For maritime remote sensing, coastline detection is a vital task. With continuous coastline detection results from satellite image time series, the actual shoreline, the sea level, and environmental parameters can be observed to support coastal management and disaster warning. Established coastline detection methods are often based on SAR images and wellknown image processing approaches. These methods involve a lot of complicated data processing, which is a big challenge for remote sensing time series. Additionally, a number of SAR satellites operating with polarimetric capabilities have been launched in recent years, and many investigations of target characteristics in radar polarization have been performed. In this paper, a fast and efficient coastline detection method is proposed which comprises three steps. First, we calculate a modified correlation coefficient of two SAR images of different polarization. This coefficient differs from the traditional computation where normalization is needed. Through this modified approach, the separation between sea and land becomes more prominent. Second, we set a histogram-based threshold to distinguish between sea and land within the given image. The histogram is derived from the statistical distribution of the polarized SAR image pixel amplitudes. Third, we extract continuous coastlines using a Canny image edge detector that is rather immune to speckle noise. Finally, the individual coastlines derived from time series of .SAR images can be checked for changes.


p16 immunostaining has been examined to detect high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade (CIN2+) in Pap cytology specimens. However, the utility of p16 in predicting CIN2+ in Pap specimens with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC‐US) or atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high‐grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasm (ASC‐H), is controversial. In this study, we evaluated the utility of p16 immunostaining for predicting CIN2+ in 78 Pap specimens with ASC‐US/ASC‐H and compared the results in high‐risk HPV DNA and the follow‐up biopsies. p16 immunostaining was positive in 47% (37/78) of the Pap specimens. Of the 13 Pap specimens with follow‐up biopsy results of CIN2+, 7 (54%) were positive for p16. p16 positivity in the Pap specimens was not significantly associated with a CIN2+ biopsy result (P = 0.76). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of p16 immunostaining for predicting CIN2+ were 54%, 52%, 19%, and 85%, respectively. High‐risk HPV DNA was detected in 40% (31/78) of the Pap specimens. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of HPV DNA for predicting CIN2+ were 100%, 72%, 42%, and 100%, respectively. High‐risk HPV genotypes were detected in six p16‐negative specimens with follow‐up biopsy results of CIN2+. Our findings suggest that the utility of p16 immunostaining for predicting CIN2+ in Pap specimens with ASC‐US/ASC‐H is limited. Scant abnormal cells in Pap specimens with ASC‐US/ASC‐H may have contributed to the low p16 sensitivity. Diagn. Cytopathol., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Graphene has attracted great interest for future electronics due to its high mobility and high thermal conductivity. However, a two-dimensional graphene sheet behaves like a metal, lacking a bandgap needed for the key devices components such as field effect transistors (FETs) in digital electronics. It has been shown that, partly due to quantum confinement, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with ~2 nm width can open up sufficient bandgaps and evolve into semiconductors to exhibit high on/off ratios useful for FETs. However, a challenging problem has been that, such ultra-narrow GNRs (~2 nm) are difficult to fabricate, especially for GNRs with smooth edges throughout the ribbon length. Despite high on/off ratios, these GNRs show very low mobility and low on-state conductance due to dominant scattering effects by imperfections and disorders at the edges. Wider GNRs (>5 nm) show higher mobility, higher conductance but smaller bandgaps and low on/off ratios undesirable for FET applications. It is highly desirable to open up bandgaps in graphene or increase the bandgaps in wide GNRs to afford graphene based semiconductors for high performance (high on-state current and high on/off ratio) electronics. Large scale ordering and dense packing of such GNRs in parallel are also needed for device integrationmore » but have also been challenging thus far. It has been shown theoretically that uniaxial strains can be applied to a GNR to engineer its bandgap. The underlying physics is that under uniaxial strain, the Dirac point moves due to stretched C-C bonds, leading to an increase in the bandgap of armchair GNRs by up to 50% of its original bandgap (i.e. bandgap at zero strain). For zigzag GNRs, due to the existence of the edge states, changes of bandgap are smaller under uniaxial strain and can be increased by ~30%. This work proposes a novel approach to the fabrication of densely aligned graphene nanoribbons with highly smooth edges afforded by anisotropic etching and uniaxial strain for bandgap engineering of GNRs towards high on/off ratio and high on-state current GNR devices. First, we will develop a novel approach for the fabrication of high density GNR arrays (pitch <50 nm, tunable down to 30nm) with pre-defined edge orientation and smooth edges using a free standing nano-mask derived from diblock copolymer assembly for patterning of graphene sheets. Anisotropic graphene edges will be developed to afford smooth edges along crystallographic lattice directions. Then, we will fabricate GNR devices on flexible substrates and apply uniaxial strain to engineer the bandgap of the GNRs. The bandgap of GNRs could be increased by up to 50% under uniaxial strain according to theoretical calculations and will be investigated through electrical transport measurements. Micro-Raman spectroscopy of single GNRs and parallel arrays will be used to probe and quantify the uniaxial strain. Electrical measurements will be used to probe the on/off ratio of GNR FET devices and confirm the bandgap tuning effects. Finally, we plan to use dense parallel arrays of GNRs to demonstrate strained GNR field effect transistors with high on/off ratios and high on-state current, and compare strained GNR FETs with carbon nanotube and Si based field effect transistor (FET) devices.« less


The world has made learning as an organizational advantage. A superior organization is capable to manage the learning potency of its members into a culture. Discussion of learning culture as the basis of learning organization so far is still dominated by Western thought, especially Peter Senge and Marquadt. Peter Senge has The Fift Discipline as an individual and organizational learning skill. These fve disciplines were corroborated by Marquadt by adding dialogue as his learning skill. This study tries to explore the classic book that can be used as a comparison of learning culture, considering learning to be the spirit of Islam. Al-Zarnujy became an option considering his integrity and his book was phenomenal and monumental. The concept of learning culture is characterized by three things, they are values, learning process, and creating conditions described in full and detail. In values, al-Zarnujy gives three things to straighten the intention as a foothold, they are to againsts ignorance, to do syiar, and to be grateful for the pleasure of sense and healthy body. As for the learning process is also described very detail about how to learn, about ethics, and some things to avoid. Creating conditions is emphasized in the foresight and intelligence to choose friends, who are pious and understand the current condition. Through this article, the author asserts that the contents of al-Zarnujy's book is still relevant today. The author begins by describing the socio-historical background of al-Zarnujy and his book, then the concept of learning culture in it.


ABSTRACT Protein-based therapeutics, in particular monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), are in high demand for treating a variety of conditions. Here, membrane chromatography for protein purifications is reviewed. In particular, current status and development for various capture and polishing steps including protein A, ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) are discussed. In addition, new developments in ligand design and membrane functionalization for membrane chromatography are discussed. In-depth discussions on polymeric ligands with UV-initiated polymerization or atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) are included. Finally in silico simulations to help design new ligands and elucidate the binding interactions are also briefly reviewed.


Presented at the 17th Symposium on Cardiac Arrhythmias in Honor of Dr. Ali Massumi, Houston, 20 February 2016.

Section Editor: Mohammad Saeed, MD

From: Department of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030


This paper is endorsing the possibility that electromagnetic waves might be reflected differently by moving mirrors in comparison to resting mirrors following a logic conclusion on Huygen's principle, thus the common law upon which the incident angel would equal the reflected angle would be not valid on such systems. A static ether concept will be tested on the assumption that angles will be deflected in correlation of relative velocities of the transversal movement of the observation setup against the emerging center of one particular light wave front. Further on it will be demonstrated that reflection angles from any ray emerging from sources laying at the focal point of a parabolic mirror then will not be reflected parallel to the parable's axis but on a distinct differing angle that proves to be quite identical with the resultant angle of both velocity components of ray and mirror at any transversal movement of source and observer. Moreover it will be shown that this applies on multiple reflection between two parabolic mirrors with congruent focal point as in principle being used for laser arrays as well.


Summary. The purpose of this article is to develop an inverse method for adjusting the material parameters during single point incremental forming. The main idea consists in simulating tests performed on the same machine as the one used for the process itself. This reduces the costs of the equipment since no specific and costly standard test equipment is needed. Moreover, it has the advantage that the material parameters are fitted for a heterogeneous stress and strain state occurring during the real process. Before using the inverse method, the numerical results must be compared with the experimental ones. Several boundary conditions will be tested. 1. INTRODUCTION Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) is a new sheet metal forming process adapted to both rapid prototyping and small batch production at low cost. A clamped sheet is deformed by a smooth-ended tool following a specific tool path defining the final required shape without specific and costly dies. A wide variety of shapes can be made [1, 2]. Accuracy of the F.E.M. simulations of this process depends both on the constitutive law chosen and the identification of the material parameters. The study of the process shows that the anisotropic elastic-plastic HILL48 law is adapted for the description of the phenomenon. However it must be coupled with an isotropic and a kinematic hardening model. A simple isotropic model is not sufficient to provide an accurate force prediction [3].


This is the third and final paper analyzed in quantitative and
qualitative approach as possible from an experimental research into
flowing concrete by two kinds of coarse aggregate, river gravel and
crushed stone, using the superplasticizing agent which is used to
effect considerable reductions in water contents in the same level
of consistency and workability in conventional concrete.
The aim of this study is to provide and compare fundamental data on
the fluidity performance and engineering properties of river gravel
and crushed stone concrete respectively.


