation. Though this eikonal equation has been known for a long time (A. Belonosova, A. Alekseyev 1967), a reliable and economical method was not available up to now for solving this equation for the case with complicated laterally-heterogeneous vetocity models. We have developed and realized a robust and economical finite-difference method that permits the DSR-eikonal equation to be applied to complex geological subsurfaces. The main limitations of this method are due to two assumptions: (1) no velocity inversion exists in the subsurface and (2) first-arrival times increase monotonically with the shot receiver offset. The proposed method employs an implicit, absolutely robust , finite-difference scheme that enables us to model , in one step, a set of firstarrival time hodographs for multi-offset systems.


This paper presents a case study of the DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo strategic joint venture cargo airline 'AeroLogic', the global air cargo industry's largest operative joint venture between an airline and a leading international express and logistics provider. The study used a qualitative research approach. The data gathered for the study was examined by document analysis. The strategic analysis of the AeroLogic joint venture was based on the use of Porter's Five Forces framework. The study found that the AeroLogic joint venture airline has provided synergistic benefits to both partners and has allowed the partners to access new markets and to participate in the evolution of the air cargo industry. The new venture has also enabled both joint venture partners to enhance their competitive position in the global air cargo industry through strengthened service offerings and has provided the partners with increased cargo capacities, a larger route network, and greater frequencies within their own route networks. The study also found that the AeroLogic business model is unique in the air cargo industry. A limitation of the study was that AeroLogic's annual revenue or freight traffic data was not available. It was, therefore, not possible to analyse the business performance of the joint venture.


To evaluate the effect of prolonged interferon‐α treatment on serum aminotransferase levels and hepatitis C virus RNA in serum, 40 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection were treated with 3 MU interferon‐α2b thrice weekly for 60 wk. Before treatment all patients had elevated serum ALT levels for at least 1 yr, antibodies to HCV by second‐generation tests and liver histological findings consistent with chronic hepatitis C. Before treatment hepatitis C virus RNA was found in serum in 39 of 40 (97.5) patients. Normalization of ALT levels at treatment cessation was seen in 24 of 40 (60) patients, of whom 15 of 24 (62.5) had sustained ALT responses up to 24 wk after treatment. At follow‐up, 24 wk after treatment, hepatitis C virus RNA was cleared from serum in 17 of 40 (42.5) patients, including all sustained responders, one nonsustained responder and one nonresponder. We conclude that 60 wk of treatment with interferon‐α2b seems to induce a high percentage of sustained response, which coincides with cessation of viral replication. (Hepatology 1994; 19:280–285).


Introduction. Several new problems in the theory of approximation to an analytic function were suggested and discussed by Walsh in a recent paper(1). It is the purpose of the present paper to make additional contributions to the solution of these problems and to indicate the extent to which the results carry over to the theory of harmonic functions. 1. Representation of a special harmonic function. Let R be a finite sum of disjoint regions in the complex plane and let S be a closed set interior to R. When suitable restrictions are placed upon the boundaries Co and C, of S and R, respectively, there exists a function /(z) equal to zero on Co and unity on C,, continuous in the extended complex plane, harmonic except upon Co and Ci. It is convenient for the present to assume that R and S satisfy the following set of conditions: Al. The boundary of each component region T of R consists of a finite number of disjoint analytic Jordan curves. A2. For each component T, the boundary of TS consists of a finite number of analytic Jordan curves such that those constituting the boundary of each component region of T -TS are disjoint. A3. Each component T contains at least one point of S. A4. No point of TTS is separated from S by the boundary of T. Under these conditions, the function +(z) exists, is necessarily equal to zero on S and unity exterior to R. Let it(z) be a function conjugate to 4(z) in R-S. The limit of it(z), as z, remaining within a component region of R -S, approaches a curve of Co or C1, exists in the small and forms on the boundary of this component region a continuous periodic function of the arc length. Of course, if a component curve of Co or Ci is common to the boundaries of two such component regions of R-S, the limits of the function it(z) from the two sides of this curve are, in general, not equal.


