Abstract The changing nature of literacy is well documented within the literature. Thenotion of 'multiliteracies' and the development and creation of multimodal andnon-linear texts within classrooms is of current interest in this age ofInformation and Communications Technologies (ICT). Both researchers havehad opportunity to observe children over an extended period of time as theyengage with the construction of such texts. Two case studies will be reportedherein providing an overview of how two cohorts of primary school students(one in lower primary, one in middle primary) responded to the challenge tocreate texts using ICT. What is interesting about these cases is the processthat the two cohorts of students engaged with as they planned andconstructed their texts. This paper describes this process and theimplications it presents to what we understand about writing, the creation oftext and to the classroom literacy experiences made available for students. Inthe presentation of this paper work samples created by the students will beshared.


The financially reputed, global financial powerhouses, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, China, etc, have invested more than $3,000 million in fintech worldwide. Fintech, so called 'financial tech,' is a portmanteau of 'finance' and 'technology,' referring to the financial service where various techniques have been introduced, such as bank transfer, personal finance asset management, crowdfunding, and mobile payments. A global financial hub, the United Kingdom, is emerging as a center of fin-tech start-ups, where investments are concentrated. Recently, approximately $800 million of investments have been intensively made in fin-tech start-ups of the UK and Ireland, showing more than 600% in a growth rate. Cash transactions account for nearly 85% worldwide, so the credit card fee market seems yet to be a highly potential market. Given the credit card industry has earned about $48 billion of fees last year, it is predicted that enterprises' desire for the fee market innovation will much change. For fin-tech, security is a prerequisite. It is because if security is not guaranteed, no one knows what security threat will occur. Fin-tech is just like a double-edged sword it's easy access but security must be guaranteed for users at the same time. Thus, it is necessary to blend convenience and security. The reality is that changes in the financial environment are made clearly. In addition, with the specialization and diversification of financial needs, it will be required to devise the thing that will meet the needs for new financial services from a number of customers and prosumers.


Presentation of Case A 25-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of a left pleural effusion. He was well until 26 months earlier, when he began to experience easy bruising and increased fatigability. Six months thereafter purpuric lesions developed, and one month later he came to this hospital, where a diagnosis of chronic myelocytic leukemia was made. Cultured bone-marrow cells contained 46 chromosomes; a Philadelphia chromosome was present. Busulfan and allopurinol were prescribed. Eleven months before admission splenectomy was performed because of thrombocytopenia. He was then well until six weeks before admission, when he began to have left pleuritic . . .


For uncertain time delay systems with mismatch disturbances, this paper presented an integral sliding mode control algorithm using output information only. The proposed control algorithm can improve the synthesis problem in past researches and avoid solving a large LMI. An integral sliding surface is comprised of output signals and an auxiliary full-order compensator. The designed output feedback sliding mode controller can satisfy the reaching and sliding condition and maintain the system on the sliding surface. Since the system is in the sliding mode and two specific algebraic Riccati inequalities are established, the proposed algorithm can guarantee the stability of the closed-loop system and satisfy the property of disturbance attenuation. Finally, a numerical example illustrated the applicability of the proposed scheme.


In this study we propose an analogue nonlinear PID controller with antiwindup and dead-time compensation to optimise the control of loops experiencing degradation in the control performance as a result of dead-time and saturation nonlinearity. Loops containing a significant dead-time are notoriously difficult to control. The proposed controller optimises the control of loops experiencing the negative effects of saturation and dead-time.


A primary cutaneous T -cell lymphoproliferative disorder. It usually presents with a solitary plaque or tumor on the face, neck, or upper trunk. Morphologically, it is composed of small to medium-sized CD4-positive, CD8-negative, and CD30-negative pleomorphic T lymphocytes. A small number of large pleomorphic T -lymphocytes may also be present. T he lymphocytic infiltrate is dermal. Focal epidermotropism and subcutaneous involvement may be present. T he clinical behavior is almost always indolent and most patients present with localized disease. Qeios · Definition, February 7, 2020


We examine the effects of the government guarantee schemes for bank bonds adopted in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers demise to help banks retain access to wholesale funding. We describe the evolution and the pattern of bond issuance across countries to assess the effect of the schemes. Then we propose an econometric analysis of one striking feature of this new market, namely the significant i?½tieringi?½ of the spreads paid by banks at issuance, finding that they mainly reflect the characteristics of the guarantor (credit risk, size of rescue measures, timeliness of repayments) and not those of the issuing bank or of the bond itself.


This study aims us to determine the effect of the financial performance of the company's value by moderating variables: Good Corporate Governance is proxied by managerial ownership, institutional, and the audit committee. This study that are used the capture technique purposive sampling. The type of data that writers use in this research is secondary data. Samples are automotive companies listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) in 2010 - 2014. Testing this hypothesis using multiple regression using SPSS version 18.00. This study shows the results that good corporate governance proxied by managerial ownership, institutional ownership, and the audit committee are jointly able to moderate influence on the value of the company 's financial performance. In addition, this study also showed results that ROE significant positive effect on Tobin 's Q. Keywords : Financial Performance, Value Company and Good Corporate Governance


In this paper we examine the correlations between Lawrence Kohlberg's six stages of morality and Transformative Leadership, a new morally-based approach to leadership. Using survey of students, faculty members, and staffs at a South Florida private university we present evidence that there is a clear relationship between an individual's self-described leadership perspectives and the stages of Kohlberg's moral development model. Our paper provides five significant contributions to the literature about leadership and its moral role and enables scholars and practitioners to understand more completely the relationships between leadership and moral behavior.


Aims: P. aeruginosa antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide, greatly limiting therapeutic options, and is mainly associated to nosocomial infections, relating to high morbidity and mortality outcomes. Frequently updated regional guidelines, supported in statistically valid longitudinal information, are mandatory. Methodology: Resistance to 11 antibiotics used to treat P. aeruginosa infections were surveyed in clinical isolates from a Portuguese central during 10 years (n=3778) using the MicroScan WalkAway system. Statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney tests and regression modeling) were used to determine its time evolution according to origin, specimen samples and hospital wards. Data Article


of thesis entitled GENETIC VARIATION IN EUPLOEA (LEPIDOPTERA: NYMPHALIDAE) POPULATIONS IN SOUTH CHINA submitted by Yuen Pui Yu for the Degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in May 2011 The ecology of winter aggregation of Euploea core amymone and E. midamus midamus in South China were investigated. 272 E. core individuals from nine populations and 226 E. midamus individuals from eight populations were captured from Hong Kong, Hainan and Guangdong for three consecutive seasons from November 2007 to January 2009. No E. core samples were captured from Guangdong in the wet season and no E. midamus were sampled from Hainan in either season or from Guangdong in the dry season. Mating status of 187 E. core and 171 E. midamus females was examined by bursa copulatrix dissection. Both studied species in Hong Kong breed in the wet season as supported by a significantly greater proportion of mated females with fresh spermatophores while overwintering populations are reproductively dormant. No sound generalisation for the region could be given due to insufficient sample size from some populations. However, 42.9% and 31.3% of freshly-mated females were sampled from Deep Water Bay during the middle of aggregation period suggested possible mating within aggregation site, but further investigation on the population origin would be needed to deduce if inter-populational breeding occurred. Multiple mating was found to be common in both studied species, with a maximum of seven and six spermatophores in E. core and E. midamus respectively. The population genetic structures of both species were studied by inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) with six loci. Consistent results were generated using POPGENE and AFLP-SURV. Low genetic diversity was found in both E. core (8.56-14.02%) and E. midamus (9.57-15.09%). Large and significant overall genetic differentiation was found in both species (E. core: GST = 0.2617, FST = 0.2342; E. midamus: GST = 0.3811, FST = 0.3686). A reduction in spatial genetic divergence between populations of Hong Kong and Hainan from wet to dry season in 2008, together with a slight rise in Nm value, revealed possible movement of individuals by migration between two populations. Seasonal differentiation between residential, breeding and aggregating, reproductively dormant populations from Hong Kong was greater than that from Hainan, indicating that the change in population genetic composition in Hainan was less significant. Shek Pik (Hong Kong) had the most diverse E. core and the least diverse E. midamus populations among all overwintering populations, which could be originated from a different area. UPGMA dendrograms and nMDS three-dimensional plots showed a possibly local residential E. core population from Shangchuan Dao (Guangdong), and a E. midamus population from a pre-wintering site at Fan Lau were the most distinct from the others. Supported by results from this study and observation records, winter migration of both studied species between Hong Kong and Hainan was possible. Two hypothesized migration routes are suggested, of which migrating along coastal areas from Hong Kong to islands in Guangdong, then to Hainan seems more probable than direct flight across the South China Sea. Potential threats and conservation implication of this study are discussed. Finally, studies by microsatellites and stable isotopes are recommended for future research to confirm the danaine migration route in the region.


Objective To assess values of hepatic perfusion after liver transplantation by dynamic helical computed tomography, and to explore changes in hepatic hemodynamics after liver transplantation by compare the result of control group.Materials and Methods Dyanmic computed tomography parameters were evaluated in 9 patients with liver transplantation for end stage liver disease and in 13 controls. Arterial, protal venous,total hepatic perfusion, the hepatic perfusion index (HPI) were calculated with the smoothing procedure. The examinations of study group were performed in 12~20 days after liver transplantation. Results Hepatic perfusion parameters of transplanted and control group assessed with dynamic computed tomography respectively, were as follows: arterial, (0.383±0.1754) ml·min -1·ml -1 and (0.2827±0.0971) ml·min -1·ml -1; portal venous, (1.5763±0.1754) ml·min -1·ml -1 and (1.1885±0.3899) ml·min -1·ml -1 ; total perfusion, (1.9594±0.5727) ml·min -1·ml -1 and (1.4712±0.4451) ml·min -1·ml -1; HPI 19.51% and 18.97%. The differences were significant for the portal venous and total hepatic perfusion after liver transplantation (P=0.044 and 0.036).Conclusion A high portal perfusion was present in early stage after transplantation in end stage liver disease. Hepatic arterial perfusion of transplanted patients is not significant difference with normal, but the deviation is existed due to varity in individuals.