The effect of PP-g-MA on rheological behaviour and thermal properties has been studied with capillary rheometer and DSC method.The resutls show that the viscosity of melt PP/PP-g-MA suddenly decreases with adding PP-g-MA from solid graft reaction and the effect of shear stress,the melting zone and melting point obviously change.


The paper analyzed the present situation of domestic PB and its production line and technology gap with international advanced level . Elaborated the feasibility and developing trend of PB industry in China . Introduced SUFOMA's practices and targets on developing complete PB production line.


Farmyards are commonly conceptualised as point sources of nutrient pollution nested within the wider agricultural landscape. However, within farmyards there are individual sources and delivery pathways, each of which are impacted by a range of management practices and infrastructure. Rainfall mobilizes these nutrients, which may then be delivered to a receptor or to the wider drainage network. As such, the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC) which has been established as a framework to understand and mitigate nutrient loss at a landscape scale can be similarly applied to disentangle the stages of nutrient transfer from farmyards. The NTC differentiates nutrient transfer into source, mobilization, delivery, and impact stages. This differentiation allows targeting of mitigation measures and evaluation of costs and benefits. This review paper applies the nutrient transfer continuum template to farmyard nitrogen and phosphorus transport to conceptualise causative factors and to identify mitigation options. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


The Disabled Century , BBC2, Thursdays at 9 50 pm, 27 May to 10 June

Disability and disabled people are something most people would rather not think about, or at least deal with at a distance and not have in their living rooms. But the people in The Disabled Century told their stories with dignity and even humour, particularly those who had been disabled since childhood. Their resilience was remarkable, and their tales were harrowing and distressing, in which their and their parents' autonomy were totally disregarded. One …


Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus of Koch (BK). The multifocal form is usually associated with the immunosuppression of HIV. In this regard, we report an unusual case of multifocal tuberculosis associating visceral foci with a non-contiguous cervical, dorsal and lumbar spinal tuberculosis, in an immunocompetent subject. The patient had a medical-surgical treatment. It is a disease with a difficult diagnosis. We will discuss, in this case, the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic characteristics of this clinical entity.


Ndia clay deposits obtained from Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State Nigeria was characterized for industrial application using physicochemical, XRF and TGA techniques. The results of the chemical analyses shows that the clay contains high amount of SiO2 (61.27±1.232%), Al2O3 (18.24±0.024%), Fe2O3 ( 2.44±1.643%) and trace amount of K2O (2.44±0.23%), CaO (0.17±0.143%), TiO2 (0.53±0.015%), MnO (0.06±0.014%) and so 3 (0.62±0.016%). The TGA result revealed a weight loss of 9.78% on heating and 98.30% un-decomposed value after degradation which indicates that the clay sample is thermally stable at high temperature. Further, the physical properties shows a moderate plasticity of 3.55 (Kgf/1cm) on average, shrinkage of about 12.03% on average, pH of 6.80 and a bulk density of 1.44% on average and the colour ranges from grey to red on firing. These properties thus placed the clay deposits as a useful potential in the industrial sector for the production of ceramics, floor tiles, refractory materials, bricks as well as kilns lining and binding agents.


The invention relates to a multicomponent system that can be cured thermally or by actinic radiation and that comprises A) an isocyanate-reactive binder component, comprising in the molecule A 1) at least one unsaturated polyester that contains, on a statistical average, at least one group of the formulae (I), (II), wherein the index n is an integer of from 1 to 10, and/or (III), said group being activated by actinic radiation, as well as A 2) at least one binder that is different from the polyester (A 1) that contains, on the statistical average, at least two isocyanate-reactive functional groups in the molecule, and/or A 3) at least one binder that is different from the polyester (A 1) and that contains, on the statistical average, at least one isocyanate-reactive functional group and at least one reactive functional group having at least one bond in the molecule that is activated by actinic radiation, and B) a cross-linking component comprising B 1) at least one polyisocyanate and/or B 2) at least one polyisocyanate that contains, on the statistical average, at least one reactive functional group having at least one bond in the molecule that is activated by actinic radiation.


This paper introduces the design and realization of a fault section positioning unit(STU) based on DSP as intelligent core.The units located on FTU of each switch form a distributing type fault section positioning system.Via uniform matrix operation of electric quantity information collected in real time from each switching device,STU judges,locates and separates fault sections.Meanwhile,the status may be transmitted via CAN field bus to upstream PC shown for operators to watch.Apart from this,STU also finishes alarm indication,LCD indication and data record,preventing vast area down time from occurring.


In the future, utilization of mechanical ventilation will continue to rise. It is anticipated that mechanical ventilation may be required in up to 50% of critically ill and/or injured infants, children, and adolescents in the PICU. This is due to an expected increase in utilization of life sustaining therapies such as renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, therapeutic hypothermia, and transplantation (bone marrow, stem cell and solid organ) [1]. The rise in the use of these modalities will come at a time when clinicians will be expected to limit expenditures and conserve valuable resources such as bed space, specialized equipment such as ventilators and personnel to support their use. These expectations highlight the need for early and accurate determination of extubation readiness. Both failure to recognize opportunities for extubation (extubation readiness) and unsuccessful attempts at extubation (extubation failure) lead to increased ICU and hospital mortality, prolonged length of stay, and higher hospital costs [1-19]. Extubation failure rates range from 3-30% and usually occur within 24-96 h of extubation [1,34,6-7,9,12-15]. Risk factors associated with extubation failure can be grouped into abnormal respiratory mechanics (impaired muscle strength, effort and gas exchange) [7,12,15]; prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation [1,4,6,13,14]; unfavorable cardiopulmonary interactions [3,6,9,13,15]; altered level of consciousness (delirium, residual sedation and/or ICU acquired weakness) [6,7,9,13]; inability to manage secretions [6,7,9,13]; anatomic abnormalities (upper airway obstruction) [6,7,9,12]; genetic abnormalities [4]; metabolic perturbations [9]; fluid overload [9,13]; and unresolved infection [4,6,9].


The Indonesian government made several policies to reduce the coronavirus spread, including in the education sector, by implementing online learning from home. This study aims to determine the mathematics teachers' perception of online learning implementation during COVID-19 related to its challenges and opportunities. The method used in this study was an exploratory method in which the researchers used the questionnaire to gather the information. A total of 65 mathematics teachers from various education levels around South Sumatra, Indonesia, became the respondents. Based on the analysis of 65 mathematics teachers' responses, more than half of the respondents used the WhatsApp platform to carry out online learning activities.   In implementing online learning, there were some challenges faced by mathematics teachers, such as students who did not have the facilities required for online learning. Although teachers still faced challenges, the teacher stated that online learning provided opportunities for teachers to upgrade themselves and learn more about educational technology. Moreover, online learning provided opportunities for students to communicate with other students and teachers alike unlimited by time. This study could provide an overview and information related to challenges and opportunities in implementing online learning for mathematics, which can be used in online learning activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.


This paper reports some computation of periodic solutions arising from Hopf bifurcations in order to build up a more accurate procedure for semi-analytical approximations to detect limit cycle bifurcations. The approximation formulas are derived using nonlinear feedback systems theory and the harmonic balance method. The monodromy matrix is computed for several simple nonlinear flows to detect the first bifurcation of the cycles in the neighborhood of the original Hopf bifurcation.


A catalytic photometric method for the simultaneous determination of copper and iron is reported in this paper. This method is based on catalytic effect of micro amounts of Cu 2+ and (or) Fe 3+ to the reaction system of (NH 4) 2S 2O 8 KI Na 2S 2O 3, which shows the Landolt effect. Starch is used as indicator. The reported method has the special feature of simple, accurate and selective. It has been used in the determination of trace amount of copper and iron in human hair, rice and mung bean.


Co 8 0 Pt 2 0 alloy films from 125 to 1000 nm thick have been grown by electrodeposition on Cu(111) seed layers under constant current. Their structure, morphology, and magnetic properties have been investigated. Growth conditions can be identified for which the resulting Co-Pt films consist of a hexagonal close-packed phase only, with the c axis perpendicular to the substrate. Grain size in the film plane remains almost constant with increasing thickness, X-ray, atomic force microscopy, and magnetic data pointing toward a columnar growth. The films exhibit hard magnetic properties in the out-of-plane direction with coercivity up to 6.1 kOe.


We investigate feedback control of linear quantum systems subject to feedback-loop time delays. In particular, we examine the relation between the potentially achievable control performance and the time delays and provide theoretical guidelines for the future experimental setup in two physical systems, which are typical in this research field. The evaluation criterion for the analysis is given by the optimal control performance formula, the derivation of which is from the classical control theoretic results about the input-output delay systems.