This article reports a study conducted on a pilot e-learning course organized by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to offer the affiliates the opportunity of further learning from their previous field experiences on emergency operations. The main objective was to identify and understand reflective thinking and knowledge production through a peer review activity developed in the online learning environment "Scholar." The investigation was guided by the following research questions: 1) How effective was peer feedback for the development of the participants' written case studies? 2) What are participants' perceptions regarding their learning experience with the peer-review activity? How was the experience of providing feedback? How was the experience of receiving feedback? How did these experiences influence the elaboration of the final version of their writing? and 3) What are the implications of peer-to-peer learning in online environments for participants' professional development? Data was gathered from: updates in "Community" (space for social interaction); feedback the reviewers provided on the case studies; the first and second versions of the case study, and the pre and post-course surveys. "Scholar Analytics" provided the results for the closed questions while the open-ended questions were classified into data-driven categories, as well as the updates from "Community." First and second drafts of case studies from six participants were analyzed to identify the changes from one version to the other and compared with the feedback they received to detect the impact of the feedback on the second version. Results show that participants: enjoyed the experience of writing the case study; appreciated the experience of providing feedback through peer reviews to their peers; recognized that the feedback they received from the reviewers were helpful; acknowledged that providing feedback to peers through peer reviews helped them to think about their own case study. In addition, participants took into consideration the feedback from their peers when rewriting their case studies. The findings reveal that Scholar's feature of displaying the text side-by-side with the rubrics, review criteria and feedback fosters participants' engagement with the writing, reviewing, and revising processes.


LiFePO4/C and LiFe0.9Co0.1PO4/C materials were synthesized via a solid state method. 10% cobalt was chosen as a doping element in the Fe-site of LiFePO4/C to increase its electronic conductivity. The crystal structure and particle morphology of this material were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. The electrochemical mechanism observed during cycling of a LiFe0.9Co0.1PO4/C electrode was investigated using in-situ time resolved X-ray absorption near edge structure (in-situ XANES). The experimental results showed that the electrochemical mechanism of LiFe0.9Co0.1PO4/C mainly took place with the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox couple. The Co2+/Co3+ couple redox was not active during cycling. The Co doped sample had an improved crystal structure, resulting in a higher energy density than LiFePO4/C.LiFePO4/C and LiFe0.9Co0.1PO4/C materials were synthesized via a solid state method. 10% cobalt was chosen as a doping element in the Fe-site of LiFePO4/C to increase its electronic conductivity. The crystal structure and particle morphology of this material were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. The electrochemical mechanism observed during cycling of a LiFe0.9Co0.1PO4/C electrode was investigated using in-situ time resolved X-ray absorption near edge structure (in-situ XANES). The experimental results showed that the electrochemical mechanism of LiFe0.9Co0.1PO4/C mainly took place with the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox couple. The Co2+/Co3+ couple redox was not active during cycling. The Co doped sample had an improved crystal structure, resulting in a higher energy density than LiFePO4/C.


Effectiveness of different types of baits in trapping wild canids and felids The low success rate of capture may be a limiting factor to the success of several wildlife studies. Therefore, the improvement of capture techniques, especially in relation to predators, is necessary. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the attractiveness of four different types of baits on medium and large predators. The study was developed at Fazenda Três Lagoas and Arca, which is part of the Angatuba Center of the Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio), in the municipality of Angatuba State of São Paulo, and lasted five months. For large predators corral traps baited with chicken, pork, goats or sheep were used in a Latin Square design. For the sampling of medium-sized canids and felids, 115x40x60 cm galvanized wire cage traps were trapped with dog food, shrimp-scented dog food, cat food or shrimp-scented cat food. The methodology was adapted from the one used by PPBio: 30 sampling units were systematically distributed in a grid, 1 km apart from each other. From the 30 points in the grid available, 24 were chosen, 12 points in the eucalyptus matrix and 12 points in native vegetation areas. Animal approach was monitored in both corral and cage traps by photographic trapping using Bushnell Trophy Cam® cameras programmed to operate 24 hours a day and shoot for 15 seconds with a one-minute interval between the videos. The results were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Mean Analysis (ANOM). The medium and large carnivorous species that have been recurrently captured in both corral and cage videos are opportunistic species which are tolerant to modified environments and human presence, such as the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), the Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) and the maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Felines were captured at a low rate, with only two species being detected puma and ocelot during the pre-experimental period. Regarding the corral trap experiment, the maned wolves were significantly more attracted to chickens than to any other bait (sheep, piglets or goats); the other species of wild predators did not respond significantly to the baits offered. Moreover, the analysis of the number of recorded videos that each side of the corrals obtained shows that the cameras located on the west face of all corrals detected a significantly smaller number of visiting species. For wire cage traps, the interaction between the number of species, the number of video occurrences, the baits (ie, dog and cat food, with and without shrimp essence) and the environment (ie, matrix and native vegetation) was marginally significant; in addition, wild canids and felids species in the area did not respond to any of the baits offered. However, domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) were significantly attracted to cat food without shrimp essence.