Jiangsu coastal harbours consist of Lianyungang Harbour in Lianyungang,Chenjia Harbour,Binhai Harbour,Sheyang Harbour as well as Dafeng Harbour in Yancheng,and Yangkou Harbour along with Lusi Harbour in Nantong.All these harbours possess distinct regional advantages and unique natural environment.In order to promote the growth of the regional economy better,this paper puts forward the developing function orientation after analyzing the specific conditions of each harbour.


As technology becomes more global, RPG games runs into a good development. One of which is a combination of RPG with another games. This journal aims to combine the breakout games and the RPG which has its characteristics. This game development uses prototyping method, in which analysing the necessity and determining the goals of the software. Then, prototype will be created and evaluated regularly so that the result can use 2D graphics. This game also can be used as a reference to reflexes practising. A modeling is conducted to design 'use case,' scenario process, activity diagram, class diagram, and sequence diagram as well as to conduct an interface design. A calibration that is used, is calibrating the programme which is created as well as the features in the programme itself. It can be concluded that the construction of RPG games combination and breakout using eclipse and libgdx works well. In addition, it uses the components such as TMX tile map, sprite, sprite batching, box2d and input handling.


Introduction and aims:Bing Neel syndrome (BNS) is a rare complication of Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia (WM)/ Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma (LPL). It is a clinicopathological entity characterised by central nervous system involvement with malignant cells. It presents with diverse symptoms and can be difficult to recognise. However, it is a treatable condition amenable to systemic and intrathecal treatment. We present the Australasian experience of this rare entity.
 Methods:Inclusion in the study was based on cytologically or histologically confirmed presence of lymphoplasmacytic cells in the CSF or brain biopsy. Ten patients were included from 9 sites in Australia and New Zealand. Relevant retrospective data was extracted after obtaining consent from patients or next of kin.
 Results: Seven of the 10 patients were males with overall mean age of 63.5 years (range: 49-78 years); 4 patients were < 60 years old. Four patients (40%) did not have a prior diagnosis of WM; the remaining 6 patients were diagnosed ~ 11 years post diagnosis of WM (range: 3 -26 years) and received 1 line of treatment (except for 2 patients who received 2 lines of treatment). Treatment regimens received included R-CVP, chlorambucil-prednisolone, DRC, FCR, oral fludarabine, and RFM.
 At diagnosis of BNS, IgM and/or PP levels ranged between 3 - 70 g/L with 6 (60%) patients having levels < 10 g/L. One patient had a diagnosis of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with IgG paraprotein.
 Symptoms at presentation of BNS varied from headache, ptosis/ophthalmoplegia, memory loss, subacute hemiplegia, cognitive defects, hearing loss, and sensory or motor neuropathy. None of the patients had B symptoms. Lymphadenopathy was noted in 4 (40%) cases, splenomegaly in 1 (10%) and ECOG performance status ranged from 0-4 with 3 (30%) patients having an ECOG of > 2.
 Brain +/- spine MRI was done in all cases with 5 (50%) showing leptomeningeal involvement. Orbital infiltration or enhancement of optic or ophthalmic nerves was noted in 3 cases (30%), and 3 patients (30%) had focal signs/masses. 1 had cortical atrophy, and 3 had normal MRI. CSF analysis was abnormal in all cases on cytology with demonstration of abnormal lymphocytes. Where immunophenotyping was performed, it showed presence of CD5, CD10 negative B cells. MYD88 L265P was detected in 3 patients (30%).
 Treatment of BNS included systemic chemoimmunotherapy in 30%, CNS penetrating intravenous agents in 40%, Ibrutinib in 50%, intrathecal chemotherapy in 30%, and radiotherapy in 10%. More than 1 modality of treatment was used in 40% of patients. Ibrutinib was administered as frontline treatment in combination with high dose MTX or IT chemotherapy in 3 patients, and as single agent monotherapy in 1 patient. Ibrutinib was used as second line treatment in 2 patients with both achieving CR. The number of cycles administered were 2.6 (range 1-9).
 Response data was available in 9 patients with ORR in 6 (1 CR, 5 PR) and non-response in 3. All patients except the one treated with Ibrutinib monotherapy had at least PR. With a median follow-up time of 20 months, 3 patients have died. The median overall survival of patients was not reached. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates were 80% (95% CI 41-95%) and 60% (16-87%), respectively (Figure 1).
 Conclusion:BNS should be suspected in WM patients who develop focal or nonspecific neurological symptoms. It can be readily diagnosed on radiological scans i.e. brain and spinal MRI, and/or on CSF analysis. It can be treated with a number of systemic and intrathecal drugs including Ibrutinib, which crosses the blood brain barrier.
 Fig 1 legend:Kaplan Meir curve demonstrating median overall survival of patients (not reached) and 1-year and 3-year OS rates of 80% (95% CI 41-95%) and 60% (16-87%), respectively.

 Talaulikar: Takeda: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Ho:Celgene: Other: Travel to meeting ; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel to meeting; Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Simpson:Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES; Celgene: Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES; Novartis: Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES; MSD: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding, TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Tam:AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Beigene: Honoraria. Castillo:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding.


Objective:To study the etiology of recurrent early abortion and the value of prophylactic treatment in the management of these patients.Methods:Chromosome analysis,B-ultrasound,endocrinology and immunology were used in the screen of the etiology.Then prophylactic treatment was applied respectively according to the causes.Results:Of all these 90 cases, 63 women showed different types of dyscrinism,30 couples had immunological abnormality, 9 patients had gynecological problems,20 patients were complicated with genital tract infections, 13 husbands were diagnosed as dysspermatism,9 cases were idiopathic. The success ratio of prophylactic treatment was 77.8%, of which 63 women delivered successfully, 6 women were in their midtrimester pregnancy.Conclusion:The etiology of recurrent early abortion is multifactorial and the causes of each patient may be complicating.Endocrinological and immunological disturbance are blamed to be the main possible culprits. Prophylactic treatment based on etiological analysis are recommended in the management of these patients.


We study the metallicities and abundance ratios of early-type galaxies in cosmological semi-analytic models (SAMs) within the hierarchical galaxy formation paradigm. To achieve this we implemented a detailed galactic chemical evolution (GCE) model and can now predict abundances of individual elements for the galaxies in the semi-analytic simulations. This is the first time a SAM with feedback from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) has included a chemical evolution prescription that relaxes the instantaneous recycling approximation. We find that the new models are able to reproduce the observed mass-metallicity (M?–[Z/H]) relation and, for the first time in a SAM, we reproduce the observed positive slope of the mass-abundance ratio (M?–[α/Fe]) relation. Our results indicate that in order to simultaneously match these observations of early-type galaxies, the use of both a very mildly top-heavy IMF (i.e., with a slope of x = 1.15 as opposed to a standard x = 1.3), and a lower fraction of binaries that explode as Type Ia supernovae appears to be required. We also examine the rate of supernova explosions in the simulated galaxies. In early-type (non-star forming) galaxies, our predictions are also consistent with the observed SNe rates. However, in starforming galaxies, a higher fraction of SN Ia binaries than in our preferred model is required to match the data. If, however, we deviate from the classical model and introduce a population of SNe Ia with very short delay times, our models simultaneously produce a good match to the observed metallicities, abundance ratios and SN rates. Based on Arrigoni M., Trager S.C., Somerville R.S. and Gibson B.K., 2010, MNRAS, 402, 173 8 chapter 2: Chemical properties of Early-type galaxies in the local Universe.


The resonance-type energy transfer process has been investigated for the first time in Ce and Eu co-doped CaGa2S4 polycrystalline samples with different dopant concentrations in the range from 0.2 at.% to 4 at.%. The energy transfer from Ce to Eu ions increases with increasing Ce and Eu concentrations. The values of the rate determined from measured Ce emission decay time constants with different dopant concentrations showed a reasonable agreement with those obtained from intensity analyses of the Ce emission which takes into account the re-absorption effect by Eu ions. In addition, the observed change of the transfer rate with dopant concentration was discussed in terms of the distance between Ce and Eu ions.