To the Editor — Active surveillance allows (1) early identification and isolation of individuals infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), (2) tracing and quarantining close contacts, and (3) prevention of further transmission. Simulation studies suggest that rostered routine testing (RRT) for asymptomatic healthcare personnel (HCP) amid ongoing community transmission can substantially reduce the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in hospitals. 1 With the low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic HCP of 0.1% – 0.4%, the benefits of RRT for asymptomatic HCP in hos-pitals with good infection prevention and control practices and robust staff acute respiratory illness (ARI) surveillance systems remain questionable. 2 – 7 However, with the emergence of more highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variant strains and institutional outbreaks caused by them, 8 Singapore ' s Ministry of Health has implemented RRT for HCP working in acute-care hospitals. medical attention for A patient in the same


Single Best Answer A 73-year-old patient who had a total hip replacement 6 weeks ago comes to see you. Since going back to his daily routine he has noticed that his memory is not good and he is more forgetful than usual. He felt normal when he left hospital, but now he has noticed that his mental function is not very good. He is unable to multitask or even concentrate when doing simple tasks. His family has also noticed a change in his behaviour. What is the SINGLE MOST likely diagnosis? Select ONE option only. A. Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) B. Lewy body dementia C. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) D. Postoperative delirium E. Alzheimer type dementia


A jamming attack on a wireless network is an attack in which the adversary attempts to cause a denialof-service (DoS) by conducting simple, continuous or intermittent, transmission of high-power interfering signal. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are particular vulnerable to jamming attacks due to its natural characters. In our work, we propose to combat jamming attacks on WSNs through the deployment of mobile nodes. Specifically, we consider sending a mobile node inside the jammed area to periodically collect/sense data. Subsequently, the mobile is responsible for bringing the data to the most optimal exit point/node on the boundary of the attacked region. An algorithm named COEP is proposed for calculating the optimal exit point according to varies network conditions.


The invention discloses a sound recovering method based on loudness adjustment and control. The sound recovering method includes the steps that loudness in a preset range is divided into units, a frequency response curve corresponding to the loudness in each unit is measured, and all the frequency response curves are adjusted to obtain adjustment parameters; an audio signal is detected, the concrete unit where the loudness of the audio signal is located is determined, and the corresponding adjustment parameters are called according to the concrete unit where the loudness of the audio signal is located. Through parameter adjustment, the different frequency response curves are adjusted according to different loudness, so that audio output with any loudness always has a good fidelity effect.


This paper presents an algorithm for the automatic segmentation of indoor videos into foreground and background layers. Segmenting foreground from an indoor video with local foreground motion and illumination changes is challenging. We first detect key frames with reliable motion using nonparametric model in chromaticity space. From these key frames, we learn an appearance model as a color degenerating model. Robust indoor video segmentation is achieved by combining these learned color and structure cues in a Markov random field framework. Experimental results on different sequences demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.


This study employs a multi-method, "critical case" approach to offer an institutional explanation for the "missing" empirical link between employee involvement (EI) and organizational performance. ...


Disclosed is a cage for experiment animal breeding, in which the health status of the experiment animal is easily checked. The disclosed experimental animal breeding cage has an internal space divided into a breeding space in which the experimental animal lives and a storage space in which the experimental animal is disposed, and includes a case including a food supply part and a water supply part communicating with the breeding space; A fecal guide member installed in the storage space to guide the movement of excrement excreted by the experimental animal; And, installed in the storage space, and includes a reservoir for storing the urine of the laboratory animal discharged from the excrement guide member. Isolation of laboratory animals, breeding, cages, mouse cages and urine


Abstract ASEANFOODS was established in 1986, with six member countries including Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU) was designated as the Regional Centre. In 1996, Vietnam was included as a new country member. This report emphasizes the main activities carried out in 1995–1999 at the regional centre to fulfill the specific objectives of ASEANFOODS. To strengthen the analytical performance of food analysis laboratories in ASEAN, a new set of reference materials, weaning food (AS-FRM5) and fish flour (AS-FRM6) with consensus values of mandatory nutrients for nutrition labelling was developed. The reference materials were used as test materials for the third round of laboratory performance study, including government and private laboratories in ASEANFOODS member countries and laboratories in other regions. A collaborative programme involving three countries — Indonesia (LIPI, Bandung), Thailand (INMU) and Australia (QHSS) was conducted in 1997–1998, with support from AusAID to strengthen the technical and analytical capabilities and quality assurance programme in Indonesia. This programme can eventually strengthen laboratories to generate good quality food composition data. Such activities will be extended to other member countries. In keeping with the need of the members, the first regional food composition data are being developed. Current activities on development of national food composition tables are also summarized.


the article introduces into scientific circulation two female graves (№94 and №177) OF the XIII-XIV centuries from the Lower prikuban (burial ground of the settlement "Railway-2". The burial inventory of burials fully characterizes the main lifetime occupations of the buried. These are shearing sheep, processing wool, making wool threads and tailoring. The most expressive are the earrings from burial # 177. They - with an asymmetric metal bead, are a variant of chernoklobutskih jewelry. Jewelry becomes another argument in favor of the version about the migration of these nomads from porosya to the North Caucasus, where they gradually "dissolve" in the local ethno-cultural environment.


In this paper,we study the quality of accounting information of companies listed on GEM with propensity matching method. Studies find that China makes more stringent market supervision on GEM accounting information disclosure than on the requirements of SMEs board,but accounting of companies listed on GEM is not conservative,accounting information quality is lower; China' s current regulatory regime for GEM accounting needs to be further improved,in particular,needs to construct the accounting measurement and recognition reflecting high- tech,high-growth and high- risk characteristics of companies listed on GEM,and improves accounting incentives inherent quality of information to change the"more than compliance,lack of incentives"phenomenon,in order to promote the company and GEM market's healthy development.


Objective To analyze the relationship between the surgical strategy and the clinic result in different proximal humeral fractures.Methods 39 cases with proximal humeral fractures and/or should joint dislocation were enrolled.There were 15 cases were treated with blade plate,22 with proximal humeral locking plate(LPHP) and 2 cases with hemiarthroplasty.Results All 39 patients received a mean 16 months′ follow-up(from 5 to 34 months).Constant-Murley score was used to evaluate the final result,and the mean score was 58~97,among which there were excellent in 12,good in 16,fair in 7,and poor in 4,and the excellent and good rate was 71%.In the series mean range of extension was 146°±34°(from 80°to 180°),abduction 138°±42°(from 75°to 180°),internal rotation 52.8°±23.8°(from 40°to 90°),external rotation 41°±19°(from 40°to 90°).Conclusions The surgical strategy is base on four factors: age,bone quality,fracture type and the time of surgery.A well planed surgery combined with systemic rehabilitation would give a better result.


Optical code division multiplex access (OCDMA) transmission system experiment based on spectral splicing is demonstrated. Different users are distinguished by the different free spectral range (FSR) of the tunable Fabry Perot cavity of the encoder/decoders. The influence of the multiple access interference (MAI) on the system performance is analyzed. The performance of the transmitter, the optical channel and the encoder/decoder is discussed. The BER measurement is also realized. The test results show that the bit error rate is better than 10 -9 after transmission of 11 km simple mode fiber with the access rate of 155 Mb/s and the MAI value 30 times higher than received optical power. This system is a possible solution for the future all optical access system for its lower cost and simple structure.


We report on the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of Y 2 SiO 5 : Ce 3 + phosphor powder and thin films. For the phosphor powder, the TL intensity increases with an increase in UV dose for up to 20 min and then decreases. The TL intensity peak shifts slightly to higher-temperature region at relatively high heating rates, but with reduced peak intensity. Important TL kinetic parameters, such as the activation energy ( E ) and the frequency factor ( s ) , were calculated from the glow curves using a variable heating rate method, and it was found that the glow peaks obey first-order kinetics. For the films, broad TL emissions over a wide temperature range with reduced intensity relative to that of the powder were observed. The maxima of the TL glow peaks of the films deposited in oxygen ambient and vacuum shift toward higher temperature relative to the TL peak position of the film deposited in an argon environment. Vacuum environment resulted in the formation of a deep trap relative to oxygen and argon environments. Furthermore, the structure of Y 2 SiO 5 : Ce 3 + phosphor powder transformed from x 2 -monoclinic polycrystalline phase to x 1 -monoclinic polycrystalline phase, for deposition at low substrate temperature.


Objective: Accurate segmentation of lung and infections plays a significant role in quantitative image analysis and the fight against Covid-19. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a novel unsupervised deep learning-based framework for automated infections lesion segmentation from CT images of Covid-19 patients.


The article is devoted to consider ation of the insurance model in agriculture, the results of the Agricultural Pool during the 2005-2013 were given and the ways of improving agricultural insurance were suggest ed .


Detection of event is a prominent application of wireless sensor networks. In this paper, the problem of distributed detection in a wireless sensor network over multi access fading channel is considered. The detection performance of Neyman-Pearson detection scheme, which uses a constructive interference technique is analyzed for different channel conditions. The detection performance is characterized in terms of error exponent which defines the detection error probability. The investigations give some valuable insight in to an optimal design of wireless sensor networks.


Initial growth of GaP on Si substrates using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy was studied. Si substrates were exposed to PH3 preflow for 15s or 120s at 830°C after they were preheated at 925°C. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the Si surface after preflow for 120s was much rougher than that after preflow for 15s. After 1.5nm GaP deposition on the Si substrates at 830°C, GaP islands nucleated more uniformly on the Si substrate after preflow for 15s than on the substrate after preflow for 120s. After 3nm GaP deposition, layer structures were observed on a fraction of Si surface after preflow for 15s. Island-like structures remained on the Si surface after preflow for 120s. After 6nm GaP deposition, the continuity of GaP layers improved on both substrates. However, AFM shows pits that penetrated a Si substrate with preflow for 120s. Transmission electron microscopy of a GaP layer on the Si substrate after preflow for 120s revealed that V-shaped pits penetrated the Si substrate. The preflow for a long time roughened the Si surface, which facilitated the pit formation during GaP growth in addition to degrading the surface morphology of GaP at the initial growth stage. Even after 50nm GaP deposition, pits with a density on the order of 107cm-2 remained in the sample. A 50-nm-thick flat GaP surface without pits was achieved for the sample with PH3 preflow for 15s. The PH3 short preflow is necessary to produce a flat GaP surface on a Si substrate.