South Shore Health, one of Nova Scotia's 9 district health authorities, has slashed its incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by more than half. That success was due directly to taking a firm hand — and promoting a clean one among health care providers.

"When compared


User-facing services deployed in data centers must respond quickly to user actions. The measurement of network latencies is of paramount importance. Recently, a new family of compact data structures has been proposed to estimate one-way latencies. In order to achieve scalability, these new methods rely on timestamp aggregation. Unfortunately, this approach suffers from serious accuracy problems in the presence of packet loss and reordering, given that a single lost or out-of-order packet may invalidate a huge number of aggregated samples. In this paper, we unify the problem to detect lost and reordered packets within the set reconciliation framework. Although the set reconciliation approach and the data structures for aggregating packet timestamps are previously known, the combination of these two principles is novel. We present a space-efficient synopsis called reconcilable difference aggregator (RDA). RDA maximizes the percentage of useful packets for latency measurement by mapping packets to multiple banks and repairing aggregated samples that have been damaged by lost and reordered packets. RDA simultaneously obtains the average and the standard deviation of the latency. We provide a formal guarantee of the performance and derive optimized parameters. We further design and implement a user-space passive latency measurement system that addresses practical issues of integrating RDA into the network stack. Our extensive evaluation shows that compared with existing methods, our approach improves the relative error of the average latency estimation in 10–15 orders of magnitude, and the relative error of the standard deviation in 0.5–6 orders of magnitude.


Reunified Berlin's ubiquitous examples of architectural citation—such as the Reichstag, the plans for the Stadtschloß, the Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz, the new Hotel Adlon, and the FriedrichstadtPassagen—variously inscribe contemporary architectural styles with allusive reinventions of previous forms and cultural discourses, incorporate remnants of older edifices, or use partial reconstructions for new social purposes. In the process, these projects problematize conventional principles of architectural restoration by dramatizing a productive tension between past and present, between authenticity and simulation, between genuine nostalgia and the sometimes cynical manipulation of historical memory. Relying on the synchronicity of (seemingly) nonsynchronous styles, architectural citation goes beyond postmodern pastiche; such citation signifies Berlin's renegotiation of its identity as the new-old capital by recycling half-obliterated and yet irrepressible traces of urban history within the parameters of international capitalism, Europe-directed national politics, and the rampant tourist industry.


The KSTAR (Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) tokamak (Ro = 1.8 m, a = 0.5 m, {kappa} {lt}= 2, BT{lt}= 3.5 T, Ip {lt}= 2 MA, {tau} pulse {lt}= 300 s) is being constructed to do long pulse, high beta, advanced operating mode fusion physics experiments. The ion cyclotron (IC) system (in conjunction with an 8-MW neutral beam and a 1.5-MW lower hybrid system) will provide heating and current drive capability for the machine. The IC system will deliver 6 MW of rf power to the plasma in the 25 to 60 MHz frequency range, using a single four-strap antenna mounted in a midplane port. It will be used for ion heating, fast wave current drive (FWCD), and mode conversion current drive (MCCD). The phasing between current straps in the antenna will be adjustable quickly during operation to provide the capability of changing the current drive efficiency. This paper describes the design of the IC system hardware: the electrical characteristics of the antenna and the matching system, the requirements on the power sources, and electrical analyses of the launcher; IC physics requirements and analyses are covered in a companion paper.