In mammals, cadmium is widely considered as a non-genotoxic carcinogen acting through a methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanism. Here, the effects of Cd treatment on the DNA methylation patten are examined together with its effect on chromatin reconfiguration in Posidonia oceanica . DNA methylation level and pattern were analysed in actively growing organs, under short- (6 h) and long- (2 d or 4 d) term and low (10 m M) and high (50 m M) doses of Cd, through a Methylation-Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism technique and an immunocytological approach, respectively. The expression of one member of the CHROMOMETHYLASE ( CMT ) family, a DNA methyltransferase, was also assessed by qRT-PCR. Nuclear chromatin ultrastructure was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Cd treatment induced a DNA hypermethylation, as well as an up-regulation of CMT , indicating that de novo methylation did indeed occur. Moreover, a high dose of Cd led to a progressive heterochromatinization of interphase nuclei and apoptotic figures were also observed after long-term treatment. The data demonstrate that Cd perturbs the DNA methylation status through the involvement of a specific methyltransferase. Such changes are linked to nuclear chromatin reconfiguration likely to establish a new balance of expressed/repressed chromatin. Overall, the data show an epigenetic basis to the mechanism underlying Cd toxicity in plants. Abstract Little is known about the range and the genetic bases of naturally occurring variation for flavonoids. Using Arabidopsis thaliana seed as a model, the flavonoid content of 41 accessions and two recombinant inbred line (RIL) sets derived from divergent accessions (Cvi-0 3 Col-0 and Bay-0 3 Shahdara) were analysed. These accessions and RILs showed mainly quantitative rather than qualitative changes. To dissect the genetic architecture underlying these differences, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed on the two segregating populations. Twenty-two flavonoid QTLs were detected that accounted for 11–64% of the observed trait variations, only one QTL being common to both RIL sets. Sixteen of these QTLs were confirmed and coarsely mapped using heterogeneous inbred families (HIFs). Three genes, namely TRANSPARENT TESTA (TT)7 , TT15 , and MYB12 , were proposed to underlie their variations since the corresponding mutants and QTLs displayed similar specific flavonoid changes. Interestingly, most loci did not co-localize with any gene known to be involved in flavonoid metabolism. This latter result shows that novel functions have yet to be characterized and paves the way for their isolation.


The unique holotype of the Triassic reptile Sharovipteryx (initially Podopteryx) mirabilis has been reexamined and redescribed, correcting the original account. It is a small lizard-like reptile with an elongate head and densely tubular femur and tibia each longer than the (estimated) intergirdle distance. (Part of the pectoral region has been lost and the remnants remain encased in the matrix.) The matrix retains the impression of portions of the integument, including a patagium that reached from the hindlimbs to the base of the tail. Unlike the original account, the patagium did not extend to the pectoral limbs. Experiments with models indicate that Sharovipteryx could have maintained a shallow glide if the femora were held at a shallow angle to the vertebral column and the tibia and feet extended out at right angles to it, thus stretching the integument. The pectoral limbs (with or without a fringing membrane) might have produced a variable canard; alternatively vertical bending of the tail could have applied drag, each making the glide more stable.


The surface of a multicrystal solar cell shows multiple crystal grains of random shapes and sizes. It creates an inhomogeneous texture in the surface, which brings great difficulty to automatic crack detection of polycrystalline solar surface. As a perceptual grouping approach, tensor voting can extract curvilinear structures such as lines and curves from noisy, binary data in 2-D or 3-D, without invoking specific object or model. However, traditional tensor voting can be susceptible to the gap problem and structural noise. To address the problems mentioned above, a new iterative tensor voting algorithm is presented, which efficacy bases on iterative refinements of the curvilinear structures. By combining the proximity and continuity of Gestalt principles, in each iteration step, a new decay function is redefined according to the difference of angle between the voter and receiver to rebuild the voting field, which makes the points that lie on curvilinear structures vote more information (a bigger tensor) to the ones with the same attribute. The proposed method can solve the gap problem and is robust to structural noises. The experimental results show that the proposed method can detect crack on the inhomogeneous textured surface and achieve an average detection rate of 95.2% on the industrial data set. Note to Practitioners—Automatic vision-based defect detection on the solar cell is difficult due to inhomogeneous texture and low contrast between defects and background in the surface. In order to solve these problems, by combining the proximity and continuity of Gestalt principles, this article proposed a new iterative tensor voting algorithm which can refine the curvilinear structures with iterations. Experiments have shown that the proposed method can detect crack under the interference of inhomogeneous texture and complex background.


Objective: To clarify the clinical significance and effect of the expression of IGF I,IGF II and their receptors in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and adjacent non tumor tissues. Method: In situ hybridization was used to detect the mRNAs for IGF I,IGF II and their receptors in HCC and adjacent non tumor tissues. Results:The expressions of IGF I, IGF IR, IGF II, and IGF IIR mRNA were detected in 40.0%, 46.7%, 66.7%and 63.3%, respectirely in HCC. Positive hybridization signals of IGF I, IGF IR, IGF II, and IGF IIR mRNA were found in 46.7%, 53.3%, 70.0% , and 73.3%of adjacent non tumor tissues.The liver cell dysplasia and poorly differentiated HCC cells were stained strongly positive. Conclusion:Coordinate overexpression of IGF I, IGF II and their receptors might play an important role in the formation and development of HCC.


It features a new inner and outer conductor of the coaxial cable and method of making the leak, from both sides of the inner conductor of the cable wire to strengthen containing empty plastic tube as the mechanical strength of the support, with the two plastic wire strengthen air traffic control center in the same plane, We can strengthen the tensile strength of the cable, but also to ensure that the leakage in the cable laying process does not produce twisting. In the empty plastic tube longitudinally copper-plastic composite tape to form a leakage coaxial inner conductor, you can save a lot of copper. With multi-fiber beam tube in the empty tube may be constructed of the photoelectric conversion quality car - ground communications systems. The inner conductor, the physical layer of foam insulation. On the insulating layer has a longitudinally rolled copper radiation grooves, leaky coaxial outer conductor is formed with the outer protective layer leaky coaxial cable. The new inner and outer conductor of leaky coaxial cable with high tensile strength, copper province, light weight, no twisting laying, stable and reliable performance coupled for photoelectric conversion of high-quality car - the advantages to communications systems, significant economic benefits .


What motivates physicians to behave the way they do and make the decisions they make in the course of caring for patients? Given that a physician's proverbial pen dictates much of health care spending, possible answers to this question have serious implications not only for patients and their physicians, but also for payers, providers at large, policy makers, and the public. Few would deny that external motivators like money influence human behavior. In the health care context, pay-for-volume incentives have contributed to wide variations in care and fueled the development of alternative ways of reimbursement, including most prominently pay-for-performance (P4P). Therefore, the issue is not whether financial incentives influence physician behavior, but whether they achieve their intended outcomes (e.g., highvalue care) and, probably just as importantly, whether they lead to unintended and unwelcomed outcomes (e.g., avoiding caring for sicker patients; disproportionately focusing on care processes that are being evaluated). One of these adverse outcomes is the potential for external motivators to undercut intrinsic motivation, commonly referred to as the "undermining" (Deci, Koestner, and Ryan 1999) or "crowding-out" (Frey and Jegen 2001) effect. This phenomenon (referred to as the crowding-out effect for the remainder of the commentary) has been observed in a variety of professionals from public school teachers (Fryer 2011) to West Point military cadets (Wrzesniewski et al. 2014), but it has not been well studied among physicians. Three of the five papers commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) allude to or explicitly reference the potential crowding-out effect of P4P. Berenson and Rice (2015) advocate for "incentive neutrality" as a design principle for physician payment methods that promotes neither overnor underutilization of health care services; Roland and Dudley ©Health Research and Educational Trust DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12422 INCENTIVES FOR PHYSICIANS


We explored the relationship between musical structure and emotion on different variations of La Folia – a musical theme of Portuguese origin based on a standard harmonic progression. Our approach aims to extend previous research by investigating more factors and comparing different models for music emotion. In a pilot study, 12 participants rated the emotion associated to the stimuli on a graduate scale from 1 to 10, according to 3 different models for music emotion: the valence/arousal-based emotion model (Russell, 1980), a discrete emotion approach (Izard, 1972), and the Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS) (Zentner et al., 2008). Stimuli were commercial recordings of the first 8 bars of 32 variations of the Theme of La Folia by A. Scarlatti, C. P. E. Bach, S. Rachmaninov and F. Liszt, with different combinations of 9 factors that were judged and averaged by 2 musical experts using a 5-point rating scale. Preliminary results are: (i) there exist significant correlations between structural parameters and descriptors for emotions in all of the models; (ii) correlations between structure and emotion are more remarkable for the valence/arousal-based emotion model and for the GEMS model, and are higher for register, note density, dynamics, accentuation and articulation; (iii) agreement among raters for the DES model is significantly lower than for the other two models. On the base of these results, we planned two new experiments focussing only on the valence/arousal-based emotion model and on the firstorder GEMS model. They are: a second listening test based on a real music design (20 out of the previously selected 32 stimuli, corresponding to pieces featuring more extreme variability in the musical structure, with different combinations of 21 factors), and a new listening test based on a controlled and balanced design (24 variations with selected combinations of 4 factors, arranged and recorded in a deadpan performance by the first author). 24 participants (12 musicians and 12 non-musicians) have been involved in the current study, following the same procedure outlined above. We expect to extend understanding on the relationship between structure and emotion following more accurate, computational analyses of musical features, as well as by defining new predictors for emotion that are more appropriate for specific musical style(s) – like factorial analysis or multidimensional scaling.


This volume discusses the challenges faced by South Asia at the dawn of the new century. It seeks to discover why, despite having an enormous potential for development, the region has lagged behind other areas of the world in its utilization of resources, and provides possible solutions to South Asia's problems.


A new method of computing intermolecular dispersion energies, starting from the SCF wavefunctions of the separate systems, is discussed and illustrated. The method is based on the use of generalized frequency-dependent polarizabilities, calculated using TDHF (time-dependent Hartree-Fock) theory, and all 'self-consistency' effects are thus accounted for in the final expressions for the dispersion energy. No multipole expansions are required. The method is shown to be computationally efficient in test calculations of the dispersion interactions between helium atoms and between hydrogen fluoride molecules.