This chapter gives an account of Weber's concept of rationalization and how it has been used by subsequent social thinkers. The argument of the chapter is that rationalization is a central thread in Weber's thought, and it explicates his ideas about how this process works in the realms of culture, the economy, and politics. It also discusses some thinkers who have made use of his ideas, including Ernest Gellner, Randall Collins, and Michael Mann. In Weber's time, a major debate was about the rise and distinctiveness of the West. More recently, the debate has shifted to the causes and consequences of globalization. The final part of the chapter locates Weberian ideas about rationalization, and its limits, in this larger debate.


The Jones matrices are discussed in detail. The incorrect matrix description is cited which can be seen almost in every traditional optics textbook or teaching materials up to now. And the four kinds of the Jones matrices for the polarizer are given.


This paper attempted to explore the characteristics of human rights discourse in Korean protestantism since the Democratization of Korea, centering on the conflicting opinions around the enactment of Anti-Discrimination Bill. Under the military regimes from the 1960s to the 1980s, Korean protestant progressive groups showed practical concerns over human rights issues in the public sphere, called as the champion of human rights movement. After the collapse of military regimes, under the Participatory Government, the National Human Rights Commision(NHRC) drafted the Anti-Discrimination Bill as a way of advocating the human rights of the minority groups. After revised partly by Government, the bill was sent to the parliament for approval. At the time, however, the conservative groups of Protestantism strongly opposed to the approval of the bill and lastly succeeded in removing some articles, specially on anti-discrimination in the sphere of sexual orientation. This debates suggests that Korean protestant conservative group`s view of human rights is seriously problematic, specially in the private areas, such as sexuality.


Based on the discrete time mixed logical dynamical (MLD) model of hybrid system, mixed integer predictive control of hybrid system with inputs constraint is studied in this paper and the optimal control problem is cast as a standard mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) problem. In order to reduce online computational burden of the optimal control problem, and at the same time, to maintain good control performance and as largest as possible feasible region, a mixed integer model predictive control strategy with dynamic control horizon is purposed. At the end of the paper, simulations for a vibration control of elevator's mechanical system are made


Objective To study the effects of extract of Angelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels on the cultured human retinal nerve cells. Design Experimental study. Participants Adult retinal nerve cells. Methods Retinal nerve cells were co-cultured with different con- centration of extract of Angelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels(1.25, 2.50, 5.00, 10.00, 20.00, 40.00 and 80.00 g/L, respectively); then 24 hours and 72 hours later, retinal nerve cells proliferation was evaluated by MTT assays; the mitochondrial membrane potentials(MMPs) of cells was measured by confocal microscopy. The change of fluorescence intensity before and after twice adding the extract were recorded(the interval of the twice adding was 94 seconds). The peaks of fluorescence intensity which represented MMPs between the twice adding and base line were analysed using one-way analysis of variance. Main Outcome Measures Cell proliferation, MMPs. Results Compared to the control group, the protective effects of the extract with the highest concentration of 80.00 g/L was 256% after 24 hours and 261% after 72 hours, respectively. Confocal microscopy showed the peaks of fluorescence intensity were significantly different a- mong first adding, second adding and the base line(F=56.694,P0.001). Compared with the base line(4.95±0.02), the peak of fluores- cence intensity increased 437% after the first adding of the extract(26.02±7.62, P0.001) and 997% after the second adding of the ex- tract(54.17±14.15, P0.001). It showed that the extract could enhance the MMPs significantly with undulatory property. Conclusion The extract of Angelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels has certain protective effects on adult retinal nerve cells and might be used in the treat- ment of some retinal diseases in the future.(Ophthalmol CHN, 2013, 22: 405-408)


The aim of the report is to present a rare case of facial schwannoma in the parotid gland. Schwannomas are benign, well-defined tumors arising from Schwann cells that form myelin sheaths of peripheral, cranial or spinal nerves. 25-45% of them are located within the head and neck, mainly in the parapharyngeal space. The intraparotid location is rare. The etiology of cancer is unknown. Preoperative diagnosis, both radiological and cytological, is difficult and often does not give the correct diagnosis. Radiologically, a multiform adenoma is usually suspected, and the fine needle biopsy is non-diagnostic. Due to the rarity and benign nature of the tumor, there is a debate about the need for surgical treatment.


This paper presents an experimental study on the aeroacoustics of a flat plate rig with a highly instrumented serrated trailing-edge. The role of near-field flow properties, namely, surface pressure fluctuations and spanwise coherence, in the noise suppression capability of serration is not properly understood. The results from this test rig aim to provide additional insight into the effects of the serration on the hydrodynamic field (flow field) and the scattering of the pressure waves along the trailing-edge. Despite its unconventional size, beamforming results showed a significant reduction of far-field noise over a broadband frequency range. The associated flow field is characterized by mean and spectral analyses of static and dynamic surface pressure measurements as well as hot-wire measurements. The mean pressure coefficient results and the boundary layer velocity profiles over the serrated trailing-edge showed minute differences compared to the baseline straight trailing-edge. However, the frequency-dependent energy content of the unsteady surface pressure fluctuations demonstrates an elevated energy region around the serration edges at low frequencies. Although there is an increase in the energy content of the low frequency pressure fluctuations on the serrated trailing-edge, a significant phase difference of the pressure waves is observed, which may be indicative of destructive interference. The temporal studies regarding the unsteady surface pressure fluctuations corroborate the presence of quasi-periodic large scale structures emanating from the serration edges.


Croce initially supported Mussolini's Fascist government that took power in 1922.
However, the assassination of the socialist politician Giacomo Matteotti by Fascists, in
June 1924, shook Croce's support for Mussolini. In May 1925, Croce was one of the
signatories to the Manifesto of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals which had been written by
Croce himself. However, in June of the previous year, he had voted in the Senate in
support of the Mussolini government. He later explained that he had hoped that the
support for Mussolini in parliament would weaken the more extreme Fascists who, he
believed, were responsible for Matteotti's murder, and absorb the Fascist movement into
the liberal system.
After 1925, Croce voted against the so-called "leggi fascistissime" which effectively
abolished the liberal system of government, born in 1861, and frequently provided moral
assistance to anti-Fascist writers and dissidents, as well as those who wanted to maintain
intellectual and political independence from the regime, and covertly helped them get
published. Croce's house in Naples became a popular destination for anti-Fascists, and
after the war, even some leaders of Communists Party reflected that Croce offered aid
and encouragement to both Liberal and Marxist resistance members during the crucial
years of regime.
Croce was seriously threatened by Mussolini's regime, though the only act of physical
violence he suffered at the hands of the fascists was the ransacking of his home and
library in Naples in November 1926. Although he managed to stay outside prison thanks
to his reputation, he remained subject to surveillance, and his academic work was kept
in obscurity by the government, to the extent that no mainstream newspaper or academic
publication ever referred to him. When Mussolini's government adopted anti-Semitic
policies in 1938, Croce was the only non-Jewish intellectual who refused to complete a
government questionnaire designed to collect information on the so-called "racial
background" of Italian intellectuals.
Croce later coined the term onagrocrazia (literally "government by asses") to emphasize
the anti-intellectual and boorish tendencies of parts of the Fascist regime and also
described Fascism as malattia morale (literally "moral illness"). However, turning
Gobetti's interpretation - the Fascism as "autobiography of the Nation – Croce claimed
that the Fascism had been a parenthesis on Italy's history, likening the "coup d'etat" of
28 October 1922 to the invasion of the Hyksos. In fact, the Mussolini rise to power was
the liberal elite's response to the forces that animated the revolutionary pressure of 1919-
1920. Far from being a parenthesis or aberration, Fascism was the dominant coalition's
reaction to the grave threat to extant social order


This paper proposes a generic technique for the evaluation and comparison of the capability of Embedded Systems (ESs) as decision making aid. The major issue in this area is conducted by comparing and evaluating success factors and the risks associated with each ES. In this regards decision making modelling concepts are based on the identification of capability factors and finding mathematical models to describe or to prescribe best choice. The techniques utilize a combination of subjective and qualitative assumptions and mathematical modelling techniques. The digital cell phone as a sample of ES is analyzed as case study to show the application of the proposed approach. The results show the high performance of this methodology for capability evaluation of such systems.


Abstract The rapid development of high-intensity laser-generated particle and photon secondary sources has attracted widespread interest during the last 20 years not only due to fundamental science research but also because of the important applications of this developing technology. For instance, the generation of relativistic particle beams, betatron-type coherent X-ray radiation and high harmonic generation have attracted interest from various fields of science and technology owing to their diverse applications in biomedical, material science, energy, space, and security applications. In the field of biomedical applications in particular, laser-driven particle beams as well as laser-driven X-ray sources are a promising field of study. This article looks at the research being performed at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers (IPPL) of the Hellenic Mediterranean University Research Centre. The recent installation of the ZEUS 45 TW laser system developed at IPPL offers unique opportunities for research in laser-driven particle and X-ray sources. This article provides information about the facility and describes initial experiments performed for establishing the baseline platforms for secondary plasma sources.