Objective: Cervical cancer is a highly preventable malignancy caused by HPV that begins with the development of precancerous lesions (high risk cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 or 3 - hrCIN). As cancer is a metabolic disease, individuals with metabolic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol (hcho) and high blood pressure (hbp) may be at higher risk of developing hrCIN. Given the higher prevalence among Black women, we sought to determine whether these metabolic conditions increase the risk of hrCIN differentially by race. Methods: We used data from hospital and physician billing claims for any CIN diagnosis occurring at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) from 01/01/2014 through 12/04/2021, along with respective clinical and sociodemographic characteristics at the time of diagnosis. We estimated the risk of high-grade dysplasia (CIN2+ versus CIN1) among women with various metabolic diseases, using logistic regression (LR) with a backward selection approach (removing terms with p ≥ 0.2 and adding those with p < 0.1) to identify most relevant confounding factors. Results: There were 2,761 women diagnosed with CIN 1, 2, 3, and unspecified dysplasia of the cervix uteri with respective prevalence of 30%, 45%, 11%, and 14%. The prevalence of hrCIN did not vary by race (48% versus 52% for non-Latina (nL)-whites versus nL-Blacks respectively). Of the variables included in the LR model (age, marital status, religion, preferred language, insurance status, Body Mass Index, HIV, HPV, presence of bacterial vaginosis, hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, pulmonary conditions, arthritis, heart conditions, pregnancy status, parity, smoking, alcohol, and previous cancer diagnoses), only pregnancy status, diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, insurance, language, pulmonary conditions, and HPV remained in the final LR model. We identified an interaction between hypertension and cholesterol (p=0.03) where the odds of a hrCIN among women with both, hypertension, and cholesterol, were more than twice compared to women with neither comorbidity (OR=2.2, 95%CI: 1.1, 4.3). Stratified by race, the elevated risk of hrCIN was only significant among nL-Black women (p=0.05, OR=2.9, 95%CI: 1.1, 8.6). Conclusions: Despite no apparent difference in the incidence of hrCIN by race in this dataset, our analysis revealed an excess risk of hrCIN that was only present for Black women with both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. These comorbidities are both overrepresented in nL-Blacks and are associated with low grade systemic inflammation, which may promote HPV persistence and progression to hrCIN. If replicable, this association deserves further investigation to assess its biological underpinnings and potential as a point of intervention to reduce the risk of CIN progression and cervical cancer.
 Citation Format: Shreya R. Raman, Stephanie A. Sullivan, Robert A. Winn, Katherine Y. Tossas. "Am I at risk for cervical cancer?": Racial disparity implications of an unexpected relationship between chronic conditions and precancerous lesions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr C098.


Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy or scattering, is an old analytical technique having multiple applications, but it still remains with great challenges. The complex physical and chemical processes involved results in difficulties for modelling and experimentation. In this work, numerical results of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy spectra for some systems of interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology, monochlorobiphenyl isomers, graphene, magnetite and graphene oxide, are presented and discussed. A single gold nanoparticle and a dimer gold nanoparticle were utilized as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates. The possibility of predicting structural properties of graphene oxide from comparison between its experimental and simulated Raman spectra is discussed. A relation between the enhancement factor for the G band of graphene oxide and the radius of a spherical nanoparticle dimer of gold, is suggested.


Automatic age estimation of facial images is a challenging problem in computer vision and image analysis as the process of aging is affected by different issues like gender, ethnicity, environment etc. Also to estimate near accurate age from facial images requires a large amount of data and tedious training period. In this paper, we have proposed an age estimator based on the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that can predict age from facial images almost accurately. Our approach requires less training data than the related works yet keeping a low Mean Absolute Error (MAE). We built a model on top of the 50 layer Residual Network named ResNet 50 that implements age estimation as a regression problem. Our experimental results are compared with other age estimation techniques. The comparison exhibits that the performance of our age estimation system is close to other related works even after training with a relatively smaller dataset.