Starting from a context-aware phonebook application, which allows users to see their contacts' situation, we introduce a collaborative context experience system. Users independently create notification rules, describing phonebook-based contextual situations for which they wish to receive notifications. The collaborative system gathers such rules from all users, and identifies important ones, that is, frequently declared ones. These rules are then processed to allow for generalization, and provided to users who can encounter a similar contextual situation. Similarities for this collaborative knowledge sharing mechanism are processed by applying semantic technology.


Propolis contains compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant capacities, such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant effects of six propolis samples from northern Morocco and to determine their content of polyphenols and flavonoids.The total polyphenols and flavonoids of Ethanol Extracts (EEP) were evaluated by colorimetric assays. To test the antibacterial activity, the well diffusion and micro-dilution methods were adopted. The kinetic of bacterial growth in the presence of EEP was tested. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using three techniques: reducing power, β-carotene bleaching test, and DPPH scavenging capacity assay.The EEPs were found to have high total phenolic content (65.09 - 122.00 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (41.95 - 50.44 mg QE/g). The screening of the antibacterial activity showed that all tested bacteria were sensitive to EEP except Escherichia coli. The inhibitory zones varied from 11.50 ± 0.70 to 32.00 ± 0.70 mm, and MIC and MBC ranged from 0.07 to 5 mg/mL and 0.07 to >5 mg/mL, respectively. The antioxidant activity was proportional to the phenolic content of propolis. The IC50 varied from 48.70 to 156.00 mg/mL and the RAA% ranged from 75.07 to 96.68 %.


Introduction: Nonattachment is a flexible and balanced way of relating to experiences that involves accepting or allowing, instead of clinging to, expectations or outcomes. Advancing the understanding of how people relate to nonattachment is important because of the associated mental health benefits. Aims: To qualitatively explore awareness of, and resistance to, nonattachment in a UK-based yoga community. Methods: A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted based on transcripts of ten semi-structured interviews. Results: Findings indicated a general lack of consensus in understanding nonattachment, with explanatory themes of (i) resistance related to external forces conflicting with internal knowing, (ii) bracing for impact, and (iii) difficulty navigating how to embrace nonattachment. However, despite the participants' apparent implicit negativity towards nonattachment, they acknowledged its benefits for accommodating change. Conclusions: These findings have important implications for the wider adoption and application of nonattachment in applied settings.


Introduction: A prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) derived from abnormal processing of amyloid precursor protein in senile plaques. Accordingly, reduction in the potentially toxic Aβ has emerged as one of the most important therapeutic goals in treating AD. One potential source of phytotherapeutic agents is berberine (BBR), an alkaloid from Coptis Chinensis.


Innate immune functions are triggered by recognition of pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Different PRRs families play crucial roles in this pathogen detection, including the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TLRs are transmembrane receptors that recognize PAMPs exposed by bacteria, viruses and parasites. After recognition of the invading pathogen, TLRs trigger an immune response by inducing transcription of pro-inflammatory genes and type I interferons. TLRs guide the presentation of ingested and processed pathogenic molecules on major histocompatibility (MHC) receptors, which subsequently activates the adaptive immune system. TLRs also recognize danger associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released by cells upon tissue damage, microbial invasion or in response to stress. This can lead to inflammatory and healing responses including autophagy to preserve cellular homeostasis. During the first stage of infection, negative regulation of TLR signaling by decoy receptors are important for dampening acute responses to infection. Once the TLR is activated, signaling can be further negatively controlled by intracellular modulators. Sometimes, TLRs become hyper-activated or particular feedback mechanisms fail leading to chronic inflammation. A profound insight in the function, the mechanism and the structure of TLRs can guide the development of novel medicines to fight these disorders. The TLRs are composed of an extracellular leucine rich repeat (LRR) domain, a transmembrane helix and an intracellular toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain. So far, the crystal structures of the human TLR1, TLR2 and the TLR10 TIR domain have been determined (Nyman et al., 2008; Tao et al., 2002; Xu et al., 2000). Initiation of the TLR signaling cascade upon ligand induced dimerization requires the interaction of TLR TIR domains with adapter TIR domains. Four adapter TIR proteins mediate TLR signal propagation: myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), MyD88 adapter-like protein (Mal), TIR domain-containing adapter protein inducing IFN-β (TRIF) and TRIF related adapter molecule (TRAM). The structures of MyD88 and Mal have been determined as well (Lin et al., 2012; Ohnishi et al., 2009; Valkov et al., 2011; Woo et al., 2012). Alanine scanning mutagenesis showed that mutations in two conserved putative interaction sites in the TLR4 TIR domain affect TLR4 reporter assays (Ronni et al., 2003). In this work, we studied the interactions of TLR4 with the adapter proteins Mal, TRAM and MyD88. For this purpose, we combined mutagenesis and the mammalian protein-protein interaction assay (MAPPIT) to identify mutations in the TIR domain of TLR4 and Mal that affect their TIR-TIR interactions. We mapped these results on homology models of TLR4 and the structure of Mal to deduce possible interaction sites. To identify possible interaction sites on TLR4, we first generated and selected mutants based on sequence conservation and the alanine scan performed by Ronni et al. Next to the two previously reported interaction sites, our results suggested the existence of a third interaction site. Moreover, our MAPPIT data allowed us to assign these binding sites to specific interactions. More specifically, we identified the dimerization site and the adaptor binding site on the TLR4 TIR domain. However, the function of the third interaction site remains unclear. We further investigated possible interaction sites on the TLR4-binding partner Mal. Here, mutants were obtained via random mutagenesis. The data were mapped on the recently published crystal structures of Mal. In these experiments, we functionally confirmed the symmetrical dimer interface as observed in the crystal structure. In addition, we found three new interaction sites. Two of the interaction sites are juxtaposed on the Mal dimer and form one big surface for binding of TLR4 and MyD88. The other interaction site seems to be mainly involved in TLR4 interactions. Our data suggest that Mal is dimerized in the TLR4 TIR complex. Our MAPPIT data provide strong evidence for cooperative binding of the TIR domains. In conclusion, we identified three interaction sites on the TLR4 TIR domain and four interaction sites on the Mal TIR domain and could assign these interaction sites to specific interactions. Additionally, our results suggest that Mal dimerization is probably needed for the formation of the TIR complex and that it is only through simultaneous binding of different TIR domains that the TIR complex can be assembled.


In the present paper the numerical approach for simulating the filtration combustion of axisymmetric porous object is considered. The combustion of porous media is widely used in various natural or technological processes. The proposed numerical method is based on the combination of explicit and implicit finite-difference schemes. The parallelization performance study was carried out for various grid steps. It is shown that parallelization is effective for fine grids, but on coarse grids the use of the parallel algorithm does not lead to a significant acceleration of computations. For different grids, the number of threads is determined, the use of which leads to the maximum speedup of the parallel program. The proposed parallelization makes it possible to speed up the calculation when modeling filtration combustion of various porous media, including metal-containing ones.


A methodology has been proposed to understand the spatiotemporal changes of the river topography through the longitudinal change of the geometric characteristics of the cross-sections and the properties related thereto. Three-dimensional spatial information of the riverbed was obtained through the detailed bathymetry survey using an acoustic echo sounder for the reach from Gumi Weir to Chilgok Weir in the Nakdong river. Geometric informations for the reference sections were extracted using the acquired bathymetry survey data. By comparing the geometric properties for the reference sections, it was possible to catch the topographic characteristics and its changes over a reach of the channel. Through comparison with past survey data, it was also possible to quantitatively grasp the amount of change in cross-sectional area and volumetric change of riverbed. It is expected that a quantitative evaluation of river topography changes will be possible by applying the method proposed in this study.


A newly proposed model predictive pulse pattern controller, which is applicable to higher-order converter systems, is implemented on a low-cost field-programmable gate array. It is shown that how the computations of the underlying quadratic program of the control algorithm can be reduce, thus enabling a resource-efficient implementation. The implemented control algorithm is evaluated via hardware-in-the-loop simulations. The results show that the proposed controller achieves a short settling time during transients and the superior harmonic performance of optimized pulse patterns during steady-state operation.


Summary form only given. An important aspect of the ion ICF (inertial confinement fusion) program is the determination of focused intensity of ions onto a central target on PBFA-II (Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II). A filtered six-frame camera has been fielded which images the ions Rutherford scattered from a thin gold foil at the center of the PBFA-II diode. Since the track size is a sensitive function of the voltage, the rapidly decreasing voltage of the applied-B ion diode combined with the high-resolution VERA track counting system enables this diagnostic to provide 5-15-ns resolution of the focused ion beam. The relationship between the measured images and the ion focus has been studied extensively using Monte Carlo techniques to permit direct correlations between the ion images and the focal intensity. Recent analysis of these images using automated analysis techniques has indicated some surprising results. When only ions with a small spread in energy are considered, focal widths and heights of ~3.5 mm full width at half maximum are measured on the better shots


Aiming at the error caused by accelerometer bias and gyro drift in SINS/GPS integrated navigation system, an error compensation algorithm based on forgetting Kalman filter is proposed. This algorithm can not only effectively estimate the constant error of inertial devices, but also compensate the error to obtain the optimal estimation output of integrated navigation system. Experiments show that for integrated navigation system the algorithm can achieve relative ideal navigation accuracy, verify the correctness of the integrated system and is superior to the subsystem in reliability. It has a very good application value.


In this research, the sandwich evaporation technique (SET) process was exploited to fabricate perovskite solar cells. In the SET process, the use of the seed layer MAI and double-interdiffusion exhibit the great uniformity and coverage of the film in the ascendant. Also, the quality of the perovskite is further enhanced with the deposition environment controlling (DEC) method. The solvent-induced process effectively decelerates the reaction rate to achieve better film formation. The maximum grain size is beyond than 900nm and the highest efficiency is more than 14.5%.