Heat transfer within soldered packed-bed in a flow system was assumed to have two processes, namely:(1) heat transfer like a fin, and (2) heat transfer like an ordinary packed-bed.Next, the differential equations about this cylindrical type of the bed were obtained as follows:(1)(2)Temperature distributions were measured in detail with 5 samples of heat transfer units having 11mm. dia. steel balls soldered at different heights within 5″ dia. brass tubes and Eqs.(1) and (2) were checked by graphical differentiation of these temperature distributions, and the values of hpat were obtained. They gave almost the same values. Therefore, the assumption mentioned above on the mechanism of heat transfer in soldered packed-bed could probably be maintained.The hp values obtained had good agreement with those in literature.


The dust removal centrifugal blower applies in particular in the farm machinery in the grain processing industry extremely widely. The centrifugal blower performance quality directly will affect the product quality and the production environment; also directly will affect enterprise's benefit. But at present uses the dust removal centrifugal blower, which also has many problems in the performance and the structure, like the work efficiency low, disappears can high, the noise big, be easy to wear as well as the current capacity insufficiency and so on. Therefore, in view of these questions, the union enterprise own request, should carry on the thorough analysis, discovers reason which the question appears, and proposed there as on able improvement design proposal, enhances the air blower the operational performance, creates the condition for enterprise's development.


A new guaiane-type sesquiterpene, wiksphyllamin A (1) with C-10 and C-11 connected, along with fifteen known compounds were isolated from the stems of Wikstroemia scytophylla Diels. All these compounds were isolated for the first time from Wikstroemia scytophylla. The structures of 116 were identified using spectroscopic methods.


Human rights (HR) have become a smoking-gun issue threatening conservation's public legitimacy and long-term funding. Globally there are rising frustrations that large conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs) do not seem to be collaborating with civil society movements promoting democratization. They rather appear to associate closely with governments and other actors with poor HR records. HR abuses or allegations of abuse that arise in conservation contexts include violation of due process, massive forcible reset- tlements, destruction of property and farms, torture, and extrajudicial killings. In addition, conservation agents are increasingly perceived as HR 'duty bearers' that do not fulfil their responsibilities. Many biodiversity hotspots overlap with poverty hotspots where HR abuses occur, and in such areas conservation organizations have an excellent opportunity to act to- wards addressing such abuses. Their responsibilities are guided by international and domes- tic law, yet their record of action is uneven. In some local cases, conservation agencies have demonstrated 'traction' in supporting HR. Evidence of 'slippage' and avoidance in assuming HR responsibilities, however, suggest that the biodiversity conservation community has yet to mature towards a commitment to HR, which would require systematic changes at multiple levels. This paper places unspoken issues on the table and encourages their open discussion, hoping to promote the positive changes essential for sustainable conservation. We address the following questions: Who are the duty-bearers in conservation? Where do they engage in conservation? What guidance exists to assist and encourage such duty-bearers to develop and implement a rights-based approach to their work? What are some indicators of their engagement, or lack thereof, with HR? What are illustrative examples of HR 'traction' and/or 'slippage' behaviour? How and by whom can conservation actors' HR engagement be monitored?


The interpretation of the elastic shear modulus obtained from cone pressuremeter tests is examined to assess the influence of installation disturbance and other factors on the measurement of soil stiffness. In particular it is shown that the cone pressuremeter test can give reliable values of unload-reload shear modulus. The typical shape of unload-reload loops is examined, and two procedures to calculate the shear modulus are proposed. The shear moduli calculated from measurements made with strain arms and those calculated from volume change measurements are compared. A method is presented that allows the relevant stress level acting around the pressuremeter during the test to be taken into account in the interpretation of measurements of the shear modulus. The values of the moduli obtained from the cone pressuremeter are comparable with those obtained from the self-boring pressuremeter. L'article s'interesse a l'interpretation du module de cisaillement elastique obtenu a partir d'essais de cone-pressiom...


The article considers the specifics of organization of English language teaching and education in out-of-school establishments. The advantages of the extracurricular club activities and their objectives have been identified, while new language teaching in particular. It has been also established, that out-of-school activities promote the development of pupils' speech, communication and sociocultural competences. Extracurricular club activities are more flexible, amateur and appropriate the pupil's needs. The teacher of the club has a certain freedom of choice the form of teaching and of work and types of knowledge control. It has been found that one of the methods that meets the conditions is the project method. The typology of educational projects after E. Polat has been considered, as so as the methodology for phased implementation of the project. The study has suggested that the project technology allows to integrate various forms and activities into the educational process. Pupils with different language skills contribute as much as possible into the overall work, in this way all the participants are involved without exception. While working on the project pupils acquire the practical skills of using foreign language, get used for teamwork, have the opportunity to embody their creative potential. Thereby the project technologies are the integral part of the successfully organized work on English teaching and the whole educational process in general.


The author had published a paper on the solutions for the twin primes conjecture in an international mathematics journal in 2003. This paper approaches the twin primes problem through the analysis of the composite numbers. MSC: 11-XX (Number Theory)


Abstract Positive events can reduce depression as well as enhance wellbeing. The role of secure attachment style in moderating the relationship between positive events and wellbeing is examined to further understand wellbeing models. Participants (n = 490) included two midlife groups and a student group from the UK. They completed the online Computerized Life Event Assessment Record (CLEAR), a measure of life events, the Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ), and the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Age was associated with higher rates of wellbeing and secure attachment style. A significant relationship was found between number of positive events and wellbeing, number of people close, and secure attachment score. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated a significant interaction between secure attachment style, number of positive life events, and wellbeing. Simple slopes analysis demonstrated the association between positive life events and wellbeing was significant for secure attachment (B = 1.27, p = .003) but not insecure attachment (B = 0.04, non‐significant). This suggests securely attached individuals are better able to take advantage of positive life events than insecurely attached individuals and experience a greater increase in wellbeing.


Question: An 87-year-old woman with history of dementia, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease presented with abdominal pain. CT demonstrated abnormal location of a portion of the pancreas (Figure A–D, arrowheads) and dilation of the corresponding segment of the main pancreatic duct (arrows) on transverse and coronal images. A 3-dimensional, volume-rendered image from subsequent MR cholangiopancreatography examination demonstrated abnormal course of pancreatic duct, along with localized pancreatic ductal narrowing (small arrows) and segmental dilation (large arrows) (Figure E). Laboratory tests done on the same day as the CT examination revealed lipase of 116 U/L (normal range, 20–300), aspartate aminotransferase 19 U/L (normal range, 2–44), alanine aminotransferase 28 U/L (normal range, 0–54), alkaline phosphatase 64 U/L (normal range, 50–135), and total bilirubin 0.8 mg/dL (normal range, 0.2–1.0). What is the etiology for the abnormal appearance of the pancreatic duct? Look on page 293 for the answer and see the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.


Abstract: The fig (Ficus carica L.), one of the first cultivated trees in the world, is grown in many parts of the world with moderate climates. Figs are eaten dry and fresh; however, as fresh figs are highly perishable they are largely consumed near production areas. Figs are nutritious fruits rich in fiber, potassium, calcium, and iron. Fresh figs are highly sensitive to physical damage, and susceptible to postharvest decay infections. Preharvest and postharvest conditions are very important to improve fruit quality and postharvest life. At this point, reducing postharvest losses and developing global fresh fig marketing is a big challenge for plant breeders, physiologists and postharvest technologists.


With the continuous image product acquisition of satellite missions, the size of the image archives is considerably increasing every day as well as the variety and complexity of their content, surpassing the end-user capacity to analyse and exploit them. Advances in the image retrieval field have contributed to the development of tools for interactive exploration and extraction of the images from huge archives using different parameters like metadata, key-words, and basic image descriptors. Even though we count on more powerful tools for automated image retrieval and data analysis, we still face the problem of understanding and analyzing the results. Thus, a systematic computational analysis of these results is required in order to provide to the end-user a summary of the archive content in comprehensible terms. In this context, visual analytics combines automated analysis with interactive visualizations analysis techniques for an effective understanding, reasoning and decision making on the basis of very large and complex datasets. Moreover, currently several researches are focused on associating the content of the images with semantic definitions for describing the data in a format to be easily understood by the end-user. In this paper, we present our approach for computing visual analytics and semantically querying the TerraSAR-X archive. Our approach is mainly composed of four steps: 1) the generation of a data model that explains the information contained in a TerraSAR-X product. The model is formed by primitive descriptors and metadata entries, 2) the storage of this model in a database system, 3) the semantic definition of the image content based on machine learning algorithms and relevance feedback, and 4) querying the image archive using semantic descriptors as query parameters and computing the statistical analysis of the query results. The experimental results shows that with the help of visual analytics and semantic definitions we are able to explain the image content using semantic terms and the relations between them answering questions such as what is the percentage of urban area in a region? or what is the distribution of water bodies in a city?


The objective of this research was to seek to understand cultural reasoning in self-medication in a poor congested community in Bangkok. Participatory observation was the chief method for collecting data during November 2005- April 2006. Taking Bourdieu's concept of various kinds of capital as its departure, the study revealed how social relationship was critical in shaping treatment choices in everyday illness experience of the poor, chronically ill elder people. The researcher will argue that lay cultural reasoning with regard to self-medication was greatly influenced by the necessity to maintain social ties within the community. Biographical account of a chronically ill patient reveals the importance of preserving and maintaining good social relationship with those from whom she sought assistance. It could be argued that good social relationship is a requisite in making request for any kinds of help especially when matters of urgency arise - as in sickness and need of treatment. Chronically ill elderly people in this poor community developed survival strategies by accumulating social capital. They built up social ties and took great care of maintaining their relationship with neighbors. Social capital thus was far more crucial than economic capital in order to use it in their daily life as well as in critical life period. For even if they had money to pay for medical bill, they still needed "someone" to help them out on their journey to and dealing with an alienating healthcare system. It was then not surprising to see that chronically ill patients paid large amount of money to those who helped them for it was crucial for them to keep their relationship in the best possible way.