The X‐linked recessive type of chondrodysplasia punctata (CDPX1) is a skeletal disorder that is characterized by stippled calcification at an epiphyseal nucleus and the surrounding soft tissue, short stature and an unusual face because of nasal hypoplasia. In most of the patients, this condition is noted after birth because of a characteristic face or respiratory problems. Here, we report a fetus with CDPX1. Two‐dimensional ultrasound examination revealed unexplained polyhydramnios and a male fetus. Fetal biometry showed shortened long bones. Three‐dimensional ultrasonography clearly demonstrated a hypoplastic nose with a depressed nasal bridge and contracture of wrists and fingers. Chromosome analysis of the amniotic fluid cells revealed the 46,Y,del(X)(p22.3) karyotype. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed a deletion of subtelomeric sequences at the Xpter and STS gene, but not a deletion of the KAL gene. The genomic copy number analysis demonstrated terminal deletion of 8.33 Mb that included SHOX, CSF2RA, XG, ARSE, NLGN4 and STS genes. We think that our case presents typical features of a fetus with this disorder and will be of great help in prenatal ultrasound diagnosis.


Economic transition, European integration and EU membership have spurred an unprecedented process of social, political and economic modernization in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE). Economic catching-up, however, has slowed since the Great Recession of 2008. Potential growth rates moderated notably and have not yet returned to the dynamism of the early 2000s. After providing a short overview of the status quo of transition in the 11 CESEE EU Member States2, this study elaborates on the reasons for weakening potential growth by focusing on the contributions of labor, capital and productivity to potential output. At the same time, we try to identify the most suitable policy options to reaccelerate economic dynamics in CESEE in the medium term.


The problem situation arising in the making of the philosophy of culture as an independent branch of science and searching its methodological strategy is examined. The significance of transcendental properties of language for philosophical and cultural research is explained. Transcendental properties of language are observed in the sphere of creative work and communication.


Article II of the Constitution of The Institute of Management Sciences provides that: "The objects of The Institute shall be to identify, extend, and unify scientific knowledge that contributes to the understanding and practice of management." This evening, I shall offer a few personal views and convictions concerning possible paths through the future to these goals.


This paper uses an extension to the Solow growth model to estimate the level and growth effects of human capital. Empirical results for a panel of 10 Asian countries from 1960-2003 show that both the growth and level effects of human capital are positive and significant.


Two rare cases of lipomas of the adrenal gland are reported. In both cases the tumor was found incidentally at autopsy, in the course of the medicolegal investigation of death. The first case involved a small tumor of the left adrenal gland in a 70‐year‐old man who died by drowning. In the second case, a previously healthy 45‐year‐old man died suddenly. At autopsy a lipoma of the right adrenal gland was associated with a pheochromocytoma in the contralateral gland.


Using Cr( NO3)3 as chromium source and Na / ZSM-5( Si / Al = 30) as the support,a series of x Cr /Na-ZSM-5( x = 0%- 10%) catalysts were prepared by impregnation method. The catalysts were calcined at873 K and 1 073 K respectively. The structure of the catalysts were characterized with the analysis and testing techniques,such as FT-IR,XRD,BET,SEM,CO2-TPD and H2-TPR. The results show that the active component Cr2O3 is well dispersed on the surface of the support Na / ZSM-5,and the loading of Cr2O3 has influence on the basic-acid property and reducible property. Different calcination temperature of the catalyst has a great influence on the structure and morphology of the catalysts. A phenomenon of collapse occures in the catalysts calcined at 1 073 K,which is not observed for the catalysts calcined at 873 K.