At the present time, test and validation of autonomously driving vehicles cannot keep pace with their rapidly increasing popularity and development. This dilemma manifested in several incidents over the last years, revealing that suitable methodologies for test and validation of autonomous driving are needed. In order to develop and research test and validation strategies, a testbed for autonomous driving functionality is under development at our institute. This testbed contains an autonomous vehicle, which itself consists of different systems providing its autonomy. Key subsystems for this functionality are a path planning and a localization system, supplying the ability to determine the vehicle's position and future track as precisely as possible. In this paper we present a multi-sensorial localization solution suitable for test and validation of autonomous driving. Within this solution, a position is calculated based on time-of-flight measurement within a ultra wideband (UWB) network in addition to odometry and inertial measurements, using a tightly coupled extended Kalman filter with a constant turn rate and constant velocity (CTRV) model to determine the position. The main contribution of this paper is an experimental evaluation of a UWB-based GPS-independent localization solution achieving a localization accuracy of in median 0.25 m with three anchors and up to 0.17 m with seven anchors in dynamic driving situations.


Negative externalities of airport operations, associated mostly with noise, are becoming increasingly onerous to homeowners, as air transport develops. In order to resolve the neighbour conflict, the legislator introduces restricted use areas (RUAs) within which noise levels may be exceeded. In these areas, limitations in the use of land are introduced in order to ensure rational development of land surrounding airports and compensation claims are awarded to landowners. These claims compensate planning restrictions concerning the use of land and costs spent on ensuring sound insulation of buildings. The practical application of provisions on RUAs diverges from their literal content bringing about the compensation of loss without a legal and economic justification and the abandonment of the provisions' objectives. It is argued that a revision of current practice is required in order to fulfill the legal, social and economic objectives of the regulations in force.


Evolution of photoluminescence spectra in quaternary AlInGaN alloys is studied as a function of indium content. An emergence of an S-shaped temperature dependence of the luminescence peak position and a W-shaped temperature dependence of the line width was observed with a gradual increase of the In molar fraction. This infers that the incorporation of indium into AlGaN results in formation of a network of states that facilitate exciton localization and hopping typical of ternary InGaN.


This study examines the effects of fiscal policy on the economy under uncertainty of public debt. Fiscal policy refers to the actions of government in collecting and spending private resources. As its title suggests, the paper is concerned with the dynamic aspects of fiscal policy. These include the effects of fiscal policies on capital formation, economic growth, and intergenerational equity; the influence of long-run expectations on short-run outcomes; and the restrictions imposed by current policies on the set of feasible future policies. Dynamic analysis has recently gained favor over static analysis in various fields of economics. It is particularly appropriate for the study of fiscal policy, which, at least in the Republic of Moldova, is frequently adjusted and altered. Such changes are often explicitly legislated in advance, but when not pre-announced they may often be surmised from current fiscal conditions. That fiscal variables are continually modified is not surprising. Current policy changes alter the course of the economy and invariably require additional policy changes in the future. But the anticipation of such future changes also alters current outcomes; indeed the current impact of fiscal decisions cannot be determined without considering the entire future time path of fiscal policy. A dynamic perspective is also crucial in weighting the short-run benefits of particular policies (e.g., tax cuts) against long-run losses (e.g., crowding out) and in evaluating the economic efficiency of alternative policies. Economic efficiency refers to the potential for improving the welfare of some segment of society without reducing that of another. Static analysis is ill-equipped to examine economic efficiency because it ignores a vast segment of society, namely, all future generations. Dynamic analysis considers both current and future generations and permits one to distinguish policies that truly improve economic efficiency from those that simply redistribute resources across generations.


Laryngeal transplantation is an increasingly viable proposition for patients with irreversible diseases of the larynx. One human transplant has been performed successfully, but many questions remain before routine transplantation can begin. In order to measure the immunological changes in mismatched transplants, it is first necessary to know the immediate combined effects of ischaemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) plus the added insult of major surgery in a fully matched setting. We measured the changes in immunologically active mucosal cells following 3 h of cold ischaemia and 8 h of in situ reperfusion in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐matched minipig model (n = 4). Biopsies were prepared for quantitative, multiple‐colour immunofluorescence histology. The number of immunologically active cells was significantly altered above (supraglottis) and below (subglottis) the vocal cords following transplantation and reperfusion (P < 0·05, P < 0·001, respectively). However, the direction of the change differed between the two subsites: cell numbers decreased post‐transplant in the supraglottis and increased in the subglottis. Despite the statistical evidence for IRI, these changes were less than the large normal inter‐ and intrapig variation in cell counts. Therefore, the significance of IRI in exacerbating loss of function or rejection of a laryngeal allograft is open to question. Longer‐term studies are required.


High voltage occipital potentials, occurring during intermittent photic stimulation (IPS), are present in some epileptics, 1,2 although they are rare in healthy children. Some authors 3-7 consider "flash-dependent" responses to be of little clinical significance. Recently a particular form of flash-dependent spike has been described." It was followed by the appearance of a unior bilateral focus of spikes, entirely independent of the evoked spikes but morphologically and topographically similar to them. Now we are able to present the further development toward epilepsy of children with this type of spiking.


Conversational query rewriting aims to reformulate a concise conversational query to a fully specified, context-independent query that can be effectively handled by existing information retrieval systems. This paper presents a few-shot generative approach to conversational query rewriting. We develop two methods, based on rules and self-supervised learning, to generate weak supervision data using large amounts of ad hoc search sessions, and to fine-tune GPT-2 to rewrite conversational queries. On the TREC Conversational Assistance Track, our weakly supervised GPT-2 rewriter improves the state-of-the-art ranking accuracy by 12%, only using very limited amounts of manual query rewrites. In the zero-shot learning setting, the rewriter still gives a comparable result to previous state-of-the-art systems. Our analyses reveal that GPT-2 effectively picks up the task syntax and learns to capture context dependencies, even for hard cases that involve group references and long-turn dependencies.


Irrigation using the perforated pipes system is a way for furrow and border irrigation, and it has been perhaps one of the simplest and most effective ways of improving the flexibility and efficiency of water supplies. The main objective of this work is to study the possibility of utilizing plastic microfilm as a perforated tube for irrigation. Also, studying some factors that affect water uniformity distribution along perforated plastic microfilm tubes (PPMT). Plastic microfilm tubes with different diameters of 190, 254, and 320 mm were investigated to use as perforated tubes for irrigation with orifices diameters of 20, 40, 60, and 80 mm. The obtained results of the tube diameter of 190 mm generally showed that the pressure head dropped gradually in the perforated plastic microfilm tube and this dropping trend ended after that increased gradually until the tube ended. The pressure head variation (H var ) along the tube was about 31.25% and 25.81 % for orifices diameters of 20, and 40 mm, respectively. The actual discharge (Q act ) of the orifices were closely varied along the tube length. Meanwhile, the theoretical discharge (Q th ) dropped gradually in the tube. The discharge variation (Q var ) along the tube was about 40.49% and 12.06% for orifices diameters of 20, and 40 mm, respectively. The pressure head variation value ranged from 25.81 to 64.71% and the discharge variation ranged from 12.06 to 58.66% for investigation conditions.


This fascinating little book recounts a century of labor struggles at the John Morrell and Company meatpacking plant in Ottumwa, a small city in south-central Iowa and the author's hometown. The book is based on a series of articles that appeared in the Annals of Iowa. "Iowa's Pride†in the title refers to a trademark once used by Morrell.


Modification of RNA is an important function in the immunological discrimination between self and non-self RNA. Naturally occurring RNA modifications have been identified that suppress activation of the innate immune response, e.g. 2'O-methylation of the ribose backbone. It has already been shown that incorporation of 2'O-methylation in siRNA abrogates TLR7-dependent interferon-alpha production in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In the present study, a native bacterial tRNA with 2'O-methylation at position G18 was analysed. It was found that the 2'O-methylation not only made the tRNA non-stimulatory, but also led to dominant inhibitory effects. Thus, this modification impaired immunostimulation by RNA species that would otherwise have been stimulatory. Further analysis revealed that not only was interferon alpha production by pDCs via TLR7 suppressed, but also secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by monocytes, including IL12p40 and TNF. Monocytes express a different subset of nucleic acid-sensing receptors, indicating that 2'O-methylated RNA influences the stimulation of different receptors. Analysis of other TLR ligands showed that the inhibitory effect was specific for stimulation by RNA but it was not observed for R848, a synthetic small molecule agonist of TLR7/8, or other TLR ligands. Investigation of the signalling pathway in response to RNA stimulation showed that modified, inhibitory RNA suppresses TLR stimulation at proximal levels. Preliminary binding studies indicated that 2'O-methylated RNA can bind directly to TLR7; it does not induce signalling but displaces unmethylated stimulatory RNA. As 2'O-methylation of tRNA at position G18 is found in tRNAs from many species and the neighbouring sequences are conserved, the influence of location and the whole sequence motif itself were investigated. The location of the
2'O-modification turned out to be of minor importance, but the inhibitory capacity of modified tRNA was influenced by the sequence of the motif. The sequence motif DmR was found to be necessary for immunosilencing of the tRNA, where D is a base other than cytosine with a 2'O-methyl position in the ribose of the nucleoside and R is a purine (adenine or guanine) immediately upstream of the methylation (position +1).
Together, the results show that 2'O-methylation of RNA in a defined sequence motif abrogates immunostimulation in different cell types. Naturally occurring RNA modifications serve to distinguish self RNA from foreign RNA. The results from this thesis can be used to reduce immunostimulation by any RNA when immune stimulation is not intended.
%%%%Naturlich vorkommende Modifikationen spielen eine wichtige Rolle bei der Unterscheidung zwischen eigener und fremder RNA. Verschiedene Modifikationen, die in der Lage sind, eine Immunantwort zu unterdrucken, wurden identifiziert. Eine von ihnen ist die 2'O-Methylierung der Ribose, welche, eingebaut in siRNAs, in der Lage ist die Interferon-alpha Produktion von plasmacytoiden Dendritischen Zellen (pDCs) durch TLR7-Aktivierung zu…


In this report it is shown that intravenous formulation of isavuconazole could be administered 5/7 days a week in patients who can not swallow capsules, once the steady state has been stably reached and maintained, thanks to its very long half-life. In this case TDM should be highly recommended.