The learning activities of students in the clinical practice during the Covid-19 Pandemic are a challenge faced by health education institutions. The practical design is required for the implementation of safe clinical practice. In response, Budi Kemuliaan School of Health Science had designed the implementation of clinical practice learning with "design by empathy". This study aims to explore how clinical practice learning with "design by empathy" during the Covid-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 62 students of the Midwifery Diploma Three Program, which were divided into two groups.Positive results were obtained from clinical practice learning with design by empathy during the pandemic which was seen from the presentation of students attendance, students health conditions, skills achievement, students and clinical instructor responses regarding the implementation of practical learning during the pandemic, and the acquisition of grades.


As part of the challenge to reduce the impact of global warming, pressurised pipelines are considered to be the most practical option for transporting captured CO2 from fossil fuel power plants for subsequent sequestration. A large release from a pipeline transporting fluids between the capture and injection facilities could have major accident potential due to the toxicity of CO2 at high concentration. The European CO2PipeHaz project was concerned with the modelling and validation of source terms and dispersion for potential major releases from CO2 pipelines. This was led by University College London, UCL, (UK) with the other partners being University of Leeds (UK), INERIS (France), GexCon (Norway), Demokritos (Greece), Dalian University of Technology, DUT, (China) and the Health and Safety Laboratory, HSL, (UK).The project's activities included:


In a recent paper, we introduced a framework termed Bistro to facilitate the building of scalable widearea upload applications. An example of an important upload application is the submission of personal and business income tax forms over the Internet. Our intent for deploying the Bistro platform is not to rely on adding resources (such as hosts) to the Internet. Rather, we envision that people will want to install Bistro services on their hosts on the Internet and contribute their resources to the overall Bistro infrastructure because it will improve their performance as well. Since anyone will be allowed to install a Bistro server, security becomes a great concern since sensitive information such as income tax forms will be uploaded through the Bistro system. In this paper, we describe the basic framework and present a security protocol for the Bistro system as well as discuss its security properties.


Starting with causation, the intended notion is perhaps best introduced by examples. Causation is present when one billiard ball strikes another (which Hume called 'a perfect instance' of causation), when a person lifts a suitcase, and when a spring uncoils. To a first approximation, one might test for causation by testing for counterfactual dependence: if the cause had not occurred, then the effect would not have occurred. For present purposes the notion of causation may be left intuitive. To the extent we understand any notion, we understand this one.


Objective Conscientiousness predicts better psychological resources as well as lower cardiovascular mortality and lower metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk. However, the benefits of conscientiousness might be amplified, disabled, or reversed in disadvantaged groups. This study is the first to test these competing hypotheses for prospective associations between adolescent conscientiousness and adult psychological resources and MetS. Method Participants were 220 men (54.6% black) from the Pittsburgh Youth Study. Adolescent conscientiousness (M [SD] age = 16 [1]) was rated by participants and their parents. Adult (M [SD] age = 32 [1]) socioeconomic status (SES; occupation and education), psychological resources (composite of positive affect, purpose in life, optimism, self-mastery, and self-esteem), and MetS scores (glucose, lipids, waist circumference, and blood pressure) were measured. Hierarchical regressions were used to evaluate the association of conscientiousness with adult psychological resources and MetS scores, with testing of moderation by race and SES. Results Self- and parent-reported conscientiousness were associated with better psychological resources (&bgr;s = 0.23–0.29, ps ⩽ .015), with no moderation by race or socioeconomic status. In the full sample, a three-way interaction of self-reported conscientiousness, race, and SES was obtained for MetS (&bgr; = 0.12, p = .093). Subgroup analysis indicated that self-reported conscientiousness was related to higher MetS scores in low SES black men (&bgr;int = −0.22, p = .022), but there was no comparable linear (&bgr;s ⩽ 0.08, ps ≥ .50) or interaction (&bgr;s ⩽ −0.13 ps ≥ .25) pattern in white men. Conclusions Adolescent conscientiousness was beneficial for adult psychological resources, regardless of race or SES. However, there may be physiological costs of conscientiousness for black men from disadvantaged backgrounds.


It's so annoyingly difficult to predict the future. This has been especially true for those who have tinkered with projections of the adequacy of the physician workforce based on models of supply and "demand." Demand (or need) calculations and predictions have proven notoriously unreliable. It was here that GMENAC (the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee of 19801) failed, and the weakest point in the arguments put forth by Etzioni and colleagues in this issue of Annals of Surgery may be in forecasting needs based on "established patterns of surgical use."2

What is to say that patterns of surgical use will be the same 10 years hence? Who knows what the future holds for surgery? Will another avalanche of demand, similar to that seen when laparoscopic cholecystectomy became widely available, occur when some new surgical procedure is developed, or will advances in genomics, pharmacology, or other technology replace operations? Because of these uncertainties, predictions of the need for surgical services are tenuous at best.3

What is certain, however, is the changing face of the population—not only in America, but worldwide. According to Robert Butler of the International Longevity Center of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, "...the most rapidly growing age group comprises those aged 80 and above, and in some countries people over the age of 100 are leading the way in the rate of population growth by age."4 Certainly in all of the developed nations, the population increases predicted are, in large part, the result of increased longevity; this has been accompanied by decreased fertility rates, so that it will soon be that the elderly (people over age 65) will outnumber children. The US population growth projected to 2020 will mainly be based on increases in elders, as shown in Etzioni and colleagues' Figure 1.

The focus of Etzioni's work is on the surgical workforce; the authors predict, as have others,5-7 that older people will require more surgical care as the profile of disease shifts from communicable to noncommunicable and acquired disease, such as cancer, fractured hips, cataracts, and occlusive vascular disease.8 I don't think there is much debate about this assertion. The question then becomes, will we have sufficient surgeons to do the work that will be needed? Etzioni and colleagues project an increase in the workload of general surgeons of approximately 31% by 2020, almost the same figure as calculated using a different method by the Abt group (32.7%);5 both of these estimates were based on projections of increased need for surgical care for diseases of the elderly.

But an increase in work may be only part of the problem surgeons will be facing as we spend more and more of our time and effort treating the elderly. Many, if not most, of the patients now seen in an average general surgery practice are over age 65; we are all becoming geriatric surgeons. Yet, the principles of patient management that uniquely pertain to the elderly are not emphasized in residency curricula, texts, or surgical journals. To achieve a good outcome for an elderly patient requires a skill set different from that used for younger people, and not the least of these skills is to know which elder patient will benefit from an operation. Education of surgeons in treatment of the elderly must become a top priority, as must proficiency in palliative care, adherence to advance directives, and an appreciation of futility.

As Etzioni and colleagues point out, it will not be easy or even feasible to pump more qualified surgeons into the workforce in the near future. Adding to the relative insufficiency of surgeons is the thrust to specialization in surgery that has been in effect for at least a decade;9 fewer and fewer generalists are entering practice in the surgical specialties that will experience the greatest growth in work as the population ages. Most specialists gravitate to urban areas, leaving the rural areas of this nation seriously underpopulated by surgeons.10 The proportion of elderly in rural areas is, however, considerably greater than in cities.11 Who will give them surgical care?

To meet the growing need for surgeons to care for the new majority, the elderly, it seems that surgeons will have to work harder or, preferably, more efficiently. The Institute of Medicine in its 2001 publication, Crossing the Quality Chasm; A New Health System for the 21st Century, makes a strong case for major reform of the macro- and microsystems of medical care to make them more safe and efficient.12 Will it be possible for surgery to rise to that challenge? More safe and efficient systems of caring for the surgical patient would certainly benefit both patients and surgeons and would be highly cost-effective. Working harder hardly seems possible for many surgeons, and the impact of a change in attitude brought about by work hours restrictions in residency programs has yet to be understood.

Far from being in surplus, surgeons with the ability to provide quality surgical care for the elderly are in short supply. Access for patients to good surgical care in their communities is especially important for the elderly, and the leaders of our profession must step forward with plans to assure that all people in need of surgeons will find them.


The dynamics of hepatitis B surface antigen production by PLC/PRF/5 hepatoma cells were studied using a quantitative radioimmunoassay method. Maximum rates of antigen production were found in nutrient‐depleted, non‐dividing cultures and were temporally related to cytological changes preceding cell death. These results indicate that antigen production may be cell‐cycle related and represent a terminal event.


This article presents the results of an empirical study on the formation of partnerships in the teacher-student dyad. A broad review of literary sources on the issues under consideration has been carried out. The features of pedagogical communication in the conditions of modern higher education have been studied. It is concluded that at present there is a tendency to democratize relations in the teacher-student system, their transition to a new level of partnership and cooperation. The problem includes the question of the readiness of the teachers themselves for this format of interaction with students. The study included the use of a questionnaire specially developed by the author, the use of which made it possible to identify the most significant indicators characterizing the optimal relationship between the teacher and students, as well as criteria that are markers of non-developed relationships. The main conditions were noted, which, in the opinion of teachers, favorably influence the formation of teacher-student relationship. Along with this, the main professional and personal qualities of a teacher were identified, which are important in establishing favorable relationships with students and, conversely, hindering them. Shown are the personal qualities of students that contribute or, conversely, hinder the development of these relations. The results of this study can find further practical application in pedagogy, in educational and social psychology, and are also necessary for the psychological and pedagogical improvement of the educational process in higher education.