Objective To discuss the methods of the diagnosis and treatment for the neck bronchial cysts.Methods Through diagnosis analysis of two cases of the neck bronchial ectopic cyst patients,this paper summarizes the neck bronchial ectopic cyst clinical and radiologic presentation,and puts forward the disease diagnosis points and treatment.Results Because the disease in clinic is rare,two cases were misdiagnosed before the operation.The key points for the diagnosis and treatment are as follow: 1.Congenital;2.Cele cystic,cystic fluid for slime;3.Cyst and thyroid,the position of the trachea closely;4.imaging and technique that can be found cyst and trachea chondroid structure closely connected;5.Pathological section capsule wall for bronchial mucosal;6.Treatment is surgical resection.Conclusion Although the neck bronchial blurred cyst in clinic is rare,if there is enough understanding for this disease,especially with thyroid tracheal position relationship and imaging,the clinical diagnosis can be made,postoperative pathologic diagnosis for this disease is the necessary.Surgical resection is the effective treatment.


Summary The role of the neuropeptide cholecystokinin in schizophrenia has been widely explored because of its modulating action on midbrain dopamine neurons. The recent discovery of more specific receptor subtype cholecystokinin antagonists should be considered as potential treatment for schizophrenia with fewer side effects. This paper reviews cholecystokinin/dopamine interactions in animal and human studies. Clinical trials with cholecystokinin agonists and antagonists in schizophrenia are updated.


This research was conducted to determine the socio-economic factors which are effective in helping dairy cattle enterprises to adopt some innovations in Afyonkarahisar. The data acquired from questionnaires of 80 randomly selected enterprises were analyzed with chi-square test in May 2006. Enterprises those have 1-10, 11-35 and more than 35 cattle were classified as small, medium and high scale, respectively. It was found that 12% of enterprises adopt innovations at low level, 65% of them at medium level and 23% of them at high level. Consequently, a parallel relationship was determined between adopting innovations and the scale of the enterprises (p 0.05).


the importance of workers' attitudes and should do much to re-kindle commitment and enthusiasm in advocating for and working alongside looked after children. The importance of enabling children to express their views may seem obvious, but it keeps cropping up as key lesson to take on board in child protection enquiries. So what do children look for in this respect in their ideal social worker? 'Someone who is easy to talk to and who understands, and explains well – listens to what you have got to say, lets you have more say, doesn't butt in – understands what you feel and your view of things' (p 189).


Little is to be gained in this brief account of meteorology and its problems by attempting to state with any fullness the status and scope of the science.

The domain of meteorology is the entire atmosphere, and no boundaries of nations, continents, or oceans of any kind delimit its scope or problems.


The underlying policy of Indian Jurisprudence is the 'presumption of innocence' which not only encapsulates the basic essence of the Part III of the Constitution but also encompasses the founding stone of Criminal Judicial System. Only the State is empowered to deny Personal liberty and this must be for cogent reasons, after going through a rational and unbiased procedure delegated by law. The need to balance personal liberty with law enforcement has been stressed in Nandini Satpathy's casey. Theoretically speaking, trials must begin and proceed speedily and the undertrial must be offered the possibility of bail at the earliest.But unfortunately issues like overcrowding of prisons with undertrial prisoners have become a pertinent on the face of it. Many of them are innocent persons who are caught in the web of the law keenly waiting for their trial date and several of them are willing to confess their crime and accept their sentence. The most vital aspects of criminal justice system are the deferral caused in the disposal of cases. These undertrial prisoners are put in prison mainly under non-bailable offences and persons who are unable to produce sufficient sureties in cases of bailable offences. Sometimes they are denied justice for long stretch of time.


This book examines the life and career of Robert R. Church Jr., who grew up the son of the first black millionaire in Memphis, Tennessee, and would eventually surpass his father's notoriety as the most influential black Republican of his era. In particular this book uses Church's life as a lens into the political activity of African Americans during the first half of the twentieth century. It focuses on the strategies that Church, as a member of the black elite, used to organize and empower black people through the vote. Church believed that voting served as the most pragmatic approach for African Americans to obtain full citizenship in this country. Through the organization he founded, the Lincoln League of America, Church demonstrated the political agency of African Americans on a national level. Church used the arena of politics to interject the plight of the black community into the national political discourse. By enfranchising thousands of black southerners and developing a substantial voting constituency, black voters could have their voices heard among the nation's most prominent policy makers.