The present work deals with the 35 fresh water algal samples and description of 62 taxa of biodiversity of fresh water algae from University of Madras Guindy campus of Chennai. Collections of 35 fresh water algal samples were carried out during the month of December 2010 to April 2011. Samples were examined in the laboratory and identified. The following algae were present Chlorococcum (1), Elakatothrix (1), Chlorella (1), Palmellococcus (1), Tetraedron (1), Polyedriopsis (1), Chodatella (1), Oocystis (2), Coelastrum (1), Scenedesmus quadricauda


The effect of mechanical stress on the dielectric constant of is experimentally studied. A beam-bending method is used to extract the strain effect coefficient M12. According to the measurements, the dielectric constant changes linearly with the stress. The value of is shown to be -(0.19 ± 0.01) × 10-21 m2/V2. The mechanism underlying the phenomena is discussed.


Problem-solving is a higher level of learning,it has important implications for learners to learn,explore new knowledge.With the development of information processing theory,the researchers teaching of problem-solving strategy of deepening our understanding,proposed to explore teaching strategies,collaborative teaching strategies.The current problemsolving strategies of teaching problem solving,there are still such deficiencies as not very clear concepts,lack of empirical research,policy must improve the effectiveness and so on.


In this article some theoretical reflexions are presented, dealing with the existing relationship between social temporality and the image within a visual communication scope; likewise, it offers some diachronic and synchronic methodologies that have turned to be effective for analysis and comprehension and define images as autonomous documents with their own right. Photography and painting work as an example to deal with general theoretical aspects, later on, they reach diverse examples such as the appropriation made by image consumers everyday. Conclusions refer to the necessity of remembering that the acknowledgement process of each image should start every time, over again, questioning the accuracy of our budgets.


This study aims at analyzing and explaining factors affecting the adoption of mobile commerce by integrating the variables of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Task Technology Fit (TTF). The subjects of the study are owners of SMEs being members of the Chamber of Trade and Industry Malang. The population of the study is 103 owners of SMEs while the sample consists of 97 owners of SMEs. The inferential analysis technique used in this study is Generalized Structured Component Analysis (GSCA). The results of the study show that out of 8 hypotheses, 5 of which are significant and 3 of which are non-significant. The hypotheses resulting in significant effect are performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and fit toward behavioral intention, as well astask characteristic toward fit and behavioral intention toward adoption. The hypotheses with non-significant effect are social influence and facilitating condition toward behavioral intention as well as technology characteristic toward fit. Keywords: SMEs, Mobile Commerce, UTAUT 1, and TTF


We demonstrate a simple low-power, magnetic sensor system suitable for high-sensitivity magnetic-field mapping, based on solid-state magnetic tunnel junction devices with minimum detectable fields in a 100 pT range at room temperature. In this paper, we discuss a method that uses multilayer thin films to improve the performance of the soft ferromagnetic layer in magnetoresistive sensor applications, by reducing the coercivity and/or improving the reversibility. We have used it in the design of our new magnetic sensor. This sensor has a sensitivity as high as 750%/mT. The magnetic sensor only dissipates 1 mW of power while operating under an applied voltage of 1 V.


Magnetorheological(MR) clutches are the devices that transmit the torque by the shear stress of the MR fluids upon the applied magnetic flied.In this paper,the operating principle of cylindrical MR clutch is introduced;the rheological characteristics of MR fluids is described based on Bingham model;a flow of the MR fluids in the MR clutch device is analyzed.The equations for the flowing speed and the torque developed by the MR clutch is derived.The results indicate that the flows of the MR fluids in the MR clutch exhibit viscoplastic flow behavior.With the increase of the applied magnetic field the yield and non-yield boundaries get near to the two surfaces,and the torque developed by the MR fluid increases.


Human-Object Interaction (HOI) detection devotes to learn how humans interact with surrounding objects. Latest end-to-end HOI detectors are short of relation reasoning, which leads to inability to learn HOI-specific interactive semantics for predictions. In this paper, we therefore propose novel relation reasoning for HOI detection. We first present a progressive Relation-aware Frame, which brings a new structure and parameter sharing pattern for interaction inference. Upon the frame, an Interaction Intensifier Module and a Correlation Parsing Module are carefully designed, where: a) interactive semantics from humans can be exploited and passed to objects to intensify interactions, b) interactive correlations among humans, objects and interactions are integrated to promote predictions. Based on modules above, we construct an end-to-end trainable framework named Relation Reasoning Network (abbr. RR-Net). Extensive experiments show that our proposed RR-Net sets a new state-of-the-art on both V-COCO and HICO-DET benchmarks and improves the baseline about 5.5% and 9.8% relatively, validating that this first effort in exploring relation reasoning and integrating interactive semantics has brought obvious improvement for end-to-end HOI detection.


In the paper dynamical-stochastically method of the non-convective cloudiness parameterization in the general circulation model is formulated. This algorithms is evaluated on the basis of general circulation model with given see surface temperature of oceans. The results of calculations were compared with observational data and the results simulations with sophisticated couple GCM full filled in frame of CMIP5 program. These results showed the perspectives of suggested dynamical-stochastically approach.


Decision forests are popular tools for classification and regression. These forests naturally produce proximity matrices measuring how often each pair of observations lies in the same leaf node. Recently it has been demonstrated that these proximity matrices can be thought of as kernels, connecting the decision forest literature to the extensive kernel machine literature. While other kernels are known to have strong theoretical properties, such as being characteristic kernels, no similar result is available for any decision forest based kernel. We show that a decision forest induced proximity can be made into a characteristic kernel, which can be used within an independence test to obtain a universally consistent test. We therefore empirically evaluate this kernel on a suite of 12 high-dimensional independence test settings: the decision forest induced kernel is shown to typically achieve substantially higher power than other methods.


Over the course of the past twenty years, a social awareness to maps and the practice of mapping has become a subject of acute interest both within the discipline of Geography and beyond. The rise of Google Maps, with its various "mashups" and "hacks" has produced an interest to use maps for understanding "non-mapped" phenomena (e.g. qualitative data or localized community information and knowledge). It is within this swirling of map interest that a potential avenue for Cartography can be seen — one that pushes the field forward while embracing the newfound enthusiasm of both the neo-geographer and the general public.


The aim of this study to reveal similar and differe nt aspects between Turkey Accounting Standards and the Tax Procedure Law about depreciat ion. Tangible assets, intangible assets and items for assets subject to depletion have been stu died in the study according to the Tax Procedure Law and Turkey Accounting Standards. Differences we re observed between both regulations in depreciation application. Between regulations of Ta x Procedure Law and Turkey Accounting Standards , the reason of the fundamental differenc es that arise in the application of depreciation, h as been identified as due to the fact different of both regulations of regulatory purposes .


There's been a series of datasets with regards to network intrusion detection in recent years, and a significant number of studies has also been carried out using these datasets. In this paper we aim to explore these datasets while also showing the capability of the proposed model to accurately detect and classify network intrusions. This paper presents a deep learning based model for network intrusion as well as a comparative analysis of the performance of three major network intrusion datasets using the proposed model. Results showed the model to perform best for NSL-KDD, followed by UNSW-NB15 and CSE-CIC-IDS2018 respectively. Model accuracy achieved for these datasets were NSL-KDD (97.89%), UNSW-NB15 (89.99%), and CSE-CIC-IDS2018 (76.47%) was achieved.


DOI: 10.15414/afz.2014.17.04.122–126 Received 25. August 2014 ǀ Accepted 30. September 2014 ǀ Available online 24. November 2014 Genetic diversity study as a tool for knowledge of the within- and among-breed diversity is particularly important in the case of endangered breeds as well as for reconstructing the history of livestock. The characterization of the genetic diversity and structure were assessed in one extinct production crossbreed Tesedik Goose on the basis of 6 microsatellite loci analysis in a total population of 50 birds. A total of 28 alleles were found across population with a mean number of 4.67 alleles per locus. The mean observed heterozygosity was 0.43. The degree of inbreeding calculated as a mean F IS was 0.070. Keywords : genetic diversity, microsatellite, goose, geese


In this paper, secrecy is investigated for the UAV ad hoc network. The analysis is conducted under the framework of stochastic geometry in the 3D space. A new feature of the present work is the relaxation of integer path-loss exponents or their ratio. The theoretical challenge is well taken. With the aid of a few advanced special functions, several closed-form solutions are derived. Numerical results are presented and discussed.