Combustion in porous media burners presents considerable advantages over free flame burners due to several outstanding features inter alia clean and highly efficient combustion properties allowing a considerable amount of feedback energy from the flame area to preheat the mixture of fuel and air resulting in a considerable reduction of unavoidable pollutant formations appearing e.g. as the emission of CO and NOX. In addition, porous media burners are manufactured in highly compact small sizes suitable to industrial and household heating characteristic applications. Heat transfer between solid and gas depends mainly on the porous thermophysical properties of the component known as the solid matrix. These systems are characterized by the formation of a combustion flame pulse or wave which can travel inside the burner, depending on the operating conditions at velocities of about 0.1 mm/s. In this paper, a new temperature tracking scheme is proposed based on digital image processing to determine the position and the velocity of the thermal profile. Results showed reduced errors in the estimation of the peak temperature position using digital image analysis compared to conventional thermocouple-based measurements techniques.


Background Atrial fibrillation is often missed by traditional intermittent electrocardiogram monitoring after ischemic stroke due to its paroxysmal and asymptomatic nature. The knowledge of the unique characteristics of the population with atrial fibrillation detected after stroke (AFDAS) enables more ischemic stroke patients to benefit from more aggressive anticoagulation therapy and AF management. Method This is an observational, retrospective, MRI imaging-based single-center study. Patients with AFDAS were matched in 1:3 ratio with patients without AF (NoAF)and patients with known AF before stroke(KAF) in PSM model based on age, gender, and time from stroke onset to admission. Multivariate logistic models were used to test the association of MRI-based stroke lesion distribution, other clinical parameters and AF. A backward stepwise elimination regression was conducted to identify the most important variables. Results Compared to the NoAF group(n=103), the patients with AFDAS (n=42) had more cortical involvement(p=0.016), as well as temporal(p<0.001) and insular lobes(p=0.018) infraction. After performing a backward stepwise elimination model in regression analysis, the temporal lobe infraction(OR 0.274, 95%CI 0.090-0.838, p=0.023) remained independently associated with the detection of AF. Compared to the KAF group(n=89), LAD(OR 1.113, 95%CI 1.022-1.211, p=0.014), Number of lobes infarction(p=0.012), 3-lobes involvement(OR 0.177, 95%CI 0.056-0.559, p=0.003), and left hemisphere lobe involvement(OR 5.966, 95%CI 2.273-15.817, p<0.001)) were independently associated with AFDAS and KAF. Conclusions Ischemic stroke patients with AF detected after stroke present more temporal lobe infraction and cortical involvement. These lesion distribution characteristics with clinical characteristics together may help in stratifying patients with long-term cardiac monitoring after stroke.


Objective To investigate more effective substances or their combination for depleted uranium (DU) decorporation. Methods We observed the effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-disulphonate (Tiron), diethylenetriaminepenta-methylenephosphonic acid (DTPMP), dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and their combinations for DU decorporation administered 1 h before DU exposure, immediately or 4 h after DU exposure. Three days after DU exposure, the results of renal function test and pathological examination were compared. Results Large reduction in urea nitrogen and serum creatinine was observed when NaHCO3 combined with DMTU was administered immediately after DU exposure. The most effective treatment tested so far was the combination of NaHCO3 and DMTU administered after DU exposure at once. However, the efficacy of the tested substances was only partially effective when they were administered 30 min or longer after DU exposure, among which the efficacy of Tiron after prompt and delayed administration was better than the others. Conclusion The combination of NaHCO3 and DMTU for DU decorporation is better when administered before or immediately after DU exposure. Tiron for DU decorporation is more effective when administered 4 h after DU exposure.


The historical interpretation of place names is a richly rewarding endeavor in the United States, particularly in Florida, where a white man, Ponce de Le6n, bestowed the first permanent name in the North American continent. Florida place names follow the tendencies of place-naming all over the United States, but the nomenclature is distinctly Floridian and has its own geographic, historic, social, cultural, and circumstantial pattern. From these names one can draw virtually the whole history of her people: their ideas, ideals, and legends; their ancestry and religions; their industries, politics, and wars; as well as the climate, topography, and vegetation of their land. There are few states in the Union that bear a more picturesque, romantic, and historic name than Florida. Its story has been told many times, but it is worth repeating. In March, I513, Juan Ponce de Le6n, Governor of Puerto Rico and shipmate of Columbus on his second voyage to the New World, led an expedition westward in search, somewhere among the Bahamas, of an island which, according to native lore, was the site of a fountain of youth. He sighted land on March 27, Easter Sunday, and debarked somewhere near the mouth of the St. Johns River on April 3, claiming the territory for Spain, and naming it La Florida." The word florida is a Spanish feminine adjective, meaning 'flowery,' 'covered with flowers,' or 'abounding in flowers,' and Pascua Florida means 'Feast of Flowers' or 'Flowery Easter.'3 George Stewart, an authority on place-naming in America, informs us that the absence of a priest on the Ponce de Le6n expedition who could tell them what saint's day it was


Comparative studies of democratization point to a multitude of explanatory factors, while often lacking empirical evidence and theoretical foundation. This study introduces the revolution in information technology as a significant contributor to democratization in the 1980s and beyond. Utilizing a cybernetic version of an evolutionary interpretation of democratization an amended model for 147 countries is tested by bivariate and multiple regression analysis. The focus of the analysis is on how the first-ever use of an indicator of information technology explains democratization. The overall findings show that information technology is a meaningful element in the study of democratization today.


With the rapid development of electronics and the growing demand for higher performance with respect to safety, driveability, fuel efficiency, and emissions, modern automotive systems are required to perform increasingly sophisticated tasks. To meet these challenges single type controls for each subsystem will tend to be integrated by an overall intelligent control system which is able to perceive the present situation and adjust adaptive vehicular components accordingly. To take a crucial step towards intelligent automotive systems the problem of environment recognition is addressed and a neuro-fuzzy approach for the identification of the driving situation based on available sensor information is introduced. It uses fuzzy logic for the classification task, generated and optimized by means of a neural network, and allows the bidirectional conversion between the fuzzy and neural domain. The proposed method leads to superior classification results and reduced development time compared to "manual" system design.


Abstract The mounting costs of higher education mean that successful innovation cannot be left to chance. Over the last two decades the increase of innovation in higher education has highlighted a need for understanding of the processes of innovation and the ways in which successful innovation may be achieved. Planning of innovation is a management process aiming to facilitate the widespread and enduring adoption of the innovation. This paper considers the planning of innovation in higher education from four aspects: the nature of innovation, the planning process, educational planning and higher education. There are both technical and human constraints in planning of innovation. In the absence of sudden external pressures to change attitudes and beliefs, planning of innovation must seek to create a favourable environment. This may be achieved through altered organisational structures and the provision of support for innovation.


The performance of TCP in the presence of random losses/errors is examined. TCP is originally designed to operate over networks which are error/loss free. However, this assumption is violated in many networks (wireless, ATM) over which TCP operates nowadays. The effects of TCP segment losses/errors on TCP sessions are investigated through many simulation experiments. The observations from the simulation traces provide a basis for the constructions of two analytical models (a simple analysis and an exact analysis) for end-to-end TCP throughput evaluation. For WAN connections (with large bandwidth-delay product), both models give close approximates. However, for LAN connections (with small bandwidth-delay product), the simple analysis estimates deviate from simulation results whereas the exact analysis still gives close estimates. The analytical framework developed has applications in studying the effects of TCP parameters, channel characteristics, intermittent connectivity due to handoff on TCP throughput, through which we can determine how TCP needs to be modified in the long term for efficient operation over emerging networks which are lossy/noisy.


Purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis sims.) or commercially recognized as Markisa among Malaysian is a vine species crop that can thrive well under hot and temperate climate region. In fruit industries, passion fruit is considered as one of tropical fruit that is traded globally among ASEAN, China, America and European countries. In Malaysia, the total passion fruit production in 2012-2017 was 579.6 MT. The flower of passion fruit possesses unique hermaphrodite feature with big and sticky pollens that causes low rate of pollination and fruit set. As part of an effort to increase the fruit production, it is fundamentally important to study the effect of assisted pollination. The present study examined the effect of assisted pollination (AP) and natural pollination (NP) in improving the percentage (%) of fruit formation as well as its growth and development characteristic. Length and diameter of fruit were measured to reflect the fruit size and shape. Final fruit size was significantly (p>0.05) influenced by pollination treatments. Bigger fruit was obtained by application of AP since it has resulted in length and diameter increment of 73.3 and 45.9%, respectively whereas NP resulted in only 29.2 and 37.7% in length and diameter, respectively. The final fruit shape obtained by AP was oblate spheroid while NP was spheroid. Overall, the study concluded that AP was not merely important to improve the fruit formation but vital for improving the size and shape of fruits.