Calcium salt of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butyric acid(MHA-Ca) is an important ingredient of compound α-ketoacid tablets.It can prevent the lack of amino acids and improve metabolic disorder, and has a certain curative effect in the treatment of renal failure.It benefits to calcium metabolism and secondary hyperparathyroidism.It is also an important intermediate to organic synthesis, drug synthesis and biological synthesis.The main synthetic methods for 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butyric acid and its calcium salt are reviewed in this paper, including the hydrolyzation of cyanhydrin, the translation of methionine and ketoacid, ketol oxidation, diethyl phosphorocyanidate and α-aydroxy-γ-butyrolactone.


We develop a new Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) scheme for fisheye cameras that can directly perform vehicle detection, re-identification, and tracking under fisheye distortions without explicit dewarping. Fisheye cameras provide omnidirectional coverage that is wider than traditional cameras, reducing fewer need of cameras to monitor road intersections. However, the problem of distorted views introduces new challenges for fisheye MOT. In this paper, we propose a Fish-Eye Multiple Object Tracking (FEMOT) approach with two novelties. We develop the Distorted Fisheye Image Augmentation (DFIA) method to improve object detection and re-identification on fisheye cameras, where fisheye model training can be performed on existing datasets of traditional cameras via fisheye data synthesis and augmentation. We also develop the Hybrid Data Association (HDA) method to perform tracking directly on fisheye views, without the need of de-warping. The developed FEMOT framework provides practical design and advancement that enables large-scale use of fisheye cameras in smart city and surveillance applications.


There is relatively scanty data on the anthropometric study of the foramen spinosum in Nigeria and therefore due to the great surgical and diagnostic importance in procedures like percutaneous trigeminal rizotomy in trigeminal neuralgia and transfacial fine needle aspiration technique.


Ablation of Focal Atrial Fibrillation. Introduction: Ablative therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) by targeting initiating triggers, usually in or around the pulmonary veins, has been reported by several centers. Evidence for an overall improvement in quality of life (QOL) and amelioration of symptoms is lacking.


At a local scale, travel-time tomography requires a simultaneous inversion of earthquake positions and velocity structure. We applied a joint iterative inversion scheme where medium parameters and hypocenter parameters were inverted simultaneously. At each step of the inversion, rays between hypocenters and stations were traced, new partial derivatives of travel-time were estimated and scaling between parameters was performed as well. The large sparse linear system modified by the scaling was solved by the LSQR method at each iteration. We compared performances of two different forward techniques. Our first approach was a fast ray tracing based on a paraxial method to solve the two-point boundary value problem. The rays connect sources and stations in a velocity structure described by a 3D B-spline interpolation over a regular grid. The second approach is the finite-difference solution of the eikonal equation with a 3D linear interpolation over a regular grid. The partial derivatives are estimated differently depending on the interpolation method. The reconstructed images are sensitive to the spatial variation of the partial derivatives shown by synthetic examples. We aldo found that a scaling between velocity and hypocenter parameters involved in the linear system to be solved is important in recovering accurate amplitudes of anomalies. This scaling was estimated to be five through synthetic examples with the real configuration of stations and sources. We also found it necessary to scale Pand S velocities in order to recover better amplitudes of S velocity anomaly. The crustal velocity structure of a 50X50X20 km domain near Patras in the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) was recovered using microearthquake data. These data were recorded during a field experiment in 1991 where a dense network of 60 digital stations was deployed. These microearthquakes were widely distributed under the Gulf of Corinth and enabled us to perform a reliable tomography of first arrival P and S travel-times. The obtained images of this seismically active zone show a south/north asymmetry in agreement with the tectonic context. The transition to high velocity lies between 6 km and 9 km indicating a very thin crust related to the active extension regime.At a local scale, travel-time tomography requires a simultaneous inversion of earthquake positions and velocity structure. We applied a joint iterative inversion scheme where medium parameters and hypocenter parameters were inverted simultaneously. At each step of the inversion, rays between hypocenters and stations were traced, new partial derivatives of travel-time were estimated and scaling between parameters was performed as well. The large sparse linear system modified by the scaling was solved by the LSQR method at each iteration. We compared performances of two different forward techniques. Our first approach was a fast ray tracing based on a paraxial method to solve the two-point boundary value problem. The rays connect sources and stations in a velocity structure described by a 3D B-spline interpolation over a regular grid. The second approach is the finite-difference solution of the eikonal equation with a 3D linear interpolation over a regular grid. The partial derivatives are estimated differently depending on the interpolation method. The reconstructed images are sensitive to the spatial variation of the partial derivatives shown by synthetic examples. We aldo found that a scaling between velocity and hypocenter parameters involved in the linear system to be solved is important in recovering accurate amplitudes of anomalies. This scaling was estimated to be five through synthetic examples with the real configuration of stations and sources. We also found it necessary to scale Pand S velocities in order to recover better amplitudes of S velocity anomaly. The crustal velocity structure of a 50X50X20 km domain near Patras in the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) was recovered using microearthquake data. These data were recorded during a field experiment in 1991 where a dense network of 60 digital stations was deployed. These microearthquakes were widely distributed under the Gulf of Corinth and enabled us to perform a reliable tomography of first arrival P and S travel-times. The obtained images of this seismically active zone show a south/north asymmetry in agreement with the tectonic context. The transition to high velocity lies between 6 km and 9 km indicating a very thin crust related to the active extension regime.