EDITOR,--Bob Ryder advocates screening for retinopathy by using two methods simultaneously.1 This is because none of the techniques available are sufficiently sensitive to use alone. Use of two techniques (for example, ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography) has yet to be shown to improve the overall sensitivity of the screening service, though it seems to be reasonably specific. Use of only one technique would be easier to administer and more acceptable to patients and is thus likely to have …


Oligomers of cholesterol vinyl ether (CVE) with methyl vinyl sulfide synthesized in the presence of cationic catalyst ВF3 · OEt2 in up to 81% yield (Mn up to 5700) demonstrate optical activity exceeding that of CVE homopolymer, which is probably due to both conformational effects of the oligomer chain and chirality induction during the polymerization.


Three species of pufferfishes (family Tetraodontidae) were examined to determine their morphological characteris tics based on meristics, morphometrics, olfactory organs, and lateral line systems of specimens collected from the Chennai Fish Market in Tamil Nadu, India, in December 2016. The three species, which are all previously unreported in Korea, are Chelonodon patoca (Hamilton, 1822), Lagocephalus spadiceus (Richardson, 1845), and Arothron immaculatus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801). For nostril shape, fishes of the genus Lagocephalus have two nostrils, while Arothron and Chelonodon have none. Fishes of the genera Lagocephalus and Arothron have a single well-developed lateral line on the body, while Chelonodon fishes have two lateral lines that merge on the caudal peduncle.


Abstract The kinematic, microphysical, and electrical structures of two mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) observed during the 1991 Cooperative Oklahoma Profiler Studies (COPS91) experiment are analyzed. Profiles of the vertical electric field structure and charge density were obtained from a series of balloon-borne electric field meter (EFM) flights into each MCS. Contrasting electric field structures were found in the stratiform regions of these MCSs. In both systems, the EFM data indicate that the MCS charge structure was characterized by horizontally extensive regions of charge and charge density magnitudes on the order of what is typically observed in convective cores (⩽5 nC m−3). However, the vertical electric field profiles were each related to unique MCS precipitation and kinematic structures, with a five-layer charge profile (at T ⩽ 0°C) associated with the "symmetric" MCS and a simpler three-layer charge profile (at T ⩽ 0°C) associated with the "asymmetric" MCSs. The observational analysis iden...


This paper looks at the unique demographic, economic, and cultural state of ethnic Mexicans living in the United States during World War II and how the "Zoot Suit Riots" both reflected the wartime ethnic relations between Latinos and Anglos and influenced the future of Mexican American civil rights movements. In particular, the riots will be examined within the context of the emergence of a pachuco youth culture within the second generation of US-born ethnic Mexicans. Newspaper articles of the time and complimentary research will also show how popular public perception of the events affected the way in which Mexican American community leaders would negotiate the ethnic politics of civil rights until the 1960s.


The present investigation aimed to investigate the effects of dietary seed supplementation on broiler chicks' ability to grow and biochemical properties that are impacted by commercial feed density and seed supplementation of Lagerstroemia speciosa. The research was carried out at the Government Arts College in Coimbatore-18, Tamil Nadu, India's Animal House, Department of Zoology, and Postgraduate and Research Department. Secondary metabolites, including steroids, terpenoids, glycosides, and phenolic compounds, are the primary bioactive substances in L. speciosa seeds, including phytochemical compounds and essential oils. The experimental groups consisted of dried seeds of L. speciosa and N. sativa added to the organic feed. The experimental animals show that the growth rate of the control group shows 41±3.21d initial weight and a 124±4bc final weight, while the growth rate of group II shows 135±4.04b. Body weight is a little higher than in the control group. Commercial feed is drastic in weight gain, and it shows 489±10.44a in group III. The experimental groups IV and V are active and healthier than the other groups, but the weight is poor in group IV 78±9.29d and 105±7.62bcd are in group V. The N. sativa seeds consist of thymoquinone, a bio-compound to reduce the body weight 78±9.29d in Group IV. Table 5 shows the haematological parameters of chicks in each group. The control group has the highest concentration of urea (10.7±0.55a), while group IV has the lowest concentration. The amount of uric acid is lowest in group IV and largest in group V. Cholesterol levels are highest in group II (green leafy vegetables) and lowest in group IV. Triglyceride levels are highest in Group V, while they are lowest in the control group. Group V has the least total protein, whereas the control group has the most. The control group has the highest albumin level, while group II has the lowest level.


It is always pleasant to find that one's preconceived notions are either totally shattered or confirmed beyond one's expectations and this has happened to me several times during this week. The scope of the subject as it unfolded throughout the week is vast. Zuckerman urged infrared astronomers to claim what is rightly theirs in the fields of star formation and the distance scale in our own Galaxy. I would go further and claim that many of the fundamental questions of extragalactic astronomy and cosmology are part of the birthright of infrared astronomers. It was apparent that no field of astronomy will remain unaffected by the great advances and discoveries of infrared astronomy. Infrared astronomers must expect an influx of outsiders such as myself into their area it will soon acquire the ultimate accolade of being regarded as a conventional diagnostic tool in the equipment of all astronomers.


The simulator provides a virtual emulational condition. It can test the functions of infrared missile by simulating the movement of the target and the interferes. A target simulator with multiple interferences is provided in this paper. The blackbody is used as radiating source. The simulator's construction, principle and the realization of motion track are mentioned. It has been proved that the simulator can meet the demands of development of missile. And the simulator is universal because the interference source has three bands.


Recent literary scholarship usually distinguishes between two types of autonomy. Institutional autonomy concerns the creation of a professional and independent literary field, whereas poetical autonomy points to ideas about the self-legitimizing power of literary artworks. In the Netherlands both forms of autonomy supposedly arose almost simultaneously at the end of the nineteenth century. This article introduces a third form of autonomy: discursive autonomy, an author's way of speaking and writing that shows how he places himself in a(n) (semi-)independent position. This form of autonomy already manifests itself in the early nineteenth century among marginal authors, especially hack writers. In this article, two of those authors are discussed: Pieter van Woensel (1747-1808) and Jean Baptiste Didier Wibmer (1792-1836). In particular, two tensions are analysed that can be found within their oeuvres, and that are both connected to the issue of discursive autonomy: the author as both dependent and independent of the audience and as both sincere and insincere towards that audience.


Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), an underwater marine flowering plant, has a high degree of morphological plasticity that allows it to survive and grow under a range of conditions and adapt to environmental changes. The degree to which resilience to stress varies among eelgrass populations is important for eelgrass conservation and management. Eelgrass plants from ten genetically differentiated populations were used in a mesocosm experiment where light availability and sediment organic content were manipulated. Productivity and survival were inhibited and morphology was altered by the stress treatments, with these plant responses differing significantly among populations. To further test differences in resilience, eelgrass from the populations exhibiting the greatest resilience were transplanted into a restoration site. Eelgrass from only one population survived and expanded. The findings of the mesocosm and field experiments indicate that eelgrass resilience to stress and transplant success are likely influenced by source population characteristics.


In this study two extraction methods, such as conventional solvent extraction (CSE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) were used for bioactive compounds extraction from red onion skins. The effects of several extraction parameters on the phytochemical content were investigated to discover which combination of parameters led to the highest concentration of phytochemicals. The results revealed that the optimal conditions for anthocyanin extraction (1.75±0.04 mg C3G/g DW) by CSE was achieved at 70% ethanol acidified with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid after 120 minutes of extraction at 25 °C. Also, the highest antioxidant activity (32.18±1.75 mM of Trolox/g DW) was obtained with 96% ethanol acidified with glacial acetic acid, after 3 hours of extraction at 25 °C. Meanwhile, for MAE the highest anthocyanin content of 1.60±0.05 mg C3G/g DW was found when using 50% ethanol acidified with 99.5% citric acid, at 735 W microwave power for 15 seconds of extraction. MAE with 96% ethanol and glacial acetic acid had the highest yield of antioxidant activity (33.41±0.59 mM of Trolox/g DW) at 315 W microwave power after 10 seconds of extraction. Therefore, the bioactive compounds from red onion skins might be available as a source of functional compounds useful in the pharmaceutical and food industry.


The glucuronide metabolites of several widely used drugs are detected in fetal plasma after maternal drug administration. However, the disposition of these metabolites is poorly understood and clinical concerns have been raised about accumulation of active metabolites in the fetus. For this reason, morphine-3-β-glucuronide (M3G), an active metabolite of morphine, was studied to provide quantitative data on disposition. Maternal, fetal, and bidirectional placental clearances of M3G were measured in three pregnant baboons. During maternal infusion of M3G to steady-state, the glucuronide metabolite readily appeared in fetal plasma achieving a mean ± S.D. fetal-to-maternal concentration ratio of 0.79 ± 0.04. In paired maternal and fetal infusions, steady-state clearances were 53 ± 3 (maternal), 1.5 ± 0.5 (maternal-to-fetal), 2.6 ± 0.1 (fetal-to-maternal), and –0.70 ± 0.6 ml · min–1 (fetal). These clearance values support bidirectional transfer of M3G across the placenta and indicate negligible direct clearance from the fetus. The clearance of M3G across the placenta is more than 20-fold less than that of morphine. Despite this low index of permeability, placental transfer contributes significantly to the glucuronide pool in the fetus. Placental transfer emerges as the major clearance pathway for the glucuronide from the fetus and suggests a component of active efflux. What is more, the results do not support the concept of sequestration in the fetal intestine as a significant route of clearance. Together these results clarify the distribution and clearance of glucuronides in the pregnant primate and facilitate prediction of fetal exposure to active metabolites.