When performing non-destructive testing of aerostructures with complex geometrical shapes and curved surfaces, two problems arise: one is generation of an appropriate sequence of 3D coordinates and orientations for the inspection probe to follow complex component contours; the other is interpretation and characterιsation of defects based on 2D NDT images. By utilising the information from CAD models, this paper presents a 3D NDT software package to aid planning of NDT data acquisition via 3D simulation, and to aid defect visualisation and measurement in 3D by superimposing 2D NDT images on their 3D CAD models. The particular noteworthy and unique characteristics of the software are (a) a versatile 3D CAD model editing tool for extraction of CAD features and construction of simplified CAD models; (b) 3D scanning simulation for automatic generation of probe coordinates and orientations with respect to curved component surfaces; (c) tools for aligning and projecting a 3D CAD model on to its 2D NDT image; and (d) texture mapping to project a NDT image on to its 3D CAD model surface. Using real aircraft components with their radiographic, ultrasonic and thermographic images as examples, the software is shown to offer a unique, versatile and powerful CAD-based 3D NDT environment for fast and reliable structure integrity assessment of complex aerostructures.


The Austrian early childhood interventions programme ("Frühe Hilfen") is an overall concept of health promotion measures, aiming to support families depending on their individual needs to create good conditions for raising their children. This should contribute to long-term health of the children. The manifold effects of this complex intervention on the families are to be investigated in the future. To do so, a research concept shall be developed using a participatory research approach. A selective literature search was carried out to identify concrete recommendations for participatory research and previous experiences on the participation of parents. Based on these results, semi-structured interviews and group discussions with families were carried out. According to literature, parents have rarely been used as co-researchers. Our experiences show that access to families in burdened life circumstances is possible via the low-threshold structures of our early childhood interventions programme. In 2018, 21 families participated in interviews and group discussions. The latter method is particularly well suited for obtaining targeted information from families and building trust for long-term cooperation. Still, the stressful family situations make it difficult to participate in research activities. Therefore, specific conditions are required. At present, it is clear that it is feasible to involve families and test research methods together. The next step, an equal cooperation of families and researchers, shall be achieved by the use of a research group. A small group started in Spring 2019, eventually being involved in the implementation of some methods during fall 2019. Whether families are willing to participate continuously for a long time in research activities remains unclear, so far.

 Participatory research with families in stressful situations needs time and patience as well as specific conditions, but it is possible. Participation of the target group in the planning phase of further research can lead to relevant insights for programme improvements.


On the basis of the present situation of Chinese agent system,this paper explains rent-seeking conditions and causes in the process of construction project implementation,and proposes measures to prevent rent-seeking behavior to inhibit the rent-seeking behavior in the construction management,in order to maximize the social benefits of agent system.


Introduction: Fatigue is a frequent, debilitating symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite this, studies report dissatisfaction among IBD patients regarding how little attention is given to fatigue-related issues during consultations. We performed a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether a brief, structured, multidisciplinary psychological support program improved fatigue, mood and quality of life indices in patients with quiescent IBD. Methods: The intervention consisted of three small-group psychoeducational sessions over 6 months. Primary outcomes were effect on fatigue severity and impact scores. Secondary outcomes included effect on depression, anxiety, somatization scores, generic and disease-specific quality of life. Results: Twenty-three patients were enrolled, 10 in the intervention arm and 13 controls. Mean fatigue severity and impact scores improved for patients in the intervention group (by 14.5–13.1 and 49.7–45.8, respectively), and worsened in controls (by 11.5–12.6 and 33.5–35 respectively). Mean Short Form 36 (SF-36) scores for role limitations due to physical health decreased from 44.4 to 38.9 in the intervention group, but increased from 44.2 to 51.9 among controls. Energy scores in the intervention group improved from 17.8 to 26.6, but only from 31.4 to 31.7 among controls. Short IBD questionnaire scores improved in both groups, from 46.2 to 45.2 in controls compared with 44.4–40 in the intervention group. Discussion: In this small pilot RCT, positive effects were demonstrated on fatigue, energy levels and other quality of life outcomes. Larger, adequately powered studies with longer follow up are required. ClincialTrials.gov identifier: NCT02709434.


Fluorescence microscopy is an important and ubiquitous tool in biological imaging due to the high specificity with which fluorescent molecules can be attached to an organism and the subsequent nondestructive in-vivo imaging allowed. Focused-light microscopies allow three-dimensional fluorescence imaging but their resolution is restricted by diffraction. This effect is particularly limiting in the axial dimension as the diffraction-limited focal volume produced by a lens is more extensive along the optical axis than perpendicular to it. Approaches such as confocal microscopy and 4Pi microscopy have been developed to improve the axial resolution. Spectral Self-Interference Fluorescence Microscopy (SSFM) is another high-axial-resolution technique and is the principal subject of this dissertation. Nanometer-precision localization of a single fluorescent layer has been demonstrated using SSFM. This accuracy compares favorably with the axial resolutions given by confocal and 4Pi systems at similar operating parameters (these resolutions are approximately 350nm and 80nm respectively).


Ethanol‐induced changes in membrane fluidity and migration of granulocytes has been suggested to contribute to development of alcoholic hepatitis. Besides ethanol other aliphatic alcohols (OAAs) have been detected in alcoholic beverages. We examined the effects of OAAs alone and in combination with ethanol on these processes. Granulocytes isolated from human blood were treated separately with methanol, ethanol, and a mixture of OAAs including methanol, 1‐propanol, 2‐propanol, 1‐butanol, 2‐butanol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol at biologically relevant concentrations. The membrane fluidity and migration activity of granulocytes was examined by fluorescence anisotropy method and migration chambers, respectively. Our findings showed that OAAs increased membrane fluidity and migration activity of granulocytes in a concentration‐dependent manner and when combined with ethanol they caused a further increase in the migration activity of granulocytes. It is possible that OAAs consumed with alcoholic beverages may further enhance migration of granulocytes in heavy drinkers and contribute to ethanol‐induced liver damage. Practical applications The consumption of OAAs in alcoholic beverages has been hypothesized as an additional risk factor for the development of alcoholic liver diseases. To confirm this suggestion, the potentially adverse effects of exposure to OAAs should be further examined. Our investigation provides new toxicological data on the effects of OAAs found in alcoholic beverages. The results of this study can be used for more precise toxicological evaluations to clarify whether OAAs may pose an additional risk factor for the development of alcoholic liver diseases. Furthermore, information on the harmful effects of OAAs could enable health policy makers to make evidence‐based decisions when implementing new regulations on alcoholic beverages.


(57) Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of the general formula (I) ## STR1 ## Relates salts of bicyclic aromatic derivative compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable said compound according to the formula Kill, (l-8C) alkylthio, (l-8C) (di) alkylamino, (l-8C) alkoxy, (2-8C) alkenyl, or (2-8C) 1 or one or more selected from alkynyl optionally substituted with a substituent, Carbonyl or (6-14C) aryl (l-8C) alkyl, Y is CH or N, Z is NH The compounds of the present invention can be used in fertility regulating therapies have luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors that activate the activity.


In September 2022 the Maritime Museum of Montenegro celebrated the solemn academy on its seventieth anniversary. This significant anniversary was marked by the solemn academy held in the church of Saint Spirit – the concert hall of the Music School "Vida Matjan" Kotor. Also, we arranged the exhibition named A Walk through Time and Events by the authors Radojka Abramović, Danijela Nikčević, Dijana Đurašković, Ilija Mlinarević and Tomislav Bonić. The aim of the solemn academy and the exhibition was to sum up, reflect and recapitulate the achievements during the last seven decades of the existence and work of the Maritime Museum of Montenegro. According to the Decision of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs of 17 December 1949 on the establishment of the Museum, the Museum had the task to "collect and purchase, arrange, exhibit and maintain objects and documents of relevance for the historical heritage of Boka with the aim to explore history and publish the results of its work". The founders of the Museum were aware of the importance of the historical and cultural heritage that has been accumulated for centuries in the palaces and captains' mansions. With its establishment, the existence of the museum and archival material was officially declared, and the collecting process was continued during all seventy years by enriching the records through purchase and donations. Nowadays, the Maritime Museum is a public institution of a specialized type, the institution dealing with collecting, protecting, archiving and professional procession and the presentation of the object and portable cultural goods from the maritime past of the Montenegrin coast. In 2012 the Maritime Museum of Montenegro was named the home museum for maritime-technical collections preserving the maritime heritage of Montenegro.


The optics division of the European Physical Society and the European Federation for Applied Optics, 'Europtica', should combine to form a new European Optical Society, according to a proposal currently being considered by both bodies. The suggestion has already been unanimously endorsed by the board of the EPS optics division.


The antiviral activities of type I IFNs have long been established. However, comparatively little is known of their role in defenses against nonviral pathogens. We examined here the effects of type I IFNs on host resistance against the model pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. After intratracheal or i.v. challenge with this fungus, most mice lacking either the IFN-α/β receptor (IFN-α/βR) or IFN-β died from unrestrained pneumonia and encephalitis, while all wild-type controls survived. The pulmonary immune response of IFN-α/βR−/− mice was characterized by increased expression of IL-4, IL-13, and IL-10, decreased expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, inducible NO synthetase, and CXCL10, and similar levels of IL-12 mRNA, compared with wild-type controls. Histopathological analysis showed eosinophilic infiltrates in the lungs of IFN-α/βR−/− mice, although this change was less extensive than that observed in similarly infected IFN-γR-deficient animals. Type I IFN responses could not be detected in the lung after intratracheal challenge. However, small, but statistically significant, elevations in IFN-β levels were measured in the supernatants of bone marrow-derived macrophages or dendritic cells infected with C. neoformans. Our data demonstrate that type I IFN signaling is required for polarization of cytokine responses toward a protective type I pattern during cryptococcal infection.