Aim: The ready availability of radiodiagnostic aids has led to its overuse in dental practice. In addition, failure to reinforce the radiation safety procedures has unknowingly resulted in the negligence of the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principles among many dentists. Apart from patients, the dentists and dental assistants are being exposed to radiation in the clinics during regular practice. The current survey was designed to assess the awareness, concern, and practice of radiation protection in general dental practice. Materials and Methods: The survey consisted of 86 dentists in Bangalore city. A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire consisting of a total of 31 items was used. The obtained data were compiled and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 software (IBM Corporation, New York, United States). Results: All the dentists responded in the study (100%); the participants had limited knowledge regarding the radiation equipment. Majority of the participants were using rounded collimator (96.5%) and short cone (61.6%). E-speed film was used by most of the dentists (90.7%). Bisecting angle technique was preferred by most of the practitioners (69.8%) for making periapical radiographs. Only 20.9% of the dentists made their patients wear lead apron during X-ray exposure. None of them were using thyroid collar. Most of the dentists practiced at a safe distance of 6 ft from the X-ray tube, whereas 10.5% of the dentists assisted holding the radiographic receptor beside the patient. Radiation monitoring was performed by only 20% of the practitioners. Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of radiation protection were not satisfactory. Repeated reinforcement in the form of continued dental education program is necessary, and, most importantly, change in the attitude of the dentist to follow ALARA should be advocated.


OBJECTIVES
Aortic valve implantation through peripheral vascular access is an option for high-risk patients with severe aortic valve stenosis. The authors aimed to compare the acute effect of endovascular and surgical aortic valve procedures on left ventricular diastolic function.

DESIGN
A case-matched, nonrandomized study.

SETTING
A university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
Patients with aortic stenosis.

INTERVENTIONS
B-natriuretic peptide was measured in 30 patients with a logistic EuroSCORE > or =20% undergoing endovascular aortic valve implantation. Patients were case matched (age, mitral flow propagation velocity, mitral annulus early diastolic velocity, and B-natriuretic peptide measurement) with 30 control patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement through sternotomy. Left ventricular diastole was evaluated initially and after valve procedures with echocardiography by mitral flow propagation velocity and mitral annulus early diastolic velocity.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
B-natriuretic peptide was similar preoperatively in the 2 groups (346 [188-438] v 367 [211-458] pg/mL) and higher (p = 0.006) in the surgical group postoperatively (389.5 [237-479] v 710.5 [389-822] pg/mL), with a postprocedural statistically significant increase only in the surgical group. Diastolic function was similar in the 2 groups preoperatively, improved postoperatively in the endovascular group, and worsened in the surgical group.

CONCLUSIONS
B-natriuretic peptide increased after surgical but not after endovascular aortic valve replacement. Furthermore, endovascular aortic valve implantation acutely improved left ventricular diastolic function as documented by increases in mitral flow propagation velocity and mitral annulus early diastolic velocity.