Abstract: Proteins in peripheral nervous system and central nervous system myelin and homogenates of sciatic nerve and brain from young and adult mice and rats were characterized with affinity‐purified anti‐P2 and anti‐myelin basic protein sera after electrophoretic transfer from sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets. Using this method we have identified a component of rodent peripheral nervous system myelin as P2 protein. Peripheral nervous system myelin also showed the presence of four basic proteins in addition to P2 protein. These were found to be analogous to the 14, 17, 18.5, and 21.5K species found in the central nervous system myelin. A number of high‐molecular‐weight proteins were also detected with anti‐myelin basic protein serum in peripheral nervous system, as well as central nervous system myelin. In addition, we report the presence of a high‐molecular‐weight P2 cross‐reactive protein in rodent brain stem homogenates, but not in central nervous system myelin.


The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for the small-scale wind power generator systems is a hot research topic. We presented a novel solution for MPPT in 2013 that eliminates the disadvantages of conventional methods, such as low reliability and high loss. The wind power generator system is able to track maximum power automatically without using converters and control circuits. This paper mainly discusses the design method for this novel generator. A prototype has been designed and manufactured, and simulations and experiments have validated the generator system concept.


Scripting and interpreted languages have become important tools for software development, with languages such as Visual Basic, C#, Java, Python, and Perl replacing compiled languages such as C, C++, and FORTRAN as the primary tools for application development. Scripting languages offer significant increases in productivity compared to compiled languages, due in large part to simplified type systems, dynamic run-times, and large support libraries. However, these productivity increases have come at the cost of performance. Scripting and interpreted languages are evaluated at run time, limiting overall performance of applications. For most applications, the loss of performance is acceptable, and often not even noticeable. But for applications that require high performance, especially scientific and multimedia applications, the performance penalty imposed by scripting and interpreted languages limits an application's overall utility. The common solution to this is to develop performance-critical kernels in a compiled language and expose them as functions in the higher-level language. While effective, this approach complicates the development process by adding additional layers of abstraction and extending the development tool chain (Figure 1). Compiled languages themselves face a new challenge for generating high-performance code. The processor architectures for most commodity and high-end computer systems no longer match the simple models that C and FORTRAN were designed to support. Most systems include multiple processors with multiple execution units and most processors include vector units for SIMD parallelism. Automatically generating optimized code that fully takes advantage of these systems is difficult, if not impossible, and as a result, most compilers cannot generate high-performance code without significant guidance from the developer. In many cases, however, there is a simple, direct mapping between a performancecritical code section and the available processor resources. But, because of the deep


The impact of the different financial frameworks on the long-run growth is one of the most debated arguments in the economic theory. In this paper we present a theoretical and empirical analysis of the financial systems which characterize the financial interrelation in some European countries: the bank oriented model and the market oriented one. The first one was developed during the last part of the nineteenth century in the countries where the court system was based on the civil law principles, the other one became the financial model for the countries historically characterized by a regulatory framework with the common law approach. Considering the financial accounts of some European countries (source: EUROSTAT data, OECD data), we calculate the Goldsmith's ratios and other indicators for the period 2000-2008. For each considered country as regard to the European Monetary Union, first of all we asses the financial interrelation and intermediation and then we analyze the debt and the net financial wealth of the private non financial sector and of the Households one.


The single crystalline In2S3 nanosheets with highly efficient photocatalytic activity have been controllably synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process without adding any surfactant. The morphologies of the nanosheets were characterized by SEM and TEM. The results show the diameter of the nanosheets ranges from 100nm to 400nm. The photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange on the catalyst shows it has much higher photoactivity than that of nanoTiO2 which means it may be more capable to be used as photocatalyst in decomposition of organic pollutants.


In the last years, the intravascular ultrasound study (IVUS) and further the optical coherence tomography (OCT) became two helpful tools to characterize of the atherosclerotic plaque.


Ease of distribution of digital media, particularly via the internet turned out to have negative impact on the efforts of copyright protection for digital media. Digital watermarking as one solution that can be used to overcome this problem, faced with the problems of resistance to distortion that may occur during the distribution process. There are several techniques of digital watermarking has been proposed by researchers, whether working in spatial domain and those operating in the frequency domain. Watermarking techniques in the frequency domain was good enough to overcome the resistance to distortion problems. DCT (discrete cosine transform) as one type of transformation that is widely used in the world of images, JPEG compression is one example, transforming the intensity values into the frequency pikselnya basically.


On the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of women into the State security police in Spain, we ap-proach the analysis of the representation of female officers of the National Police portrayed by the pro-duction of RTVE Servir y proteger (Tirso Calero, 2017-2019, Spain). This study combines the hermeneutic and doctrinal technique of legal science with film analysis. Guided by the objective of elucidating the degree of agreement between the image conveyed by the series, the ought to be proposed by the legal framework and the participation of women in the current National Police, we conclude that the audiovisual product in our study offers an aspirational image that does not yet coincide with reality.


【Objective】To explore the mechanism of Rhizoma Alismatis (RA) in inhibiting the formation of renal stone.
【Methods】The rat model of renal stone was induced by glyoxylic acid. Rats were randomized into normal control group
(Group A), model group (Group B) and RA treatment group (Group C) . mRNA expressions of osteopontin (OPN)
in the rat model were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR).【Results】White crystal
can be found on the surface of bilateral kidney and mRNA expression of osteopontin was increased in model group ( P
0.05 as compared with Group A) ; the amount of white crystal and OPN mRNA expression were decreased ( P 0.05 as
compared with Group B) and arrived to the level of Group A ( P0.05) . 【Conclusion】RA has an effect in inhibiting
the formation of renal stone.


It has been suggested that sensitization of the central nervous system plays an important role in the development and maintenance of chronic (pain) complaints experienced by whiplash patients. According to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was performed to screen and evaluate the existing clinical evidence for the presence of central sensitization in chronic whiplash.


An isolated single coronary artery (SCA) is a rare anomaly. A SCA originating from the left sinus of Valsalva is even rarer than one arising from the right. Most patients with a congenital coronary artery anomaly are asymptomatic. Herein, we report an extremely uncommon variant, where the right coronary artery arose from the distal segment of the left circumflex artery with slow coronary flow leading to myocardial ischemia.


Purpose To provide the primary care provider (PCP) with a review of the clinical presentation, aggravating factors, and basic options for treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). Data Sources Selected scientific literature and clinical experiences of the author. Conclusions AD is a common, chronic skin condition that is frequently seen in both children and adults. Although AD can be challenging to treat, a number of therapeutic options exist to help alleviate the pruritus and rash that accompany the disorder. Implications for Practice The PCP can manage AD in most patients by prescribing avoidance measures, good skin care, antihistamines, and conservative topical medications. Patients with more severe disease may require aggressive therapies such as phototherapy, balneo‐phototherapy, or systemic agents.


On any given day, middle school students begin gathering their books and lining up at the door waiting for the hell to ring five to ten minutes before class is officially over. In other classrooms, students finish their assigned work and chat among themselves, sit at their desks doing nothing, or. in the worst-case scenario, get out of their seats and begin to disrupt class. And in many classrooms, several minutes are squandered each time learning activities are changed. Even in the most benign of the above examples, quality instructional time is being lost al a number of points during teachers' lessons. Some educators might say that it is only a few minutes here and there, but even live minutes a day adds up to a significant loss of instructional time each semester. Revisiting the relationship between lost minutes of instruction and the quality of teaching may be warranted. Current state and national educational expectations, with their emphasis on results on high-stakes tests, serve as incentives for each teacher to plan every lesson carefully and to use classroom time as effectively and efficiently as possible. In other words, we should be paying more attention to both aspects of the time on task equation: purposeful use of time and quality instruction. Following my own years as a teacher and as an assistant principal and principal for more than 25 years, nearly half in middle level schools and now as a teacher educator for more than 10 years. I have observed many classroom teachers in a variety of urban and suburban school districts. While I have seen firsthand innumerable lessons of impeccable quality, I have also seen more than a few poorly conceived lessons and wasted classroom time that involved both beginning and veteran teachers. Lack of attention to time on task is not the only reason for less-than-adequate student achievement. However, it is a factor teachers directly control. The purposes of this article are to highlight several aspects of using time effectively through a series of vignettes, to apply the current research on time on task, and to offer to middle school educators a variety of ways to help remedy lost time on task. Time on task One of the main themes of the Effective School movement was increasing time on task to improve schools and student achievement (Lezotte, 1997; Lezotte & Pepperl, 1999). One of the seven "correlates of effective schools" they found was the "opportunity to learn and time on task" (pp. 115-116). They advocated not only making judicious use of classroom time but also ensuring that what is taught has been carefully thought out and is of the highest possible quality. This body of effective schools research, which originated with Edmonds and the Connecticut Department of Education (as cited in Lezotte & Pepperl, 1999), was also echoed by the National Education Association (Hawley, 2002), and United States Department of Education (Bennett, 1986) and provides the conceptual background for this article. A schematic diagram that relates the focus of this article to the correlates of effective schools is found in Figure 1. As research on effective schools shows, time on task involves both the time associated with learning and the nature and quality of the tasks devised by teachers for their students (Lezotte & Pepperl, 1999). While other correlates also contribute to the process, improving time on task can lead to better instructional outcomes. Before exploring some solutions to the time on task challenge, we will examine three vignettes that illustrate how lost time can undermine otherwise effective lesson planning. At the end of each vignette, the predominant problems are analyzed, and suggestions for improvement are offered. Vignette #1: Behind from the start (Mr. Brown, eighth grade science) Mr. Brown has been teaching middle school science for five years. At the beginning of each period, students noisily enter his classroom and take their seats after considerable interaction with each other. …